httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avwvJ1NOKcE
Here’s the results after three weeks of anxiously watching basil grow. In order from awesome to least awesome: Tea leaf compost, tumbler compost, commercial compost, worm castings, no compost.
The obvious conclusion is that compost is better than no compost. Not only is it a fertilizer and soil conditioner, but it allows soil to maintain its nutrients and while supporting essential bacteria.
Are you surprised by the results? I thought that the worm castings would come out on top. I think I could have waited longer on my worm castings, though…same with my tumbler material.
I’m going to try the experiment again in a few weeks with all fresh batches of material, and maybe I’ll add some other soil types while I’m at it (know anyone with grub compost?).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the video as much as I did…this was my first time growing anything and I had a blast. Any suggestions for round 2?
The reason why the worm castings did so poorly is not because of the nutrient, but rather the aeration of the soil. I suggest adding coconut coir to provide more aeration for the pure worm casting sample.
Interesting…I observed the worm castings to be the most aerated by far of all my test plants. Either way, worm castings are awesome and I will continue to use them, that’s for sure!