As
you may know earthworm castings tea and other compost
teas have been around for some time. Due to recent
research and the rise of public interest in organic
growing and planetary well-being they are now beginning
to get the recognition they deserve.
Here are a few testimonials to support your interest to
brew and use Castings Tea.
Don Wagoner, a former purveyor of all sorts of
chemicals to grow and control things whom now thinks and
lives differently:
Link here
.
More shining examples:
“With the Microb-Brewer, the normally mundane task of
keeping my soil ‘vibrant’ has become one of the few
rewarding pleasures associated with soil management in
organic farming. A key advantage in using compost tea
is the significantly reduced application time over
conventional methods of applying bulk compost. Even
more important than the minimal labor requirements
needed are the fact that this ‘aerobic teas’ is the most
‘alive’ solution you can apply to your crop. Not only
have we achieved healthier plants and higher yields, our
fruit tastes as good as nature intended.” Ed Leach,
Umpqua Organic Farm, Roseburg, OR
“We have found that compost teas controls weeds,
disease and with added fish fertilizer provides all the
nutrients needed by fescue turf grasses. We have
approximately 3 acres of turf. This past summer we were
able to skip water cycles for up to 4 consecutive days.
That’s with temperatures in July in excess of 110F with
no signs of stress and full sun!!! Tom Jaszewski,
Las Vegas, NV [Tom is perhaps the leading
horticulturist in Las Vegas whom all leading casino
horticulturists look to for advice.]
“The compost tea used in my vineyard has worked
particularly well. The plants are really healthy and so
is the soil … With the tea, the mildew shows up,
hovers, and goes away. It never builds up enough steam
to take over a tea sprayed area. In the sulfur-sprayed
areas, if there’s one to two percent mold one day, there
will be 10 percent the next and 40 percent the day after
that.” Jeff Wilson, Owner, Territorial Vineyards &
Wine Co., Veneta, OR
“We were looking for a way to suppress turf grass
disease without using fungicides. We’ve seen positive
results from using the tea, and we haven’t used
fungicides for a long time.” Troy Russell, Resort
Superintendent, Brandon Dunes Golf Resort, Brandon, OR
We
use the term ‘Castings Tea’ rather than ‘compost tea’
because we are a earthworm farm and are familiar with
the differences of earthworm castings compared to other
types of compost. We therefore brew with our earthworm
castings, although “compost tea” or CT is probably a
more commonly used phrase than specifying the type of
compost as we do, when we mention Castings Tea. In
both, microbiology is extracted from the microbial seed
material with water so that the microbiology is in a
liquid solution which can be sprayed – most often a far
more convenient and feasible application method than
bulk soil amending or dispersion. The nature of
Castings Tea vs. compost tea can be radically different
with Castings Teas having more species diversity and
worm created substances than compost teas and therefore
offers more effective results.
There are two types of Castings Teas: extracted and
aerobically brewed. In the extraction method, water is
run through the earthworm castings to simply extract the
microbes from the castings into the water. The resulting
liquid solution is then applied in various ways. Many
bottled teas you see on the shelf use this method - the
largest brand name of which is Terracycle. In the
brewing method, compost/castings are placed into a
container of circulated and aerated water (via an air
bubbler or similar system) typically with other
nutrients. The circulated water extracts the
microbiology and the microbes are in an abundance of
both oxygen and nutrient to feed upon. In this method,
colonies of microbes are brewed in exponential numbers,
a colony of bacteria for instance can double in
population every 20 minutes. Aerobic brewing takes
longer than basic extraction with common brewing times
of 12 to 24 hours. Brewing time is very dependant on
water temperature with warmer water creating faster
brews. Aerobically brewed teas have much higher microbe
population densities than extracted teas and for this
reason are the tea of choice. The sign of a good
aerobically brewed tea is a good head of foam and scum
on top signifying healthy microbe action!
