This is going to sound dumb... but what does vermicast or vermicompost actually look (and feel) like?
This is the stuff we've collected from our worm farm, which has been in full swing for about 2 months now. From what I've read, castings should normally be ready for harvest in 4 months or so, so I probably should have waited longer.
However, is the pic below the stuff that worms cast out? And what's the texture of it? Does it have a smell?
[url=https://img853.imageshack.us/I/vermicast.jpg/][img]https://img853.imageshack.us/img853/4922/vermicast.jpg[/img][/url]
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Troppofoodgardener
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thanrose
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I've never farmed worms. Oh, yeah, I actually have done it both intentionally and unintentionally, but never with a great deal of effort or expectation.
The actual casting from a worm is usually like a little pile of squiggles, tiny skinny worm poop that comes out in a cohesive string that forms a little ball with semi-defined string shapes in it. For my sandy soil, it will be darker because the humus is what the worm is digesting rather than the sand particles. In the right conditions, I'll actually see a tiny hole in the soil with the casting right next to it. In early morning, that casting might still be wet and sticky. If you go to beaches with tides, you'll see similar castings from burrowing bivalves and marine worms.
When I had a tumbling compost barrel for a few years, in addition to several piles, I added garden earthworms to it. They loved it and turned it into black gold pretty quickly. Two months for you may be a little soon, but I seem to recall that I was using it at two months, too. But I started it with mature compost and fine kitchen waste. Of course, no sticky worm poop balls visible.
So yeah, that could be just right vermi-compost right now. There should not be a disagreeable smell. Kinda smells like worm poop? No? Okay, will smell earthy, rich, but not rotten. Eh, I guess I'm not one to ask. I smell low tide on the salt marsh and think, "Elixir of Life!"
The actual casting from a worm is usually like a little pile of squiggles, tiny skinny worm poop that comes out in a cohesive string that forms a little ball with semi-defined string shapes in it. For my sandy soil, it will be darker because the humus is what the worm is digesting rather than the sand particles. In the right conditions, I'll actually see a tiny hole in the soil with the casting right next to it. In early morning, that casting might still be wet and sticky. If you go to beaches with tides, you'll see similar castings from burrowing bivalves and marine worms.
When I had a tumbling compost barrel for a few years, in addition to several piles, I added garden earthworms to it. They loved it and turned it into black gold pretty quickly. Two months for you may be a little soon, but I seem to recall that I was using it at two months, too. But I started it with mature compost and fine kitchen waste. Of course, no sticky worm poop balls visible.
So yeah, that could be just right vermi-compost right now. There should not be a disagreeable smell. Kinda smells like worm poop? No? Okay, will smell earthy, rich, but not rotten. Eh, I guess I'm not one to ask. I smell low tide on the salt marsh and think, "Elixir of Life!"
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Troppofoodgardener
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Thanks for the description of the castings by marine creatures.. makes sense. It's too hard to see individual worm castings in my worm farm however. The castings would be covered in food scraps etc.
The stuff pictured in the photo doesn't smell at all. Or rather, it has a faint earthy, organic smell. It's not pungent or disagreeable in the least
The texture of it is rather springy. Unlike my garden soil, which is clay-like. So I'm assuming it's vermicast for now.
I have also put some of it on my veggie plants, and they're loving life, sprouting new growth and/or flowers!
The stuff pictured in the photo doesn't smell at all. Or rather, it has a faint earthy, organic smell. It's not pungent or disagreeable in the least
The texture of it is rather springy. Unlike my garden soil, which is clay-like. So I'm assuming it's vermicast for now.
I have also put some of it on my veggie plants, and they're loving life, sprouting new growth and/or flowers!
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thanrose
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Excellent! Sounds like ya done good.
Yeah, the actual casting in compost would not be detectable as such. Too much activity in a working pile in theory, and too diverse a texture. But I guarantee that each little worm is settling down with a cup of coffee, the newspaper, and producing a teensy sticky poop ball before getting off to another day's work digesting. Okay, not sure about the newspaper, but I know they like coffee. Grounds.
Yeah, the actual casting in compost would not be detectable as such. Too much activity in a working pile in theory, and too diverse a texture. But I guarantee that each little worm is settling down with a cup of coffee, the newspaper, and producing a teensy sticky poop ball before getting off to another day's work digesting. Okay, not sure about the newspaper, but I know they like coffee. Grounds.