How to use vermicompost under your mulch

Ms. Jitomate · February 3, 2014

Someone here mentioned that you could use vermicompost (VC) in the garden under your mulch. I tried looking for the post in this forum for the amount that is most effective to use but my searching doesn't seem to be finding anything except VC tea or Tomatoville members starting a worm bin.

Finding formulas for AACT is easy but I am interested to know how to use my VC directly on a vegetable bed. I was looking for something in lbs per sf measurements since I have a small garden but I do have two worm bins. The texture of my VC is very dense and moist compared to the bags of worm poop sold in the garden stores.

Redbaron · February 4, 2014

In my honest opinion there is no wrong way to use vermicompost. Personally I would put it right in the transplant hole since I don't plow till or otherwise dig at all. And yes pull the mulch over it no matter how you use it. Very important to getting the most bang for your buck.

Smithma · February 4, 2014

Totally agree with Redbaron use vermicompost any and every way you can the plants love it.
I mix in with seed starting mix, put in the transplant hole, spread around the plants and slightly mix in with a hand cultivator every couple of weeks between foliar spraying with worm tea.
Mike

luigiwu · February 4, 2014

What is "AACT?"

Redbaron · February 5, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by luigiwu

What is "AACT?"

Actively Aerated Compost Tea. Some people believe AACT is more beneficial than regular compost tea. I am not 100% convinced, but some people swear by it.

I seldom worry about the controversy. Just get those worm castings on or around you plants any way you can.

The one thing you don't want though is very stagnant compost tea. Certain bad anaerobic bacteria like botulism can build up. So either aerate it, or use it fresh, if you like using compost tea as an organic foliage spray.

kayrobbins · February 5, 2014

I would mix the worm cast with some soil before covering it with mulch. It can form a hard crust if it is just on top of the soil. Your VC is much better than what you buy.

I am one of those that swears by AACT. My granddaughter did a science project several years ago raising basil from seeds. One group of plants got regular fertilizer, one got organic fertilizer and castings and the other got organic fertilizer and AACT. The difference in the root system was amazing. The ★★★★y extension office still uses those pictures in their vermiculture classes.

Ms. Jitomate · February 5, 2014

I think I found the report.

EFFECTS OF VERMICOMPOSTS ON PLANT GROWTH
Norman Q. Arancon and Clive A. Edwards
Soil Ecology Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

It's going to take me some time to read it and understand it. But if anyone wants to take a shot at it here it is,

http://compostclub.org/wp-content/up...ANT-GROWTH.pdf

Plus in that same website is one from the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture in Hyderabad (India). They state that the "recommended quantity and time of application of vermicompost is 1 - 1.5 tonnes per acre at last plough for onions, garlic, tomato, potato, brinjal, cabbage, and cauliflower." There's no mention of mulch. But it's a nice pamphet on how to make a large quantity of vermicompost in 2-3 months. Here is the link for rates of application,

http://compostclub.org/wp-content/up...10/06/2273.pdf

If my math is correct, 1.5 tonnes per acre = 0.76 lbs/sf.
So, in my little 150 sf garden, I need 11.4 pounds.

bughunter99 · February 19, 2014

I agree with kayrobbins. I prefer not to top dress with mine as it dries out and gets chunky. I like to add mine to planting holes and to self watering container mixes. I also like to add a handful or two containing worm eggs to my cold compost pile once temperatures warm up, to get the critters working in there too.

Stacy

solid7 · April 20, 2014

If you are going to top dress with worm castings or vermicompost, you want to add a layer of mulch to the top. Yes, it dries out and becomes hard like clay if it's the last layer. But if you keep it moist, it eventually melds into the top layer of the soil, and releases a little love with every watering. Not to mention promoting good fungal growth in that in-between layer.

February 3, 2014	#1
Ms. Jitomate Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: San Gabriel Valley, CA Posts: 99	How to use vermicompost under your mulch Someone here mentioned that you could use vermicompost (VC) in the garden under your mulch. I tried looking for the post in this forum for the amount that is most effective to use but my searching doesn't seem to be finding anything except VC tea or Tomatoville members starting a worm bin. Finding formulas for AACT is easy but I am interested to know how to use my VC directly on a vegetable bed. I was looking for something in lbs per sf measurements since I have a small garden but I do have two worm bins. The texture of my VC is very dense and moist compared to the bags of worm poop sold in the garden stores.

February 4, 2014	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	In my honest opinion there is no wrong way to use vermicompost. Personally I would put it right in the transplant hole since I don't plow till or otherwise dig at all. And yes pull the mulch over it no matter how you use it. Very important to getting the most bang for your buck. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

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February 4, 2014	#3
Smithma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 67	Totally agree with Redbaron use vermicompost any and every way you can the plants love it. I mix in with seed starting mix, put in the transplant hole, spread around the plants and slightly mix in with a hand cultivator every couple of weeks between foliar spraying with worm tea. Mike

February 4, 2014	#4
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	What is "AACT?"

February 5, 2014	#6
kayrobbins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 820	I would mix the worm cast with some soil before covering it with mulch. It can form a hard crust if it is just on top of the soil. Your VC is much better than what you buy. I am one of those that swears by AACT. My granddaughter did a science project several years ago raising basil from seeds. One group of plants got regular fertilizer, one got organic fertilizer and castings and the other got organic fertilizer and AACT. The difference in the root system was amazing. The ★★★★y extension office still uses those pictures in their vermiculture classes.

February 19, 2014	#8
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	I agree with kayrobbins. I prefer not to top dress with mine as it dries out and gets chunky. I like to add mine to planting holes and to self watering container mixes. I also like to add a handful or two containing worm eggs to my cold compost pile once temperatures warm up, to get the critters working in there too. Stacy

April 20, 2014	#9
solid7 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida (East Central Coast) Posts: 78	If you are going to top dress with worm castings or vermicompost, you want to add a layer of mulch to the top. Yes, it dries out and becomes hard like clay if it's the last layer. But if you keep it moist, it eventually melds into the top layer of the soil, and releases a little love with every watering. Not to mention promoting good fungal growth in that in-between layer.