Fertilizer - Earthworm Castings
Approved fertilizer for use in our Community Garden, or at home use.
Take your garden to the next level with Mark's Choice organic worm castings. Using worm castings is as simple as using traditional compost. These premium earthworm castings promote healthy growth and root structure in your plants. And good things grow from the bottom up. Essential plant nutrients help to increase moisture retention so your soil remains absorbent and doesn't dry out. The high organic matter content provides beneficial micro organisms for both indoor and outdoor planting areas.
Promotes plant growth and root structure
Contains essential plant nutrients
Increases moisture retention
Contains high organic matter and beneficial micro organisms
Here’s how to get the most out of your PureLife worm castings:
1. Soil Amendment (Pre-Planting)
Mix Ratio: 15–20% castings to 80–85% existing soil or potting mix
Method: Till or stir the blend into the top 6–8″ of garden beds, vegetable plots, or flower borders. This builds long-term soil structure and biology.
2. Top-Dressing (Side-Dressing)
Technique: After plants are established, sprinkle a ¼–½″ layer of castings around the root zone.
Timing: Early spring and mid-season (2× per year) as rain or irrigation carries the nutrients into the soil
Product Overview
Name: PureLife Soil Premium Worm Castings (5 L bag)
Brand: PureLife Soil
Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (476 ratings)
Amazon’s Choice: Highly rated, well-priced, 1K+ sold last month Amazon
Composition & Key Ingredients
100% Vermicast: Pure earthworm excrement (no fillers or chemical additives).
High Organic Matter: Rich in humus, boosting soil carbon content.
Beneficial Microorganisms: Populated with bacteria, fungi, and enzymes that drive nutrient cycling Amazon.
Nutrient Profile & Biological Activity
Plant-Available Nutrients: Studies show earthworm castings can contain up to 5× more available nitrogen, 7× more phosphate, and 11× more potassium than surrounding soil Wikipedia.
Humic & Fulvic Acids: Enhance cation exchange capacity (CEC), improving soils’ ability to hold and release nutrients Wikipedia.
Plant Hormones: Naturally enriched with auxins and gibberellic acid, promoting root and shoot growth Wikipedia.
Enzymes: Contains phosphatase and cellulase, accelerating organic matter breakdown and nutrient mineralization Wikipedia.
Soil & Plant Benefits
Improves Soil Structure: Aggregates form naturally, reducing compaction and improving aeration and drainage Iowa Worm Composting.
Increases Moisture Retention: Enhanced water-holding capacity supports plants through drought stress Planet Natural.
Boosts Microbial Activity: Microbial populations can be 10–20× higher than in untreated soils, leading to healthier root zones Wikipedia.
Stimulates Root Development: Better root architecture for nutrient uptake, leading to stronger, more resilient plants Amazon.
Reduces Erosion & Runoff: Stable soil aggregates resist wash-away, protecting topsoil on slopes Iowa Worm Composting.
Mechanism of Action
Worms ingest organic residues and soil, grinding them in their gizzards. The resulting casts are excreted as finely granulated, nutrient-rich particles. These casts:
Slow-Release Nutrients: Nutrients are held in stable complexes, minimizing leaching.
Feed Soil Food Web: Serve as a “slow-burn” fertilizer, feeding microbes that, in turn, make nutrients available to plants Homestead and Chill.
Enhance Bioturbation: Earthworms’ burrowing mixes soil layers and distributes castings, creating the drilosphere, a biologically active zone up to 8 mm thick around burrows Wikipedia.
Recommended Applications
Vegetables & Annuals / Perennials: Mix 10–20% castings into potting soil or transplant backfill.
Seed Starting & Transplants: Add a thin topdress (¼ in) to trays and pots.
Container & Hanging Baskets: Blend directly into potting mixes for continual feeding.
Lawn Care: Topdress new or established turf (1–2 lb per 10 ft²).
Vermicast Tea: Steep 1 part castings to 5 parts water for a microbial-rich liquid feed Amazon.
Production Process
Vermiculture: Red wrigglers (Eisenia fetida) consume kitchen scraps and yard waste in controlled bins. Over 6–8 weeks, they convert this into dark, odorless casts, a process up to 3× faster than traditional composting The Spruce.
