Soils and layers
Worm castings
Crumbly compost made by worms, rich in nutrients.
What the simulation uses
- Holds water
- 52.5 % by volume
- Water it keeps after draining; the rest runs down to the drainage.
- Pore space
- 67.5 % by volume
- Room for air and water between grains; low means roots suffocate when wet.
- Weight
- 600 g/L
- How heavy a litre is.
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5 pH
- How acid it keeps the soil.
- Mould risk
- high
- How much fresh food it gives white mould; high-risk soils fuzz over in the first weeks.
- Breaks down in
- 1 to 3 years
- How long it lasts before rotting down to fine soil.
- Nutrients
- high
- Plant food it brings.
- Presses down to
- 72 % of its loose depth
- How far pressing can pack it, keeping its weight.
Description
Crumbly compost made by worms, rich in nutrients. A little mixed into soil feeds plants well, but it feeds white mould just as happily, so use it sparingly.
Also called vermicompost.
Estimated, where sources were thin: values estimated from hobby and horticultural references; not measured.