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Australia

I am just wondering if ther is such a thing as adding to many worm castings? am currently breeding up my compost worms and have alot of castings to use. also i have thrown around the idea of turning my patch into one big compost worm farm with worms constantly feeding and releasing nutrients to the plant. Would this work?

3/28/2010 8:45:52 PM

Australia

I Know worm castings are good, the reason for asking is i am worried about possibly burning the roots or changing the structure of the soil TOO much. by using them in the patch i would need to feed them compost and mulch...Too much of a good thing?

3/29/2010 4:22:45 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

In potted plants a study showed adding a good source of worm castings will most benefit the plant at 5-30% of the soil mix.
Over 30% was not recommended.
Growing in an earthworm infested organic soil could be very beneficial, I recommend feeding lightly and often so the worms travel throughout the soil a lot. Pure castings will not burn.

3/29/2010 9:29:37 PM

Australia

Thank you very much Cornhusk,I will aim for 15-20% maximum, just to be sure. I have since found out that the addition of worm castings to existing soil will attract native earth worms to the patch:) I suppose this has to do with benificial bacteria and other microbes contained within. Its so easy to get carried away and go overboard.

3/30/2010 3:38:02 AM

Seattle, WA

I know people growing in straight castings, but the studies I've seen done show having it at 20% of your total medium to be ideal. No worries with burning or other issues. The biggest issue would be compaction and drainage as it tends to be fairly dense material. You will want to cut back on your fertilization when using castings, as they will contain a lot of the nutrients for your plant.

3/30/2010 2:19:01 PM

Corbin, KY

So my patch is 30 x 60. If I calculate the soil depth to be 10". It would take 2" over the entire area to equal 20% or 11.11 yards. That's a bunch of castings. I have added about half that amount.

3/30/2010 3:35:27 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I added 1 1/2 yards of worm castings to my 1000 sq ft patch and had my best year ever last year.

3/30/2010 4:04:39 PM

Australia

Thanks you all for your responses, Tad12 I thought was on the right track with 20%. Then you mentioned that compaction/drainage could be an issue, since that is already a concern with my soil, Ive been thinkin. Say for example 20% is ideal in a potting mix, would the 20% rule still apply to clay/loam. and if not what pecentage?
Since every soil is different im going to do a little experiment with % to attempt to find a good medium before loading the patch with too much.
Tim Pennington, my patch is about half that size (30x30). Even so doing the calculations certainly made me stop and think, hence the questions.
As for fertilization, will test soil in early spring (6-7 months)once all other organic matter composts and amend if need be. Depending on what the worms have been fed will determine what value the castings are.

3/30/2010 10:41:43 PM

Seattle, WA

Bluebanjo,

If drainage is an issue, you may need to experiment. I know of people using coco coir or perlite in their mix.

A new product I heard is great is hydrolyzed rice hulls. Totally organic and many of the same properties as perlite. I can try and dig up some more info. if interested.

Tad

3/31/2010 2:03:28 PM

South Hero, VT

Tad,

Please share links to that info. Rice hulls are one part of producing lacto-bacillus(yogurt juice), which nutures beneficial microorganisms and the absorption of nutrients by plants

3/31/2010 7:42:01 PM

Australia

Tad,
I would be very interested thanks. Could you please explain whats the difference between hydrolysed rice hulls compared to rice hulls used as animal bedding.

3/31/2010 8:44:01 PM

Seattle, WA

Oops, had fish hydrolysate on the brain when I typed my first post. It was pyrolyzed rice hulls I was referring to. Here's the info I got from another forum I participate in:

Making and using carbonized (as pyrolyzed) rice hulls :

One can make them at home! They are the ultimate biochar (terra pretta) IMO, easy to make, easy to find/buy, great soil/media amendment and environmentally sound too!

4/2/2010 4:23:49 PM

Seattle, WA

Here is how to make pyrolyzed bio-char on a DIY basis with a "retrot stove":
By Folke Günther
http://www.holon.se/folke/carbon/sim...mplechar.shtml




Folke Günther's Biochar blog:
http://folkegunther.blogspot.com/



See this study abstract about PRH (pyrolyzed rich hulls):

Pyrolyzed rich hulls are as good/better than amendments like pumic, Axis, Turface, etc. Pyroylzed rice hulls have high C:N ratio its wise to pre-soak the pyrolyzed rich hulls (or most any high carbon bio-char) in a solution of water and hydrolyzed fish (to lower C:N and C:P ratio) and humic acid (to increase CEC of PRH).

Kämpf, A.N. and Jung, M. 1991.
THE USE OF CARBONIZED RICE HULLS AS AN HORTICULTURAL SUBSTRATE. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 294:271-284
http://www.actahort.org/books/294/294_29.htm
Quote:
Abstract:

Rice hulls are mentioned in the technical literature as an ingredient for potting media (POOLE & WATERS, 1977) or as an alternative substrate for soilless culture (NAMIOKA, 1977), Carbonized rice hulls have been used for several years by some commercial flower growers in Brazil as a substrate for rooting cuttings of roses and chrysanthemuns stocks. Due its good drainage and high permeability this material is specially adequated to be used as rooting medium under intermitent mist.

