Silt clogging watering can rose

by Mark
(Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)

Pauly, I'm practising your methods but I'm stuck on one element. My watering can rose is clogging despite making the holes larger, twice.

To make aerated worm tea, I'm placing the worm castings in a sheet or muslin wrap as a tea bag, but when I go to apply it, fine silt builds up in my watering can rose and clogs it. This also occurs when I pour weed tea.

Do I need to make the holes really big? At this stage I give up and pour without the rose, but I waste a lot.

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Sep 24, 2015
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Worm tea clogging watering can rose
by: Pauly

Hi Mark,

This is why I always suggest using a paint strainer. Not only to aerate the castings for worm tea but to strain the tea after bubbling it.

The paint strainer is one of the best materials I have come across for keeping out the smallest of particles while allowing the microbes to still flow out of the mesh.

I realize meslin is finer than a paint strainer but because it's so fine, particles may be getting out back into the water due to force.

Remember that you can always dilute the aerated worm tea up to 1 part tea to 10 parts water if you feel you are wasting it. This will make it stretch.

Don't worry about the dilution ratio. The important thing is that you get the microbes into the soil and/or foliage.

Make sure you watch my video on straining worm tea.

https://www.wormfarmingrevealed.com/paulys-worm-videos.html

All the best and hope this helps :)
~Pauly

Oct 06, 2015
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Solved
by: Mark

Thanks Pauly. I solved it. I stopped looking at straining and looked closely at the watering can rose. The problem was the way I made the holes. I forgot I'd foolishly used a thick screw to make the holes, which made them jagged instead of round, with burrs, giving places for clogging to occur. I've drilled the holes and removed the burrs and it's now working fine for worm juice & weed tea.

I've ordered a stainless steel water tank screen as it looks more robust with finer holes. I'll try the paint strainer if that fails.

Thanks for the ideas. Happy gardening :)

Oct 28, 2015
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Straining Worm Tea
by: Pauly

Glad you figured it out Mark :)

Yes you'll absolutely love the paint strainers especially for using it in the pump sprayers.

All the Best :)

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