DIY Worm Compost Tea: The Basics
Photo courtesy of GrahamMcCannCAM at Flickr.com
What is a Worm Casting Tea?
By doing a DIY Worm Compost Tea, you’ll know that this product comes from red worms castings, or worm ‘droppings’.
Although this nutrient-filled solution is very beneficial for your organic gardening needs, it is not advisable for human and/or animal consumption.
This specific tea consists of worm castings that are soaked and ventilated in water for several days. It can also be used as an organic fertilizer
It’s easy to make and use a natural liquid fertilizer (also known as worm tea). It not only is good for your plants and soil, it is also easy to apply.
When compared to the usual manual spreading and plowing of your composting worm solid castings, the liquid fertilizer material can be easily watered (can be used with a foliar spray) on the plant and soil.
You can either make one or buy organic fertilizer online. Either way, going all natural is still the best way.
Benefits of Worm Casting Tea for Your Garden
So what can this vermicompost tea product still do for your garden? Well, your DIY Worm Composting Tea can be used as an organic fertilizer, it can help boost the plant’s size and yield in the process, as its microbes and particles also interact with the soil and roots of the plant.
Plants grown in soil that are treated with this kind of tea, comes out more healthier compared to plants that are grown using chemical fertilizers.
This tea product and its organisms, also help generate the following needs of a young plant or seedling cutting like: hormones, vitamins, nutrients, enzymes, amino acids and minerals.. Their food value increases too since they have the necessary nutrients.
- Advantages and benefits of Vermicomposting
Have you been planning to start vermicomposting but just can't think why you need to? You need to read about the advantages and the benefits you get from worm composting. - How to Make a Nightcrawler Worm Farm
Want to grow a nightcrawler worm farm? These helpful ideas will help get you started! - Worm Composting with Red Wiggler Worms: Effective Organic Fertilizers
It is a well known fact among organic gardening enthusiasts that worm composting fertilizers from Red Wiggler worms Worms are very effective. Wastes from Red Wiggler worms enrich and enhance plant life...
How To Make Compost Tea From Worm Castings
When preparing to make this vermicomposting tea product, you can start by setting up the necessary materials and ingredients for it. This tea product needs worm castings of course; castings that you’ve purchased or grew at home.
You will also need a paint strainer cloth, a 5-gallon bucket that is filled with well-water, or water that you’ve left overnight (make sure it’s chlorine free), an air pump, two airline tubing’s, air stones, and molasses.
The Recipe
Use compost worms for this project. Start the process by placing 4 cups of worm castings on a paint strainer cloth. Tie the cloth firmly. Next, fill your 5-gallon bucket with 4 to 6 inches of water; and then place the bag of worm castings into the water. You can tie the bag onto the bucket handle, and leave it soaked under the water.
After this, use and plug-in an air pump, and place two airline tubing’s to the air stones. You can place these under the bucket. This will not only create bubbles in the water, but also produce valuable microbes. After you’ve done this, put in a cup full of molasses into the bucket; and then leave it for 2 to 3 days, letting the air pump run in this duration as well.
Around this time, you’ll be able to see the results of your small project. You’ll see the content of your bucket with froth on top of a brownish liquid. Finish up by taking out the bag and by pouring the contents of your worm tea (using a small container) on your plants and soil.
Fact: Organic Weed Killer
Using a liquid organic fertilizer (from worm castings) is very useful, as it can be turned into an organic weed killer as well.
Gardens with weed problems can use this natural fertilizer to bring back the nutrients that have been lost from this weed attack. Worm tea can also help in reducing weed growth from coming back.
All the Benefits of Compost in a Tea Form
Red worms castings that are turned into liquid fertilizers have a lot of beneficial uses for it, apart from being cost-efficient. Aside from being organic and all-natural (and also environmental-friendly), it also helps bring back the health of your plants and soil (especially for eroded soil that needs detoxifying).
Using worm tea can also increase the following: the fertility of the soil, flowering (develops the growth of fruit and flowers better), pest control, and disease control.
Take note that worm tea is chemical-free, so it won’t harm your plants and soil. The use of a liquid organic fertilizer will definitely make your plant growth stronger; and will also help improve soil biology.
Helpful Vermicomposting Blogs
- The Basics on DIY Worm Compost Tea
By doing a DIY Worm Compost Tea, you’ll know that this product comes from red worms castings, or worm ‘droppings’. Although this nutrient-filled solution is very beneficial for your organic gardening needs, it is not advisable for human and/or animal - GardenWorms.com Blog - Worm Composting Tips and Ideas
GardenWorms.com is your online resource for organic gardening and worm composting tips with Red Wiggler worms! Find and contribute to heaps of helpful and tested ideas here!
Other Resources:
- Facts about Vermicomposting
If you are someone new in vermicomposting, here are some quick facts that may help you on your newly discovered adventure. These facts will give you an idea on what you are supposed to expect and do as you go along. Make sure you understand these bec - The Basics on DIY Worm Compost Tea
By doing a DIY Worm Compost Tea, you’ll know that this product comes from red worms castings, or worm ‘droppings’. Although this nutrient-filled solution is very beneficial for your organic gardening needs, it is not advisable for human and/or animal - Choosing the best type of worms for Vermicomposting
Comments
BestEasyWormTea on April 17, 2012:
I built a worm bin in a 25 gal Rubbermaid Tote, drilled 5/16" holes only in the sides and ends, NOT the top and bottom. Then installed a PVC drain valve in one end near the base of the unit. Total cost to build, about $10. Then put a bag of gravel over the drain valve intake, filled with bedding, kitchen waste and worms. I pour a 2 gallon watering can of water over the worm bin contents 2 or 3 times daily and quickly put the can under the spigot and turn on to allow it to drain to the can. PRESTO, worm tea and works very well. No waiting 3-6 months for castings to be harvested, no lengthy process of brewing is necessary. You can start the above tea harvesting process within a couple of days of starting your new worm bin. Just too simple, too easy, yet very effective!
GreenThumb on October 07, 2010:
Can you substite the molassis with commercial nutrients if you happen to have them (bio canna vega, biobizz grow, etc.)? Because they are also rather sweet smelling so I imagine there are sugars in those too?
