Earthworm Castings - A few questions

[xmobotx]

How would making this kind of statement be any less erroneous?

i guess it depends on how "little" the variances actually are once tested

 

[Admiral Canna]

I use Wiggle Worm brand castings......lovely bag of black gold! The bag lists it as 1-0-0 but the back of it talks about the other micros in it and also how it contributes to the microbial activity in the soil.

I started out making a tea.....two double handfuls of castings in a 5 gallon bucket, filled up with my well water and left to sit and stew for a couple days....stirring it here and there. Strain the sediment out and BAM, there is your tea.

I have no idea how my tea is, as I have nothing to compare it to. But my plants seems to dig it.

DocLeaf, that was a very good point how castings are cold. i knew they were from touching them, but I never really thought about it. Good point!!!!!!

Great thread too!

 

[coconaut]

3-1-1 is roughly the NPK value of worm castings.

I skimmed this thread for the most part. But have a few points;
For starters, what you feed the worms, will influence the NPK value of the final castings.
Think of it like this, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, all these nutrients, are elements, worms and bacteria aren't capable of fusion/fission, so those elements cannot be changed. If you put nitrogen in, you get nitrogen out. The worms/bacteria only convert those nutrients into a more usable form.

"worm slime contains bacteria which deposit calcium"
but the calcium is already in the worm bin, surely the bacteria isn't creating new calcium.

But does it translate that if I feed my worms kelp meal (for example) that I'll end up with castings with a high-profile in micro-nutrients or potassium? The answer to that question hasn't been answered to my satisfaction.

Yes, adding kelp to a worm bin will increase potassium content within the worm bin. Otherwise, I don't know how the potassium would just disappear.

mostly horse manure
i wonder how i might estimate the NPK of the castings i harvest from the tub? does anyone know of a resource?

Well, if you're buying bagged horse manure, it could have the NPK values written on the bag. Otherwise, if they're your horses, you could look at what the horses are eating. You can probably find nutrient profiles of grass and oats and hay. All three are probably higher in nitrogen than other elements.

 

[xmobotx]

Well, if you're buying bagged horse manure, it could have the NPK values written on the bag. Otherwise, if they're your horses, you could look at what the horses are eating. You can probably find nutrient profiles of grass and oats and hay. All three are probably higher in nitrogen than other elements.

lol @ buying bagged horse manure - yeah, it's my horse - so she eats my grass and i give her grass hay/sweet cob to supplement - ultimately i want to grow my own horse-grass and (of course) alfalfa is already present here (it was wild - but, i cover crop w/ it) she definitely leaves a lot of horse crap laying around

N may not be the best example as it is used up in the composting process and can convert to an evaporative state

i think P can become fairly mobile as well (leach/evaporate?) but IDK

i see no reason why K introduced to the worm pile would go anywhere - similarly w/ a lot of the micros; since, as you say - many are mineral or metal and can't just disappear

 

[RESINvention]

However, other studies have shown that the effects of home made, backyard, vermicompost compared to municipal compost were lower in terms of soil microbial biomass, soil microbial activity, and yields of a species of ryegrass.

-I think it's because most home vermicompost enthusiasts don't take the step in adding a scoop or two of earth(sand/soil/clay etc) to their worm bin. This adds a plethora of microorganisms to your castings as well as creates a gritty substance in the worm's digestive tract which helps expedite the whole process.

 

[DocLeaf]

-I think it's because most home vermicompost enthusiasts don't take the step in adding a scoop or two of earth(sand/soil/clay etc) to their worm bin. This adds a plethora of microorganisms to your castings as well as creates a gritty substance in the worm's digestive tract which helps expedite the whole process.

Good point

The assumptions and statistics surrounding vermicompsot culture are old and need up dating... probably written in the time before everyone had access to bananas an imported substances like guano, swedish peat, and new zealand honey.

We ALWAYS add a few spade of naturally occurring / local soil to our compost bins for the reasons you mention RESINvention

peace n flowers

 

[Ise]

try these

try these

n-p-k is 1-0.5-0.2 http://www.monroeworks.com/