Historical Context
Scientific Roots: Charles Darwin’s 1881 work, The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, first highlighted earthworms’ transformative role in soil formation and fertility Wikipedia.
Modern Vermicomposting: Since the late 20th century, commercial worm farms have scaled this practice, turning biowaste into a premium soil amendment.
Environmental & Economic Impact
Waste Diversion: Converts kitchen and yard waste into a marketable soil enhancer, reducing landfill methane emissions.
Low-Energy Production: Simple bin systems require minimal capital and can be operated by local communities, generating low-skill jobs and supporting circular economies Wikipedia.
Why Choose PureLife Soil Castings?
They deliver a highly concentrated, microbially active, and nutrient-dense amendment that supports sustainable gardening and farming practices while honoring a legacy of ecological research dating back to Darwin’s pioneering studies.
Worm castings are a biological product—not a synthetic fertilizer—so they don’t contain added urea or other manufactured N-sources. Instead, their nitrogen comes from the worms’ digestion of organic matter and the activity of soil microbes. Here’s how the N-forms typically break down:
Organic Nitrogen (≈1–2% N total)
The bulk of N in castings is bound in complex organic molecules (proteins, amino acids, peptides). This “slow-release” N becomes plant-available only as microbial activity mineralizes it over time help.hortitechdirect.com.Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH₄⁺)
As microbes decompose the casts, some organic N is converted to ammonium. Ammonium in worm castings has been measured at appreciable levels—often 30–50 mg NH₄⁺-N per kg of dry castings—providing a readily available N source without the burn risk of synthetic ammonium fertilizers wormgardener.com.Nitrate Nitrogen (NO₃⁻)
Through natural nitrification (NH₄⁺ → NO₂⁻ → NO₃⁻) by soil bacteria, castings accumulate small but meaningful amounts of nitrate. Studies report that earthworm casts can have significantly higher NO₃⁻ concentrations than the surrounding soil—sometimes 2–5× higher—depending on pH and aeration ResearchGate. This nitrate is immediately plant-available.Urea (CO(NH₂)₂)
Urea is a synthetic or plant-derived intermediate in the N-cycle; it does not persist in vermicast. Any trace urea from the worms’ feedstock or soil is rapidly broken down by urease enzymes in the castings into NH₄⁺ and CO₂. You won’t find appreciable free urea in a bag of pure worm castings.
Why This Matters for Your Garden
Balanced N supply: The mix of organic N, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻ feeds plants both immediately and over weeks-to-months.
Low burn risk: No spike of soluble urea or salts—castings release N gradually.
Microbial synergy: The same microbes that convert NH₄⁺ to NO₃⁻ also improve nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and root health.
Bottom line
PureLife worm castings deliver nitrogen mostly as organic N and ammonium, with additional nitrate produced by active microbes—and contain no urea or other synthetic N-fertilizer compounds.
Approved fertilizer for use in our Community Garden, or at home use.
Take your garden to the next level with Mark's Choice organic worm castings. Using worm castings is as simple as using traditional compost. These premium earthworm castings promote healthy growth and root structure in your plants. And good things grow from the bottom up. Essential plant nutrients help to increase moisture retention so your soil remains absorbent and doesn't dry out. The high organic matter content provides beneficial micro organisms for both indoor and outdoor planting areas.
Promotes plant growth and root structure
Contains essential plant nutrients
Increases moisture retention
Contains high organic matter and beneficial micro organisms
Here’s how to get the most out of your PureLife worm castings:
1. Soil Amendment (Pre-Planting)
Mix Ratio: 15–20% castings to 80–85% existing soil or potting mix
Method: Till or stir the blend into the top 6–8″ of garden beds, vegetable plots, or flower borders. This builds long-term soil structure and biology.
2. Top-Dressing (Side-Dressing)
Technique: After plants are established, sprinkle a ¼–½″ layer of castings around the root zone.
Timing: Early spring and mid-season (2× per year) as rain or irrigation carries the nutrients into the soil
Product Overview
Name: PureLife Soil Premium Worm Castings (5 L bag)
Brand: PureLife Soil
Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (476 ratings)
Amazon’s Choice: Highly rated, well-priced, 1K+ sold last month Amazon
Composition & Key Ingredients
100% Vermicast: Pure earthworm excrement (no fillers or chemical additives).
