I’ve heard for years that this is the safest source of nutrients because it won’t burn. I have other questions though.
I have a worm bed in an old metal tub. I always incorporate this valuable asset in my grows. But what am I really putting in my girls by using it?
I’ve always been told it’s an excellent source of N, but what about the rest of the nutes that I know must be in the castings? Bananas, for instance, are good for potassium. Will this affect the percentage of P I am using? Does the vegetative material I put in the bed change the nutrient makeup of the castings, or do the worms only leave a certain by-product?
This stems from me wondering if I should pay even closer attention to what I put in for my worms. I know the basics…no animal products, no citrus and all the other stuff, but is there a way to adjust what the worms provide me by what I provide to them?
Not sure if I’m just over thinking things or not, so I decided to put this thought out and see what y’all think.
All thoughts are welcome, but if anyone has actual facts about it, I would enjoy seeing references to back up the idea.
Worm poop is gardening gold. Properly known as “worm casts”, what worms leave behind is actually
vital to the soil food web and is one of the key substances to maintaining healthy, nutrient-dense
soil for your plants.
“Research has shown that fresh earthworm casts are five times richer in available nitrogen,
seven times richer in available phosphates, and 11 times richer in available potash than the
surrounding upper six inches of soil. […]
Plant roots often seek out available earthworm casts. They follow the worm Burroughs and feed
on the nutrients in the available vicinity even if it means that the roots have to grow upward.”
While growers often spend a significant chunk of change on fertilizers throughout the grow cycle,
adding worm castings to your soil inundates them with the vital, natural nutrients they most desire.
If the WCs (as I will refer to Worm Casts from here on) are abundant in everything, how would that come into play with my flowering? I don’t need all that nitrogen anymore, so am I now hurting my grow?
Would I now have to adjust my pH to induce N lockout?
What about all the other nutrients that our girls require? Are WCs sufficient for those as well or would I need to add, say Cal/Mag?
I was going to invite all of you mentors, but didn’t want to add to the multitude of tags y’all get.
That will be an advantage to having seeds from ILGM next season. I found out a brother in law ordered some seeds through a fellow grower and he’s giving me a few! Hell yeah!
It’s another reason for the thoughts. I want the best for those roots! I will be sure to post those to the forum.
I don’t believe they will qualify for the BoM because there won’t be a record of me getting them. Will still enjoy knowing exactly what I have for a change! Lol
I am a Moderator not a Mentor.But that’s all good my friend,
Mixing your own soil is an art of its own. if not done correctly would ruin your hole crop.
but if done the correct way would be very rewarding.
your soil should last though out your grow and
with all the watering and what your plant takes in and a good flush at flower there is no worries as far as nitrogen is concerned.
At the start of flower.
