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Build Healthy Soil Foundation with VermisTerra

Build Healthy Soil Foundation with VermisTerra

In the past, we had more issues with insect pests, plant diseases, and stressed plants. Presently, we don’t encounter them to the same extent. Our vegetable and fruit crops, flowers, and other plants are healthier, more productive, and hardier. Most of our lettuce crops last summer did not bolt during the heat waves with temperatures in the 90s and even a few days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit! 

We’ve seen increased production in berries, which have been very sweet and flavorful! The flowers in our garden have more blooms and our leafy greens are more prolific and robust! We’ve also had great tomato yields! 

Over the years, we’ve seen improvements in the overall health and structure of our soil using Vermisterra worm casting products. 

In this video, I’m going to share how our soil improved over the years with the regular use of Vermisterra vermicompost or worm castings. 

Before we sow seeds and start planting, the first thing we need to do is build the soil, this is the foundation of a garden. As organic gardeners, we do not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides but rely on a healthy ecosystem. 

To build healthy soil, we need to feed the microorganisms. Soil microbes break down organic materials releasing nutrients plants can use to grow and flourish. When we nourish the microbes in the soil, they will feed our plants. In addition, these microbes protect plants against potential pathogens and stresses, both biotic and abiotic. 

In this symbiotic relationship, plants feed the microbes through their roots secreting exudates consisting of sugars, enzymes, organic, and amino acids. 

When we incorporate Vermisterra worm castings and nutrient tea in our soil, we’re not only adding essential nutrients we’re also introducing beneficial microbes including fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes. 

Vermicompost contains about 50% humus which is porous in nature. Humus is an organic material similar to what you’d find on the forest floor. 

Humus increases soil porosity and retains moisture and nutrients. Worm castings can prevent nutrients from leaching into the water table and flowing into bodies of water. 

Humus also provides homes for beneficial soil microbes while extracting toxins and harmful microorganisms from the soil. Another component of worm castings is humic acid which enhances photosynthesis and improves plant health, resiliency, and immunity. Plant hormones such as auxins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, and enzymes are also found in vermicompost aiding in plant growth and development. 

Another benefit to using worm castings is it allows carbon sequestration. This means atmospheric carbon is captured and stored in the soil reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

When we work with Mother Nature, the soil and plants are healthier. Anyone can achieve a successful and healthy garden, but we need to start with the foundation and build fertile soil which takes time and patience, but the rewards are worth it! 



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Vermisterra Supports CCOF

Vermisterra is proud to be a CCOF business partner since 2016. We support and promote organic through certification, education, and advocacy. Buying organic is a direct investment in the future of our planet, so they work to grow the organic market by educating consumers about this important relationship to our food.

Vermisterra tests each batch of worm castings and nutrient tea for heavy metals. Our castings are also tested for E. Coli and Salmonella- to ensure that we are always pathogen free! We are already certified organic by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) and California Department of California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). You can find our company JL Organics LLC listed in the CCOF Directory!

Vermisterra is a CCOF business partnerAs one of the first organic certification agencies, CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) has strong roots in the history of the organic movement. CCOF was instrumental in advocating for federal organic legislation; our organic certification standards were used as a foundation for the USDA National Organic Program, finally making “certified organic” a federally regulated claim. After more than 30 years of fighting for organic integrity, we continue to certify, educate, advocate, and promote organic.

 

CCOF organizes educational and technical training events for farmers, handlers, and farm advisors to expand their knowledge of organic practices and ensure they are equipped to comply with organic standards. Learn more about CCOF and what they do at https://www.ccof.org.

 

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CaliKim Explains – What is Vermisterra Tea, How to Use

We are so happy that our partner CaliKim tested Vermisterra worm castings and tea in her garden and absolutely loves it. Read her full article and view her gorgeous photos in high resolution HERE.

Below is a repost direct from CaliKim’s Garden and Home Blog:

 

Welcome back to the “Feeding Your Garden” blog series.  One of the keys to a healthy, productive garden is to feed your plants and garden soil powerful, organic nutrients on a regular basis.

In the last post, we learned what a powerful soil amendment worm castings are, in this post, we’ll learn all about worm tea.

Worm WHAT?  Yes, worm tea.  No, you don’t drink it, but your plants do, and they LOVE it!

VermisTerra Earthworm Tea – Liquid Gold

Although I had a worm bin at one time, I found it time consuming and difficult to produce the amount of worm castings I needed for my garden, let along produce worm tea.

 VermisTerra does all the heavy lifting with their ready made earthworm tea.  Their worm tea is microbial-rich concentrate, shelf-stable, comes in a quart or a gallon size, and is a snap to use on my garden.  Along with VermisTerra’s worm castings, I have been using their worm tea in my garden for several month – the results are impressive!  I like to call it “liquid gold”.

