Modified on: 29/07/2023
What is vermicompost and why do farmers use it?
Among plant fertilizers, vermicompost is undoubtedly one of the best and most suitable for the cultivation of numerous species, including cannabis.
Cannabis seeds, like many other seeds, generate seedlings that grow best in fertile soils rich in organic nutrients … and worm compost is one of the most suitable in this regard.
Today, we will talk to you in detail about this particular fertilizer, its realization and its best use.
However, remember that growing weed indoors from seeds fast is not allowed in the UK! So, we recommend that you not use this information for cannabis (unless you have moved to a country where it is allowed to grow weed seeds for personal use!).
But you can purchase auto flower seeds, feminized seeds and fast flowering seeds for collecting.
Vermicompost/earthworm humus: pure gold for our plants
Vermicompost, also known as earthworm humus, is a fertilizer produced by the digestion of earthworms.
Yes, you got it right! Earthworms, which we often refer to as “worms”, feed on organic waste materials. They then excrete them in the form of an organic product (humus) rich in nutrients. Besides, the digestion of worms eliminates harmful substances, such as diseases and pathogens, from the soil.
Therefore, we can say that earthworm droppings improve the structure and quality of the soil, making it fertile and ready to feed cannabis plants and any other species with great benefits.
Specifically, the vermicompost contains:
- nutrients such as NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, essential nutrients for plants)
- mineral salts
- beneficial enzymes
- beneficial bacteria
- protozoa
- earthworm eggs (which, hatching, contribute to increasing the population of worms — and therefore humus — present in the soil)
This particular fertilizer is, therefore, one of the best for any organic cultivation.
Read also: Auto-flowering plants and pre-flowering: when to start and how to behave?
How is DIY vermicompost made?
The vermicompost has a price of around 20 euros every 25 litres, but you can make it yourself if you wish.
The procedure is simpler than you might think! You need to buy a good number of earthworms (different according to the plot of land to be cultivated), perhaps getting advice from the seller, and then feed them with the best waste substances you can to find!
As you can well imagine, the quality of the compost depends mainly on the quality of the raw materials: the greater the number of nutrients ingested by earthworms, the greater the beneficial substances contained in the humus.
Earthworms feed on various organic residues, including fruit and vegetable peels, stems, weed, weed seeds, straw, and other animal manure. Other raw materials helpful in making excellent vermicompost are dairy waste, the waste produced from the processing of sugar cane, the rests from biogas plants and much more.
It is sufficient to feed the earthworms these organic matters to digest them and produce excrements in the form of a cast.
To get an idea of the number of worms you will need, you need to know that an adult worm weighing 0.5-0.6 grams feeds on an amount of waste equivalent to its body weight and produces castings equal to about 50% of the materials ingested.
In any case, humus also contains eggs, so the earthworm population multiplies itself in record time.
But what exactly are the benefits of vermicompost? Why should you use it today if you are into gardening or farming?
The benefits of earthworm humus
Knowing that BSF seeds cannabis seed growers use vermicomposting should already give you a clue about the benefits of using this organic fertilizer! Marijuana plants need careful care and high-quality fertilizers to grow at their best.
Precisely, earthworm humus serves to:
- keep the soil moist
- restore the optimal pH of the soil (the pH of the vermicompost is about 7)
- bring a wide range of nutrients to plants, solving any nutritional deficiencies
- improve the quality and health of the soil
- prevent and combat diseases and fungi
- also improve the environment, as it reduces the use of chemical fertilizers and reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills
Furthermore, the action of earthworms keeps the soil well oxygenated and eliminates any pathogens present in the ground.
How to use the vermicompost?
Despite what you’ve probably thought so far, earthworm humus is an entirely odourless and easily usable product to fertilize the soil!
It can be used simply by mixing it with the soil before planting the plant shoots.
Alternatively, it can be used if necessary when the seedlings show signs of suffering and lack of nutrients (yellowed leaves).
A relatively new product is worm tea — yes, that’s what it’s called! —a liquid produced by the extraction of organic matter, microorganisms, and nutrients from the vermicompost.
Unlike hummus, this liquid fertilizer can be used in two ways:
- directly to the leaves to prevent and treat plant diseases, such as fungal attacks
- in the soil as a supplement to other fertilizers
In addition to produce it at home, you can find vermicompost in any gardening shop (physical and online). Still, we recommend that you check the quality of the product and the nutrients it is made of as well as possible! The better the composition, the better the benefits to the soil.
Read also: Is growing cannabis legal, or is it a hoax born only to attract the audience?
In conclusion
If you have read this article carefully, now you know everything about vermicompost and its usefulness for any plant!
As already explained, it is a product widely used to cultivate marijuana but, beware, in the UK, this practice constitutes a criminal offence or an administrative offence according to the cases.
What you can do after buying cannabis seeds online is to collect them without sprouting them.
Don’t wait any longer!
Buy the best marijuana seeds at Sensoryseeds now. We are waiting for you!
