worm tea

by cathy
(southern california)

Should I discard the liquid that empties at the bottom of the worm tower or can it be "fermented" with oxygen and molasses?

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Jul 16, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Should I Aerate the Leachate at Bottom of the Worm Bin?
by: Pauly

Hi Cathy,

This is actually called "leachate" and I talk quite a bit about the difference between the worm tea and the leachate, especially in the book "The Worm Farming Revolution".

However the worm tea that one makes from bubbles should be more referred to as "aerated worm tea".

Anyway, to let you know quickly and in a nutshell, the liquid at the bottom contains beneficial AND unbeneficial microbes.

I've had this discussion more times than I can count and many people disagree with me when I say DON'T use the leachate on your plants even if you intend on bubbling it with molasses.

Because it contains a lot of the BAD microbes means that (even in an oxygen rich environment) it could potentially harm your plants.

In the book and on this Site I always say that, "Life always finds a way whether good or bad" and because the liquid at the bottom contains many unbeneficial microbes I just wouldn't take the risk.

However there are steps to take if you absolutely want to use it. Let me know if you're interested and I'll give you the link to that.

Many disagree with me because they have had success at using their leachate but many also DO NOT and it ends up killing their plants. So it would be very irresponsible for me to tell you to go ahead and use it. There are just so many variables and not all tea or leachate is create equal.

BUT if you would go to the trouble of aerating the leachate then why not go ahead and grab some fresh castings, suspend it in the water and add the molasses.

Now you know EXACTLY what is in the tea and you also know that it is safe to use.

Thanks for your question and if I didn't answer you correctly then reply to this post.

All the best Cathy,
~Pauly

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