Its all about worms

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warbird

Active Member
So I have been reading that worm castings are a very good nute for your soil which is all great and fine as I am getting ready to use foxfarms ocean forest which apparently has a ton of worm castings in there...but since I am a regular gardener to I buy earthworms to throw in my garden soil to help it out every year, can I add a worm or two to my pots in my grow closet to help enhance my soil? I know that could be a really strange question or thought but it works outside so why not in? Thanks
Warbird
 
rolla8

rolla8

Well-Known Member
I don't understand... if you are using Ocean Forest, why do you need to add worms?
 
marchold

marchold

Well-Known Member
it would work inside. The thing is, outside you do not have the option to replace all your soil every 6 months, unless you own a back hoe :-)

The worms are supposed to help by adding air holes to your soil, and by pooping. Since you have the option of using good soil that is loose are airy and adding all the fertilizer you want. You might not get much benefit. If you use dense crappy soil from your yard it would help a lot.
 
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warbird

Active Member
To answer the good soil question I figure even if I use Ocean Forest which has a lot of worm poop in it it still can be depleated as the plant grows so instead of adding a ton of nutes to the soil every other day, having worms in the soil could help airate it and feed it at the same time to help me out. I of course would never use soil from my yard as that soil can carry bugs that I don't want on my plants. But I figure if worm poop is good for the plants then is having a little extra help from the worms themselves such a bad idea? LOL Thanks everyone for your input on this subject. The more the merrier!
 
rolla8

rolla8

Well-Known Member
I see what you're saying. It makes sense in theory, but not in practice. Unless you grow in the same soil over a period of a year or more, the earthworm castings that are included with the Ocean Forest are plenty sufficient for the duration of your crop. And I don't know of a single scenario that would call for the use of additional nutrients every other day. As far as aeration goes, earthworms have nothing to do with this. They don't play any role in bringing additional oxygen into the soil. They simply eat, shit, and go about their day. And in an area as relatively small as a plant container, even a 5gal one, I don't think the worms would have enough room to survive for very long. Keep in mind that the plants root structure is spread out throughout the entire area, which means that the worms would have to be constantly maneuvering over, under, and around the roots. Like I said, it sounds good in theory but I just don't see the real-world benefits or practicality.
 
420Blunt's

420Blunt's

Well-Known Member
worms are a true growers secret, but if they are going in your garden outdoors your gonna need more worms. for an indoor grow they work great. whats better than fresh worm castings for your plants? for the first week or 2 put some wheat germ, or corn meal just below the top of the soil for them to eat at first and then they will poop and they're poop starts producing food from the micro organisms. after about 2-3 weeks u no longer need to feed them. they will provide mass amounts of air and worm castings for your entire grow.
 
growman3666

growman3666

Well-Known Member
worms are great, i had about 60 worms in a 5 gallon pot compared to a 5 gallon without, the plant did not only grow faster but the root system epanded much faster than the controll did
 
420Blunt's

420Blunt's

Well-Known Member
rolla8 said:
I see what you're saying. It makes sense in theory, but not in practice. Unless you grow in the same soil over a period of a year or more, the earthworm castings that are included with the Ocean Forest are plenty sufficient for the duration of your crop. And I don't know of a single scenario that would call for the use of additional nutrients every other day. As far as aeration goes, earthworms have nothing to do with this. They don't play any role in bringing additional oxygen into the soil. They simply eat, shit, and go about their day. And in an area as relatively small as a plant container, even a 5gal one, I don't think the worms would have enough room to survive for very long. Keep in mind that the plants root structure is spread out throughout the entire area, which means that the worms would have to be constantly maneuvering over, under, and around the roots. Like I said, it sounds good in theory but I just don't see the real-world benefits or practicality.
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homie, worms loosen up the soil to make it easier for roots and air to pass through the soil. this way the foilage up top doesn't need to rest as long for the root system to spread out more. and yes they can survive for very long, just feed them the first 2-3 weeks with corn meal and they feed you with bigger, healthier, faster buds. and you, rolla8, just dont see the real world benefits bc you dont have them in your soil. put them in and you will be amazed. ur like the anti-pot smoker who has nvr smoked pot. dont knock it before you try it
 
tusseltussel

tusseltussel

Well-Known Member
420Blunt's said:
worms are a true growers secret, but if they are going in your garden outdoors your gonna need more worms. for an indoor grow they work great. whats better than fresh worm castings for your plants? for the first week or 2 put some wheat germ, or corn meal just below the top of the soil for them to eat at first and then they will poop and they're poop starts producing food from the micro organisms. after about 2-3 weeks u no longer need to feed them. they will provide mass amounts of air and worm castings for your entire grow.
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you need not add worms to your garden outside just create an environment they can live in.... add organic matter, in fall after harvest put your garden to sleep for winter by mulching with leaves, grass clippings or straw, if you take care of of your soil it will take care of you... worms break down organic matter andif you provide the conditions they will literally dig it.... as for indoor gardens just start a compost pile or bin and use it to fertilize your soil
 