Rice hulls are an easy available industrial residue (about 1,01 thousand tons/year) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. After the carbonization process rice hulls have a near neutral pH (7,5 in H2O), in low bulk density (about 220 g/l), more than 50% dry matter, a high total porosity, with a air: water ratio near 3:1 at container capacity and a low volume of water in micropores (9% water held at 100 cm water tension).

The purpose of this study was to test mixtures of carbonized rice hulls and peat ("Aguas Claras", Viamão/RS-Brazil) as potting media.

4/2/2010 4:24:17 PM

Seattle, WA

More references:

1. Simone E. Kolb, Kevin J. Fermanich and Mathew E. Dornbush. 2009
Effect of Charcoal Quantity on Microbial Biomass and Activity in Temperate Soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J.2009; 73: 1173-1181
http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/cont...ract/73/4/1173
2. Warnock, D.D., Lehmann, J., Kuyper, T.W. and Rillig, M.C. 2007.
Mycorrhizal responses to biochar in soil – concepts and mechanisms. Plant and Soil 300, 9-20.
3. Nichols, K. 2002.
Glomalin: Hiding Place for a Third of the World's Stored Soil Carbon. Agricultural Research: 50(9): 4-7
4. Nichols, K.A. 2008.
Indirect Contributions of AM Fungi and Soil Aggregation to Plant Growth and Protection. IN: Siddiqui, Z.A., Akhtar, M.S., Futai, K. (eds.) Mycorrhizae: Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry. Spinger Science. pp. 177-194.
5. Nichols, K.A. 2008.
Microbial engineering to enhance your bottom line. Meeting Proceedings for the 12th Annual No-Till on the Plains Winter Workshop, Salina, KS, Jan. 29-30. pp. 138-139.

4/2/2010 4:24:33 PM

Seattle, WA

6. Liang, B. , Lehmann, J., Solomon, D., Kinyangi, J., Grossman, J., O'Neill, B., Skjemstad, J.O., Thies, J., Luizão, F.J., Petersen, J. and Neves, E.G. 2006.
Black carbon increases cation exchange capacity in soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70: 1719-1730
7. Steiner, C., Teixeira, W. G., Lehmann J., Nehls, T., Vasconcelos de Macêdo, J. L.V., Blum, W. E. H. and Zech, W. 2007.
Long term effects of manure, charcoal and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil. Plant and Soil. 291, 275-290.
8. Steiner, Christoph, K.C. Das, M. Garcia, B Forster, and Wolfgang Zech, 2007.
Charcoal and smoke extract stimulate the soil microbial community in a highly weathered Xanthic Ferralsol. Pedobiologia In press.
9. Woods, William I., Newton P. S. Falcão, and Wenceslau G. Teixeira. 2006.
Biochar Trials aim to enrich soil for smallholders. Nature 443:144.
10. Woolf, Dominic, 2008
Biochar as a Soil Amendment - A review of the Environmental Implications. Swansea University.
11. Yaman, S, 2004.
Pyrolysis of biomass to produce fuels and chemical feedstocks. Energy Conversion and Management 45, 651-671.

4/2/2010 4:24:39 PM

Seattle, WA

Here's one more post from that forum on the subject:

Why do you use pumice and perlite in the same soilless potting mix? They are to serve the same purpose, but pumice is superior to perlite (in general).

I would use only pyrolyzed rice hulls and no 'fresh' rice hulls as the fresh rice hulls will have different physical properties and will breakdown fast(er) which isn't good for media physical properties.

What size is the pumice? It's good to add such amendments (like pumice or Axis regular) to a soilless mix based on peat or coir to increase the bulk density and also to soil as the amendment should increase the air porosity of all three substrate bases.

I don't use pumice, I used to use Axis regular, but with use of screened aged pine bark fines the pumice or Axis is unnecessary; the pyrolyzed rice hulls will be added for microbial benefits and for the befits to media physical properties. I still have to run many assays on my media, I am buying a "porometer" and "tensiometer" soon, but I am basing all my statements on solid, proven scientific theory and factual data...and I grew peppers and tomatoes last summer/fall in a few test mixes similar my mix above, I used to include Axis regular until I learned out "pore tortuosity", AW, BW, UW, pore sizes, etc., and the more defined properties of APBF (aged pine bark fines) from data gathered with a porometer by NCSU scientists.

4/2/2010 4:26:24 PM

South Hero, VT

Thank you, Tad. There are a lot of inexpensive amendments out there that are just being discovered and researched.

4/4/2010 12:43:25 PM

Australia

Thanks, Tad. Has made very interesting reading, I might even have a go making some. Sounds like an interesting and inexpensive way to aid my drainage problems in the patch.

4/5/2010 6:30:19 AM

Seattle, WA

I don't know of anyone using it with giant pumpkins yet, but the principles are sound. Bio-char or Terra Pretta has wonderful CEC properties and seems like a great addition to me, especially to clay soils.

4/5/2010 12:26:34 PM