u/dodasch

I’m having a problem with an extreme springtail population in my living soil / vermicompost system and I’m trying to understand what is actually causing it and how to stabilize the system long-term.

My setup:
- Food scraps → Bokashi → worm bin → worm castings used as top dressing for living soil
- I also use biochar, rock dust, cardboard and some sand

The problem:
The springtail population has exploded. There are literally thousands visible in the worm castings. When I place moist spots or cucumber slices, they gather in huge numbers very quickly.

I also have major issues with direct sowing:
- freshly germinating seeds get destroyed/eaten very quickly
- even repeated sowings fail
- established plants seem mostly fine though

The soil has become:
- very black
- very fine-textured
- constantly moist
- biologically extremely active

Measurements:
- pH around 5.8
- EC around 1.0
- TDS ~743 ppm

What confuses me:
Despite the extremely active soil biology, the EC stays relatively low.

My theories:
- overly fermentative / acidic conditions from Bokashi?
- lack of structure / oxygen?
- calcium issue or poor aggregate structure?
- too much finely humified organic matter?
- missing curing phase between worm castings and living soil?

Planned changes:
- adding more pumice / mineral structure
- mixing in some garden soil
- letting worm castings cure before use
- using less fresh Bokashi directly
- establishing permanent cover crops / living roots

Has anyone experienced something similar?
What usually causes such an extreme springtail population?
And how would you stabilize a system like this?