Everything requires some form of balance and vermicompost contains an abundance of available nutrients providing a perfect mix that is available for long term nutritional needs. This allows plants to feed as needed for weeks and months at a time. Earthworm castings continually release the nutrients best suited for plant growth and production. In contrast, chemical fertilizers are completely unbalanced and usually provide only synthetic nutrients, much of which are quickly lost into the soil with watering. The plants’ root system can only absorb so much so fast. Chemical fertilizers are most often detrimental to soil microbiology, by-passing and often destroying much of the beneficial microbial and bacterial activity. It is also known to be harmful to earthworms. Earthworms don't like to be sprinkled with chemical fertilizers. They squirm and wriggle in a frantic attempt to rid their skins of adhering particles, which, if left on, would in some cases burn holes in them and dehydrate them. If chemical fertilizer application greatly acidifies the soil, then earthworm population will decline. Many of these synthetic nutrients are also absorbed directly into your plants and food. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in both farms and gardens have become our country’s leading cause of water pollution. Vermicompost improves soil aeration because they do not pack together when mixed in soil. This in turn promotes rapid plant growth. Earthworm castings improve the soil’s drainage, reducing waterlogged soil and root rot. The soil’s water retention capacity also improves because vermicompost contains absorbent organic matter that hold only the necessary amounts of water needed by the roots. The list just goes on.....