[Journal](https://thecomposta.com/journal) Guide # How to store vermicompost and tell good from bad What the Fertiliser Control Order asks for, how to judge a bag by eye, nose and hand, and how to keep it until you use it. 8 October 2026 · 6 min read _Illustration: A wooden frame sieve tilted on its legs, shaking, with a few coarse lumps left on the mesh while fine castings fall through into a wheelbarrow beneath its low edge and pile up_ Key points - Good vermicompost is dark brown to black, fine and crumbly, evenly damp and free of any foul smell. - The Fertiliser (Control) Order sets numbers for moisture, particle size, organic carbon, nutrients and heavy metals. They are in the table below. - Store it sealed, cool and out of the sun, and do not let it dry out or flood. One study found quality peaked around five months in a sealed bag. - A cheap home test, sowing seeds in it, shows whether it is mature. A bag of vermicompost should tell you what is in it. In India the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 sets the standard for vermicompost sold in packs for farming, and its numbers give you something concrete to ask any seller for, including us. ## What the Order asks for Fertiliser (Control) Order, Schedule IV: vermicompost | Property | Requirement | | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Moisture | 15.0 to 25.0% by weight | | Colour | Dark brown to black | | Odour | Absence of foul odour | | Particle size | At least 90% passes a 4.0 mm sieve | | Bulk density | 0.7 to 0.9 g per cubic centimetre | | Total organic carbon | At least 18.0% | | Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium | At least 1.0% N, 0.8% P2O5 and 0.8% K2O, with N, P and K together at least 2.5% | | Heavy metals (mg per kg, at most) | Cadmium 5, chromium 50, nickel 50, lead 100 | Check the current text These values are from the consolidated Schedule IV we read in October 2026\. The Order is amended from time to time, and an older copy lists different phosphorus and potassium figures and two more metals. Check the current Gazette before you rely on a number. The limits apply to vermicompost sold in packs for agricultural use. ## Judging a bag yourself - Look: dark and granular, with no recognisable pieces of the original dung or leaves. The USDA organic programme asks for no traces of raw material. - Smell: earthy, like soil after rain. A sharp ammonia or rotten smell means it is not finished. - Feel: damp like a wrung-out sponge, crumbly, not dusty and not dripping. - Rub a pinch between your fingers: it should be fine and even. ## A home maturity test Look and smell cannot tell you everything. In one study of a food-waste vermicompost, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and pH looked right at week seven, yet the germination index was only 58 percent, which means moderate harm to seeds. A simple check is to fill two small pots, one with plain soil and one with half vermicompost and half soil, sow ten radish or cress seeds in each, and compare how many come up in three to four days. If the vermicompost pot lags far behind, let the material cure longer. ## Storing it - Keep the bag sealed, in the shade and away from the sun and rain. - Do not let it dry out completely or get waterlogged. Damp is right, dripping is not. - Use it within a few months for the best result. One 180-day study of cattle-manure vermicompost in sealed bags found quality peaked around day 150 and fell afterwards. It is a single study on one feed, so take it as a guide and not a rule. ## Common questions ### How long does vermicompost last? There is no firm published shelf life. One study of sealed bags found the best quality at about 150 days and a decline by 180, so using it within a few months is a sensible rule. Longer claims, such as a year or two, were not found in any source we could check. ### Should vermicompost be dry or damp? Evenly damp, like a wrung-out sponge. The Fertiliser (Control) Order allows 15 to 25 percent moisture in a pack. ### What colour and smell is good vermicompost? Dark brown to black, and with no foul smell. An earthy smell is normal. ### What does the Fertiliser (Control) Order require? For vermicompost it sets limits for moisture, particle size, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and four heavy metals. The table above lists them. ### Can I store vermicompost in plastic bags? Yes, sealed bags are how it is sold. Keep them out of the sun and make sure the material is damp and not wet. ## Terms in this guide - [Fertiliser Order (FCO)](https://thecomposta.com/glossary#fertiliser-order) - [Organic carbon](https://thecomposta.com/glossary#organic-carbon) - [pH](https://thecomposta.com/glossary#ph) - [Vermicompost](https://thecomposta.com/glossary#vermicompost) ## Sources - [Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985, Schedule IV (consolidated copy)](https://odishaagrilicense.nic.in/actsRules/Fertiliser%5FControl%5FOrder%5F1985.pdf) - [FAOLEX: Fertiliser (Control) Order text](https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ind129935.pdf) - [ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region: vermicompost production and practices](https://static.vikaspedia.in/media/files%5Fen/agriculture/farm-based-enterprises/vermicompost-production-and-practices.pdf) - [USDA National Organic Program guidance 5021: compost and vermicompost](https://nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/pdf/NOP%205021%20compost%20and%20vermicompost.pdf) - [Maturity and stability study of vermicompost (Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 2012)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3599696/) ## Keep reading [_Illustration: A lab bench under a desk lamp: two report sheets, a rubber stamp that comes down and leaves a ticked impression, and a labelled sample jar of castings_SafetyIs vermicompost really odourless and safe?What the standards and research say about smell, pathogens, weed seeds and heavy metals, and why sieving and curing matter.8 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://thecomposta.com/journal/is-vermicompost-odourless-and-safe)[_Illustration: A terracotta pot with a plant on a potting bench, a can, a scoop and a trowel resting beside it; the scoop tips castings in, the trowel mixes them into the top and the can waters, one at a time, and a wall calendar marks the monthly feed_GuideHow much vermicompost to use: per pot, per square metre and per acreRates from ICAR, TNAU and Kerala Agricultural University, turned into amounts you can measure out.8 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://thecomposta.com/journal/how-much-vermicompost-to-use)[_Illustration: A cut through soil: cow dung and plant scraps on the surface, an earthworm below them, fine castings falling from its tail into a dark mound that a seedling's roots reach into_ComparedVermicompost vs compost vs cow dung manure: which is better?What each one is, what the published Indian nutrient figures say, and which to use for pots, vegetables and orchards.8 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://thecomposta.com/journal/vermicompost-vs-compost-vs-cow-dung-manure) ## Put it to work Fine, odourless castings, delivered to your door and quoted to order. [Get a quote](https://thecomposta.com/shop) _Illustration: A garden running the width of the page: a freshly packed pouch of castings sitting on a low wall beside a seedling in a pot, a trowel stuck in the soil at the foot of the wall and an earthworm pushing a barrow of castings toward it_ --- Source: https://thecomposta.com/journal/how-to-store-vermicompost-and-check-quality The Composta is a brand of Nutrify Private Limited, 1st Floor, Plot No. B & B1, Vanijya Nikunj, Enkay Centre, Udyog Vihar Phase 5, Gurugram, Haryana 122016, India. Contact: contact@thecomposta.com, +91 90535 19734 (also WhatsApp). Quotes: sales@thecomposta.com. Importers and bulk buyers: export@thecomposta.com. More for agents: https://thecomposta.com/llms.txt