My lettuce gardening is thriving with a weekly dose of worm tea.

 

Lettuce garden – My lettuce garden receives a weekly dose of VermisTerra worm tea,  and produced loads of lettuce through a fall heat wave, and is still going strong today, well into the winter.  We eat out of it every single day!  And because the worm tea makes the plant tissues stronger, the greens last me 7-10 days in the fridge after harvesting!

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Crate Tower watered with worm tea thrives in frost

Strawberry Crate Towers – Many of you have seen my strawberry crate towers in my videos. To test  the effectiveness of VermisTerra worm tea, for several months, I watered one tower with VermisTerra worm tea once a week, and the other towers with the same liquid fertilizer I have always used once a week.  The strawberry plants watered with worm tea held up to frosts with minimal damage to the leaves, have larger leaves, and are starting to flower.  The plants that did not receive their “cuppa” VermisTerra worm tea had significant more leaf damage after a frost, leaves are smaller, and have no flowers.  Worm tea at work!

What  is Worm Tea?

VermisTerra worm tea provides a nutrient boost to your plants!

Worm tea is an organic liquid fertilizer derived from worm castings, and is a powerful soil nutrient that contains all the benefits of worm castings.  It gives your plants a boost and works quickly to provide your garden powerful nutrients.

VermisTerra worm tea contains microbes and beneficial bacterial that are dormant in the concentrate, but are activated upon adding it to water.  These microbes and beneficial bacterial go to work immediately upon being applied to your soil to help your plant be healthy and produce lots of fruits and veggies for you to share with your loved ones.

Why is Worm Tea Beneficial for Our Gardens?

 1. Rich in Beneficial Bacteria and Microbes – Like VermisTerra worm castings, their worm tea contains powerful beneficial bacteria and microbes – microscopic organisms that help create a healthy, living soil.

2.  Improves Soil structure – Microbes in the worm tea have the ability to create pore spaces in the soil. Not only will this help your soil retain water for longer periods of time, but also means more oxygen and water can penetrate the soil and be taken up by your plants.  When your plants are consistently watered with worm tea, they will be able to root easier, and take up the nutrients they need to be healthier and productive.

Probiotic-rich kombucha tea feeds good bacteria to our bodies, worm tea feeds good bacteria to our soil.

3.  Supress Pests and Diseases – As soon as you apply the microbe-rich worm tea to your plants, the army of microbes that are so helpful to plant growth get right to work and start to multiply.   These “good guys” live around the roots and surfaces of your plants, keeping them healthy.  Your garden will be equipped to fight off disease, and pests aren’t as attracted to them.   Many farmers who have tested VermisTerra worm tea report reversal of disease and increase in fruit production in their crops!

I like to compare this to feeding my body food rich in probiotics and beneficial bacteria – such as kefir, and my favorite, kombucha.  These foods feed my body good bacteria, helping everything to function as it should.  This gives me the ability to fight off a cold or flu much easier than if my immune system was compromised.

 

What Makes VermisTerra Worm Tea Special?

VermisTerra Worm Tea – “Liquid Gold”.

1. Extended shelf life – VermisTerra worm tea, in it’s concentrated bottled form, is shelf stable for more than a year.  Contrast this to compost tea that loses it’s effectiveness if it does not get enough oxygen, and can then possibly contain harmful bacteria such as e-coli and salmonella.

2. Certified organic and lab tested – VermisTerra is certified organic by the USDA, and the California CDFA. Each batch of worm tea is lab tested (something very unusual in the industry) and free of pathogens.  In fact, UC Berkley tests found over 2000 types of good bacteria in a sample of tea. VermisTerra takes great care to make sure that their worm tea is of the highest quality!

How to use Worm Tea in your Garden

VermisTerra worm tea is especially effective when used alongside their worm castings and can also be used in along with organic fertilizer and compost.  It’s easy to incorporate watering with worm tea into your regular garden routine.  The key is: a little goes a very long way and use it regularly.  Just like our bodies need a regular supply of good nutrition to be healthy, so does our garden!

The general rule of thumb is to use 3-6 ounces of worm tea for every gallon of water, and use the same day you make it.  Take care not to splash water into the bottle, as the microbes are dormant in the bottle (helping it to be shelf stable), and water will activate them.

Add worm tea to your watering can or directly to your drip irrigation system, or even to a hose end sprayer as a foliar spray.  Just like worm castings, it won’t burn your plants, and you can’t use to much.  Use a little, use a lot, use what your plants need and what you can afford.

Worm tea is gentle enough to use on seedlings

Seedlings

VermisTerra worm tea is the perfect liquid fertilizer to use on your young seedlings. It is gentle and won’t burn them. The young plants will take up just the nutrients they need to help them to thrive until it’s time to transplant them in your garden.

How-to: Mix one capful into a quart of water,pply once a week, more often more often if desired.

