Frequently Asked Questions
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Do Organic Methods take a long time before you can see results?
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Your product list seems to be pretty short, are you sure these are all the products I need?
GENERAL HORTICULTURE QUESTIONS
Q. Do Organic Methods take a long time before you can see results?
A. While it may take a few seasons to build up a soil that has been damaged by many years of toxic additives and for the soil to be able to buffer itself again, most of the actual materials we use such as Organic Fertilizers, Worm Castings and composts, and organic insecticides, can give some relatively quick results within a growing season.
Q. Can I plant in the same soil over and over?
A. There is no reason why you could not raise a crop in the same ground for 100 years! As long as the soil life is maintained through the use of organic inputs such as good compost and fertilizers and good inoculants from time to time such as worm castings or vermi-compost teas and you don't use petroleum based chemicals, you could plant there forever. There are a lot of good examples of how crops are now being farmed using minimum tillage or "No Till" techniques so that they do not disturb the microbial activity and the soil remains fertile.
Q. Can I re-use old potting soil?
A. Sure you can. You just need to rejuvenate it with some good organic fertilizer like WORMAGIC's 7-2-3 Granular all purpose fertilizer and treat with WORMAGIC Liquid worm castings and some Humic Acid and your ready to go!
Q. Can I use organic methods for a new sod lawn?
A. Treat the soil with WORMagic to install the living portion of the microbiology. Add an organic granular such as BIOSOL and amend the soil with worm castings and Organic compost and lay the sod right over.
Q. If I want to go organic, how long does it take to convert?
A. You can stop using petroleum-based products immediately and start the organic conversion by inoculating the soil with beneficial microbes because there probably isn't much life there if you've been using chemicals for a number of years. You can start reaping the benefits in the first year!
Q. I can't find your products in our area!
A. We are currently seeking to expand our network of retailers. If yours doesn't carry our products, please ask them to start. We are also making our way around the southwest at various garden shows, doing live organic demonstrations. For our tentative show schedule, click here. Until then, we'd be more than happy to serve you through our online store. If you are a retailer looking to carry our products, please contact us.
Q. Your product list seems to be pretty short, are you sure these are all the products I need?
A. Organic gardening is actually very easy once you understand the basic principals. FEED THE SOIL instead of feeding the plants. Create a healthy soil by using SUSTAINABLE methods or products that have a long lasting effect and can actually recycle themselves. Our products are a crucial part of this system. Add Soil Life and nutrients and feed the soil life. No need to have a specific name for each product use. All organic fertilizers use the same basic ingredients.
LIQUID WORM CASTINGS
Q. What are liquid worm castings?
A.It is an aerobically brewed liquid (Tea) that contains large numbers of Soil Life (Bacterial and Fungal) that are concentrated and when added to soils, they break down organic matter and liberate nutrients for plants to use. They can also help the plant defend itself from insects and disease.
This is what Bacteria look like!
The Tea is on!
Q. How often should I apply the tea?
A. For healthy plants, once every month is sufficient. For best results, once every two weeks, and for disease outbreak once a week or even once every three days until the symptoms are cleared.
Q. How does the tea help control or suppress diseases?
A. Research has identified the primary mechanisms by which certain composts suppress diseases, and these mechanisms are listed below. However, certain facts should be understood about compost and disease suppression.
1. Composts are primarily used in preventative, not curative situations,
2. Composts do not typically eliminate the disease organisms, but reduce their population, thereby minimizing or eliminating their negative economic impact (sometimes, composts do not even kill the pathogen, but suppress their activity),
3. Application of immature composts or raw organic feedstock (e.g., manure) can actually increase the population of disease organisms.
Biological disease suppression is typically described to be effective by way of ‘general’ suppression or ‘specific’ suppression. General suppression is when the collective pool of microbes in the substrate competes with plant pathogens for carbon, energy and nutrients like nitrogen. Therefore, no single organism alone is responsible for general suppression. Specific suppression occurs through the activities of one or several specific populations of organisms, whereas one or more specific microorganisms are antagonistic to the plant pathogen during some phase of the pathogen’s life cycle. General suppression is what most commonly occurs.