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warbird

Active Member
LOL..Thanks I am happy to see such a positive outlook on earthworms I just want to provide the very best for my plants. Its hard to have a green thumb in a controlled setting and smaller space as I have a ton of more freedoms outside but this is a great experiment that hopefully will lead to a perma smile and a few giggles. Not that a girl like myself needs to enhance that anymore then usual.
 
rolla8

rolla8

Well-Known Member
420Blunt's said:
homie, worms loosen up the soil to make it easier for roots and air to pass through the soil. this way the foilage up top doesn't need to rest as long for the root system to spread out more. and yes they can survive for very long, just feed them the first 2-3 weeks with corn meal and they feed you with bigger, healthier, faster buds. and you, rolla8, just dont see the real world benefits bc you dont have them in your soil. put them in and you will be amazed. ur like the anti-pot smoker who has nvr smoked pot. dont knock it before you try it
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Dude, i'm not knocking it. And I think that using worms is a great way to supplement and treat your own soil. I just didn't think it was a good idea to put the worms directly into the containers housing your weed plants. I would think that creating a compost heap with earthworms in it would produce an excellent grow medium.

PS- I'm TOTALLY against marijuana ;-)
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
OK, I only skimmed. But if you do use worms inside, be careful of what nutes and treatments you use. The skin of a worm isn't tough. They can burn faster then your plant. (Its a living breathing thing too, be nice)

I also see them being most useful in a bed then a pot (but props to the guy who had 60 in a 5 gal! I'm now thinking of trying it.)
 
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warbird

Active Member
I am going to do an experiment I think I am going to put 2 worms in one pot and none in the other and see what happens. I am finding that growing is a constant experiment.
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
warbird said:
I am going to do an experiment I think I am going to put 2 worms in one pot and none in the other and see what happens. I am finding that growing is a constant experiment.
Click to expand...

How big is the pot? I'd guess toss 3 per gal minimum.

Keep us updated. I like this concept. I can save on perlite and gain castings :)
 
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warbird

Active Member
2 gals so not huge...but I figured all animals needed to be in two's..must be a Noahs Ark things LOL. Anyways 3 probably would be ok but I don't think I'd do anymore then that.
 
420Blunt's

420Blunt's

Well-Known Member
the more worms, the better! just feed them for the first 2 week because the castings havent developed the right bacteria that they eat. just feed them a tablespoon of corn meal or something of the sorts. put it just below the surface of the soil and check it in a few days.
 
Ohsogreen

Ohsogreen

Well-Known Member
warbird said:
So I have been reading that worm castings are a very good nute for your soil which is all great and fine as I am getting ready to use foxfarms ocean forest which apparently has a ton of worm castings in there...but since I am a regular gardener to I buy earthworms to throw in my garden soil to help it out every year, can I add a worm or two to my pots in my grow closet to help enhance my soil? I know that could be a really strange question or thought but it works outside so why not in? Thanks
Warbird
Click to expand...
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Warbird.... You can add some worms to the container. They will hang out in there for a while, but usually crawl out and end up dead on the floor. I've done it myself, as an experiment. It always ended that way. The only varible, was how long they stayed until checking out......
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Adding worms to a grow hole, in the great outdoors, can draw Armadillos to your plant. They'll dig like hell to get at the worms & can completely dig up / kill a plant easily. So, I advise, not to - if outside.
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It's better to just add the worm castings. Just never more that 30 percent by volume, as worm castings are heavy / dense for their size. Young roots have a problem growing through them, if allot is used.
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The OF soil is super sweet, but also nute HOT.... I'd cut it with some peat moss, perlite and worm castings. OF 50 %, Peat 20 %, Perlite 20 %, and only 10 % Worm Castings - because in already has worm castings in it.
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Hope this helps...
Keep it Real...Organic......
 
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