The Benefits of Soil Microbiology

The benefits of worm castings are in the biology, not the nutrients!

Worm castings will generally be around 1-0-0 NPK, or 1% Nitrogen.

Based on nutrients alone, to grow an acre of corn, requiring 200 pounds of nitrogen, you would need 20,000 pounds of worm castings. 

That's a lot of worm poop!

However, the power of worm castings is not in the minerals. The power of worm castings is in the microbes.

A handful of worm castings is like a small galaxy, populated with billions of microorganisms that perform vital soil functions.

Billions of bacteria and miles of fungal hyphae unlock nutrients within the soil that have been previously inaccessible to plants, form soil structure, increase water holding capacity, sequester carbon into the soil, correct pH imbalances, strengthen plant's immune system, saline tolerance, boost germination rates, and the list goes on!

The microbial richness of vermicast is why experts, like Nicole Masters, Elaine Ingham,  David Johnson, and others have recommended rates as low as 1 pound per acre if your worm castings are microbially rich enough.