I top dress with a handful, make teas, as soil though, it's just muck. I couldn't think of a better way to decrease aeration and drainage. Maybe some decomposing perlite or some cliche'? Am I correct in thinking so?
Sand is one of the best materials to increase porosity by opening soils to air and water....and also improves drainage AND water retention.
Just a reminder that even if we use compost/ewc it may not be doing what we want it to do.
We have to remember, that although we are in love with ewc and compost, it isn't all the same stuff or quality. Looking back, my grows are much better with homemade castings and compost. I've come to believe commercial ewc sitting around in the sun, or hydro shop or spending the winter outside, just can't measure up to fresh from the worm bin ewc......scrappy
Just a reminder that even if we use compost/ewc it may not be doing what we want it to do.
We have to remember, that although we are in love with ewc and compost, it isn't all the same stuff or quality. Looking back, my grows are much better with homemade castings and compost. I've come to believe commercial ewc sitting around in the sun, or hydro shop or spending the winter outside, just can't measure up to fresh from the worm bin ewc......scrappy
I didn't know he made castings...?? I advised him to carry the Megaworm brand from Vital Earth and now he does. High dollar stuff,but is the best bagged EWC I've found yet. I'll have to drop by BLO and check it out.Good point Scrappy, not all EWC are the same. Like CC1 said, most commercially produced castings have fillers in them, probably to keep up with their demand. I have however found a store out here that makes there own EWC, and they are amazing! Dry, powdery, dark graphite feel, and not fed any fillers. CC1, have you checked out Black Lake Organic's EWC, the ones they make there? So nice!
That was pretty much the point of my post.Finding the true optimal amount in relationship to drainage material. The most important thing in a medium seems to be the exchange of air and water.Read a study a while back about how 20% was the optimal amount of castings in a soil mix based on the research in the article. Sure, you could grow in straight castings, as CC and MM have demonstrated, but the stuff is expensive or takes time to produce. I'd rather use a peat base or something cheaper/easier to make and then use the castings in my ACT, to topdress with, and re-amend my soil. I guess it all depends on how much you have access to. I've been very happy using it at 25% of my mix.