To use worm casting for germination use 20 to 30% worm castings with sand as an excellent germination mixture. It will also ensure continuous and lush growth for about three months, without having to add any other plant food.
Worm castings can be used as an ingredient of potting soil (as plant nutrients) for plants in and around the house. It can also be used as a planting additive for trees, vegetables, seed germination, shrubs and flowers. When used as mulching material, worm castings will ensure that the minerals are absorbed directly into the soil when it is watered. Because worm castings will never burn plants, you can use as much of it as you like.
Benefits of Worm Castings
1. The humus in the worm castings extracts toxins and harmful fungi and bacteria from the soil. Worm castings therefore have the ability to fight off plant diseases.
2. The worm castings have the ability to fix heavy metals in organic waste. This prevents plants from absorbing more of these chemical compounds than they need. These compounds can then be released later when the plants need them.
3. Worm castings act as a barrier to help plants grow in soil where the pH levels are too high or too low. They prevent extreme pH levels from making it impossible for plants to absorb nutrients from the soil.
4. The humic acid in worm castings stimulates plant growth, even in very low concentrations. The humic acid is in an ionically distributed state in which it can easily be absorbed by the plant, over and above any normal mineral nutrients. Humic acid also stimulates the development of micro flora populations in the soil.
5. Worm Castings increase the ability of soil to retain water. The worm castings form aggregates, which are mineral clusters that combine in such a way that they can withstand water erosion and compaction, and also increase water retention.
6. Worm Castings reduce the acid-forming carbon in the soil, and increase the nitrogen levels in a state that the plant can easily use. Organic plant wastes usually have a carbon-nitrogen ratio of more than 20 to 1. Because of this ratio, the nitrogen is unavailable to plants, and the soil around the organic waste becomes acidic.
Remember, you cannot use too much of this amazing substance – it cannot damage your plants.
As a Fertilizer sprinkle worm castings around the base of plants or lightly dig it in, and then add water. They can also be sprinkled on a large scale with a spreader.
As a soil conditioner if you hoe a layer of barren soil, add a layer of worm castings and give it some water. You will be surprised at the growth of your first season's plants.