Worm Tea

Worm tea is a liquid extract or a dissolved solution but not simply a suspension of compost. It is made by steeping castings in water for 12-24 hours with high air flow to induce high bacterial growth and nutrient content. It will suppress foliar fungal diseases by nature of the bacterial competition, suppression, antibiosis on the leaf surface (phyllosphere). It has also been used as a foliar fertilizer. The extract is applied as a spray to plant parts such as leaves, stems, seedlings or as a soil-drench (root dip), or as a surface spray to reduce incidence of harmful phytopathogenic fungi in the phyllosphere.[15]

Worm Gardener Premium Aerobic Worm Tea Blend

Ingredients:

6-8 cups Worm Gardener Earthworm Castings

¼ cup sulfur free molasses

1 Tbsp water soluble sea plant extract (optional)

2 Tbsp soluble fish powder or liquid fish (optional)

5 gallons Chlorine free aerated water

 (Note:  If you have chlorinated water, fill your pail and let it sit overnight uncovered, and the chlorine will evaporate.  Alternatively, accelerate the process by putting the water in your brewer and turning the bubbler on.  You will know the chlorine is gone when you cannot smell the chlorine anymore.  You can verify the absence of chlorine by purchasing a simple chlorine test kit from a local pool supplier.)

 Tea Brewer components:

 Min. 5 gallon plastic pail, bucket or barrel

Air pump with air stone or some other air dispersal device.

Sieve (a 5 gal. paint bucket filter works well)

 Directions:

 First, ensure that all components are clean and there are no buildups or areas of your brewer that will prevent the circulation of air and water.  (If the stone builds up residue just soak it overnight in pure white vinegar).

 In a 5 gallon pail, fill with 4+ gallons or so of warm water with the molasses, seaweed extract, and liquid fish. Turn on the pump with the hose and stone attached before placing the stone into the solution. Leave the pump running when removing the stone from the brew to keep water from entering the stone. 

 Place the air-stone or other bubbler at the bottom of the pail.  For best results, use the ‘open brew’ approach by placing the Worm Gardener Earthworm Castings directly into the water.  (You can always strain the castings later if you are going to use a sprayer for the Teas’ application.)  Alternatively, put the Worm Gardener Earthworm Castings into the sieve and place it into the pail over the bubbler.

 Brew until a noticeable frothy slime (“bio-slime”) develops on the surface of the water and the smell of the ingredients is very weak or no longer present.  The absence of noticeable fish and molasses odor indicates that the microorganisms have consumed the ingredients!  Once the food is gone the populations will begin to decrease so don't brew to long or the microbe population will starve and die off.  On warm summer days, you can begin a brew in the evening, and the tea will be ready for application the next morning.  We find brewing is complete in as little as 12 hours if the brew is kept warm.  Hence, brew times are heavily dependent on the water temperature.  With every 10 degree F drop in temperature, brew times increase by 12 hours.

 ***** It is very important to be sure to keep the tea aerobic by leaving the bubbler on until you use the tea since cutting off the oxygen supply will crash the population and diversity. Don't try to bottle for later use. Bottled teas are a hoax. If it ain't live - it ain't good!

 While brewing, the population of beneficial microorganisms will be doubling in as little as every 20 minutes. By the end of the brew, your solution can contain over one billion little critters per teaspoon of tea!

 Apply the tea immediately when the populations of microorganisms are at their highest number and diversity.  Spray the tea onto foliage, stems, roots and surrounding soil, or simply pour it onto you plants and vegetation.  Remember, Castings Tea Everything!  Spray early morning or in the evening or in the shade, not in the hot day time sunshine for best results.

 When you are finished, use the left over castings for your soil amendment needs.  Do not discard them!  These castings should have higher population densities than what you started with, because remember, you brewed an exceedingly large population, and they will adhere to the castings!