Can worms help your vineyard?

One of the fascinating things about the Good2Great programme (see below) is the people you get to meet as part of the networking process.
One of those is Bridgnorth-based Luke Boxall from a company called Worm Soil, which specialises in Vermicast - the nutrient rich product of worms munching through organic material.
In fact, Worm Soil is soon to become Soil Nurture as a co-operation between himself and worm farmers in Austria and North America, who apparently have more than 20 years' experience of selling Vermicast products into vineyards.
If you don't think you know what Vermicast is, you're bound to have seen it. It's those little pyramids of soil you find on the lawn.
And, apparently, it's pretty potent stuff.
Says Luke: "The science behind it is all to do with the micro-organisms in the worm casts. Those are what provide the minerals and nutrients that plants need.
"Worms will eat anything that’s organic. There are limitations, such as if it’s too acidic - lemons or onions for instance. But they'll eat anything you can think of putting in compost, pretty much."
Luke describes it as like us eating a healthy yoghurt.
"When worms eat an apple in compost, they are eating the microbiology around the compost - so they’re not actually eating the apple, they’re eating the micro-organisms that are composting that apple. When they pass that through, it comes with all dirt and all the organic material and basically they fill that organic material with microbiology."
The micro organisms in the worm's gut break down minerals and nutrients into a form that plants can absorb.
Says Luke: "Humic and fulvic acids are highly present in Vermicast. They allow the plants to absorb minerals easier, and allow them to transport through their systems easier as well. So, therefore, not only are the micro organisms providing the right minerals and nutrients, they’re also providing an easier way for the plants to absorb it."
​Luke is keen to explore the possible benefits of combining Vermicast with Viticulture.
He's already run a trial with Rob and Laura Windsor, at Colemere and is hoping to garner interest from other vineyards in the Shropshire area.
He tells me he was recently down in the south east of England, where he met with a number of vineyard owners and bumped into Shropshire-based viticultural agronomist John Buchan, who looks like someone I definitely need to speak to for Shropshirevineyards.com.

Luke and Steph Boxall