Castings are the best organic fertilizer you can get!
Magical Earth Earthworm Castings are an excellent all natural plant
food that come to you directly from Mother Nature in their purest form. For
millions of years, the incredible earthworm has been one of nature's greatest
producers of readily available plant food. When used in greater concentrations
than found in nature, this non-burning, long lasting organic fertilizer can
provide remarkable benefits such as:
Vigorous Plant
Growth
Fibrous Root System
Improved Aeration
of Soil.
Vegetables
and Annual Flowers Line bottom and sides of plant holes and seed furrows with
1"-2" of earthworm castings. Set seeds or plants in place and cover
with soil. Side dress during growing seasons at a rate of 1/2 cup per plant or
1 cup per linear foot of row once every 2 months.
Perennials Work 1/2 cup into the soil above their root zone taking care not to
damage shallow roots. Apply in spring, early summer and early fall.
Potted Plants and Seeds/Seed Flats New - Potting mix-use 1 part
earthworm castings to 3 parts soil.
Potted Plants, Window Boxes or Hanging Baskets Established - Add 1-2 inches of Earthworm
castings to top of soil. Mix in taking care not to damage shallow roots - water
- repeat every 2-3 months.
Roses, Trees, Shrubs and Berries New or freshly transplanted Mix 1 part earthworm
castings to 3 parts soil. Surround newly dug hole with mixture. Spread roots
over a mound of the mix in the hole and cover.
Roses Established Mix 4 cups of earthworm castings into soil 2-3
inches below the surface for each plant.
Lawns New Apply 10 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. Work lightly into the topsoil. Mix in
grass seed and water well.
Lawns Established Distribute as top dress 10 lbs. per 100 sq. ft.
Casting Tea Soak 1 part castings in 3 parts water for 12-24 hours. Stir well and
water as usual. Casting tea is excellent for fruiting, flowering or difficult
to access potted plants.
Compost
Piles Spread a thin layer of earthworm castings between each new layer of material to
be composted.
Worm Castings have nutrients that are far more readily AVAILABLE to your plants, the USA Department of Agriculture states that on average Castings contain approx. 5 times the exchangeable Magnesium (Mg), 7 times the available Phosphorus (P), 11 times available Potash/Potassium (K), and 1 1/2 times the Calcium (Ca) found in fine top soil.
Nutrient
PPM
% Sat
Phosphorus (P)
69
Potassium (K)
161
28%
Calcium (CA)
1805
60.1%
Magnesium (MG)
458
25%
Ammonium (NH4)
3
Nitrate (NO3)
150
Worm castings are basically the same as 'normal' compost. However, it is thought that worm castings have several benefits over plain ole' compost.
The nutrients in worm castings have exceptionally high availability for the plants, so that while the numbers on analysis sheets may appear low, worm castings make for nutrient rich diet for plants.
Worm castings provide a very good structure to the soil, thanks to the mucus coating that the worms provide and because of high humus content. Thus mucus coating also keeps the nutrients available, providing natures own slow-release nutrients. Worm castings also retains water very well.
Worm castings are thought to contain a chitinaze-enzyme, a enzyme that melts the chitin that most insects exo-skeleton is made of. This means worm castings acts as a pest repellent/pesticide, and possibly can even trigger chitinaze production in plants, too.
Worm castings also have strong and live beneficial bacterial populations. These bacterial populations will act as a line of defense against pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
suppress
fungal diseases (phythium, fusarium, dollar spot, etc)
is an
all purpose natural fertilizer that comes to you straight from nature with no
alterations whatsoever.
contains
over 60 micro nutrients and trace minerals and rich proportions of
water-soluble nutrients
Plants quickly and easily absorb all
essentials nutrients & trace elements.
has a high
concentration of beneficial bacteria and microbes that are produced in the
earthworm's digestion
Because
of the absorbent organic matter contained in the castings themselves, moisture
is held in the root zone while allowing excess moisture to drain away. can
be used straight from the bag on indoor or outdoor plants.
improve soil structure and aerate roots
so plants can easily grow fast, full and fibrous. is naturally odor free.
less watering required
environmentally
safe for all plants, animals and humans. are OMRI
listed. can
be used without risk to your organic certification
Organic
Earthworm Castings, contain rich proportions of water-soluble nutrients. This
is a primary reason for being able to provide incredible results.
Worm Castings
allow plants to quickly and easily absorb all essential nutrients and trace
elements in simple forms, so plants need only minimal effort to obtain them.
This is not the case with synthetic fertilizers. Though they may have many
nutrients and/or higher analysis, the ability of plants to optimally use them
is limited because they are not broken down to the degree in which the
earthworm is able to provide them.
As
well as an abundance of available nutrients, worm castings also provide a
perfect mix of nutritional needs. This allows plants to feed as needed for
weeks and months at time, depending on the plant.
High
Availability of Nutrients - Over 60 micro-nutrients and trace minerals along
with high numbers of beneficial microbes and bacteria.
Another
point in favor of earthworm castings is the high concentration of beneficial
bacteria and microbes added to them by the earthworm in the digestive process.
These microscopic creatures help different elements of the soil work in
conjunction with each other to create healthy, working soil that provides the
best possible atmosphere for optimum growth.
Our
worm casting contain earthworm eggs and the occasional earthworm too. Synthetic
fertilizers usually provide only available synthetic nutrients (N-P-K), much of
what are quickly lost into the soil with watering, as a plants' root system can
only absorb so much. Chemical fertilizers are most often detrimental to soil
microbiology, bypassing and often destroying much of its beneficial microbial
and bacterial activity
Yet,
another benefit is the ability to improve soil structure. These miniature
football shaped particles improve aeration, which promotes rapid plant growth.
It also allows for excellent drainage in soil so roots don't become waterlogged
or develop root rot, while also increasing the soil's water retention capacity
as they contain absorbent organic matter that holds only the necessary amounts
of water needed by the roots and their shape allows unnecessary water to easily
drain.
Earth
Worm Castings are also an effective way to repel white flies, aphids and spider
mites & any pest that feeds on plant juices. According to recent studies,
applying earthworm castings to the soil around your plants increases the
production of a certain enzyme that is offensive to these insects. How quickly the pests depart depends on
the size of the plant. For instance, it may take as little as two weeks for an
infestation to clear up on a houseplant or as long as two months to rid a large
rose of pests.
Earthworm
castings are an organic, non-toxic fertilizer that can be used on just about
any plant in the garden!
They are a great source of calcium, magnesium,
nitrogen, phosphates and potash.
Reduce
algae in greenhouses, ponds, & lagoons no nitrogen run-off
May
be applied to phosphate sensitive areas
Reduce
irrigation cost up to 50%
Increases
drought resistance
Reduce
all chemical costs by 75% first year of 3 year program
No
ground water contamination
Improve
crumb structure of soil
Not
toxic - reduce liabilities for employees and clients when used professionally