WHAT IS WORM TEA - WORMTEA

I am using the phrase worm tea as opposed to "compost tea" because we are a worm farm and we brew with our worm castings, although "compost tea" or CT is probably a more commonly used phrase than wormtea. In both, microbiology is extracted with water so that this microbiology can be used in sprays – oftentimes a far more convenient application method than bulk soil amending or dispersion.  However, the nature of compost tea vs. worm tea can be radically different with worm tea having more species diversity and worm created substances than compost teas and therefore more effective results.

Additionally, worm tea have to be separated into two types: extracted vs. aerobically brewed. In the extraction method, water is run through the compost/castings and then the water solution is applied. Many bottled brands of worm tea 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 aerated water (via an air bubbler or similar system) typically with other nutrients. The circulated water extracts the microbiology and the microbes feed on the nutrients. In this method, colonies of microbes are brewed in exponential numbers, for a colony of bacteria for instance can double in population every 20 minutes. Aerobic brewing takes longer than straight 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!

Used with Permission from Yelm Worm Farm.