There have been several mechanisms identified which affect biological disease suppression, but more recently, this list has been honed down to four major mechanisms:
1. Antagonism – this refers to the ability of specific beneficial microbes to produce antibiotics which can kill pathogenic organisms,
2. Competition for nutrients (and energy) – in many cases, pathogenic organisms are poor competitors in relation to beneficial microbes. In this case, beneficial microbes populate the substrate and cause stress on the un-germinated disease spores by consuming the nutrients and energy found innately in the substrate,
3. Competition for root colonization – this is pertinent with diseases that attack plant roots. Some beneficial microbes have the ability to colonize on the plant’s roots before the pathogenic organism can do so, thus protecting them,
4. Induced systemic resistance (ISR) or systemic acquired resistance (SAR) – this is a mechanism whereas disease-repressive genes in the plants are activated enabling the plant to better fend off the disease-causing organism.
It should be noted that in most cases, ‘there is no single mechanism controlling plant diseases in any given plant growing system; rather several mechanisms operate concurrently to suppress plant diseases. The four major soil borne pathogens that affect the nursery, turf and agricultural industries have been controlled through biological disease suppression with compost, they are:
• Fusarium,
• Phytophtera,
• Pythium, and
• Rhizoctonia.
Q. Do I continue to fertilize?
A. Yes, the rejuvenator does not replace fertilizers, rather it helps "cycle" the nutrients so they don't leach or wash through the soils. Preferably use Organic fertilizers and Composts that can also serve as foods for the microbes so they can continue to multiply.
Q. What is the application rate for the tea?
A. Lawns: For large applications use 15-20 gallons per acre for the first application with whatever quantity of water needed to cover the area. After that, apply once every three months with 5 gallons per acre. For smaller applications, use a hose end sprayer and set to 8oz. and spray once a month.
Potted plants: Mix the concentrated tea at 5 parts water and 1 part Liquid worm castings and drench the pot. You can also mix at 10 parts water and 1 part Liquid worm castings and spray on the leaves once a month for Disease and Pest Suppression.
Trees: Can be treated as a root drench or foliar application once every three months.
Q. Do you have specialized teas?
A. Yes, we can prepare a "Fortified" tea based on the analysis if other nutrients are required.
Q. Is there humic acid in the tea?
A. There is a measured amount used in the brewing process as food for the microbes to multiply until they reach their destination on the leaves or in the soil.
Q. Does the tea contain beneficial nematodes?
A. There are some nematodes present, but we can add specific beneficial nematodes to control problems such as grubs.
Q. Does the tea contain Mycorrhiza?
A. No, mycorrhiza has to be added at the end of the process and applied to roots immediately in order to survive.
Q. Does the tea control nematodes?
A. There is some suppression of nematodes, only in that they may feed on some of the organisms contained in the wormagic and they won't attack the plant. Some bacteria also feed on nematodes, but those type of bacteria are contained in our BIOSOL all purpose fertilizer, which I'm sure your nurseryman also carries. The BIOSOL is a by- product of the manufacture of penicillin, and is fermented cottonseed and soy bean meal. It is scientifically proven to control root knot nematode which is the most common species in gardens. BIOSOL also controls fusarium and a number of other soil born diseases. I would recommend a combo treatment of Wormagic Tea in the soil and on the leaves and BIOSOL in the soil. We have been getting amazing results with this combo treatment.
Q. Do you provide spraying services?
A. Depending on your area, we have contracted with G&R Landscaping, here in San Diego, to do spraying.
Q. Can the tea be applied foliarly?
A. Yes, and this can be done regularly as part of an organic regimen.
Q. Do I need to dilute the tea?
A. The concentrate can be diluted 5:1 for Soil Drenches and root dipping , and 10:1 for Foliar applications to Lawns and Plants in general.
