Aren't worm castings more/less just compost? Thats what I had read somehwere. I read about top dressing the soil with it later on in the grow.
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Greenjumble.... Ocean Forrest is an excellent grow medium, it is a bit hot though. I advise you cut it with at least 30 percent peat moss and 10 percent perlite.
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No nutes will be needed at all, for the first month. After that, start with 1/2 strength fertilizer mixes and add upwards slowly - until you reach full strength.
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Low, slow & steady.....
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Worm Castings are a great soil amendment, here is why (I just copied & pasted this from wiki-pedia) :
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Vermicompost benefits soil by
- improving its physical structure;
- enriching soil in micro-organisms, adding plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid, and adding enzymes such as phosphatase and cellulase:;
- attracting deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil;
- improving water holding capacity;
- enhancing germination, plant growth, and crop yield; and
- improving root growth and structure.
Vermicompost can be used to make compost tea (worm tea), by mixing some vermicompost in water and steeping for a number of hours or days. The resulting liquid is used as a fertilizer.
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I've been using Worm Castings (aka- Vermicompost) for the last ten years, both Mary & I like them so much, I have my own worm bin. Worm bins are cheap to make, worms are cheap to feed (yard waste, kitchen waste, etc..) and the end product is great.
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Hope this helps...
Keep it Real...Organic....