Worm-casting tea is a gardener’s secret weapon known mostly for its ability to boost microbiological activity in soil by adding bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and protozoa to the soil.
What is worm tea, exactly, you might ask? Worm tea, also known as worm compost tea, is ultimately the end result of steeping worm castings or vermicompost in water. And what are worm castings? They’re an organic fertilizer produced from earthworms.
If you are already worm farming and have easy access to worm castings fertilizer, then making worm tea for plants will be a breeze. If you want to start a worm farm to reap the benefits of worm castings tea, we’ve got you covered with an array of different worm kits.
Keep reading to learn how to make worm tea in a few simple steps by following the winning worm tea recipe below!
Maximize Your Harvest with This Simple Worm Tea Recipe
Get ready to turn your garden into a thriving oasis! The secret to luscious plants and bountiful harvests lies in a little something called worm tea. This magical elixir is not only easy to make but also packed with essential nutrients that will give your garden a much-needed boost. And the best part? You only need a few simple ingredients to make your own worm tea for plants.
So, grab your watering can, get brewing, and watch your plants grow bigger, stronger, and greener in no time with the help of some earthworm casting tea!
Here’s what you’ll need to make worm tea fertilizer:
- A porous bag (Uncle Jim’s worm bag, old t-shirt, pantyhose, cheese clothe, etc.)
- Dechlorinated water (rainwater, pond, or distilled water)
- A bucket (a 5-gallon bucket will work)
- Worm castings
Worm Tea Made Easy: How to Make Worm Tea Fertilizer in 3 Simple Steps
Attention all green thumbs! Are you ready to learn the art of brewing up the perfect batch of worm tea? This simple yet powerful garden elixir is just a few steps away, and the results will leave you in awe. Say goodbye to dull, lackluster plants and hello to a thriving, verdant garden.
Keep reading because I’m about to share the 3-step secret to making the best worm casting tea for flowering your plants have ever tasted!
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Bag It Up
The first thing you will want to do is add your worm castings fertilizer to the porous bag of your choice and tie the end of the bag. Add water to your 5-gallon bucket, and place the bag of worm castings in the water container.
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Sleep on It
After your bag of castings is bagged and soaked, let it steep overnight to dechlorinate and do its composting process magic. In the morning, the water should be light brown, and that is your worm compost tea!
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Feed the Worm Tea to Your Plants
After the bag of castings is ‘spent,’ you can add it to a potted plant or garden because you’ve successfully finished your worm tea-making job. Congrats!
Ultimately, to make a batch of basic worm compost tea, all you really need to do is soak some vermicompost overnight in water. It’s that simple!
How to Use Your Worm Casting Tea for Maximum results
Ready to unleash the power of the worm tea you just made on your garden? I’m about to spill some tea about how to put this magic brew to work! If you’re dealing with a sprawling garden or a jungle of houseplants, the secret to making the most of your worm tea is simple: dilution.
A few splashes of this nutrient-rich worm compost tea in a watering can full of water (50% water to 50% worm tea), and you’ll be able to cover much more ground, leaving every leaf and stem in your garden healthier and happier.
I suggest putting your worm tea in a watering can. However, a sprayer or spray bottle will work well, too. Just be sure to strain the worm tea before reaching for a spray bottle. Now, simply water your indoor plants, outdoor potted or hanging plants, and garden. Cover the entire plant with your worm compost tea, including the leaves.
Many people believe that the numerous beneficial microbes in worm castings tea help protect plants from an array of diseases. It’s like a shield against a whole host of garden ailments. So, go ahead, give your plants a treat, and watch as they thrive like never before!
Wrapping Up: Transform Your Garden with the Power of Worm Tea
And that is it! Now you know how to make worm tea. Whether you prefer to use a watering can, or spray bottle, this nutrient-rich elixir is sure to boost your greenery. It’s just one of many incredible benefits of having your own little worm farm. Your plants will especially thank you!
So, prepare to give your plants a luxurious spa day with homemade worm casting tea! Give them a head-to-toe soak, drenching the leaves, stems, and roots in this microbial magic potion, and watch them flourish.
Note: You can get higher-quality worm tea by adding a sugary liquid and an aquarium bubbler. Join the gardening revolution and elevate your horticultural game with Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm! Browse our diverse range of vermicomposting products and informative content, then take the leap and make a purchase to unlock the full potential of your green thumb and start creating a thriving garden today!
