Mealworm Frass
mealworm output from input of wheat bran and organic carrots
Output
During the Mealworm stage of their life, mealies eat, poop, and grow. The output is called frass. A fancy term for insect excrement. Their poo is dry, fine particles and should have no noticeable odor. The color is beige, tan, brownish with flecks of other colors such as orange from carrots. Frass is the only output from a mealworm.
Input
Mealies are voracious eaters and will gladly much on anything they can get ahold of! At Dockery Lane Gardens, we provided our mealies with roasted wheat bran bedding, organic carrots, and our own recipe of Mealie Chow. Check out the Chow on this page. Our mealies are healthy and ready to nourish scaly, feathered, and moist skinned family members. And, their poop content is only processed human-grade food stuffs.
Frass is the poo from mealies. Mealworms are the larval form of the Darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor).
Frass characteristics
No noticeable odor
Dry particles
Ready to use immediately
A small amount goes along way in the garden
How to use frass for plants
Apply dry as a top or side dressing
Mix with water to make a root drench or foliar spray or compost tea
Applied dry frass with a spreader
Add to planting media or hole when planting
Add to hydroponic systems
Apply on the topsoil or just under the topsoil/mulch
Apply at the roots when planting
Higher Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio
DLG produces mealworms that have a higher Calcium to Phosphorus ratio and are gut loaded for specific nutrients so that they enhance the diet and lives of scaly, feathered, and moist skinned family members. As a gardener, nutrient density of mealworms is not even a passing thought. So, what about their diet? Gardeners are only in it for the poo, right?
The majority of mealies across the world are fed trash. Yes, mealies are very efficient at devouring many types of waste that you find in your local trash or recycling bins. In fact, mealworms are highly efficient at making Styrofoam disappear. Yes, that is correct! Some – most – mealie farms feed exclusively Styrofoam and other trash. Their poo looks similar to the poo from mealies fed food grade products. But, the nutritional density is not there. Plus, their poo usually has a detectable and not pleasant odor.
At Dockery Lane Gardens, mealworms live their lives in large bins with roasted wheat bran for their bedding which also is available if they get the munchies.
Poo may look the same, but not all poo is the same!
How we use frass in the gardens
There are many different ways to use frass and many different ways to apply frass. Please research what is best for your situation and your plants. There are lots of frass recipes and frass usage amounts on the internet.
At Dockery Lane Gardens, we add a smidge of a pinch per plant when feeding our house plants and succulents. Just a few grains provide a ton of nourishment. When we add new herbs or veggies to the garden as transplants, a half pinch of frass is sprinkled in the hole and as a topdressing. When a lily bulb is relocated or an iris moves to a new flower bed, a small pinch of frass is added to the new hole and as topdressing. When planting a new tree such as a pomegranate or adding more blueberry bushes, a fist full of frass is added to the planting hole just under the roots. About once a month during the growing season, a double pinch is added to growing trees and bushes while growing flowers, veggies, and herbs get a pinch.
Does this help you realize the power in frass and that a little goes a long, long way! On the other hand, frass is a natural product so there is not an upper limit.
Buy Frass
Dockery Lane Gardens sells frass from our mealies on both our website and on Etsy. Grab some frass for the plants you love!
copyright 2024 Dockery Lane Gardens, LLC
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