Container Plants

Container plants need consistent moisture and nutrients to thrive. Worm tea provides them the nutrients they need and help the soil retain moisture.

How-to:  3-6 ounces of worm tea per gallon of water.  Apply once a week, more often if desired.

 

Garden Beds

Using worm tea in your garden beds will increase the survival rate of your transplants, and makes your soil healthier.

How-to: 3-6 ounces of water per gallon in your watering can, or apply to directly through your drip irrigation system.  Apply every two weeks, more often if desired.

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What NPK Levels in Worm Castings? What Are the Benefits?

IMG_0667Every gardener that’s growing organic has heard about manure. It’s mother earth’s natural fertilizer; part of the cycle of life. One of the most powerful manures in the world comes from earthworms! Before mankind starting playing in labs, nature knew the best way to feed her plants.

N-P-K stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Three important compounds that are necessary for plant growth. Nitrogen helps plants grow rapidly, produce more seeds and fruit, and improve leaf quality. Phosphorus assists in flower and root development. Potassium assists in the production of protein, the photosynthesis process, resistance of diseases, and overall plant health. These are essential to plant development, but are NOT the only nutrition necessary for healthy plants.

There are a number of compounds that are needed for healthy plants, including: calcium for plant cell wall structure, magnesium as part of the chlorophyll in all green plants, sulfur for the development of vitamins and enzymes, etc.

NPK levels in organic fertilizer are much lower than those shown in synthetic fertilizers during lab testing. They are soil amendments that work slowly over time to improve your soil and to help your plants grow strong. They don’t weaken plants by forcing fast growth and flowering. Therefore, big NPK numbers don’t necessarily mean a better fertilizer.

Worm castings also have  beneficial bacteria and fungi to build up soil, and assists with disease suppression.  Earthworm castings have over 60 micronutrients and trace minerals, including calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphates and potash.

Castings act as a barrier to help plants grow in soil where the pH levels are too high or too low. They balance pH so plants can absorb nutrients from the soil. If that isn’t amazing enough, worm castings also retain moisture which is great for growing in drought conditions.

Lastly, worm castings impromptu soil aeration, improves soil structure, drainage and fertility. With so many benefits to using worm castings, make sure you get pure castings like Vermisterra Fine Earthworm Castings, not something mixed with compost or fillers.

So many reasons to choose Vermisterra organic earthworm castings and tea.
So many reasons to choose Vermisterra organic earthworm castings and tea.

 

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Vermisterra Mentioned on DC Network and MassRoots

Vermisterra is gaining traction! DC Network posted a blurb and photos of our worm casting nutrient tea samples on their Instagram and the MassRoots Channel. Check it out here!

Direct Cannabis Network said, “Vermisterra. They offer top quality organic fertilizer. Vermisterra Earthworm Castings and Earthworm Casting Tea are the ideal soil amendment for Cannabis gardens, greenhouses, or organic farms. Vermisterra products are purely natural, free of odor and safe and easy to use.”

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Vermisterra earthworm nutrient tea mentioned on DC Network and Mass Roots after interview at Cannagrow Expo. (Direct Cannabis Network)
Vermisterra earthworm nutrient tea mentioned on DC Network and Mass Roots after interview at Cannagrow Expo. (Direct Cannabis Network)
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Vermicompost Wards Off Crop Pests

Worm castings are an effective way to repel white flies, aphids and spider mites and any pest that feeds on plant juices. According to recent studies, applying earthworm castings to the soil around your plants increases the production of a certain enzyme chitinase. This enzyme is a degrader of chitin, the substance that comprises the exo-skeletons of most insects. When used properly, worm casting acts as a natural insect repellant. If a bug feeds on the leaves of a plant which has absorbed the chitinase, its exoskeleton will soon begin to dissolve, and death will come quickly.

North Carolina State University researchers have dug deeper into the mechanisms behind insect resistance of plants grown in soil amended with vermicompost, and the preliminary results suggest this may provide an ecological friendly means of managing pests in vegetable crops.

Yasmin Cardoza, an entomologist and soil arthropod ecologist, along with graduate student Amos Little, found that different insect species responded differently to host plant resistance of brassica crops. They also determined that it takes as little as a 20 percent concentration of vermicompost mix in the soil to boost the resistance of host plants against caterpillar and aphid pests.

Be sure to select a quality worm casting that’s pure and not cut with compost or other raw materials. Vermisterra pure organic earthworm castings are fine, aged and readily absorbable by plants.

 

Resources:

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.950.1099&rep=rep1&type=pdf

https://georgia.growingamerica.com/news/2012/04/ncsu-research-explains-how-vermicompost-amended-soils-ward-crop-pests/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19423335/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317490950_Effect_of_vermicompost_and_chitin_on_the_control_of_Meloidogyne_incognita_in_greenhouse_tomato