How to Create Worm Tea
You may hear the liquid in the bottom of a worm bin referred to incorrectly as "worm tea," but that substance, water that has drained from bin materials, more properly should be termed leachate. Worm tea consists of castings--worm "poop"--soaked in water for several days and aerated to create a potent fertilizer for plants. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Worms castings (commercial or homegrown)
- Paint strainer cloth
- 5-gallon bucket
- Well water or water that has sat long enough to lose chlorine
- Air pump
- Airline tubing
- Air stones
- Unsulphured molasses
Instructions
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1
Place about 4 cups of worm castings in the bottom of a paint strainer cloth and tie the top shut.
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2
Dunk the bag of castings into a 5-gallon bucket filled with water to within 4 to 6 inches of the top. Well water or tap water that you have let sit for a day or two to remove chlorine is preferred. Tie the bag to the bucket handle so the castings sink below water while the top of the cloth is above water.
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3
Plug in a dual-outlet air pump. Connect two lengths of airline plastic tubing to the airstones, and place them at the bottom of the bucket. The air bubbles thus created will create a blooming of beneficial bacteria in the water.
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4
Add a capful of organic or unsulphered molasses to the bucket.
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Leave the bucket with the air pump running for two or three days.
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After two days, the bucket will contain brownish liquid topped by froth. Remove the bag and pour the compost tea on your plants, either the leaves or the roots, using a small plastic container or cup.
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Tips & Warnings
Periodically stir the worm tea to make sure air gets into all areas of the bucket. Use all the liquid within about two hours, while the beneficial bacteria are still living.
Make sure the worm castings do not contain bits of uncomposted kitchen scraps and other organic matter. Ecoyardfarming.com stresses, "Do not use a final product that does not smell fresh because the alcohol fermentation by-products and anaerobic organisms could be harmful to your plants."
