Worm Castings

Worm Castings

Worm castings (vermicast) are the manure of composting worms: fresh, New Zealand produced castings full of soil biology for any soil growing a heavy feeding, annually flowering plant. A simple way to add biodiversity and slow nutrients to your soil.

At a glance

• Type: amendment and media, biological soil input
• Use for: soil mixes, top dressing, compost tea
• Rate: 15 to 20% of a soil mix; top dress 25 to 50 mm; tea 2 cups per 20 L of water
• Bulk: 500 kg and 1000 kg; email store@seaclifforganics.nz for a quote

What it is

Vermicast is what is left after composting worms digest organic matter: fine, dark, crumbly and alive with bacteria, fungi and the small animals that graze them. Ours is New Zealand produced and supplied fresh. It is the castings in our Living Soil v2, Superior Potting Mix and Seed Raising Mix v2.

What it does

• Brings a diverse living biology into a mix, which is the part of a living soil that a bag of minerals cannot supply.
• Holds water and nutrients, and releases nutrients slowly as the biology turns over.
• Makes an active compost tea when bubbled with molasses.

How to use

• Soil media: use 15 to 20% worm castings in the mix.
• Top dressing: apply enough to make a 25 to 50 mm layer, at any time.
• Compost tea: 2 cups of worm castings to 20 litres of water. Add one tablespoon of molasses and bubble with a high volume air pump for 36 hours.
• Castings are a biological input, not a measured fertiliser. Nutrient content varies with what the worms were fed, so dose minerals from a test, not from the castings.

Learn more in fifteen seconds

• Soil biology
• The poop loop
• Just add compost

Handling and storage

• Wear a mask to avoid inhaling particles and open the bag in a well ventilated area.
• Wear gloves and eye protection, and wash hands after use.
• Once opened, keep the bag sealed and dry.