Comments on: Making Vermicompost Tea http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/ Red Wiggler Worms, European Nightcrawlers and loads of helpful Worm Composting Information Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:01:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/#comment-12216 Bentley Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:13:22 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=193#comment-12216 Hi DeAna, Unless you are using a decent filter, you won't be losing too many microbes. It is important to remember that most of them are incredibly tiny, so the holes of most sieves would seem like vast open gateways to them. ;-) Hi DeAna,
Unless you are using a decent filter, you won’t be losing too many microbes. It is important to remember that most of them are incredibly tiny, so the holes of most sieves would seem like vast open gateways to them.
;-)

]]> By: DeAna http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/#comment-12170 DeAna Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:54:18 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=193#comment-12170 Hi Bentley Hadn't heard of adding Molasses before - will give it a try. Say, I have been running the tea thru a sieve prior to bottling, as that way it can be sprayed on plant foliage and not plug-up the sprayer. Vegetable plants seems to love to take in the nutrients this way and it also repells various leaf-eating pests. I've always wondered, however, if I might be sieving too many microbes out by doing this. Any thoughts? DeAna Hi Bentley
Hadn’t heard of adding Molasses before - will give it a try. Say, I have been running the tea thru a sieve prior to bottling, as that way it can be sprayed on plant foliage and not plug-up the sprayer. Vegetable plants seems to love to take in the nutrients this way and it also repells various leaf-eating pests. I’ve always wondered, however, if I might be sieving too many microbes out by doing this. Any thoughts?
DeAna

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/#comment-8431 Bentley Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:23:29 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=193#comment-8431 Hi Patricia, Gypsum is basically the same thing as 'Lime' (Calcium carbonate), and is used to prevent the pH from dropping too low in worm bedding. Generally, this would only really be an issue with peat moss bedding since it is quite acidic - coir on the other hand is neutral as far as I know. I personally think there is too much emphasis placed on the use of Lime in worm bedding. Composting worms are very tolerant of a wide range of pH, and I've actually read that they would actually prefer pH 5 over pH 7 or 8 - which kinda makes sense when you think about the sort of habitat (compost heaps etc) they live in. Hi Patricia,
Gypsum is basically the same thing as ‘Lime’ (Calcium carbonate), and is used to prevent the pH from dropping too low in worm bedding. Generally, this would only really be an issue with peat moss bedding since it is quite acidic - coir on the other hand is neutral as far as I know.

I personally think there is too much emphasis placed on the use of Lime in worm bedding. Composting worms are very tolerant of a wide range of pH, and I’ve actually read that they would actually prefer pH 5 over pH 7 or 8 - which kinda makes sense when you think about the sort of habitat (compost heaps etc) they live in.

]]> By: Patricia http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/#comment-8405 Patricia Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:55:57 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=193#comment-8405 That is exactly what I thought. 4 gallons is alot for me as I do have worms in american recycling bins and the worms are awesome!! I would definitely use castings for my tea which is my project for today. I also remember reading on one of your sites about using it right away so that makes sense. I think I will just give them castings in a burlap or something bag and let them make their own. Recently at a fair, I bought some coconut coir from a guy for $10 a block(not a brick) and am planning on mixing some coir with manure and start a new pile soon. Have been reading up on it lately. I am confused about why you need to add gypsum though? Or did I misread? TIA That is exactly what I thought. 4 gallons is alot for me as I do have worms in american recycling bins and the worms are awesome!! I would definitely use castings for my tea which is my project for today. I also remember reading on one of your sites about using it right away so that makes sense. I think I will just give them castings in a burlap or something bag and let them make their own. Recently at a fair, I bought some coconut coir from a guy for $10 a block(not a brick) and am planning on mixing some coir with manure and start a new pile soon. Have been reading up on it lately. I am confused about why you need to add gypsum though? Or did I misread? TIA

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/#comment-8387 Bentley Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:21:47 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=193#comment-8387 Hi Patricia, Wow - 4 gallons of leachate? Sounds like you have quite the operation going there (based on other info you have shared as well). Worm tea as a gift is a nice idea, but I would suggest making it with castings, and would also suggest giving it to the person shortly after making it. You definitely don't want to leave it sitting around for any length of time once you are finished aerating it. You don't necessarily need to dilute it though. Worm castings aren't strong like bat guano etc, so there is no worry about burning your plants or anything like that. Hi Patricia,
Wow - 4 gallons of leachate? Sounds like you have quite the operation going there (based on other info you have shared as well).
Worm tea as a gift is a nice idea, but I would suggest making it with castings, and would also suggest giving it to the person shortly after making it. You definitely don’t want to leave it sitting around for any length of time once you are finished aerating it.

You don’t necessarily need to dilute it though. Worm castings aren’t strong like bat guano etc, so there is no worry about burning your plants or anything like that.

]]> By: Patricia http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/making-vermicompost-tea/#comment-8336 Patricia Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:18:52 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=193#comment-8336 I really like the idea of compost tea. I have alot of leachate (4 gallons) on a daily basis so I really haven't made too much effort to aerate castings. If I wanted to give tea as a gift to friends, and I put it into a container would they need to dilute or use full strenght? I would think either way would be ok. Love this site and all the great info! thanks bunches. I really like the idea of compost tea. I have alot of leachate (4 gallons) on a daily basis so I really haven’t made too much effort to aerate castings. If I wanted to give tea as a gift to friends, and I put it into a container would they need to dilute or use full strenght? I would think either way would be ok. Love this site and all the great info! thanks bunches.

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