Worm Tea FAQ
What is Worm Tea for Plants?
Ahh, the elixir of the gardening gods – worm tea for plants! This nutrient-rich brew is made from the castings of our tiny, soil-dwelling friends, the earthworms. It’s like a vitamin boost for your plants, providing them with a balanced mix of essential nutrients and microorganisms.
Think of it as a spa day for your greenery – they’ll thank you with lush leaves and bountiful blooms. So, don’t hesitate to give your plants the royal treatment with a sip of worm tea fertilizer!
What is Worm Tea Used for?
Worm tea is the multitasking marvel of the gardening world. This golden liquid is used for so many things; it’s like the duct tape of horticulture. Whether you’re looking to improve soil health, boost plant growth, or protect against pests and diseases, worm castings tea has got your back. Think of it as a power-packed punch of nutrients, enzymes, and microorganisms that can do wonders for your plants.
So, why settle for a plain old garden when you can have a supercharged oasis with the help of our worm tea recipe?
Can You Drink Worm Tea?
In a nutshell, no. While worm tea is packed with beneficial microorganisms and nutrients for your plants, it’s not intended for human digestion.
So, go ahead and give it to your plants, but find something a bit more human-friendly to quench your thirst.
What is Worm Tea Good for?
Worm tea is like the jack-of-all-trades of the gardening world! This powerhouse potion is good for so many things it’s hard to keep track – from improving soil health to boosting plant growth, controlling pests and diseases, and so much more. Think of it as a magic elixir for your plants, providing them with a hefty dose of essential nutrients, enzymes, and microorganisms to help them thrive.
So, whether you’re looking to turn your garden into a lush oasis or your houseplants into towering jungle giants, earthworm casting tea is the secret ingredient you’ve been missing.
How Often Should You Use Worm Tea?
You’re probably wondering: How often should you water plants with worm tea? The frequency of using worm tea in your gardening routine is all about finding the right balance. Generally speaking, using worm tea once a week can provide your plants with a steady supply of essential nutrients and microorganisms. But, just like your plants, every garden is different and may have different needs.
So, it’s important to keep an eye on your plants and adjust accordingly – use more or less depending on their reaction.
How Do You Make Worm Tea?
To learn how to make worm castings tea and use it to maximize its potential, simply follow the steps in the worm tea recipe provided above!
What is Your Best Worm Tea Recipe for Vegetable Gardening?
You can also use the worm tea recipe above to create the perfect worm castings fertilizer that’ll make your vegetable’s taste buds dance with joy!
32 comments on “Supercharge Your Soil: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Making & Using Worm Tea”
Awsome
Very clearly explained! Thank you!
How much of the castings should I add to the 5 gallon bucket? I want to be sure I get the right ratio. Thank you!
ENJOYED READING ABOUT YOUR WORM TEA , SO HOW MANY POUNDS OF CASTINGS TO A FIVE GALON BUCKET
To whom it may concern.
I make my compost tea 55 gal at a time. I put in the bottom of a 55 gal barrel. ( you might want to cut some of the top out.) about 3 gal of worm compost I raise my own composting worms. Then I put in 5lb sugar, Fill 3/4 full of water. Then I put: (picture a fish tank pump with a rock bubbler.)
I put the rock bubbler on the end of a stick, so it hits the bottom of the 55 barrel. With a long hose. I have also added a gal of milk, and a jug of black strap mollasses. stir once every day. After about 4 days of bubbling, you have a barrel full of the bacteria from the worm compost. Plant food and spray for your plants
Dear David
Thank you for sharing..
Just want to know why you put the sugar , milk and molasses..
What are the benefits
Thank you
The idea with putting additives like sugar, molasses and milk in compost tea is that it feeds the bacterial culture, thus producing more of the bacteria than you would get otherwise. This is a controversial idea in the compost tea world, and I, for one, fall on the side of “don’t add sugars”. Here’s the reasoning: yes, adding sugars to compost tea will give you a bacterial “boom”. However, which bacteria are booming? The ones that feed on simple sugars. These are not necessarily the bacteria that live in soil, and when you spray your compost tea out on the soil these bacteria all of a sudden don’t have that food supply and quickly die out.
