Supercharge your worm castings!

[Tommy McCain]

@pop22 have you every fed neem cake or meal? I have been throwing in a cup every so often for a year and the baby worms have multiplied like crazy. I was making a neem meal tea for fungus gnats (also recommend) and threw the leftovers in the worm bin. THE WORMS LOVE IT !! Then I did some reading and found out that many online have seen increased worm population and breading(more baby worms and cocoons). I usually have two 15 gallon smart pots full of manure going with worms.

Something else I have recently added to my smart pot worm bin is a Blumat. I would always forget to water my worms until it was too late and their population would dwindle significantly.

What do you recommend for a mineral addition to the worm bin? I currently use a mix of Azomite and basalt but do not add them to the bin. I also add copious amounts of kelp meal because I get it through a friend who buys bulk from Acadian Seaplant in Canada (I pay $1 a pound!). Do you think the minerals in the kelp would cover this?

I would like to add to this post. One thing I have noticed with neem in EWC is that it can make the mix a little "hot". I had one batch of castings where I really pushed the neem on the worms. The castings are great for topdressing plants that are more mature. I top dress the castings and I see a difference in 24 hours. This "Neem EWC" (that is what I call it in my brain) is unbelievable for managing bug problems on the soil surface. One topdressing on a pot is all that is needed to get rid of fungus gnats.

That being said, I have noticed that this is not the best castings for starting seeds or clones. The plants do not like something with all the neem and I think it may be just too much for the small plants.

I now have one small "neem batch" because I see the benefits of the bug suppression with the topdressing of quality EWC ( for those who have made their own castings, you know what i mean). I also make a "nursery batch" of castings for starting seeds and clones. This consists of leaf mold and manure base with kelp meal and lime mixed in. I use pine bark fines and rice hulls for aeration.

 

[pop22]

Yes, neem is known to suppress growth in seedlings, I made the mistake of using too much neem in my soil once. Better to top dress after they have growth for at least a couple weeks.