Vermicomposting
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I learned about Moose Hill Worm Farm in Gloucester, Virginia, at the Flower Show I attended last week. This wasn’t a gathering of gadget lovers or new fad aficionados. This was a convention of gardeners and vendors of interest to them.
I’ve been pouting all season over the soil in my new gardens. I’ve been awaiting the results of the soil tests from the NC Extension Service, and just got them last week. Like I thought, the soil is depleted of every thing good. I shared the information with my Master Gardener Class, talked to our lawn service, nurseries, and studied my gardening library to figure out where to begin to amend the so-called dirt in my flower beds, where the soil resembles fireplace ash. I hoped to find some answers at the flower show.
In the car on the trip to Virginia Beach, I complained to my friends that I’d just dug two 8-gallon holes for roses, and I never saw a single worm. I said, “I need some worms! In my mountain gardens, a trowel scoop pulled out a dozen earthworms, and the soil was wonderful. I definitely need some worms.”
So, naturally, a booth from Moose Hill Worm Farm caught my eye! I didn’t know there were worm farms. There were no worms; they are home on the farm working. Their castings are for sale at the booth.
Vermicomposting is the use of earthworms to convert organic waste into fertilizer. Earthworm castings can be used for germination, as a soil conditioner, as a fertilizer, or as a liquid fertilizer. Worm castings help plants grow in soil where the pH levels are too high or too low. It increases the soil’s ability to retain water; it extracts toxins and harmful fungi and bacteria from the soil, helping plants fight off disease. Earthworm castings allow plants to quickly and easily absorb essential nutrients and trace elements. It does all this with an amazingly small amount that outlasts fertilizers or plant hormones. I bought 5-lbs for $6. I gave a little feeding to every shrub in the backyard and several evergreen perennials. I want to make a tea to put in my hose sprayer to water the plants with it. Good bye Ortho.
I love that this zealous gardener can’t over fertilize or burn her plants or endanger any other creature with this stuff. The directions are simple and don’t involve any formulas. I don’t need a calendar to keep track of dosages. Definitely a plus! I have to buy some more of this inexpensive black gold. I’m anticipating a road trip to Virginia to visit the Moose Hill Worm Farm in the near future. I’ll say thanks to the worms who work there. I’ve become a vermicomposter.