Sign up for a free account to take advantage of all the new features and to be able to post in the forums. There have been over 33,000 logged entries in the forums since 1998. Check out the Fun and Magazine Stores.
The area of leachate from the WF is an area where there is a ton of disagreement. Many wormers will tell you that the leachate shouldn't be used on plants at all and that the only "tea" from vermicompost/castings is created by bubbling a quantity of vermicompost/castings in a container over a 24+ period of time.
I don't really know if the leachate has ever really been tested by those who think least of it, but I think it would be interesting if you used the leachate on nonedibiles and report back the progress or lack of it you find.
If you want to be in agreement with most veteran wormers, you might search the web for "worm tea". I'm sure you'll find a recipe or two after you sift through those sites selling their own brew.
Keep in mind that the castings produced by your little beauties is an excellent soil conditioner for edibles and nonedibles alike.Branson MO[size=2][/size]
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
BigTexWorms
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 50
Re:worm leachate/tea - 2009/04/16 00:22I have had no ill effects from using leachate on plants but I have seen no benefits from it either. So for now, I pour it on my outdoor compost pile. I personally do not consider it tea. From observation it appears to be excess moisture from fruits/veggies. And when it stinks it is because it has become, anaerobic, yuck. I surely would not store it for use later. If you are going to use it at all, I would suggest ASAP. I would hesitate to use something on my plants that has been sitting for a while in a yogurt container. Better safe than sorry. Someone here can probably give a much better, more scientific rationale. These are just my personal observations. I consider worm tea to be a concoction that I brew with an areator. You can find recipes for such on this forum in a search of "tea". At least that is what I did to make my first batch. My dad is in awe that my garden is growing so beautifully without miracle grow! Good luck.Liz aka BigTexWorms http://bigtexworms.webs.com
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
ArkieGold
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 42
Re:worm leachate/tea - 2009/04/16 07:21"Someone here can probably give a much better, more scientific rationale"...
None needed IMO. Your observations from experience are correct.
Personally I strive to not have any leachate. I remember a long time back, some WD forum discussions on this and the general consensus was if you can squeeze the stuff being put into the bin and more than a couple drops of moisture come out, it's too wet and needs to be mixed with a dry (carbon) to soak up the excess. Shredded cardboard works well for this.
Leachate causes a host of bin problems and results in castings being a muddy, sticky glob. Finished castings should be moist and crumbly with an earthy smell right out of the bin. Some may disagree and that's fine with me but I say good luck and have fun to them with leachate and globby mud Arkie's Vermiculture
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
jlance
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 125
Re:worm leachate/tea - 2009/04/16 08:35its risky to use it.a bin that has only been working a couple of weeks the leachate would different than a bin that is about finish and you decide it is to dry and add water and get leachate within twenty four hrs.you might consider using that but right away.
http://earthsci.org/processes/geopro/soil/soil.html "If bacteria start the decomposition process instead of fungi, this may happen because of several reasons, the one most common would be water logging (too moist), the process turns to putrefaction. During this stage toxic substances are produced (methane, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine) which are harmful to soil and retard the growth of plants."heal the earth with worm farming. John Lance Indain Valley,virginia
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Foremole
User A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 2
Re:worm leachate/tea - 2009/04/16 12:30Thanks for the responce on the worm leachate. As one can see the responses are all over the place on whether to use or not. In addition, it seems ones view is influenced on their method of vermicomposting. The Worm FactoryTM I use has a drainage grid between each layer. The literature it comes with specifically mentions the "worm tea" that collects in the bottom and that one will have that to use before enough castings are produced to use. As for moisture in my bin I control the moisture in the feeding layer that I am actively adding kitchen scraps to with shredded pizza box cardboard.
With my bioloby degree and reading on the internet at university extension sites, I surmise that the nutrient content of the "worm tea" is similar to that of castings and dependent on what one puts into the bin. I use no manure so fear not any bad bacteria or viruses. It appears that this is a big adventure for me to try as one responder suggests. And I have diluted my liquid gold and used it before without harm. Unfortunately I do not have the equipment required to test, perhaps "worm tea" will be one of the next areas of research!
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
ArkieGold
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 42
Re:worm leachate/tea - 2009/04/16 12:38With your biology degree you should have been able to surmise the best use of the leachate without posting a question and do believe all manufacturers claims and statements regarding the educated use of their equipment. As previously stated, good luck and have fun...
Oh I almost forgot, your degree should also tell you dead bacteria, if present to begin with can't be ressurected, although a few live ones can rebuild the population if aerated, otherwise anaerobic bacteria will prevail. Also the absence of manures does not ensure absence of pathogens.
And one more thing. I would never knowingly post information meant to be misleading or otherwise unhelpful. I have been wrong and will admit if so but years of experience says you're dealing with at best, "compost juice". The concept of "worm tea" in the context of liquid dripping from the bin will eventually cause problems. I stand by that not from any degree but years of experience.
