For lovers of gardening and horticulture there is nothing better than using organic products to treat their crops, with the aim of applying sustainable and environmentally friendly strategies while also ensuring that the health of producers and consumers is preserved. end.
One of the agroecological tools that is available for this purpose is earthworm humus, which has been shown to present ideal characteristics in its composition to ensure the strengthening of crops, as well as to promote their rooting in a fairly affordable way, even presenting the option of developing your own vermicompost at home.
The following lines show the general aspects that place humus among the best options for fertilizing orchards and garden plants.
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WHAT IS WORM CASTINGS?
The vermicompost is nothing more than the excrement produced by worms after eating and digesting their daily diet. This organic matter is really rich in nutrients and substances that favor the development of plants such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
On the other hand, the excreta of worms present a high content of microorganisms that develop chemical reactions in which their secondary products act by modifying the texture of the soil and its composition of gases, these special characteristics are what make humus so attractive to add to garden crops.
At this point, it is worth mentioning that hummus can be made at home, a method known as vermicomposting .
ADVANTAGES OF USING EARTHWORM HUMUS
As is well known, worm castings have innumerable benefits for garden crops:
FAVORS TRANSPLANTATION
By presenting a high content of minerals and nutrients for the plants, once the transplant is carried out, the plant finds an optimal microenvironment to root, a process that it will carry out with strength and will be able to give a good harvest.
IMPROVES THE TEXTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE SOIL
Humus, being totally organic, modifies the composition of the soil, providing nutrients and microorganisms that give it a much looser and more airy texture. When the soil becomes softer, it is easier for the plant to take root and withstand adverse conditions.
IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF THE FRUITS
The richer the soil in nutrients, the fruits of the crop will be much tastier, juicier and larger, which undoubtedly represents a positive aspect in the productivity of the orchard.
IT DOES NOT PRODUCE A BAD SMELL
This type of organic compost does not generate the characteristic smell that manure produces, so it is quite pleasant to work, especially in urban areas, which favors sustainable development in all types of spaces while moving away the old belief that only the field produces.
Vermicompost does not really have major disadvantages in its use, beyond the fact that it can be a bit more expensive than the use of chemical fertilizers. But if a careful analysis is made of the cost of the investment against the productivity and quality of the fruits of the orchard, it is an expense that is really worth making.
HOW TO USE WORM CASTINGS?
The use or application of earthworm humus varies according to the time it is placed or the type of crop species to be treated. When sowing or planting is going to be carried out, the humus must be placed at the bottom of the cultivation hole in an approximate amount of 100 gr, which can vary according to the demands of the species to favor the growth and rooting of the seedling.
If, rather, the fertilization of already grown plants will be carried out, a contribution of worm humus of between half to one kg per square meter of soil must be made, raking the soil and then applying the product directly. While, when caring for the lawn, it must be fertilized with half a kilo of humus per square meter.
A presentation of humus that has become popular for its practicality to be placed is liquid worm humus . This fertilizer can be supplied to the crops or plants by the irrigation system, without the need to remove the soil or load sacks for placement.
If it is a small planting that does not have an irrigation system , simply dissolve the product in a ratio of 5 liters per 100 liters of water and water the plants on a daily basis.
HOW TO MAKE WORM CASTINGS?
Preparing earthworm humus is a fairly simple task known as vermicomposting. This work consists of feeding the worms with the remains of fruit and vegetable skins, as well as egg shells so that these animals produce the feces known as worm humus, which can then be applied directly on the pots or on the family garden .
It is important to be aware that to start this task that will bring great benefits to the cultivation of the garden, the first purchase of California earthworms must be made, a species recognized for its good performance in vermicomposting .
HOW MUCH HUMUS SHOULD BE USED PER POT?
Among so many ways to apply worm humus, it should be clear that it is not only applied to the soil to be fertilized, but can also be placed in pots with plants.
For this purpose, the ideal is to add about 50 g of humus after removing the soil from the surface every three months, in order to maintain the plants and enrich the soil in which they develop.
Logically, if it is a question of small pots with botanical species that do not reach a large size in their life cycle, the dose of worm humus should be reduced to an approximate amount of 30 g per quarter as maintenance.