High Organic Matter: Rich in humus, boosting soil carbon content.
Beneficial Microorganisms: Populated with bacteria, fungi, and enzymes that drive nutrient cycling Amazon.
Nutrient Profile & Biological Activity
Plant-Available Nutrients: Studies show earthworm castings can contain up to 5× more available nitrogen, 7× more phosphate, and 11× more potassium than surrounding soil Wikipedia.
Humic & Fulvic Acids: Enhance cation exchange capacity (CEC), improving soils’ ability to hold and release nutrients Wikipedia.
Plant Hormones: Naturally enriched with auxins and gibberellic acid, promoting root and shoot growth Wikipedia.
Enzymes: Contains phosphatase and cellulase, accelerating organic matter breakdown and nutrient mineralization Wikipedia.
Soil & Plant Benefits
Improves Soil Structure: Aggregates form naturally, reducing compaction and improving aeration and drainage Iowa Worm Composting.
Increases Moisture Retention: Enhanced water-holding capacity supports plants through drought stress Planet Natural.
Boosts Microbial Activity: Microbial populations can be 10–20× higher than in untreated soils, leading to healthier root zones Wikipedia.
Stimulates Root Development: Better root architecture for nutrient uptake, leading to stronger, more resilient plants Amazon.
Reduces Erosion & Runoff: Stable soil aggregates resist wash-away, protecting topsoil on slopes Iowa Worm Composting.
Mechanism of Action
Worms ingest organic residues and soil, grinding them in their gizzards. The resulting casts are excreted as finely granulated, nutrient-rich particles. These casts:
Slow-Release Nutrients: Nutrients are held in stable complexes, minimizing leaching.
Feed Soil Food Web: Serve as a “slow-burn” fertilizer, feeding microbes that, in turn, make nutrients available to plants Homestead and Chill.
Enhance Bioturbation: Earthworms’ burrowing mixes soil layers and distributes castings, creating the drilosphere, a biologically active zone up to 8 mm thick around burrows Wikipedia.
Recommended Applications
Vegetables & Annuals / Perennials: Mix 10–20% castings into potting soil or transplant backfill.
Seed Starting & Transplants: Add a thin topdress (¼ in) to trays and pots.
Container & Hanging Baskets: Blend directly into potting mixes for continual feeding.
Lawn Care: Topdress new or established turf (1–2 lb per 10 ft²).
Vermicast Tea: Steep 1 part castings to 5 parts water for a microbial-rich liquid feed Amazon.
Production Process
Vermiculture: Red wrigglers (Eisenia fetida) consume kitchen scraps and yard waste in controlled bins. Over 6–8 weeks, they convert this into dark, odorless casts, a process up to 3× faster than traditional composting The Spruce.
Historical Context
Scientific Roots: Charles Darwin’s 1881 work, The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, first highlighted earthworms’ transformative role in soil formation and fertility Wikipedia.
Modern Vermicomposting: Since the late 20th century, commercial worm farms have scaled this practice, turning biowaste into a premium soil amendment.
Environmental & Economic Impact
Waste Diversion: Converts kitchen and yard waste into a marketable soil enhancer, reducing landfill methane emissions.
Low-Energy Production: Simple bin systems require minimal capital and can be operated by local communities, generating low-skill jobs and supporting circular economies Wikipedia.
Why Choose PureLife Soil Castings?
They deliver a highly concentrated, microbially active, and nutrient-dense amendment that supports sustainable gardening and farming practices while honoring a legacy of ecological research dating back to Darwin’s pioneering studies.
