~Using worm castings~
How to use worm castings in a soil mix?
Worm castings can be used in a multitude of ways - mixed
into a soil mix, a soilless mix, or as a tea or
slurry.
Usually worm castings is thought of as an additive.
Recommendations vary wildly, but I would recommend adding
one tenth to one fifth in any organic mix (10-20%).
Top dressing with worm castings would work well, too,
especially with indoor containers. Making a worm castings
tea by steeping the castings in clean well aerated water
makes for a life giving plant-nutrient. I recommend
filtering worm tea before use and returning the dregs
into the worm bin after a couple of rounds.
One can use plain worm castings as a growing medium, and
in my experience it works very well. But usually finished
worm castings tends to be mud-like in consistency, and
needs something to aerate and lighten up the texture.
Perlite and expanded clay work very well for this. 50% of
expanded clay (multiple size) and 50% worm castings makes
for a nice quick-n-dirty primo soil(less) mix.
The Classic Shabang Mix
"The mix that I recommend is basically
nothing but castings and drainage. I used to cut
it with all sorts of things, including soilless
peat-based mixes like pro-mix.. but then you're
introducing a source for pH problems-- especially
when others try and duplicate it but can't find
the right brands then substitute with a peat-mix
that is too acidic. So down to the bare basics of
a mix:
40% castings
30% perlite
30% vermiculite"
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Quoted from Answer #781 here:
781.htm
102% Hyper vegetative Mix by Mellow Yellowharja
* 25% coco peat
* 25% expanded clay
* 50% worm casting
* 2% alfalfa meal pellets
* 1/4 tablespoon of dolomite lime per liter (1 per
gal)
* lemon juice (or 8% citric acid solution)
* Seaweed extract according to taste
* silicon nutrient additive
Note:
- This is a guideline, not a recipe. Know your
ingredients!
- If things get too Sticky, muddy or water retaining with
the worm castings, add more coco peat, peat, perlite or
expanded clay.
- The stretching due to alfalfa can last up to 5 or more
weeks.
- For alfalfa meal pellets 2% is a careful estimate. More
can be used if the plants can take it.
- This mix should last about 4 weeks, ie. supply the
plant with nutrients during the vegetative period, PK and
N+Mg+Ca additive may be needed in bloom.
Meek Flowering Mix
* Worm castings, from bin fed with fruit and vegetables
and peels (High K, Medium P)
* Optionally in the first 4 weeks of flowering, add as
needed:
Pinch of dolomite lime or epsom salts
Pinch of gypsym
Pinch(es) of clean, pure wood ash
Mix in a bucket of water, and filter solids. Water during
flowering.
Note:
- This is a guideline, not a recipe. Know your
ingredients!
- Yields very vivid aromatic tones
- Basically a high K + P + Mg + Ca + S solution - all
thats needed in bloom.
- N supplementation may also be necessary.
Oh also, you could talk a bit about Casting Tea
aswell.
Well I've usually simply spooned some more or less
finished castings into a cheapo nylon stocking and dumped
that in a bucket and a hydroponic tank.
A surefire way would be using 100% finished worm castings
with a high quality filter material, and place that in a
bucket with water, aerate the water for 48 hours, and
then use that water for watering, provided it didnt
contain visible pests and didnt smell like rotten fish
(aerobic teas shouldnt smell bad in the first
place).
