worm castings?
| Member | Message |
|---|---|
 |
Posted: May/14/2008 2:58 PM PST
I'm new here so please excuse some of my "dumb" questions. What are worm castings and where do you get them? I am interested in trying them when I plant my tomatoes, but I'd rather ask you all what they were and where do you get them. Thanks for any info you could send my way. 
|
 |
Posted: May/17/2008 6:17 AM PST
Simply put, it's worm poop LOL |
 |
Posted: May/17/2008 6:37 AM PST
You can get.a product called Vermicast (or something like that ) It's sold just about everywhere (Lowes, Home Depot, etc) It's in recycled soda bottles. It's supposed to ba GREAT stuff! |
|
|
Posted: May/19/2008 7:54 AM PST
I feel like the young woman who was intently looking for something in the cleaner aisle. A store-stocker asked if he could help. She then asked him where they kept the elbow grease! (I was NOT that woman, by the way!)Thanks for the heads up! I would rather have asked you all, then some store worker. They probably would have laughed in my face
|
 |
Posted: Aug/10/2008 5:03 PM PST
Hi, just came across this post. Did you find out what they were and where they come from? There are kits you can buy. |
 |
Posted: Aug/14/2008 6:43 PM PST
I have a worm box going in a plastic bin that i found on the side of the road. It makes great castings and kids love checking out the worms. Why buy it? Make your own! |
|
|
Posted: Aug/15/2008 8:26 AM PST
Quote: Originally posted by KCKfour20 I have a worm box going in a plastic bin that i found on the side of the road. It makes great castings and kids love checking out the worms. Why buy it? Make your own!I should do that- I have loads of plastic bins that are "broken" LOL! Did you dig up worms to put in, or buy them? How do you get the "poop"? I'll try anything that will organically improve my soil
|
|
|
Posted: Aug/15/2008 10:55 AM PST
Quote: Originally posted by Aurora Quote: Originally posted by KCKfour20 I have a worm box going in a plastic bin that i found on the side of the road. It makes great castings and kids love checking out the worms. Why buy it? Make your own!I should do that- I have loads of plastic bins that are "broken" LOL! Did you dig up worms to put in, or buy them? How do you get the "poop"? I'll try anything that will organically improve my soil I got my red wriggler worms out of a finished compost pile in the yard. It was a little work to pick them out, but once you have even a small handful they reproduce quickly. You can purchase worms if you dont have a compost pile. In a worm bin your supposed to have 'bedding' i.e. straw, ripped up newspaper, etc. to help with moisture control. So once all the food scraps are eaten just pick out the bedding and you're left with worm castings. The only problem is it is chalk full of worms so you can either just use the castings with the worms(great for aeration of soil) or, if you want to put your worms back to work, pick as many out as you have patience for and put them in a newly prepared bin. Another method that i have heard is to put the castings to one side of the bin and load up the other side with fresh scraps. After a few days the worms migrate to the fresh stuff leaving the castings nearly worm free. I don't like this method however as unfinished scraps seem to make their way into the castings. I would rather pick worms out than rotting fruit/scraps. Attachments:   |
|
|
Posted: Aug/16/2008 6:51 PM PST
Cool, Thanks I'll have to try that sometime... |
 |
Posted: Aug/31/2008 5:57 AM PST
Great idea 420 (love the username)  I have a large plastic bin (that you guys will see if I EVER get pics uploaded). I put all my leaves from fall cleanup in it, as well as all my salad trimmings/weeding. The worms enter on their own, through holes in the bottom. As with any compost bin, I turn it several times during the summer. I have thousands of worms, and by summers end, I have the equivalent of a 3.5 cubic yard peat moss bag full of castings.... It is very rich, and I mix it with peatmoss, and perlite for an outdoor growing medium. I can't fathom what I would be paying for the castings, if I bought it. Anybody seen this? I've yet to do it, but I bought all the equipment. It's supposed to be fantastic for soil building http://wormtec.com.au/diy%20tea%20brewer.htm |