Worm castings are a biological product—not a synthetic fertilizer—so they don’t contain added urea or other manufactured N-sources. Instead, their nitrogen comes from the worms’ digestion of organic matter and the activity of soil microbes. Here’s how the N-forms typically break down:
Organic Nitrogen (≈1–2% N total)
The bulk of N in castings is bound in complex organic molecules (proteins, amino acids, peptides). This “slow-release” N becomes plant-available only as microbial activity mineralizes it over time help.hortitechdirect.com.Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH₄⁺)
As microbes decompose the casts, some organic N is converted to ammonium. Ammonium in worm castings has been measured at appreciable levels—often 30–50 mg NH₄⁺-N per kg of dry castings—providing a readily available N source without the burn risk of synthetic ammonium fertilizers wormgardener.com.Nitrate Nitrogen (NO₃⁻)
Through natural nitrification (NH₄⁺ → NO₂⁻ → NO₃⁻) by soil bacteria, castings accumulate small but meaningful amounts of nitrate. Studies report that earthworm casts can have significantly higher NO₃⁻ concentrations than the surrounding soil—sometimes 2–5× higher—depending on pH and aeration ResearchGate. This nitrate is immediately plant-available.Urea (CO(NH₂)₂)
Urea is a synthetic or plant-derived intermediate in the N-cycle; it does not persist in vermicast. Any trace urea from the worms’ feedstock or soil is rapidly broken down by urease enzymes in the castings into NH₄⁺ and CO₂. You won’t find appreciable free urea in a bag of pure worm castings.
Why This Matters for Your Garden
Balanced N supply: The mix of organic N, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻ feeds plants both immediately and over weeks-to-months.
Low burn risk: No spike of soluble urea or salts—castings release N gradually.
Microbial synergy: The same microbes that convert NH₄⁺ to NO₃⁻ also improve nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and root health.
Bottom line
PureLife worm castings deliver nitrogen mostly as organic N and ammonium, with additional nitrate produced by active microbes—and contain no urea or other synthetic N-fertilizer compounds.
Approved fertilizer for use in our Community Garden, or at home use.
Take your garden to the next level with Mark's Choice organic worm castings. Using worm castings is as simple as using traditional compost. These premium earthworm castings promote healthy growth and root structure in your plants. And good things grow from the bottom up. Essential plant nutrients help to increase moisture retention so your soil remains absorbent and doesn't dry out. The high organic matter content provides beneficial micro organisms for both indoor and outdoor planting areas.
Promotes plant growth and root structure
Contains essential plant nutrients
Increases moisture retention
Contains high organic matter and beneficial micro organisms
Here’s how to get the most out of your PureLife worm castings:
1. Soil Amendment (Pre-Planting)
Mix Ratio: 15–20% castings to 80–85% existing soil or potting mix
Method: Till or stir the blend into the top 6–8″ of garden beds, vegetable plots, or flower borders. This builds long-term soil structure and biology.
2. Top-Dressing (Side-Dressing)
Technique: After plants are established, sprinkle a ¼–½″ layer of castings around the root zone.
Timing: Early spring and mid-season (2× per year) as rain or irrigation carries the nutrients into the soil
Product Overview
Name: PureLife Soil Premium Worm Castings (5 L bag)
Brand: PureLife Soil
Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (476 ratings)
Amazon’s Choice: Highly rated, well-priced, 1K+ sold last month Amazon
Composition & Key Ingredients
100% Vermicast: Pure earthworm excrement (no fillers or chemical additives).
High Organic Matter: Rich in humus, boosting soil carbon content.
Beneficial Microorganisms: Populated with bacteria, fungi, and enzymes that drive nutrient cycling Amazon.
Nutrient Profile & Biological Activity
Plant-Available Nutrients: Studies show earthworm castings can contain up to 5× more available nitrogen, 7× more phosphate, and 11× more potassium than surrounding soil Wikipedia.
Humic & Fulvic Acids: Enhance cation exchange capacity (CEC), improving soils’ ability to hold and release nutrients Wikipedia.
Plant Hormones: Naturally enriched with auxins and gibberellic acid, promoting root and shoot growth Wikipedia.
Enzymes: Contains phosphatase and cellulase, accelerating organic matter breakdown and nutrient mineralization Wikipedia.
Soil & Plant Benefits
Improves Soil Structure: Aggregates form naturally, reducing compaction and improving aeration and drainage Iowa Worm Composting.
Increases Moisture Retention: Enhanced water-holding capacity supports plants through drought stress Planet Natural.
Boosts Microbial Activity: Microbial populations can be 10–20× higher than in untreated soils, leading to healthier root zones Wikipedia.
Stimulates Root Development: Better root architecture for nutrient uptake, leading to stronger, more resilient plants Amazon.
Reduces Erosion & Runoff: Stable soil aggregates resist wash-away, protecting topsoil on slopes Iowa Worm Composting.
