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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum
Kori
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A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 64
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 using castings - 2008/05/21 13:52 I am curious. I was wondering if castings could be used in a container like is used with miracle grow. You know the kind that you connect to your garden hose and the water mixes with it and then is sprayed onto your plants.

Anyone try this? Or does the process have to be more involved like making the worm tea?
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/21 14:09 I would guess it would clog up quickly. Even with tea it must be strained to avoid clogging. Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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Kori
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A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 64
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/24 14:40 Ok, thanks Red Hen.

Do you think that the water going through the castings would be just as good as worm tea? If I could come up with a way to use the castings like I would the miracle grow?
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/24 15:20 I do not think that water and VC is as potent as AVCT.
I do however take scoops of castings and add to a gallon water jug, using it as a root drench that the plants love. Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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jasdip
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A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 25
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/24 15:35 Hi RedHen,
Last week I top-dressed some of my houseplants with castings and threw some in a cheesecloth in my watering can.

I wanted to steep it for a couple days before watering my plants, but when I picked up the jug it really stunk. I guess "tea" has to be used immediately or it goes funky. How long do you let it steep prior to using? Southwestern Ont.
Canada
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/24 21:30 jasdip...When I make tea I use aquarium bubblers to aerate for about 24 hours. I use it within 8 hours of stopping aeration.
Letting it just sit there, as far as I can see, just makes swamp water. Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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jasdip
User

A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 25
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/26 07:40 so you're making the AVCT then. I already decided to just keep to the top-dressing with my castings, when the liquid smelled. I know you use so much of your castings outdoors, do you do your houseplants as well? Southwestern Ont.
Canada
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/26 16:01 My house plants would be very jealous if they found me using castings only outdoors. They might even escape to outside just to stand in line for a dousing. Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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lanbro
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A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 20
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/28 14:41 yep, the problem with the castings in the Miracle Grow like sprayer would be clogging, but you also have the
process of making the tea. The air moving through the castings creates an enviroment where the microbes will
multiply to produce the best results. Even though water passed over the castings will pick up some of the good stuff it will not allow the microbes to fully form and become active.

And yup it must be used pretty quick, because without
air the mixture goes anerobic and rots...like any
other living organism. you have to think of the castings just like you do the worms a living thing. [b]I got worms how bout u!
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Kori
User

A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 64
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/29 10:38 Thanks Red Hen and lanbro, that was what I was wondering. I think I will try watering some of the castings on my indoor plants. And I am going to have to break down and try to make the worm tea sometime. I don't have the equipment and thought maybe I could get by another way.

I am looking forward to using the tea on our garden plants to keep the pests away.
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Paratrooper
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A Mature Breeder Earthworm
Posts: 77
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 Re:using castings - 2008/05/29 23:13 The stuff needed was on sale at Wal-Mart for about $30 total . The web site where I direct folks to for instructions is off line for one reason or another . It will prove invaluable for making compost tea in an anarobic state which as has been mentioned has about an 8 hour life span .If you e-mail me directly I will try to send it to you . I can't seem to cut and paste it since it's an Adobe Document .
www.tombergstrand@frontiernet.net Tom
Kingman Arizona
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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum

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