starting seeds in wormcastings?

[ruggr10]

In my worm bin, some seeds are sprouting on their own. They are either melon or squash seedlings.

This leads to my question. Can (or should you) you start seeds in pure worm castings? In 2 days the seedlings made it to be 4 inches long so I'm wondering if all seeds would be happy there.

I might experiment a bit.

[Bobberman]

Mayb a one inch layer o top of what you use now may work! I guess if you have plenty of castings its like gold to a seed starter! What is the nitrogen ratio in castings?

[cynthia_h]

In my worm bin, some seeds are sprouting on their own. They are either melon or squash seedlings.

This leads to my question. Can (or should you) you start seeds in pure worm castings? In 2 days the seedlings made it to be 4 inches long so I'm wondering if all seeds would be happy there.

I might experiment a bit.

The only seeds I have as volunteer plants in my worm bin are melon/squash seeds, too. There are reasons that the traditional advice--which I myself follow--to not fertilize seeds or young seedlings is correct.

When I start seeds separately (which is only occasionally), I mix fresh potting soil and used potting soil (from repotting/root pruning plants) together. Then I throw in a handful of my own compost per 5-gallon bucket or so of the potting soil mix. It's more like "magic dust" or hand-waving than a soil improvement at that ratio, to be honest. I don't add any worm castings, unless there happen to be a few in the compost.

The seedlings don't make the acquaintance of worm castings for quite a while. When I transplant them (at about 4 to 6 inches tall), I tamp them down with more of the potting soil/magic dust mix, then water them in with a 10% solution of worm "tea" (actually worm leachate @ 10% + water @ 90%). After a week or so, I'll side-dress all the plants with compost enhanced with worm castings, whether I 1) started the plants from seeds and transplanted them, 2) direct-seeded them, or 3) purchased them as transplants.

I apply 100% vermicompost to my fig tree, still struggling after 3 years in the only in-ground southerly exposure I can give it. 100% also goes to the rose bushes to enhance their immune systems against rose diseases (rust, powdery mildew, black spot). When there's no leachate, I use the castings to make the worm "tea" solution, and occasionally I do a two-for-one with the liquid kelp + castings in the same watering can, esp. if we've had a hot spell or I've had to treat the plants for powdery mildew or aphids.

I think of these treatment plans as I do for myself: if I have a cold or the flu, I want more fluids like chicken soup and other soups. If my plants are struggling, I give them more "special" fluids, but not overly strong ones. The 100% castings go to the roses to help them on a continuing basis, analogous to people taking vitamins. I give 100% castings to the fig tree because it seems to need the extra help. (I may have to dig it OUT of the ground and put it into a half-barrel on wheels to get it enough sun.) When I've treated the veggies for powdery mildew or aphids, they're under stress from both the initial attack *and* the remedy. Therefore, I feed them the "tea" to bolster them during the transition to normalcy.

Back to the seeds, then: a seed is Mother Nature's complete package to begin a new plant. It has what it needs except for a home in the soil, water, and sun. Thus fertilizer isn't necessary. Melons and squash, esp. pumpkins, are known as fertilizer hogs: as much as you can give them, they might want even more. I believe this is why those seeds--and those alone--sprout in our worm habitats.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[rainbowgardener]

I had a seed of something sprout in my worm bin recently too. Not sure what, I'm thinking some tree seed from all the fall leaves.

But worms hate light and seedlings have to have lots of light, so it certainly wouldn't work to grow them actually in the bin.

As to growing them in worm castings, not in the bin, it does seem like pure worm castings would be way too rich a mix. But mixing a bit of worm castings into your potting mix when up-potting to a bigger pot would be great.

I'm thinking my worm bin, which I just started in November, with just a few worms I dug from my compost pile, may actually have enough castings in the bottom now that I could do that.

[ruggr10]

Those are some great thoughts.

I know that growing things in my worm bin won't work. I pulled a seedling out and I am growing it in a 3" peat pot just to see what it is.

I think the most fun in these processes (gardening and vermiculture) is just experimenting and seeing what happens. I can't wait to do this as my one and a half year old son grows and can help me! So what if I'm running an 6 extra weeks of basketball clinics to pay for my habit and so what if my wife thinks I'm nuts.

[Bobberman]

Are worm castings like a mix of anything else. Are some castings more potent than others. How do you know ? If you have a pound of worms in a soil mix for a week and another box has the same amount of soil but only 10 worms how would you know the difference?

[rainbowgardener]

You would know the difference by the texture. "Pure" worm castings separated from the soil are very fine textured, sort of like coffee grounds. That's part of what makes them a nice soil amendment, along with all the nutrients.