If you are a gardener, you are probably aware that planting of crops is a lot of work. You will do anything that you can to protect them from pest that will want to eat your proceeds and all of your hard work. Modern man has created several ways to protect crops using herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides. Sadly, these substances are not natural and are not only harmful to the soil but will go into our aquifers where we get our drinking water. Worm castings are the solution to this problem and you can create this fertilizer for free.
Nature's most amazing fertilizer is made by little worm. Not only does it fertilize the plants, but it acts as a natural disease and insect repellent. It is called worm castings were worm manure. These are small modules made by red worms as they digest organic material during the composting process during the composting process.
This has been going on for millions of years. When you go into a forest, the material that is broken down beneath the surface layers is primarily done by worms. This material is rich and allows the forests to grow strong and tall by virtue of their natural processing capacity.
Red worm compost can be used for all gardening purposes. They can replace fertilizers, insecticides, and also the regular fertilizer that you would purchase from the store. This can be done at no cost to you using material that you already have and produce on a regular basis.
By taking her scraps of food and placing them in worm bins full of red worms, over a period of a few days these scraps will be processed into compost that can be used as fertilizer or more. It is the poop of the worm, the nodules, that we call the castings and these can be used for multiple reasons.
One of the best components of worm castings is that they help balance the pH levels in the soil. This would normally take several tests and a great deal of moderation on the part of the gardener. However, as a byproduct of their decomposition, the castings regulate these levels automatically.
Castings also help regulate the moisture. Worms can only handle so much moisture in their bins. Like humans, if we end up in a pool for too long or if we go for a swim in the ocean without a life raft, we may be harmed or even dead by the end of the day. Worms are just as frail and rely upon us to maintain their habitat at optimal levels.
There are many nutrients in worm castings. There is potassium, nitrogen, and magnesium, all of which are necessary for healthy crops and gardens to grow. What is amazing is that these little nodules will act like time release capsules. They will disintegrate over time providing consistent fertilization for your garden on a regular basis.
Castings have many living components in them such as aerobic bacteria. This bacteria is the good kind and will actually help take nitrogen from the atmosphere and feed it into the roots of your plants. These little black grains of sand will percolate through the soil as you water your plants and attach themselves to the roots and three-time activation also drip feed the nitrogen through the root system.
Finally, always make sure that you are buying castings if you choose not to grow them. Some people are given baggies full of castings mixed with compost. This will really look like a dirt with little nodules which are actually the castings. Pure castings are separated from the compost and look like small beads in a baggie when you buy them.
By taking the time to add this amazingly potent fertilizer and compost to your garden, you will see returns that will astound you because of the nutrients and properties of this amazing natural compost called worm castings.