Back in January when we started composting with worms, I hadn't thought too much about "why?" I thought it would be a fun experiment and it being January I liked thinking about the possibility of it helping our garden. Now here it is June and we have a bin of beautiful of "Black Gold." We have a small-time operation but this has certainly taught us that vermicomposting does, in fact, work!
Yesterday I made my first batch of Worm Tea using some of these worm castings. I found instructions (which now I can't find) that seemed very simple. Five gallons of water. Two tablespoons of molasses. Two cups of worm poo tied up in a sock. Stir it every so often for 24 hours. Use it. Okay.
Today I dumped it on everything and sprayed it all too.
But I have just done a little bit more research. To really get the benefits of this stuff it needs to be made using a fish tank bubbler. This batch was a bit stinky and most likely had very few microrganisms living in it. When I saw those other instructions it seemed too good to be true. I should have known. The good news is we have a bubbler ready and waiting for another batch. We have a new housemate who is an avid gardener and very enthused to give this a try. I will introduce him another day, if he wants. He is good guy who is often seen on his lunch break from work gardening while wearing a tie and bike helmet.
Here is a link that has a comprehensive list of the benefits of using worm tea. I will let you know how our next batch turns out.
Today I also planted an upside-down tomato. I saw this in action last year at my grandparents' house and was very intrigued. Matt's mom saw this planter and picked one up for us (thanks Chris!).
