The value of vermicompost

Home gardeners know that the best way to grow healthy plants is to build healthy soil. While sunshine and water are essential, feeding your soil the right nutrients is critical to unlocking your garden's full potential. Enter vermicompost; a great way to boost the soil in organic veggie gardens.

What is Vermicompost?

Vermicompost (also known as earthworm castings) is the nutrient-rich by-product of composting with earthworms. These worms eat your kitchen scraps and other garden waste, and then excrete what becomes a dark, crumbly, and odourless superfood for your plants.

Here are my top 3 reasons for why vermicompost is a fantastic soil amendment:

1. Nutrient Booster: Vermicompost boasts concentrated levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – the essential elements for strong plant growth.

2. Improves soil structure: Vermicompost improves soil structure, promoting aeration and drainage. A healthy soil environment allows roots to breathe better, take up more nutrients, and resist diseases.

3. Immunity Booster: Vermicompost contains beneficial microbes that help suppress harmful pathogens and promote overall plant health.

Getting Started with Vermicomposting

The beauty of vermicompost is that it's easy to make at home. With a simple bin system and some red wiggler worms, you can create your worm farm that produces home-made vermicompost. There are many YouTube videos and other online resources that can guide you on how to build your own worm farm.

If you’re not ready for the commitment of worm farming, you can purchase bagged vermicompost online or from a local garden centre. Admittedly, this is what I do. It is more expensive than regular compost, but you can tell the difference in your plants when you use vermicompost!

By applying a layer of vermicompost throughout your garden beds, you can create a healthy environment for your vegetables to thrive.

Happy gardening!