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rocksnmud

Potting Mix

rocksnmud
10 years ago

Hello!
I am (very) new into VC.... I dont have any bins, or worms, yet! (I am attending a class in a few weeks where I will get bin/worms/ etc)

However, one of the reasons I wanted to get into it was because I grow my own wheatgrass to juice.... this gives me a lot of leftover peices of 'sod'... I normally use Miracle-Gro potting mix, along with a large number of roots, old seed casings, and cut-off sprouts of grass.

I figure the roots and leaves the worms would love... but I dont know about the Miracle Gro Potting mix. I dont want to just throw the pieces of sod out... I know the dirt has plenty of 'grow' left in it.

I read somewhere that certain fertilizers have salts that can harm the worms.... but I have also heard that Miracle Gro is very weak fertilizer.

If it would harm the worms, are there any type of soil/potting mix that would be safe? (such as Organic Potting Mix?)

Thanks in advanced! I hope to become a regular member here once I get my worms!

Comments (8)

  • PRO
    equinoxequinox
    10 years ago

    A chicken would just love those leftovers. Sproutman grows soil less wheat grass and finds it is equally nutritious to with soil. The spent mats flipped upside down into a bin with carbon bedding added should be fine. To do so would be heartbreaking as there are so many nutrients left in the mats. They are not garbage or waste but a valuable resource. If you do not use soil the last harvest can be roots and all to juice.

  • rocksnmud
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks!
    I live in a city, in an apartment, so I dont have easy access to any type of green-recycling, or chickens/animals, or anything like that... which is why I want to VC! I figured it would help at least break stuff down to be reused.

    Ive thought about soil-less wheat grass, but without the proper equipment, my wheatgrass doesnt grow well without soil! I was thinking that it would have the same nutrients. But I guess if there is nutrients in the water....

    I have some soil mats that I have started collecting (when I realized I shouldnt just throw them away) but I have taken them and torn them apart... essentially turning it back into soil!

    Equinox, when you mentioned putting the spent mats upsidedown, was that the soil-less mats, or the ones I have with soil (about two-inches thick)? Would those be fine upside down? Or chopped/blended up like I have done?

    (Again, I am curious if the Miracle-Gro will hurt the worms or not!)

    Thanks!

  • mendopete
    10 years ago

    A little bit of any brand potting soil shouldn't hurt your worms.

    Generally we do not want to add much soli to the bin because we use composting worms. Composting worms thrive in decomposing organic matter. Garden worms live in soil.

    I assume that spent mats are mostly root?? If so, break them up, mix with kitchen scraps, and feed to your worms. I have pine tree roots in a wormbed. When I harvest, the chopped up roots go back in the bed..

    You should shake most the soil off first. Save this and recycle by mixing it with your fresh vermicompost at harvest. That will refresh your old soil.

    Happy wormin' and good luck! Welcome to the forum.

  • 11otis
    10 years ago

    Every now and then I collect spent wheat grass mats from a juice place. I think by the time they became "spent", the chemicals have leached out of the medium from watering. Also, I have an old garbage can to stash them. By the time I add some to the worm bins, the roots have started to fall apart.
    I basically use this to start/re-start a bin. Just put a layer at the bottom. The worms just love to hide in there and they became really FAT, and produced lots of cocoons in no time.

  • rocksnmud
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @mendopete, I believe most of the potting mix is actually little bits of wood and similar plany/organic material, and not 'soil' in the proper.
    The mats are indeed mostly root, and not much soil can be shaken free. I tear them up and mix it around a couple times of day, and this is loosening some soil (falling to the bottom of the bucket.)

    @otis11, I am glad to hear that these spent mats can be useful! They are why I decided to get into vermicomposting.
    How old do I need to have them (if old at all) before putting them into the bin? I was planning on just taking the fresh-cut mats, breaking them apart and putting them in the bin. (Would I even need to break them up?)

    Its good to hear you use them to start a bin! I am getting my worms in a couple weeks, and I am glad to hear that my mats will be useful starting out!

    Thanks to everyone for the input about potting soil... I am glad to hear that it won't be detrimental!

  • 11otis
    10 years ago

    I am concerned about the ammonia gas the left-over grass emits when starting to break down. It can be a quite powerful smell depending.how much grass was left. This is the reason I let them rot before using.

  • rocksnmud
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Otis,
    I cut it down so there is less than a centimeter... usually less than half a centimeter of grass. Its mostly roots, old seed casings, and potting mix.

    But that also begs the question, what of the pure grass 'plugs' that come out of the machine, drained of most juice? (The dry pulp from the grass). Are they safe to use right away?

  • 11otis
    10 years ago

    When I p/u the mats from the juice place, some have sat there for a couple of days so the grass continued to grow and by the time I got them, the stubs were almost 2" and the mats were wet. School kids working the place just want to make sure the grass won't dry out I guess. I told them that if the grass turned yellow it's because of poor lighting and not because of needing water but ....
    I guess the plugs should be OK because there's no juice left. I'm no chemist but I think it pulled the H from H2O to make NH3.
    I get them mixed with all the other kinds of pulp they gave me that I hoard in 3 gal. buckets at the side of the house. I have about a 4 months' supply there,