making vermicompost tea

Posted by Dirt Hugger - 2008/02/11 06:15

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Hi all,

I work for a small composting company that produces peat-free compost. We've found that the compost piles in our back
piles are teeming with worms and the compost is noticeably finer and richer than the usual stuff. Sieving this compost
through a 10mm screen, what results is a good looking batch of vermicompost.

I'm looking to make a batch of vermicompost tea (the simple version; no molasses or aeration etc.). I'd appreciate some
advice on how to make a small batch - say a 10 gallon bucket or so - how long it needs to sit, how quickly it needs to be
used, in what quantity it is best used (eg doused or sprayed) and what vegetables tend to thrive on it, etc.

See you later!

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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by vermiman - 2008/02/11 09:11
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Without aeration it must be used immediately. Unless you don't want the beneficial microbes. It sounds like you're
wanting liquid fertilizer not vermicompost tea.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by RITLV - 2008/02/11 15:15
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I use a 5 gallon bucket filled with water. Fill a sock little over half way with castings, and place a battery operated aerator
in the bucket for about 24 hours.
Cheap and effective way to make some tea for my gardens and plants.

Use immediately
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by fballvera22 - 2008/02/11 15:45
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Dirt Hugger,

Technically what you are wanting to make is called compost extract. Here is a snipet of info from
http://www.garden.org/articles/articles.php?q=show&id=1962 ,

Making Extract
To make a simple compost extract, add 1 gallon of finished compost to a 5-gallon bucket. Fill the bucket to within 6
inches of the rim with water and stir it occasionally. After 3 to 7 days, strain the liquid through cheesecloth into another
bucket, and use straight or diluted when to water your plants.

Hope this helps. And you want ot use the extract as soon as you can after making it.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by Dirt Hugger - 2008/02/12 05:12
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Cool, thanks guys. I guess for the time being I'll just be making vermicompost extract rather than tea. Bit concerned
about the vaguaries of soaking "3 to 7 days" especially bearing in mind V-man's "use immediately" advice... So if I were
to soak the vermicompost on a monday and strain it off on friday for use on saturday, that should be ok right?

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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by markbrauer - 2008/02/12 08:54
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I don't work for these guys, i promise! But ran across these when looking at the Worm Wigwam. You said you're a
company, so probably looking to do things on a bit bigger scale than the backyard.

http://www.composttea.com/

They have some pretty neat devices for worm tea, and at least could give you an idea to make your own to save costs.
They also have...

http://www.composttea.com/skid_sprayers.htm

If you wanted to bring your product on the road, so a farmer's market, garden show or something.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by gnosnhoj - 2008/02/12 21:25
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Somebody please fix me if I'm wrong here, but as I understand it the main benefits of vc tea, aerated or not, are the
multitude of soil and plant beneficial microbes and immediately available plant nutrients.
AVCT has the ability to exponentially multiply those microbes which protect the flora (as a spray / drench) by
overwhelming the bad guys, feeds the plants by providing those readily available nutrients, and enhances the soil by
providing more microbes to process potential plant nutrients (organic material) already in the soil.
These microbes, from your bins, are aerobic critters. They don't scuba very well, hence the "brew it and use it"
recommendations.
If you don't want to do the aeration piece, I'd go 1 to 4 vc & water, stir vigorously, strain if you're using a sprayer, & use.
Otherwise, I think you'll pretty much have a ~1-1-1 liquid fertilizer with some vc solids to enhance soil friability.
I'm not a biologist :whistle: , and I don't own a microscope, but there are a lot of links in this and other vermi fora to folks
who are and do.
I do know my gardens did very well this year with a good base of organic material and regular avct applications. We had
fresh 'maters with Thanksgiving supper.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by redhen - 2008/02/12 21:51
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I believe Gary is spot on!

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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by jlance - 2008/02/12 21:57
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Thats the way I read it to and wouldn't recommend brewing without a bubbler to much of a chance of makeing some bad
stuff.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by jlance - 2008/02/12 21:58
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Thats the way I read it to and wouldn't recommend brewing without a bubbler to much of a chance of makeing some bad
stuff.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by Paratrooper - 2008/02/12 23:53
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http://dchall.home.texas.net/organic/teamaker/

Everything you need to know . It's 11 pages (after you click the link on the first page) but it shows you the "whole 9 yards"
.Good read .
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by gnosnhoj - 2008/02/13 15:55
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redhen wrote:I believe Gary is spot on!Thankee, Susan. Got a good teacher, even if you don't play one on TV ;) !

Paratrooper wrote:
http://dchall.home.texas.net/organic/teamaker/
Everything you need to know.
'zackly, Airborne! I keep that printed pdf within arm's reach B) .
Simple, cheap and very effective.
I use a scrap piece of rebar to hold the long stones on the bottom, and have discarded the smaller airstones, opting for
straight tubes set about center mass surface to bottom. I usually don't bag the vc until I'm ready to strain & spray.
http://www.thegardengalleries.org/d/15321-2/AVCT+2nd+batch+101800Apr07+1.jpg
Air Assault!

Post edited by: gnosnhoj, at: 2008/02/13 16:01

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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by binner - 2008/02/15 08:13
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Just read the article on how to make tea

http://dchall.home.texas.net/organic/teamaker/%3Cbr%20/%3E

Anybody know why he says to remove the compost bag after 8 hours? Most other articles say to leave the bag til the end
of cycle which is normally 24 to 36 hours.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by gnosnhoj - 2008/02/15 12:48
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binner wrote:
Anybody know why he says to remove the compost bag after 8 hours?I'd consider that personal preference. I leave my
vc in the mix until I'm ready to use the tea. Strain, apply the dregs as top-dressing around plants, then spray.
I don't go by vc weight. I use ~2 loose quarts per 5g batch.
I also add my molasses incrementally; two tablespoons at start-up, then another roundabout every 12 hours. Think that
way feeds the expanding microbe population throughout the cycle. I'll stir up the solids then too.
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by Paratrooper - 2008/02/15 17:49
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FWIW , I've been told that even after you work the "air magic" and get all that good compost tea the remaining VC is still
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twice as good as anything else you could find . You can put it on anything you want and still get great results .
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Re:making vermicompost tea

Posted by Dirt Hugger - 2008/02/28 04:27
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gnosnhoj wrote:

These microbes, from your bins, are aerobic critters. They don't scuba very well, hence the "brew it and use it"
recommendations.
If you don't want to do the aeration piece, I'd go 1 to 4 vc & water, stir vigorously, strain if you're using a sprayer, &
use./quote]

Thanks Gary. So basically 1:4 vc to water, stir well, then strain and use ASAP. Will try that out.
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