Q. How long can I store the unused portion?
A. You can store up to eighteen months. It is recommended that it be used ASAP because they are living organisms and when they run out of food they either go to sleep or die. All of their beneficial products such as enzymes, vitamins and growth regulators will remain in the liquid.
Q. My soil has high salt content, what would you suggest?
A. This soil probably has a crust and the salts are concentrated on the top layer. Break up the crust and give a heavy watering, then spray with Soil Life and a good Saponin such as Yucca Extract. Add a good Humic Acid. All of these products, along with soluble gypsum and Polymers, can be found in the SOIL Pick product described below.
Q. Do you provide soil-testing services?
A. We currently do not offer soil testing for nutrients, but we can perform a general evaluation of the soil life present. If needed, we could forward the samples to a capable lab. We recommend Wallace Labs at Wallace Laboratories .
Q. What is the minimum order size?
A. There is no minimum order size and we can also deliver large quantities for the local Commercial user.
WORM CASTINGS
Q. Where do your worm castings come from?
A. We have our own worm farms in East County San Diego. Learn more
about the
.
Q. Do all worm castings contain the same amounts of beneficial microbes?
A. No, depending on the feeds they are given, the worms will feed on the organic matter and extract the microbes and the resulting microbe content of the casting is dependent on the quality of the food. Some worms are fed either grain or paper sludge and these are high in cellulose and OK for the worms, but the resulting castings are low in Microbial Life. But still remember, the worst worm castings are better than the best chemical fertilizer in the long run.
Q. What do you feed your worms?
A. We feed our worms a special microbe-rich "Worm Chow" especially formulated for our use. We also add microbe rich additives such as Tea through the irrigation system and the castings produced are without a doubt, better than any others that we have seen on the market. We also add kelp fiber, the worms love it, but we also get the benefit of the plant growth hormones contained in the kelp. Kelp may be the fastest growing plant on earth!
Q. Do I apply the worm castings directly?
A. Yes, they can be applied as a ˝" layer in the pots and covered with good compost or mixed with your favorite compost and perlite as potting soil.
Q. What are the Benefits of Using Worm Castings Products?
Our products are 100% Organic
Promote natural re-mineralization of soils.
Help prevent leaching of nutrients.
Raise levels of Insect and Disease suppression.
Naturally reduce toxicities in soils.
Provide "Growth factors" and amino acids for increased nutrient uptake and vigor.
Promote formation of better soil structure.
Increase root development and drought tolerance and ultimately lower irrigation requirements.
Increases nutrient "Cycling", so you can reduce the quantities of Chemical fertilizers over time.
WORM CASTINGS PLUS
Q. What is Worm Castings Plus?
A. It is a mix of our worm castings plus High Grade Microbe, and Humus-rich compost that has been screed to 1/8 inch mixed with rock dust "fines" that contain many micronutrients.
Q. Can I use the Worm Castings Plus on my lawn?
A. Yes, Castings plus can be used directly over seed, under new sod and as a "Top Dressing" on established lawns.
Q. Can I use this as a potting soil?
A. Just add some vermiculite and some of your native soil and you've got it!
Q. Will I get the same Disease and Insect protection as the Tea?
A. Yes, the response time will be longer say from two weeks to two months on certain plants versus a few days for the tea, but you are also getting more microbes and organic matter from the compost as a bonus.
Q. Can I make my own tea from this mix?
A. Yes, the quality of the ingredients will make an excellent tea; just remember that it must be used right away.
BIOSOL 7-2-3 Granular All purpose Fert.
Q. Can I use WORMagic 7-2-3 on any type of plant?
A. Yes, it is an all purpose fertilizer. While it is acid forming, it is especially good on roses and lawns.
Q. How does Biosol compare to conventional granular fertilizers?
A. Wormagic's Biosol can give the same results as conventional fertilizer, but with much longer lasting results with minimal danger of burning!
Triple 16 Osmocote Biosol 7-2-3
Only a concrete side walk divides these two treatments!
