Since the growing season is winding down outdoors, none of my friends with gardens need it. So I was going to use some of it to make a potting mix for my indoor plants.

I set aside a small sample of castings in a container, and several days later, it had completely dried out and would not absorb water. Therefore, I'm trying to understand exactly how it's used as a soil amendment.

My questions: how do you store worm castings? Is there a way to keep it stored moist without causing fungus or mold to grow on it? If i use it to dress the top of potted plants, do i have to cover it with something to keep the moisture level from getting too low? If the castings completely dry out, can it be salvaged by adding water and soaking?

I'd also like to make some potting mix for my plants. A search of this forum yielded some recipes using peat moss. Does anyone have recipes that use coconut coir (it's more sustainable)?

Thanks!

:)

cheers,
shireen

Unless it is nearly pure castings, I don't think you want it to dry out completely. My personal preference is to harvest vermicompost that contains 40-50% castings. That can be stored in a well ventilated bin for a couple of months without getting moldy...but that's in a mild climate. Maybe others can comment what's best for more extreme climates.

Deanna