Worms in pots/beds, 100% ewc??

[Jerrybisschop]

Hello icmag,

I was wondering, if you do reuse your soil like no-till or other ways and use worms, won’t you end up with 100% ewc over time? (Of course not the perlite etc)?

 

['Boogieman']

I have the same thoughts, soil would get too dense over time. My outdoor plants benefit from tilling in spring and I have done side by side, tilling and adjusting soil density always results in a bigger yield for me. Subbed.

 

[moses wellfleet]

Yes your soil will eventually become pure worm castings. But will it become detrimental to plant growth?

I need to do a side by side. But from what I have seen, 4 year old soil that has turned to pure worm castings is still able to provide habitat for roots because the worm activity creates tunnels and burrows that aerate and till the soil. That is what a casting is, a deposit left by the worm at the surface after it has burrowed up from the substrate below.

I do still top dress with plenty of organic matter, compost, straw and wood chips every run as well as dry amendments!

 

[gardener60]

I have thought about that also. I am a novice in organic growing. I have been legal for a month now. I am a avid container gardener. My new grow is soil from previous soil-less tomato media. I have had this soil for 7 years and all I do is freshen it up every year and it is full of worms and grows great. it is too expensive to get rid of this I have about 35 containers ranging from 3 gallons to 30 gallons. Hope this new grow goes well my girls look good.

 

[gardener60]

double post sorry

 

[Teddybrae]

Please tell us how you 'freshen up' your gardens.

I have thought about that also. I am a novice in organic growing. I have been legal for a month now. I am a avid container gardener. My new grow is soil from previous soil-less tomato media. I have had this soil for 7 years and all I do is freshen it up every year and it is full of worms and grows great. it is too expensive to get rid of this I have about 35 containers ranging from 3 gallons to 30 gallons. Hope this new grow goes well my girls look good.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=63981&pictureid=1995402View Image https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=63981&pictureid=1995403View Image https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=63981&pictureid=1994616View Image

 

[gardener60]

I do a rotation first and then freshen up my containers. I pour out the media and remove all the big roots. I then mix home made compost, sheep peat, mushroom compost, 1/2 cup of epsom salt, perlite, and worm castings. I also replace back the worms in the containers. I keep an eye on the foliage. The grow I am doing now has a lot of worms in the pots. That is all I do, now I have learned I should put some dolomite in the mix. I really feel like the key to my mix is the home made compost which has a lot of composted leaf mold. I do not know anything else to do that is why I am on the forum.

 

[h.h.]

If you freshen up your pots, they will eventually collapse. Much depends on your soil structure.

I doubt you need dolomite per say. Maybe some garden lime? Learn from your plants. Forums are for discussion.

 

[Weird]

I never had that problem

it is one reason I didn't hop on the coot/buildasoil soft aggregate movement and have used microbe man's contributions to an advantage

 

[CodyPomeray]

I never had that problem

it is one reason I didn't hop on the coot/buildasoil soft aggregate movement and have used microbe man's contributions to an advantage

Care to elaborate a bit?

Soft aggregate movement and some of microbe mans contributions. Id love to read more, not sure which camp I fall in, I just do what I have always done.

 

[moses wellfleet]

I never had that problem

it is one reason I didn't hop on the coot/buildasoil soft aggregate movement and have used microbe man's contributions to an advantage

How many years are your containers going now?

 

[Lapides]

My worms haven't yet been able to break down the perlite, no matter how hard they've tried in the past 6 or so years.

 

[Weird]

Care to elaborate a bit?

Soft aggregate movement and some of microbe mans contributions. Id love to read more, not sure which camp I fall in, I just do what I have always done.

this sums it up but there are many other hard aggregates to choose from if you dont like perlite

My worms haven't yet been able to break down the perlite, no matter how hard they've tried in the past 6 or so years.

 

[Weird]

How many years are your containers going now?

had at least 5 years in my last pots and moved them outdoors for outdoor plants for another year will continue to use them


moved my grow 5 hours away and to a bigger facility so I had to start new pots

 

[Drewsif]

That's why notill doesn't make sense.

Biggest expense in the garden https://www.riceland.com/pages/rice-hull-products/

 

[gardener60]

Being a novice to growing pot I have a little experience in growing veggies. What i have learned about no till is that you are constantly covering the soil with compost it is constantly breaking down. I use compost for mulch, side dressing, compost tea, as a deterrent for slugs and snails the will not use compost has a habitant. It is like using a giant raised bed. They use wood chips as a skin for the soil it is like trying to mimic the forest. Just my 2 cents.

 

[moses wellfleet]

Being a novice to growing pot I have a little experience in growing veggies. What i have learned about no till is that you are constantly covering the soil with compost it is constantly breaking down. I use compost for mulch, side dressing, compost tea, as a deterrent for slugs and snails the will not use compost has a habitant. It is like using a giant raised bed. They use wood chips as a skin for the soil it is like trying to mimic the forest. Just my 2 cents.

Dry amendments are also very popular these days. Bonemeal, alfalfa powder, blood meal, powdered molasses, coffee grinds, kelp powder, the list is endless. Usually top dressed!

I no longer use compost tea as I feel it is not necessary when you have a healthy population of earthworms chewing on all those amendments!

 

[ESTERCHASER]

namaste

namaste

If you freshen up your pots, they will eventually collapse. Much depends on your soil structure.

I doubt you need dolomite per say. Maybe some garden lime? Learn from your plants. Forums are for discussion.

indeed brother indeed

 

[Teddybrae]

Thanks. Yes, leaf mould compost!

I do a rotation first and then freshen up my containers. I pour out the media and remove all the big roots. I then mix home made compost, sheep peat, mushroom compost, 1/2 cup of epsom salt, perlite, and worm castings. I also replace back the worms in the containers. I keep an eye on the foliage. The grow I am doing now has a lot of worms in the pots. That is all I do, now I have learned I should put some dolomite in the mix. I really feel like the key to my mix is the home made compost which has a lot of composted leaf mold. I do not know anything else to do that is why I am on the forum.

 

[gardener60]

Thank you for the info because I have plenty worms in my pots.