best brand of ewc

So I know homemade ewc don't compare to the ones at the store ..but in the past iv always bought wiggle worm brand and caught a lot of flack over it...I mean they def made a big impact on my plants ..dressed and in teas...prob one of my fav things tbh ..but does anybody know for a fact that one particular brand is better or the best ...I will add the reason I got th ww ewc is I had a deal w worms way and I got them super cheap...plus it was the only brand they carried..I don't have time to make and harvest my own ..maybe if I get a jump and towards the end of the season but I'm looking for right now sadly...and if anyone knows the cheapest source I'd like that info too.ty guys and gals

the cheapest source is probably going to be something local, if you can find it. but remember, typically with cheapness comes a quality difference. Out of the worm castings that I have purchased, the best ones were from Worm Power in New York. They were very close to the same quality that I harvest from my bins.

and you DO have time to make and harvest your own. worm bins are sooooooo low maintenance. keep it moist but not wet, and put new organic matter in when they finish the previous round (doesn't even have to be immediately). I mean i basically leave mine alone.... check it once a week to see if they're still feeding, if they are, i just put the plastic back over it and leave them be. If they've worked the material into castings, i put a fresh meal on top, light spritz of water, and cover it back up and leave it alone for another week. very very low maintenance for a high quality product (assuming your inputs are of good quality).

the problem with wiggle worm is that they basically feed the bins cardboard, and maybe a few other non nutritional things, which is fine for the worms because they eat the slurp of the organisms, not the material itself. but the result is a less potent worm casting. where as if you're adding a little of each amendment at every feeding, the nutritional value of the castings for your plants goes up drastically.

Awesome..and no.. nobody has anything like that locally..prob not even in the state..we have one hydro shop and it's shit...but i know I have time to build one and I understand it's low maintenance..im just saying I prob won't be able to harvest a good bit till the end if season.. correct..i mean I guess taking out a hand full to make teas and then top dress wouldn't hurt .right

I can tell you the cheapest and best source of EWC is from your own worm bin. That is because what makes one compost better than another has to do with microbial activity. Obviously the more active a compost is with high populations of microbes the more active it makes your soil mix. Once you throw it into a plastic bag with tiny air holes and let it sit in a warehouse it is subject to whatever temps are present. You have no idea how long it has been sitting there. Honestly having your own bin is such a game changer the benefits of which can't be stressed enough. I've used unco brand EWC ordered off of Amazon which I thought was meh compared to my own EWC. The Rev in his book suggests gardener & bloom brand EWC but I've never seen or used if.
The fresher the EWC is the better; like shluby says look for a local source but also keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily have to be worm castings to bump up microbial activity. I got some great compost from a local garder who sells veggie plants. It wasn't EWC it was from a compost pile but that stuff was like black gold.

Oh I understand that your own ewc can't be beat..and I have some high quality compost I made ..a ton if it..dark as coal..I just wanted some ewc now to help w either mixing my soil or to inoculate my soil..it's sat for a couple yrs..so

Oh I understand that your own ewc can't be beat..and I have some high quality compost I made ..a ton if it..dark as coal..I just wanted some ewc now to help w either mixing my soil or to inoculate my soil..it's sat for a couple yrs..so

GoRealUhGro said:

Awesome..and no.. nobody has anything like that locally..prob not even in the state..we have one hydro shop and it's shit...but i know I have time to build one and I understand it's low maintenance..im just saying I prob won't be able to harvest a good bit till the end if season.. correct..i mean I guess taking out a hand full to make teas and then top dress wouldn't hurt .right

Click to expand...

yeah man taking a couple hand fulls every now and then wont bother them at all. you'd be surprised how fast they can turn and burn material....