Spring is here, and no doubt you’re loving being back out in the garden already! Mother nature is stirring back to life after the cold months - the birds are singing, the animals are out, and if you’ve got a worm farm you may have noticed your worms are also springing back into action!
Although they’ve been active during winter, worms enjoy the warmer temperatures of Spring. They become more efficient at turning your food waste into the delicious ‘black gold’ your garden loves. Just in time for all those flowers and vegetables you’re about to plant!
Worm compost is incredible stuff, and today we’re going to dig into what it is, why it’s so important in your garden and how you can use it.
How is Worm Compost Made?
Worms are hungry little creatures, with a very healthy appetite for organic waste! As they consume the waste they convert it into ‘worm castings’, which form the foundation of the coveted black gold compost. This purely natural, organic fertiliser has immense benefits for soil and plants.
When you find worms in your garden, it’s a good indicator of happy and healthy soils. If you really want to maximise the benefits of worm castings, then you need to look at ‘vermicomposting’. This requires a worm farm, like a Subpod, which provides a home for worms in your garden. You feed them the organic waste coming out of your kitchen, and they convert it into nutrient-rich organic compost to use in your garden!
Why Should You Use Worm Compost?
Our wonderful, wriggly friends do a lot of good for your garden AND the planet. For a start, if you have a worm farm that all your food waste goes into, you’re promoting a circular economy that reduces the pressure on our waste streams. Food waste in landfill is a massive blight on our environment because as it slowly decays there it produces the harmful greenhouse gas methane.
It’s a far better idea to feed it to the worms, where it will be converted into worm castings. This is basically a plant superfood… the big, green Incredible Hulk of fertilisers! The minerals and nutrients contained in worm castings are in their most usable form for plants, plus they have a nice and neutral pH of around 7.0. They have so many other benefits too, including:
Rich in Nitrogen: Worm compost has around 5% more nitrogen in it than standard soil. It releases this slowly too, thanks to the sticky mucous membrane worms have. They also contain phosphorus and potassium, as well as a range of micronutrients.
Improve Soil Structure: Worm castings improve drainage and aeration, making the soil more absorbent and better at retaining water.
Disease Suppression: Worm compost makes your plants strong and resilient, able to fend off difficult weather conditions, aphids, root rot and other stresses!
On top of all the benefits for your garden, a worm farm is a fun pursuit! They present a great opportunity to educate kids about preserving the environment and where food comes from. Plus, they’ll love their new worm friends!
How Can You Use Worm Compost in Your Garden?
There are different ways you can use black gold compost around your garden this spring. All of them are going to give you happy plants and healthy soils! Here are some ideas:
Use Worm Castings As Mulch
Spread your vermicompost over the top surface of your existing soil. The nutrients will wash down into the earth, which will be protected from the sun and wind.
Create Worm Compost Tea
Mix your vermicompost with water to create compost tea, which can be sprayed directly onto your plants and soil.
Apply it Directly to the Soil
Mix your worm castings directly with the soil in your garden beds as an organic fertiliser. They’ll improve the soil structure and present their wide range of nutrients for your plants to enjoy!
Use it as a Potting Mix
Potting mix is a blend of materials used to grow plants in containers. Adding compost to this mix is going to get your pot plants off to a nice and healthy start!
Worm Composting With Subpod
With Subpod, you can give your garden the best possible headstart this spring! Our worm farms are your ideal gardening ally, taking organic waste out of your household and turning it into black gold worm castings for your garden.
What’s more, Subpod is a stylish addition to your garden. It looks good, and the robust lid doubles up as a garden seat. The best seat in the house! Our versatile product range means you can enjoy Subpod no matter the size of your outdoor space. Only got a balcony? No problem! Check out the Modbed for apartment-friendly composting!
All the best for your spring gardening adventures. If you have any questions about composting or Subpod, head on over to our GrowHub community. There are plenty of experts and enthusiasts who would love to help you answer them!
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