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Castings
Tea is all about microbiology and is measured and
evaluated under a microscope. Compost, worm castings,
EM, and other inoculants all work and are evaluated by
this means also. It is the wide diversity and numbers
of microbiology that define a good tea. Please refer to
our April 2006 newsletter for a discussion of why this
is important to healthy soil which, in turn, creates
healthy and vibrant plant life.
April 2006 Newsletter
Castings Teas suppress disease and pests on vegetation
and will boost the crucial microbial activity known as
the Soil Food Web (SFW) which is so crucial to organic
soils. Perhaps the most widely used and known use of
teas is to suppress/eliminate black spot and powdery
mildew on roses. By spraying Castings Tea on the
surface of leaves, you are doing two things. First, you
coat the leaf with millions if not billions of microbes
all competing for a food source. Some, for instance
protozoa, eat bacteria which may be eating decaying
plant material. Others eat other microbes and their
wastes. In the end, there are not enough resources for
the harmful molds and fungi to flourish. In addition,
you are also coating the leaf with a protective surface
that protects the leaf cells from attack by foreign
spores or airborne microbes. Finally, by inoculating
the soil with Castings Tea, microbes break down
nutrients for uptake into plants thereby increasing
plant health and the plant’s own disease
resistance/suppression.
Aerobically brewed Castings Tea is superior to basic
compost teas because of the higher number and diversity
of microbes, the additional substances that worms create
and the reduction or lack of harmful microorganisms.
Although a traditional compost pile is a great
environmental aid, and its final compost is a great
value to your garden, it typically does not have the
microbe species diversity and numbers of worm castings –
especially when using Barefoot Soil Organic Earthworm
Castings – to be an exceptional aid. (Remember,
microbial species diversity and numbers are necessary
for a more thorough breakdown of the organic matter in
any compost.) A tea can only have the species diversity
of the starting medium. The only way to circumvent low
numbers and diversity when brewing tea with a basic
compost is to inoculate the tea itself during or at the
end of the brew with catalysts, i.e. microbe packages!
Worms also create substances that act as growth
hormones, cell length regulators, anti-aging compounds,
and more goodies that just are not available in common
compost. Though different in quality either the brewing
or extracting method will add these important aspects to
teas, and this is the probable explanation of good
results obtained by non-aerobic bottled tea that does
not have high species diversity and numbers. Finally,
compost can also contain E.coli and other human
pathogens if not composted properly. In aerobic brewing
and with adequate aeration maintenance, E.coli
will not survive in the tea, because “there are many
other organisms, which in aerobic conditions, grab food
away from the E. coli, take up the space E.
coli needs to grow, and consume E. coli.”
(2003, Dr. Elaine Ingram) (An important note here:
“If you apply a source of questionable material anytime
120 days before you are going to eat those vegetables
without washing them, there’s a possibility that
E.coli could still be present, especially if your
crop production system does not have adequate aerobic
organisms to out-compete the coliforms.” (2003, Dr.
Elaine Ingram).
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Spray
your plants liberally on the leaves, stems and
surrounding soil. Use them on turf. Use them on clay
soil to begin its transformation to humus. Use them on
your flowers indoors and out and on your other house
plants. Use them on your compost pile to introduce the
microbial activity and hasten the compost pile’s
beneficial breaking down process. Inoculate the ground
surrounding your fruit trees. Use them on manure piles
that stink and marvel at how fast the stink and flies go
away! Use them on the small bucket of kitchen scraps
you may have outside of your house. Castings Tea
everything!
Foliar Spray/Wash:
It’s best to spray all surfaces of your plants in the
early morning or late afternoon when the sun's angle is
low and has less strength. When possible do your foliar
spraying on a foggy, cloudy or clear days since rain may
wash away some of the effectiveness.
Soil
Inoculant - Drenching:
Always apply teas out of direct sunlight. Use them
pure or dilute them (10:1 is a suggested maximum
dilution rate). Dilution ratios vary due to the manor
or the characteristics of your application technique or
equipment. An ideal time is during light rains, mists,
or fog. Alternatively, irrigate a little before your
treatment and after the application to insure the
microbes will survive and travel more quickly and safely
to their new job locations. Whenever possible use
non-chlorinated water.
