Worm castings are another term for worm excrement or worm poop, and are also called vermicast, which is known to be an excellent organic fertilizer. Worms consume compost, and their waste is a nutrient-rich fertilizer that benefits all types of plants, including flowers, vegetables, herbs, and cannabis.
Worm Castings Benefit All Types of Plants
Worm castings provide valuable nutrients to cannabis plants and enhance overall soil quality when added to the soil. Worms break down complex nutrients into bioavailable forms as their food and material digest. Vermicast can even be added to the soil for seedlings as it is difficult to overdo it or over-fertilize with worm castings. Worm castings will not burn or shock seedlings like some fertilizers high in nitrogen can.
One of the best things about worm castings is that they are a slow-release, gentle fertilizer because the castings are coated with a mucus film that slows the breakdown and release of nutrients in the soil. So even though worm castings are high in nitrogen, they can be safely applied in a larger volume and less frequently than quick-acting fertilizers.
Why You Should Use Worm Castings for Plant Growth
Vermicast is the perfect slow-release fertilizer and safer than many chemical-based fertilizers on the market today. Worm castings are natural fertilizer that is packed with excessive minerals and nutrients such as nitrates, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Worm castings protect both the plant and the soil from disease, can increase a plant’s yield, and help the soil to retain moisture as a purely organic fertilizer.
Some of the most important reasons why you should use worm castings to fertilize your cannabis plants include:
- They are slow release – as a slow-release fertilizer, they will not burn or over fertilize your plants.
- Gentle and effective fertilizer – vermicast is a natural, effective fertilizer that helps plants and flowers to produce more and grow larger and stronger. They also improve a plant’s resilience against disease, heat and drought.
- Contains beneficial bacteria – worm castings contain beneficial bacteria and fungi in addition to nutrients that support other organisms in the soil and are an important component of organic gardening.
- Improve soil structure – they are proven to improve the soil structure by improving drainage, aeration, and moisture retention simultaneously.
These are some of the most important benefits of using worm castings to fertilize any plants, including cannabis.
You Can Make Your Own Worm Castings
It is fairly simple to make your own worm castings at home, which is called vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a sustainable, closed-loop method to produce organic fertilizer and reduce the amount of food waste that goes to landfills. It is fairly simple to use a worm bin; some commercial bins are designed specifically for vermicomposting and include a spigot to collect worm castings. Worms need something like shredded newspaper as a betting to help balance the moisture. Coco coir, or coconut fiber, and other organic materials, such as wood chips and straw, can also be used. Then you just add your kitchen scraps to keep up to several hundred worms well-fed.
Vermicast is a very popular, organic, natural fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen yet mild enough to use on seedlings and any type of flowers, vegetables, houseplants, or fruit trees. Using worm castings with your cannabis grow is sure to provide many benefits with improved health and yield.
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