Shelf life of earthworm castings?

Han Grolo · Sep 28, 2011

Ive had a bag of black gold earthworm castings kept in my cool dry garage for at least three years. However after bubbling for 24 hours, it no longer produces any foamy head making me think its done for.

Can anyone confirm, do the bennies in earthworm castings die off after so long?

Thanks much,
Han

Bullfrog44 · Sep 28, 2011

Did it stay moist? I would think it would last a long time, however degrading in quality.

SeaMaiden · Sep 28, 2011

Han Grolo said:
Ive had a bag of black gold earthworm castings kept in my cool dry garage for at least three years. However after bubbling for 24 hours, it no longer produces any foamy head making me think its done for.

Can anyone confirm, do the bennies in earthworm castings die off after so long?

Thanks much,
Han

I use another brand, but I think that, after scoping my own teas, I'd have to say that yes, the microbial life does die off after one year. Mine have been kept in unopened bags. I still use them, though, ain't throwin' it out!

rrog · Sep 28, 2011

SeaMaiden said:
after scoping my own teas, I'd have to say that yes, the microbial life does die off after one year.

Wow. 1 year? I don't doubt it, but I wonder how fresh some of this inventory is. All the more reason to get a worm bin

mad librettist · Sep 28, 2011

in my experience if you give old compost an extra 24 hours it comes to life in a tea

trichrider · Sep 28, 2011

mad librettist said:
in my experience if you give old compost an extra 24 hours it comes to life in a tea

i didn't notice the op was having questions about compost...but i just bought a bag that was sitting around that long...i kinda wondered about this myself. they have the same pallet of worm casting there for three years now!

the mycos might be done for but the nutrative values would still exist, correct?

organicterra · Sep 28, 2011

Don't the microbes just go dormant and then are "re-activated" so to speak?
See also:
LCE (Liquid Compost Extraction)
http://www.sustainablegrowthtexas.com/product/lce.html

"In the process of compost extraction, the beneficial biology in compost is dislodged and goes into a solution. An important distinction is that the majority of these micro-organisms are inactive or dormant. The liquid biology that results from LCE is similar to the conditions that exist in compost; only a small percentage are active and working, the others lie dormant until they are woken up in response to external stimuli. Thus, when LCE is applied to the landscape a greater number of these dormant micro-organisms survive. A key soil foodweb concept is successional biology. The micro-organisms from applied LCE wake up in response to plant root exudates at different times during the growing season, when they are needed. This approach supports the plant-microbe feedback loop."

Han Grolo · Sep 30, 2011

Bullfrog44 said:
Did it stay moist? I would think it would last a long time, however degrading in quality.

They were pretty dry when I got them really. I went looking to buy a new bag at a different store and all they had was the same black gold brand.

rrog said:
Wow. 1 year? I don't doubt it, but I wonder how fresh some of this inventory is. All the more reason to get a worm bin

I wish I had the space for a worm bin. My friend who does have the space just mentioned wanting to start worming.. A friend with worm tea is a friend indeed!

mad librettist said:
in my experience if you give old compost an extra 24 hours it comes to life in a tea

Assuming you ment old EWC...The second day this batch did have small bubbles that were starting to stay on the top, just around one edge of the bucket. They used to do better than that on day two so it seems this bag is almost over.

trichrider said:
they have the same pallet of worm casting there for three years now!
the mycos might be done for but the nutrative values would still exist, correct?

Yeah when I saw the bags of black gold at the store that looked identical to mine, which it think is more like two years old, I just turned around and walked out.

organicterra said:
Don't the microbes just go dormant and then are "re-activated" so to speak?

That article mentions the compounds secreted by plant roots as being the "activator". They seemed to suggest that the LCE they were talking about was different that the ACT I was bubbling up. Perhaps there are other bacteria, that haven't dried up, waiting for those secretions to come alive.. Howevs, if the head on tea is any way to judge the effectiveness of earthworm castings I would say their aint much left in my bag.

Thanks for the info everyone. :tiphat:

I might just end up ordering some online..
That Uncle Jim's worm farm 10# bag on amazon looks pretty dark..
Does anyone have a brand of EWC that they like?

mad librettist · Sep 30, 2011

Assuming you ment old EWC...The second day this batch did have small bubbles that were starting to stay on the top, just around one edge of the bucket. They used to do better than that on day two so it seems this bag is almost over.

applies to both EWC and compost.

don't worry about the foam, it does not indicate anything

Bullfrog44 · Sep 30, 2011

As far as readily available worm castings, roots organics has some very nice castings.

headband 707 · Sep 30, 2011

Yeah I would say heat might degrade this so I would not count on it to do much... I would just get more do more go for more, more, more lol peace out Headband707

Stay fresh stay frosty lol

xmobotx · Oct 1, 2011

EWC = vermicompost

yes the biology dies if dried up, overheated, or frozen

The best source would be your own worm-bin 1st, a worm farm 2nd and, way dead last any "brand."

You are right to be concerned about how long the bag/palette may have been @ the store. &, that having been said, the old dead vermicast would be better than not adding EWC/not brewing tea

organicterra · Oct 1, 2011

Han Grolo said:
Does anyone have a brand of EWC that they like?

Agrowinn is what I have been using. I'd recommend it.

guest2012y · Oct 1, 2011

If you don't make your own...these are pure castings. I have grown plants in these castings alone..just to see if it worked.
http://vitalearthsproducts.com/soil-builders

schwagg · Oct 1, 2011

i could live in a closet and still have a wormbin. that's a lazy ass excuse man.

xmobotx · Oct 1, 2011

Capt.Cheeze1 said:
If you don't make your own...these are pure castings. I have grown plants in these castings alone..just to see if it worked.
http://vitalearthsproducts.com/soil-builders

looks pretty good - based on your observations

schwagg said:
i could live in a closet and still have a wormbin. that's a lazy ass excuse man.

Yeah ive done a worm bin in a 12qt sterilite shoebox ($5) and the worms come from the yard so :dance013:

mad librettist · Oct 1, 2011

FWIW, I will point out that dormant bacteria can survive indefinitely. Literally, you can wake them up in 10,000 years with no issues.

SeaMaiden · Oct 1, 2011

All bacteria? I know there are definitely species that can survive quite a lot, but I don't know that all bacteria are so gifted. Same with fungi.

rrog · Oct 1, 2011

Sorry for the hijack: After a plant is harvested by clipping at the base, would the undisturbed fungal network die off, leaving only these fungal and bacterial spores? In other words, the fungal hyphae isn't going to be re-animated. It's dead like a dead plant stem I assume. Anything that comes back to life is coming from spores after a month, maybe.

jaykush · Oct 2, 2011

eah ive done a worm bin in a 12qt sterilite shoebox ($5) and the worms come from the yard so

wrong worms buddy, lawn worms are not the same species. they might decompose waste, but will not multiply and decompose at the same rate composting worms will (Eisenia fetida)

Shelf life of earthworm castings?

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