Is it ok to use the water out of a fish aquarium to make the worm tea. Curious if the ammonia in the water would hurt or affect the microb’s
how much time do I have to use my tea?
how soon do i need to use the tea and can i areate it too long?
It was my understanding one used the liquid “tea” to make fertilizer and I’d like to know the ratio 🙂
Lillian, NJ
Ratio of tea:water
I honestly think you guys are over thinking the ratio here, its nothing like the chemical fertilizers that need balanced out, I don’t even bother straining it. I just take two handfuls of worm poo castings from my bin and fill a gallon sized water jug with the top cut off and let it steep overnight, so abou 3/4 gallon. I pour the entire content of soil and liquid all around my veggies it’s like pop-eye meets spinach after that for the plants. I love my worms!!!
Do I have to wait between spraying my veggie garden with worm tea and eating the veggies? If I’m going to pick today, I’d pick and then spray. If I spray today, can I pick tomorrow?
Thank you!
Joyce
My worm far has holes in the bottom so that when I water – some of the liquid comes through to the lower level and forms a tea. Is this useful like the brewed tea recipe?
Maureen, that is not “tea” coming out of the bottom, it is leachate and not considered suitable. If you have a lot of that liquid coming from the bottom, your moisture content is too high and you should consider adding more bedding and decreasing your watering. Usually the water content in your food scraps is close to adequate.
HI, WELCOME TO CHILLIS
Can I make compost tea from the bagged Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm Compost? I don’t have my own compost this year (hoping to start next year – I am new to gardening in general).
Some of these questions are plain silly.Don’t use aquarium water! They were using the aquarium for the example to describe the “air stone” that CAN be added but IS NOT NEEDED This is simple biology. Put any amount of high quality castings in a 5 gallon bucket filled with water that’s chlorine free water let it soak until it browns like any other type of tea ( Please don’t drink it! ) It’s fine to harvest your garden after the tea has dried. Use it as is or add an additional amount of water to meet your own needs.Don’t overly complicate things by add molasses.Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) Less Is More,Practice the 7 P’s- Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance –
Dilute it in a 1:3 tea to water ratio and water your plants with it. Use it right away, though, as it will go bad if left longer than 48 hours.
Just curious why everyone bothers with a bag? I’m new to vermicomposting, but why bother with the bag? If I’m going to pour it in a watering can with large enough holes to pour in spout, why bother with the bag? Why not just dump some worm compost in the bucket, ensure its aerating for at least a day to increase growth, and then pour around the garden?
The bag just seems like a messy step. Where dealing with a few un-composted twigs in my watering can at the end of pouring around the yard seems like the preferred choice.
I agree with Morty. Why bother with the bag. Just dump a gal of dirt in a 5 gal bucket of good water and let it sit overnight. Pour the worm tea into sprinkler can and use it on your plants. Pretty simple! The remaining dirt can be just dumped in the garden or use it for potted plants. This is not rocket science just worms and dirt.
I always thought you had to aerate worm tea, either with periodic stirring or an aquarium bubbler. Is this not the case?
Here is our page on storing worm tea. It is very informative. We never aerate the tea after making it, it usually does not last that long as we use it within a few months. We guess you can aerate it with a bubbler? it would not hurt we suppose?
https://unclejimswormfarm.com/tips-on-storing-worm-tea/
Uncle Jim’s
Is there any benefit to using worm tea in the winter or should I wait until spring when I do my planting.
I understand that the nutrient content of worm tea is pretty low and dependent on specific worm bin’s diet, but I see recommendations to use worm tea as fertilizer for seedlings a lot. Does anyone have experience, good or bad?
Worm Tea is good for almost any plants, young or old and can be diluted for younger plants and more sensitive plant life. That is the great thing about liquid organic Castings/Tea!
Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm!
Are the “used” castings good for anything after making a batch of tea?
For those of us who are new to vermiculture or, specifically, making worm tea, and worry about the proportions, I found an actual recipe (actually two) in a post on the Stone Family Farmstead blog. Very helpful. She also says that you can use filtered city water if the water is allowed to sit for 24 hours before making the tea…which makes sense, because that’s what I use to water my plants.
Spent worm castings can be top dressed into existing plants for extra organic material.