Earthworm compost — modest in NPK, powerful for soil health. The organic input you can make from your own farm waste.
Vermicompost is organic matter — dung, crop residue, farm waste — digested by earthworms into a fine, dark, earthy-smelling manure. Its NPK content is modest (roughly 1.5% N, 0.5% P, 1% K) but it is dense in micronutrients, beneficial microbes, enzymes and humus, which is where its real value lies.
It works by improving the soil, not by dumping nutrients: better structure and water-holding, more microbial life, steadier nutrient release. That makes it excellent for nurseries, vegetables and orchards, and as the backbone of an organic system — used to reduce, not entirely replace, chemical fertiliser on field crops.
Open a crop for its full nutrient schedule.
Long-form guides on this fertiliser, with the rates and timings worked out.
For field crops, roughly 2–4 tonnes per acre, broadcast and mixed into the soil before sowing. For vegetables, nurseries and pots you can use it more generously because it is mild and will not scorch seedlings.
On high-yielding field crops, not entirely — its NPK content is modest, so it reduces rather than fully replaces chemical fertiliser. Its strength is building soil health, structure and microbial life, which is why it is the backbone of organic and vegetable systems.
Good vermicompost is dark, crumbly and cool, smells earthy (not foul), and has no recognisable un-decomposed waste in it. If it is hot, slimy or smells bad, it is not finished or has gone anaerobic.
Composition and doses follow ICAR / Soil Health Card guidance; prices are the notified subsidised rates for the season shown and are guidance, not a quote. A soil test for your field always beats a general rate. See our editorial policy.
