What is vermicast and vermicompost?
Vermicast is the castings of worms in its pure form, produced by the action of microbiological life in the digestive system of the worm. Vermicompost is a mixture of vermicast and unprocessed organic matter, which may also contain worm capsules and small worms. What is the importance of vermiculture products? The products of vermiculture act as environmentally friendly long-term soil conditioners containing nutrients readily available to plants, which greatly improve soil performance and crop yields. Scientific research conducted into the effects of vermicast has found 30-50% increases in nitrogen uptake, 100% increases in potassium and phosphate uptake, increases in root length, root numbers, and shoot length, and 40-60% increases in cucumber and tomato yields. There are also reported increases in flavour and shelf-life, though these findings are not as easily quantified.