If I were you, I'd reserve the castings for potted plants. As long as you have earthworms in your garden, the roses in the ground are already getting some. If you want more castings in the garden, encourage more earthworms by adding things to the soil that they like -- used coffee grounds, unfinished compost, etc. If you don't have a lot of earthworms already, you can also order them. When I recently added composted manure to my beds, I found it to be full of little red wrigglers. I'm hoping they make their way down and start munching on all the leaves and tree trimmings lying under the mulch.

It's not that castings would be bad for the garden, it's just that they're a somewhat expensive amendment to add when a garden full of "living soil" would be producing it, anyway. Pots, on the other hand, don't have that benefit.

:-)

~Christopher

For the garden where castings are requested, I simply mix everything desired together, then broadcast them all over the planted areas and water in to rinse it all from the foliage. I don't add them to my garden, or pots, as there is an abundance (even with the bloody moles and towhees!) of earthworms even in my seedling pots. Where there is something to eat, worms find their way. Kim

Thanks Christopher and Kim for reminding me what I already knew but forgot. My garden is FILLED with lots of happy worms.

I'll use the castings for the 25 gal pots that I'm planting with roses and when I come across some worms I'll pop them into the pots as well.

Diane

Hi Diane, you're welcome! If you haven't already bought the castings, and you're going to be setting the pots either on the ground, or on a patio close to the open ground where earthworms can easily make it to the drain holes, the worms will find the pots of soil QUICKLY. I have bands sitting in flats on the brick capped front retaining wall on dry soil and they have earthworms in them. You just may be able to save that expense and put it toward something else fun for the garden. Kim

Hi Kim,

Already purchased a small bag for around $7. Yes the worms have made their way into my pot ghetto too. But I'm working on an area of root bound soil from Monterrey Cypress where I'm putting 25 gal pots raised on concrete blocks to keep the roots away. I'll use the casting in these pots and when i find extra worms I'll pop them into the pots.

Diane