Want to save money and avoid using harmful chemical fertilisers? If you’re like me, when it comes to gardening, I prefer all-natural solutions. And mealworms—the larvae of mealworm beetles—are both a natural source of protein and can be an effective way to ensure your plants are getting plenty of nourishment. The reason mealworms are such great garden buddies is that they have high levels of protein and calcium; in fact, about 50% of their dry weight is protein. If you feed them a healthy diet (like fresh produce scraps) they’ll reward you with organic fertiliser!
A potential enemy of any successful garden is pests and diseases. These can easily destroy a crop in no time at all, resulting in a whole lot of wasted work and disappointment. Thankfully, there are plenty of organic methods to keep those pesky bugs away. For example, mealworms not only make an excellent feed for your birds—they can also be used as natural bio-repellents. Simply spread mealworm frass around vulnerable plants to ward off insects and other pests. Worms are naturally beneficial to gardens anyway; they break down plant matter as they burrow through it, resulting in healthier soil for crops to grow in. If you’re already buying bird food every week anyway—mealworm flakes make an excellent addition to their diet too!
The ability of a soil to hold nutrients and water varies depending on what it’s made of. Farmers use organic matter like mealworms frass to create healthy, nutrient-rich soils that can better support crops. When mixed with straw or sawdust, mealworms frass are a great addition to compost piles. Their castings enrich soil with nutrients while their bodies break down into rich humus – improving overall quality of your garden’s dirt.
Composting is a great way to eliminate waste while nourishing your garden and improving soil quality. The problem with composting, however, is that it can take a very long time. Unless you have enough yard waste or kitchen scraps to start making compost from scratch (it takes around six months), you’ll probably want to buy a bag of compost instead. Unfortunately, store-bought bags of compost are often made from peat moss—an unsustainable source for growing plants because it takes centuries to decompose in the environment and has high nutrient content. If you’re looking for an alternative, consider using mealworms frass as an organic fertiliser for your garden and lawn!
Compost tea is an organic fertiliser made from steeping compost in water. It's a great way to fertilise plants, but also has some additional benefits that can improve your garden's health. For example, compost tea helps prevent plant diseases, keep insects away and is a natural bio-repellent. You can make your own compost tea by simmering organic mealworm frass in water for about 10 minutes, then let it steep for several days before using it as fertiliser in your garden.
Here are 5 surprising ways you can use compost tea around your yard:
1. Repelling Pests
2. Eradicating Pests
3. Preventing Diseases
4. Stimulating Growth
5. Enhancing Soil Health