If a tea stinks, do not use it on your vegetables as it
is demonstrating anaerobic properties and may contain
pathogens. Dr. Ingram suggests you use it on an
undesirable weed bed!
A properly brewed Castings Tea is child, pet, and
wildlife friendly.
When we brew, there is a window of optimal application
time when microbe populations and diversity are at their
highest. Best results occur when the Castings Tea is
applied during its prime and is applied within 3 hours
of being removed from the oxygen source.
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Ingredients:
4-8 cups Barefoot Soil Organic Earthworm Castings
¼ cup sulfur free molasses
1 Tbsp water soluble sea plant extract
2 Tbsp soluble fish powder or liquid fish
4+ gallons Chlorine free water
(Note: If you have chlorinated water, fill your pail
and let it sit overnight uncovered, and the chlorine
will evaporate. Alternatively, accelerate the process
by putting the water in your brewer and turning the
bubbler on. You will know the chlorine is gone when you
cannot smell the chlorine anymore – probably in as short
a time as 20-30 minutes. You can verify the absence of
chlorine by purchasing a simple chlorine test kit from a
local pool supplier.)
Tea
Brewer components:
Min. 5 gallon plastic pail, bucket or barrel
Air pump with air stone or some other air dispersal
device (remember: small bubbles are superior).
Sieve (a 5 gal. paint bucket filter works well)
Elastic band or a twist-tie to close the Sieve
Directions:
First, ensure that all components are clean and there
are no buildups or areas of your brewer that will
prevent the circulation of air and water. (If the stone
builds up residue just soak it overnight in pure white
vinegar).
In a 5 gallon pail, fill with 4 gallons or so of warm
water with the molasses, seaweed extract, and liquid
fish. Turn on the pump with the hose and stone attached
before placing the stone into the solution. Leave the
pump running when removing the stone from the brew to
keep water from entering the stone.
Place the air-stone or other bubbler at the bottom of
the pail. For best results, use the ‘open brew’
approach by placing the Barefoot Soil Organic Earthworm
Castings directly into the water. (You can always
strain the castings later if you are going to use a
sprayer for the Teas’ application.) Alternatively, put
the BFS Organic Earthworm Castings into the sieve and
place it into the pail over the bubbler.
Brew until a noticeable frothy slime (“bio-slime”)
develops on the surface of the water and the smell of
the ingredients is very weak or no longer present. The
absence of noticeable fish and molasses odor indicates
that the microorganisms have consumed the ingredients!
Once the food is gone the populations will begin to
decrease. On warm summer days, you can begin a brew in
the evening, and the tea will be ready for application
the next morning. We find brewing is complete in as
little as 12 hours if the brew is kept warm. Hence,
brew times are heavily dependent on the water
temperature. With every 10 degree F drop in
temperature, brew times increase by 12 hours.
Be sure to keep the tea aerobic by leaving the bubbler
on until you use the tea since cutting off the oxygen
supply will down spike the population and diversity.
While brewing, the population of beneficial
microorganisms will be doubling in as little as every 20
minutes. By the end of the brew, your solution can
contain over one billion little critters per teaspoon of
tea!
Apply the tea when the populations of microorganisms
are at their highest number and diversity. Spray the
tea onto foliage, stems, roots and surrounding soil, or
simply pour it onto you plants and vegetation.
Remember, Castings Tea Everything! Spray early
morning or in the evening or in the shade, not in the
sunshine.
When you are finished, use the left over castings for
your soil amendment needs. Do not discard them! These
castings should have higher population densities than
what you started with, because remember, you brewed an
exceedingly large population, and they will adhere to
the castings!
Worm Tea Brewers & Nutrient Food
Yelm Earthworm & Castings Farm offers a reasonably priced ‘work horse’ 5
gallon brew Kit as well as the necessary nutrient foods
for the microbes.
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Recommended Reading: Teaming with Microbes, by Jeff
Lowenfels
