Worm humus is one of the best fertilizers (although it would be more correct to call it a soil amendment) that can be used in totally natural organic cultivation. This substance is beneficial not only for providing the correct nutrients to the plant, but also for helping the root system and for structuring a softer soil capable of holding water properly.
Due to all these characteristics, humus can be of great help in the cultivation of saffron, especially if used when planting the bulbs. The effect will be to facilitate the first development of the plant and thus to obtain more flowers.
The following article is the result of the collaboration of two agricultural experiments: on the one hand Saffron from Vallescuria from Brianza, with whom I have been growing this precious spice for 5 years, and on the other hand Compagnoni Lumbricoltura Compagnoni, which provided the humus for the experiments and which produces the equally valuable soil amendment.
Contents
laying techniques
Before talking about humus, a few words on how to plant saffron bulbs, also called corms. This work must be done during the month of August, at the latest in the first days of September, before the bulbs from which the leaves and flowers will emerge begin to sprout.
To facilitate water drainage and avoid soil compaction, it is very useful to create a raised baulature in which the bulbs will be planted. The saffron bulbs should be about 12/20 cm deep and spaced along the rows 5 to 15 cm.
Planting sizes can be very different depending on the cultivation technique (annual or perennial), the climate of the area where it is planted (harsh winters require greater depth) and the size of the bulbs available.
As the bulbs must be placed very close together along the row to plant them, it is preferable to draw a slot in which to place them and not to make individual holes, it is precisely in the slot that the castings will come into play.
How to use hummus
The beauty of humus is that it is a substance completely “digested” by earthworms and stable: it does not risk “burning” the root system of young saffron plants when it enters contact with them. For this reason, we can put it directly in the furrow of the plant.
It is simply a matter of spreading a light layer of humus at the bottom of the crack, just before placing the bulbs. An excessive dose has no more negative consequences than wasting this precious natural amendment. The dose
The presence of humus favors the development of a series of vital microorganisms, which will be very useful for the plant that is about to be born, and creates an ideal environment for the root system, while providing useful nutrients. This type of fertilization is valuable not so much for the flowering of the current year, since the bulbs have already accumulated a good part of the resources necessary for flowering, but for the multiplication of the bulbs which will take place the following spring.
The use of humus in the furrow is not the only fertilization practiced: depending on the type of soil and its richness, it may be decided to fertilize before planting, during the tillage phase. We can do this using mature manure, compost or humus. During the manufacture of the baulature, the earth is moved and the fertilizer is incorporated and mixed.
Where to find humus
Worm casting can be purchased from a manufacturer, but it is also possible to produce it yourself by creating your own small worm farm. Raising earthworms is simple and requires a derisory investment, on the one hand it will allow you to obtain the necessary fertilizer for your crops for free, and on the other hand it will allow you to get rid of any organic household waste. and garden and vegetables .