Compost / Potting Soil Vermicompost Chicken Manure Horse Manure Garden Soil Browns
25 % 25 %
25 % 5 %
10 %
10 %
How to use vermicompost ?
Vermicompost is nature best fertiliser . The benefit of it does not come from its NPK values , like with chemical fertilisers as it is actually low in comparison , but rather from the diversity and number of microorganisms present in it . A healthy soil requires a balanced soil food web where bacteria and fungi process the organic and mineral matter and release them back to the plant when they are in turn eaten by larger organisms such as Protozoa or Nematodes . Without the soil food web we would need to constantly add more chemical fertilisers , plants will grow big and nice in the outside but in the inside they will be weaker and more susceptible to attack from pests and diseases .
Here are some ways you can use your black gold :
• Potting and seedling mixes . Studies have shown a good ratio vermicompost in a mix is of 10 % to 25 % but ‘ less is more ’ and you might get better results with just 10 %. Vermicompost contains plant growth hormones so it will help your seedlings .
• Top dressing your garden beds . During growth periods apply two inches of vermicompost to the surface of your garden bed and work it into the top soil . Be gentle as to not damage plant roots . Cover generously with mulch .
• Replace the top inch of soil of your houseplant with vermicompost every other month .
• Make aerated compost tea for larger garden . 1 gallon of vermicompost can make up to 50 gallons of compost tea which can be further diluted .
• Keep some finished vermicompost to inoculate a new worm tray .
Notes about the aerated compost tea :
The aerated compost tea ( ACT ) or actively aerated compost tea ( AACT ) is not to be mistaken with the liquid that seeps out from the bottom of a worm bin which is usually and wrongly called worm tea or worm wee . It is neither a tea or worm urine , worm tea is just a fancy name for leachate and leachate can be potentially bad for the plants depending on many factors . The leachate may contain unprocessed food particles which can lead to the presence of toxic compounds that can kill the plants in sufficient amount . Leachate is often left to sit in the collection tray for days and will thus become an anaerobic environment that can breed pathogens already present in small number or airborne .
ACT and AACT on the other hand is a liquid fertiliser that you make by steeping finished compost or vermicompost in non-chlorinated water for an amount of time going from 24 to 48 hours . Air is forced into the water and some form of food is added to feed the aerobic beneficial micro-organisms that will start to multiply very quickly . You are now indeed breeding those micro-organisms to enrich your existing soil food web .
The serious farmer will want to use a decent microscope to assess the numbers and species of micro-organisms being bred in the compost tea to get the desired balance .
More details can be found here : http :// www . microbeorganics . com https :// thelittlewormfarm . com / en / journey
Also check the Worm Farming Revolution and Secret Recipe books advertised on page 32 .
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