If there is one thing you can do this year to power your vegetable plants, hanging baskets, containers and flowerbeds to their best year ever – it’s to use worm castings.
When it comes to growing strong, healthy plants, quite simply, worm castings are one of the best natural fertilizers around. The tiny, soil-like granules may not look like much at first glance, but they are packed with the power to boost growth, improve soil, and keep plants thriving all season long. From powering tiny seedlings – to full grown plants!
Worm castings are one of nature’s best and most natural original fertilizers. They’re completely organic, safe to use around people and pets, and full of nutrients in a form that plants can absorb easily. Best of all, they work gently over time – feeding plants slowly and steadily.
Why You Need To Use Worm Castings
What Are Worm Castings?
Worm castings are the rich, dark waste left behind after worms digest organic matter. When worms eat through the soil and consume all types of natural materials, their digestive system breaks it all down into small, nutrient-rich particles. And the result of what’s left behind are castings – or in simpler terms, worm manure.
You can think of castings as nature’s version of a slow-release fertilizer. They contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium – and all kinds of other trace elements. But more importantly, all in forms that plants can use immediately.
Even better, unlike synthetic fertilizers, castings release these nutrients gradually, providing a steady supply without shocking your plants. In fact, one of the biggest benefits of worm castings is how gentle they are. They won’t burn plant roots, even if you accidentally add a little too much.
Last but not least, worm castings are also loaded with beneficial microbes, which are tiny organisms that help break down nutrients in the soil and make them easier for plants to absorb. These microbes also help improve soil structure, hold moisture better, and fight off harmful pests and diseases naturally.
10 Great Ways To Use Worm Castings
One note on purchasing castings – always make sure you are getting 100% castings. There are products out there with fillers, but it is the pure form of castings that are the way to go. They will provide you all of the benefits you need to power your plants! Affiliate Link: 100% Pure Worm Castings
So where all can you use worm castings – and how should you use them? With all of that goodness in mind – here are 9 great ways you can use worm castings this year to grow better than ever!
1. Using Worm Castings In Your Planting Holes For A Strong Start
One of the best ways to use worm castings is right at planting time. When planting vegetables, flowers, or perennials, mix a few tablespoons of castings into each planting hole. This gives young plants an instant boost of nutrients to get their roots growing fast.
The nutrients in the castings help feed the plant slowly, and the texture helps hold moisture right at the roots – right just where it’s needed most!
2. Top Dressing Vegetable Plants & Annuals
You can also use worm castings as a top dressing for existing plants. Simply sprinkle a handful around the base of the plant and gently scratch it into the top layer of soil. Every time you water or it rains, a little bit of the nutrients will work their way down into the soil.
This is great for vegetable plants, perennials, shrubs, and even indoor houseplants. It’s an easy way to give your plants a natural nutrient boost without overfeeding.
Listen In Below To Our Podcast On Using Worm Castings!
3. Help Seeds Germinate & Grow Strong
Worm castings are perfect for seed starting. Because they’re gentle and full of nutrients, you can mix a small amount into your seed-starting mix to give young seedlings a great start. Seedlings fed with worm castings grow far healthier and stronger root systems.
What about worrying about giving seedlings too much power? The good news is that they won’t harm tender roots, and they help build a healthy root system from day one. Even after transplanting, the benefits of worm castings continue as the plant grows.
4. Energizing Potting Soil
Want to power up your potting soil? It’s worm castings to the rescue! Worm castings are the perfect addition to any potting mix. Adding 10 to 20% worm castings to your soil mix will improve water retention, add nutrients, and help protect plants from stress.
Since pots and containers have limited space and nutrients, castings help keep the soil healthy and rich over time. Use them in flower pots, vegetable containers, window boxes, or anything else you grow in a confined space.
5. How To Use Worm Castings In Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets are known for drying out fast and needing lots of care. Adding worm castings helps baskets hold moisture longer and gives the plants a steady, gentle dose of nutrients.
Simply mix a few handfuls into your hanging basket soil before planting, and top dress with a little more every few weeks. Your flowers or trailing veggies will thank you with fuller blooms and healthier growth. See our article: How To Fertilize Hanging Baskets – 2 Simple Secrets To Keep Plants Blooming All Summer!
6. Make Worm Casting Tea for Liquid Fertilizer
One of the easiest ways to use worm castings is to make a simple liquid tea. To make worm casting tea, place about a cup of castings in a cloth or mesh bag and soak it in a gallon of water for 12 to 24 hours. Stir it occasionally to help the nutrients release into the water.
This “tea” can be poured directly onto the soil of your plants or used right on the leaves. The plants will soak in the nutrients in both ways, doubling the power. It’s a great way to give your plants a gentle, fast-acting boost. And since it’s all-natural, you can use it often without worry.
6. Feed Annuals Naturally All Season
Annuals like flowers and vegetables grow quickly and use up nutrients fast. To keep them blooming and producing, regular feeding is a must. Instead of using synthetic fertilizers, add worm castings at planting time, then again every few weeks as a top dressing or tea.
This gentle, ongoing feeding keeps the plants strong and productive without forcing too much leaf growth or risking fertilizer burn.
7. Boost Perennials and Shrubs
Perennials and shrubs also benefit from slow, steady feeding – and worm castings do exactly that. In early spring, sprinkle castings around the base of your perennial plants and work them lightly into the soil. About 1/4 cup around each perennial will do the trick. For larger shrubs, sprinkle a cup or two.
This also helps wake the plant up after winter, gives it a boost for the growing season, and strengthens root growth. You can repeat the top dressing again in midsummer to help keep plants strong and healthy. Affiliate Link: Foster’s 5 Gallon Bucket All Natural Castings
8. Improve Soil Structure and Drainage
Worm castings don’t just feed your plants, they can also help your soil, too. When added to garden beds, containers, or raised beds, castings improve soil texture by making it more loose and easy to work with.
They work their magic in many soil types. They help sandy soil hold more moisture and nutrients, and they help heavy clay soils drain better. The result is soil that supports healthy roots and better plant growth.
9. Naturally Fight Off Pests & Disease
One of the lesser-known benefits of worm castings is their natural ability to help plants resist pests and disease. The beneficial microbes found in castings support plant health and help create a protective barrier in the soil.
Worm castings can also make plants stronger and more resistant to stress, which means fewer problems with insects, mold, or root rot. That means fewer chemicals in your garden and healthier plants overall.
Here is to using the power of worm castings in your garden and flowerbeds this year!
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!