Liquid Gold: Worm juice, the best natural fertiliser

Backyard vegetable gardens are a wonderful way to add fresh, homegrown produce to your meals.  Those with enough space can plant veggies in either a raised garden bed or plot and smaller spaces such as balconies are perfect for growing various greens such as herbs within pots.

There are a few essential elements to help your herb or veggie garden thrive - sunlight, frequent watering in well draining soil and a high-nutrient fertiliser.  

Chemical fertilisers are manufactured from recycled waste products and often contain large concentrations of harmful chemicals including zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium and even arsenic.  The best natural alternative to store-bought fertiliser is what many avid gardeners refer to as liquid gold - worm juice!

Worm juice is the liquid that you collect from a worm farm and provides billions of good microbes such as fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria that help to break down organic matter more rapidly, build a good soil profile and boost the growth of your plants and veggies.  It also helps to ward off insects by producing the enzyme chitanase, which breaks down the exoskeletons of insects such as arthropods.  Worm farms are also a great way to eliminate kitchen waste as the worms will naturally compost any leftover food scraps.  

Belinda has been using worm juice throughout her garden in Bondi (pictured below) and really noticing the difference when applying the juice to any particular plant.