Q. This is an update on our lawn (Marathon II)
put in on April 1, 2006 over the BIOSOL. It looks very nice and is growing well.
Is there anything else we need to do or that we should know going forward?
Marie and Bill Hover Costa Mesa, Ca.
A. The lawn looks great! It should be just fine for now. This is typical of the results we've been getting with Biosol. The growth is lush and thick. You should be fine up to August and then you will need to apply the Biosol again as a top dressing and spray with the Tea to keep the thatch down and keep the soil life boosted up.
Q. Is WORMagic Biosol 7-2-3 new to the market?
A. No, BIOSOL has been used for over 18 years in the US in strip mine site reclamation, revegetation of highway construction sites and in hydro seeding. It is used worldwide. It is used for these purposes because it is a "Slow Release" fertilizer and outlasts any other fertilizer on the market today.
Q. Can BIOSOL MIX be used in Certified Organic Farming?
A. No, but our BIOSOL 6-1-3 is OMRI approved.
Q. What is the application rate for BIOSOL?
Lawns: Use 25-30 lbs per 1000 sq ft once a year. Or split the dosage into two applications one every six months.
Garden Plot Preparation: Use 14 lbs per 1000 sq ft or 7 lbs per 500 sq ft or 3.5 lbs per 250 sq ft Spring through Fall.
Potted plants: Houseplants 8-10" pots use ˝ cup and lightly cover with topsoil or potting mix. For UNFORTIFIED potting soils, add 4 cups in 1.5 cubic yards and mix well.
Trees: Mature Trees-Use 1 lb for every three feet of tree height spread around the entire DRIP LINE. Young Trees use 3 oz/ tree.
Q. Can I use BIOSOL with WORMagic Tea as a program?
A. We highly recommend the use of these two products together because the BIOSOL is the source of nutrients for the soil and also the food for the microbes. Together they give relatively fast and outstanding long-lasting results.
Wormagic's Biosol was applied along with Liquid worm castings in November 2005 and "Green Up" in this swath was achieved in 7 days! The grass in the green stripe is 1" taller than the rest!
ORGANIC LEAF WASH
Q. What are the contents of Organic Leaf Wash?
A. The main ingredient is a vegetable oil from a tree indigenous to Guinea West Africa and known to repel insects. The other ingredients are Organic Castile soap from an Aloe Base and Orange Citrus Extracts.
Q. How does it work?
A. The soaps loosen any Sooty mold and Honey secretions and insect residue that clog pores on leaves and plants can "Breathe". They also will facilitate better photosynthesis. A lot of the damage caused by insects is not only form the direct effects of them feeding, but also from the residues they leave behind.
SOOTY MOLD
Q. The directions say to rinse with clean water, how soon after spraying should I rinse it off?
A. As soon as the product dries, you can wash off. If it is applied with a hose end sprayer at 8oz setting, there is no need to do this. If you have stubborn stains and Sooty mold, apply the concentrate and let dry and wash off with pressure.
Q. What is SOIL PICK CLAY BUSTER?
A. It is a product designed to enhance soil texture, promote aeration and aggregation as a means to eliminate the detrimental effects of Compaction, Crusting, Erosion, Run Off that aids in the suppression of common soil borne diseases like Root Rot, Fusarium, Verticillium and Damping Off.
Q. What is the active ingredient?
A. The active ingredients are Food Grade Polymers, Humic Acid and Yucca Extract in a liquid form.
A. Simply put it binds the small soil particles together and creates more pore space in between them so there is more room for water, air and roots.
A. Polymer is a term used to describe large molecules consisting of repeating structural units, or monomers, connected by covalent chemical bonds. The term is derived from the Greek words: polys meaning many, and meros meaning parts.
Q. Where do polymers come from?
A. These polymers are made from natural gas. They are used in almost all public water purification systems as a means to sediment out the organic matter from our drinking water that is stored in lakes. When the polymers break down, they revert to Carbon Dioxide, Water and Ammonia.
SOIL PICK DEMO FOLLOW UP AFTER A FEW HOURS