Comments on: Non-Aerated Castings Tea – 9 Months Later

By: Patty Schofield

Patty Schofield — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 22:01:01 +0000

Thanks once again.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:52:02 +0000

Hey Patty! I’m not a big fan of the “flood your stacking bin” advice at all. I think it encourages people to drench their systems, flushing out all manner of decomposition metabolites – leaving them with something NOT on the same level as an actual tea created from finished (stabilized) castings. That being said – in the case of someone with more vermicomposting experience, who has a more mature system with good air flow – I see a much greater chance of producing some nice stuff! I think bag systems would probably be one of the better choices – and they will likely require a lot more “hydration” anyway so it can be a sort of “two birds with one stone” scenario the way I see it. It’s definitely a topic where there is no one “right answer”. People get all bent out of shape about leachates on the one side, while others are far too lax about recommending “flooding” etc on the other end. I always prefer options in between. :-))

By: Patty Schofield

Patty Schofield — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:38:14 +0000

Hi Bentley!
I am coming across advice to flood a (multi tiered plastic) system daily or weekly with water, maybe 2 or 3 times that day, then water the garden with that water. What will happen to a bag system if this is done? Of course, this is a bag system that is well maintained, no signs of anaerobic smells.
Thanks in advance!

By: Bentley

Bentley — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 19:18:36 +0000

Valid question, Davilyn – and I am a huge proponent of the microbial benefits of castings as well. I wouldn’t claim this is super-microbially-active (and absolutely wouldn’t go near a microscope to come up with any sort of meaningful assessment anyway – even with a reasonably strong microbiology background)…but beyond the “microbial” realm there are also some important beneficial compounds (apart from typical NPK) – plant growth promoters/regulators that should stay active. This REALLY reminds me that I need to test these extracts to see what sort of impact they have (or don’t have) on plant growth. Thanks for your nudge! 😎

By: Davilyn Eversz

Davilyn Eversz — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 00:26:15 +0000

Hmmm. I don’t know. I am a big fan of Tim Wilson the microbe guy, and from what he has taught us, just because it doesn’t smell doesn’t mean it is still alive and viable. Did you conduct any microscope tests to see what was still living, if anything?

By: Wayne Tadlock

Wayne Tadlock — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 14:43:12 +0000

Bentley, on your non aerated casting tea- perhaps rinsed out plastic soda or water containers for storage? Trust me, foul odors will eventually permeate them too. But they’re not as “iffy” about durability. lol ?