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Worm castings

I

IE2KS_KUSH

Is it ok if my worm castings dry out? Still going to work right?
I mean to add to soil..
 
Hammerhead

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Yes as they break down they will release there nutrients into the soil. That's how Organics work.
 
G

greenmatter

they may not be as "alive" as fresh castings but they are not dead
 
DocLeaf

DocLeaf

procreationist
ICMag Donor
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Dry wormcasts will hold a similar nutrient content... but will be devoid of any micro-organisms that require water to survive.

I once went mental at a dude that let a bag of compost completely dry out,, it was like he'd killed his soil.

peace
DL :joint:
 
I

IE2KS_KUSH

I didnt mean for that to happen, it just did, I need to get a rubbermaid container for them next time. Just hope that ot doesnt screw up my next batch of soil..
 
mad librettist

mad librettist

Active member
Veteran
Dry wormcasts will hold a similar nutrient content... but will be devoid of any micro-organisms that require water to survive.
Click to expand...

Where did you learn this? it's absolutely false. I've made compost tea from bone dry compost, just took extra time to wake up. Microscope confirmed.

Dude, microbes can travel the world as dust, and can live forever in suspended animation.
 
I

IE2KS_KUSH

Yous guys think its risky? What if I mix in some of my unused soil that should be "alive", in with the new batch. do the micro organisms come back if moisture is re-introduced? Idk, I will probably order more castings, just a pita to get them hoped that someone may have been there done that and could give first hand account...btw my first run with lc mix and #1 recipie has been pretty outstanding imo, couldnt have been easier. Previously I used pbp line with ffof, this is just as good and less worry so far, till I let my fucking castings dry out anyway lol
 
K

kannubis

put a potted plant in a tub with dry castings under it and water to runoff, let sit for a while to reconstitute and the castings should be at least halfway charged up again in short order
 
mad librettist

mad librettist

Active member
Veteran
Drying your castings is far superior to putting them in a bin with too little aeration.

Trust me, if it's not dried too fast, the microherd wakes up with warmth and water. You can actually culture some good organisms from dried peat bales, too.
 
Arthur Dent.

Arthur Dent.

Member
If you mix them into a tea or at least let them bubble for a day 24hrs, you should reactivate most of the Micro herd needed, the bubbling will bring the aerobic bacteria to life.

throw some guano and such and your cooking fresh buds man.

IMHO,

Namaste :joint:
 
G

greenmatter

mad librettist said:
Where did you learn this? it's absolutely false. I've made compost tea from bone dry compost, just took extra time to wake up. Microscope confirmed.

Dude, microbes can travel the world as dust, and can live forever in suspended animation.
Click to expand...

:yeahthats


you may have lost some of the "biological diversity" when the castings dried out and you cut back on the number of microbes (from trillions to billions) but those castings are a long way from being devoid of life. use them .... if you are really worried about the situation water with a fresh EWC tea and /or ACT, that will get things rolling again. IMHO it is a good thing to do anyway. ma nature is good at this game ...she has been at it for a day or two
 
mad librettist

mad librettist

Active member
Veteran
DocLeaf said:
add a live worm to the castings :D
Click to expand...

this is a great strategy if you will give sufficient aeration. I also recommend having some food in there, like bokashi. Let it go about 60 days, and you will find no trace of bokashi, just rich soil.

Essentially, it's soil storage crossed with a worm bin. You will find that a layer of pure castings develops along the bottom, so you really want a breathable container and substrate to keep that black gold from suffocating and turning swampy. When distributing the contents, remember to give each container some of the material from the bottom. It works out well, since it becomes top dressing if you dig it out with a shovel.

IMHO, a rubbermaid bin is a mediocre choice for fresh castings. A big (800-1600 liters) smartpot is great, or one of those compost saks, or any container you make from poly felt or some other non degradable breathable material.




Short of that kind of care, and I mean really caring for your castings/soil, drying it out is a great idea. Also, if you deal with lots of material, it's really to your advantage to handle it dry until it's used, and just inoculate it with good, proper ACT (not a manure or guano concoction) made from a small source of always fresh and active castings you keep on the side. This is just common sense. Logic, if you will, and microbiology. The more stable you can make your materials without compromising their usefulness, the less they will cost you. On top of that, it's always a waste of money to handle water you don't need to handle. Get it out of the picture when you can, because it's heavy and makes things unstable.

If I have castings beyond what I need for my grow, I dry them out and store them in plastic bins with holes. I moisten with diluted ACT before use.
 
Last edited:
mosstrooper

mosstrooper

Member
I dont have a worm farm, and i cant afford to buy castings mail order, so, could i use the castings earth worms throw up onto my lawn?:)
 
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