How deep a layer did you put around the plants?

hardly any at all, but from what i've read i thought you could pretty much plant the plants in just worm castings and they would be ok -or something to that extent.

I would not have thought that castings would have any kind of adverse effect on plants even if in large proportions.

The only thing I can think of is that you might have suffocated the roots. Unlike straw or other items we usually use a mulch, VC is very dense. But since you didn't use very much, that doesn't sound likely.

It might have been something else entirely and just happened at the same time?

Would fungus gnats have eaten the rootlets?
(Just brainstorming here.)

hmmm well i tested it out on a weed in my yard and it killed the weed.
i have no idea what could be wrong.
i don't know what fungus gnats are :S

has anyone ever let VC age as long as this (appx. 3 years)?
maybe i'll put a PH strip in it.

During the time it was stored in your backyard, was it exposed to some herbicide? Could it have gotten accidentally exposed by neighbors or something? I have heard that the microbes that are beneficial can die off after a while, maybe add a few worms to it and see if they survive, and see if you can revive it to cleanse the VC, and get it working again?

Oh, and what material is the bin? I know that aluminum when it gets hot is toxic, and can make the material it is stored in toxic. Could the bin have infected your VC?

Oh, and sorry for the triple post. I didn't mean to imply in my previous post that old VC, simply because it was inactive would have killed a plant. If it was inactive, it would have just been less beneficial, not toxic. I was just thinking that if it was active again, whatever was killing the plants in it might be taken care of by the wee beneficial beasties.

Wow, if it killed a weed, it is some toxic stuff.

Sounds like something is in there besides VC. Maybe cats have been using it for a cat box?

Deanna

it's in a rubbermaid with a top firmly secured on it (only small holes drilled in top) and there are still tons of live worms, mites, spiders, etc. in it - so no herbicide or cats have been getting into it.
Is it possible that it could be too rich?
Or that putting lots of grapefruit rinds in it could've acidified it without hurting the worms?
I'm still perplexed and going to do another test on some more weeds. I tried doing one last week,but I think my dogs may have eaten the VC :/

Soylobom, you've got me. But I am fairly new to all this. Hopefully someone with more experience will know what is going on!

Patent it as an organic weed killer.

Don't let Monsanto steal your soul.

I have no explination for why compost is killing plants.