Mechanism of Action
Worms ingest organic residues and soil, grinding them in their gizzards. The resulting casts are excreted as finely granulated, nutrient-rich particles. These casts:
Slow-Release Nutrients: Nutrients are held in stable complexes, minimizing leaching.
Feed Soil Food Web: Serve as a “slow-burn” fertilizer, feeding microbes that, in turn, make nutrients available to plants Homestead and Chill.
Enhance Bioturbation: Earthworms’ burrowing mixes soil layers and distributes castings, creating the drilosphere, a biologically active zone up to 8 mm thick around burrows Wikipedia.
Recommended Applications
Vegetables & Annuals / Perennials: Mix 10–20% castings into potting soil or transplant backfill.
Seed Starting & Transplants: Add a thin topdress (¼ in) to trays and pots.
Container & Hanging Baskets: Blend directly into potting mixes for continual feeding.
Lawn Care: Topdress new or established turf (1–2 lb per 10 ft²).
Vermicast Tea: Steep 1 part castings to 5 parts water for a microbial-rich liquid feed Amazon.
Production Process
Vermiculture: Red wrigglers (Eisenia fetida) consume kitchen scraps and yard waste in controlled bins. Over 6–8 weeks, they convert this into dark, odorless casts, a process up to 3× faster than traditional composting The Spruce.
Historical Context
Scientific Roots: Charles Darwin’s 1881 work, The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms, first highlighted earthworms’ transformative role in soil formation and fertility Wikipedia.
Modern Vermicomposting: Since the late 20th century, commercial worm farms have scaled this practice, turning biowaste into a premium soil amendment.
Environmental & Economic Impact
Waste Diversion: Converts kitchen and yard waste into a marketable soil enhancer, reducing landfill methane emissions.
Low-Energy Production: Simple bin systems require minimal capital and can be operated by local communities, generating low-skill jobs and supporting circular economies Wikipedia.
Why Choose PureLife Soil Castings?
They deliver a highly concentrated, microbially active, and nutrient-dense amendment that supports sustainable gardening and farming practices while honoring a legacy of ecological research dating back to Darwin’s pioneering studies.
Worm castings are a biological product—not a synthetic fertilizer—so they don’t contain added urea or other manufactured N-sources. Instead, their nitrogen comes from the worms’ digestion of organic matter and the activity of soil microbes. Here’s how the N-forms typically break down:
Organic Nitrogen (≈1–2% N total)
The bulk of N in castings is bound in complex organic molecules (proteins, amino acids, peptides). This “slow-release” N becomes plant-available only as microbial activity mineralizes it over time help.hortitechdirect.com.Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH₄⁺)
As microbes decompose the casts, some organic N is converted to ammonium. Ammonium in worm castings has been measured at appreciable levels—often 30–50 mg NH₄⁺-N per kg of dry castings—providing a readily available N source without the burn risk of synthetic ammonium fertilizers wormgardener.com.Nitrate Nitrogen (NO₃⁻)
Through natural nitrification (NH₄⁺ → NO₂⁻ → NO₃⁻) by soil bacteria, castings accumulate small but meaningful amounts of nitrate. Studies report that earthworm casts can have significantly higher NO₃⁻ concentrations than the surrounding soil—sometimes 2–5× higher—depending on pH and aeration ResearchGate. This nitrate is immediately plant-available.Urea (CO(NH₂)₂)
Urea is a synthetic or plant-derived intermediate in the N-cycle; it does not persist in vermicast. Any trace urea from the worms’ feedstock or soil is rapidly broken down by urease enzymes in the castings into NH₄⁺ and CO₂. You won’t find appreciable free urea in a bag of pure worm castings.
Why This Matters for Your Garden
Balanced N supply: The mix of organic N, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻ feeds plants both immediately and over weeks-to-months.
Low burn risk: No spike of soluble urea or salts—castings release N gradually.
Microbial synergy: The same microbes that convert NH₄⁺ to NO₃⁻ also improve nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and root health.
Bottom line
PureLife worm castings deliver nitrogen mostly as organic N and ammonium, with additional nitrate produced by active microbes—and contain no urea or other synthetic N-fertilizer compounds.