Part 2 :cool:
WORM CASTINGS
Worm Castings improve Soil Structure in all Soil Types
Worm Castings restore soil structure. The term “soil structure” is used to describe the way soil particles are grouped into aggregates. Soil structure is affected by biological activity, organic matter, and cultivation and tillage practices. Soil fertility and structure are closely related. An ideal soil structure is often described as granular or crumb-like. It provides for good movement of air and water through a variety of different pore sizes. Plant roots extend down, and soil animals – including small earthworms – travel through the spaces between the aggregates. An ideal soil structure is also stable and resistant to erosion. The clay-humus complex, in combination with adequate calcium which helps to bind the aggregates together, forms the basis of this structure. The glutinous by-products of soil bacteria and the hair-like threads of actinomycetes and fungi mycelium add to soil stability. All tillage operations change soil structure. Excessive cultivation, especially for seedbed preparation, can harm soil structure. Working clay soil when wet leads to compaction and subsequent soil puddling. The soil is easily puddled by rain, easily eroded, and will have poor aeration. Tillage, when too dry, shatters the aggregates. Soil structure can be enhanced by careful cultivation, growing sod crops and returning crop residues. Worm Castings (organic matter) and the humification process improve structural stability, and can rebuild degraded soil structures. Therefore it is vital to return organic material to the soil and to maintain its biological activity, which helps to improve the soil structure.
How Worm Castings work with Soil pH
Worm Castings act like a buffer for plants. Where soil pH levels are too high or low, Worm Castings make soil nutrients available again to the plant. Compared to the soil itself, Worm Castings are much higher in bacteria, organic material and available nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
WORM CASTINGS
Soil Biology
Soil organisms play an important role in forming and stabilizing soil structure. In a healthy soil ecosystem, fungal filaments and exudates from microbes and earthworms help bind soil particles together into stable aggregates that improve water infiltration and protect soil from erosion, crusting and compaction. Macrospores formed by earthworms and other burrowing creatures facilitate the movement of water into and through soil. Good soil structure enhances root development, which further improves the soil.
Restoring soil structure helps reduce runoff and improve the infiltration and filtering capacity of soil. In a healthy soil ecosystem, soil organisms reduce the impacts of pollution by buffering, detoxifying- and decomposing potential pollutants. Bacteria and other microbes are increasingly used for remediation of contaminated water and soil.
In a healthy soil ecosystem, soil biota regulates the flow and storage of nutrients in many ways. For example, they decompose plant and animal residue, fix atmospheric nitrogen, transform nitrogen and other nutrients among various organic and inorganic forms, release plant available forms of nutrients, mobilize phosphorus, and form mycorrhizal (fungus -root) associations for nutrient exchange. Even applied fertilizers may pass through soil organisms before being utilized by crops. A relatively small number of soil organisms cause plant disease. A healthy soil ecosystem has a diverse soil food web that keeps pest organisms in check through competition and predation. Some soil organisms release compounds that enhance plant growth or reduce disease susceptibility. Plants may exude specific substances that attract beneficial organisms
or repel harmful ones, especially when they are under stress from activities such as grazing.
Microbial Activity
Worm Castings stimulate microbial activity. Although earthworms derive their nutrition from microorganisms, many more microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes) are present in their feces or casts than in the organic matter that they consume. As organic matter passes through their intestines, it is fragmented and inoculated with microorganisms. Increased microbial activity facilitates the cycling of nutrients from organic matter and their conversion into forms readily taken up by plants.
Compared to synthetic fertilize r formulations, Worm Castings contain relatively low
concentrations of actual nutrients, but they perform important functions, which the synthetic formulations do not. They increase the organic content and consequently the water-holding capacity of the soil. They improve the physical structure of the soil, which allows more air to get to plant roots. Where organic sources are used for fertilizer, bacterial and fungal activity increases in the soil. Mycorrhizal fungi, which make other nutrients more available to plants, thrive in soil where the organic matter content is high.
Water Availability
Worm Castings contain a high percentage of humus. Humus helps soil particles form into clusters, which create channels for the passage of air and improve its capacity to hold water. The castings are in the form of tiny pellets which are coated with a gel. This crumb-like structure helps improve drainage and aeration.
Balancing Soil Nutrient
The ability of the microbiologically active Worm Castings to regenerate the nutrients from the atmosphere, organic matter and water allows them to replace those lost from chemical fertilizers by leaching, plant uptake and chemical reactions. In relation to moisture holding capacity and improvement of soil structure, chemical fertilizers have negligible effect, as they primarily consist of water-soluble salts. On the other hand, the aggregate nature of the Worm Castings has appreciable water holding capacity, and its use leads to restored soil structure and increases nutrient reserves in soil. The presence of nitrogen fixing bacteria in Worm Castings means that nitrogen can be fixed
from the atmosphere and converted to plant soluble nitrates. Worm Castings are rich in humus, which contains essential plant nutrients and micronutrients. Moreover, these castings are also rich in vitamins, beneficial microorganisms, antibiotics and enzymes.
Worm Castings restore soil, will not wash out with watering, and will not burn even delicate plants. Worm castings have a very soil-like texture and all the necessary nutrients that plants, crops and all types of vegetation require. The castings slowly release nutrients when required by the plants. Castings are high in soluble nitrogen, potash, potassium, calcium, magnesium and many other trace elements. Worm Castings allow plants to quickly and easily absorb all essential nutrients and trace elements. Because the earthworm grinds and uniformly mixes the nutrients and trace elements into simple forms (1 to 2 microns), plants need only minimal effort to absorb these nutrients.
SUGGESTED APPLICATION RATES
Potted Plants, Seeds, Seed Flats · Use 1 part Worm Castings to 3 parts potting soil mix
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