Worm Bins and Compost Teas
Mary Appelhof

Kalamazoo, MI. Compost teas are one of the hottest things going out on the west coast, ranging from California to Alaska. These brews are full of beneficial microbes that can put life back into soil that has had its life-giving qualities removed by excess applications of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.

Gardeners, organic growers, and large-scale farmers alike are finding that spraying compost tea as a foliar spray and as a soil drench improves crop yields at the same time it reduces or eliminates fertilizer and pesticide use.

A common belief in the twentieth century was that all bugs are bad. That’s not true. The majority of bacteria and protozoa, fungi and nematodes are beneficial. We want them in our soil. Compost teas are the best way to get these microorganisms back into the soil where they can make nitrogen available and release other nutrients plants require as they need them.

Compost tea is something you can brew yourself with a minimum of effort. We’re talking about aerated teas, those that have oxygen actively introduced into the brewing solution so that the only microorganisms that reproduce are the aerobic ones. This can be done with an aquarium aerator or more powerful pump.

You place good compost, that is, compost known to have millions of bacteria, high biomass of fungi, thousands of protozoa, and a few beneficial nematodes into liquid in a container with various food sources to support their growth. Worm bins are a good source of these organisms that multiply thousands of times in this favorable environment.

After 12-48 hours, depending on the brewer, you strain the liquid and spray the tea, coating leaves and soil with these beneficial organisms. Biological processes multiply their effects. Protozoa eat bacteria, releasing nitrogen that plants can use. Fungal hyphae (strands) grow out and bring in nutrients plants need. The beneficial organisms coat leaf surfaces so that pathogens can’t find a place to land and take hold.

When you use a worm bin to process your own food discards you can generate a diverse and local source of beneficial microorganisms to make a superb compost tea to restore and enhance fertility in your soil. What else can you ask for?

Mary Appelhof is author of Worms Eat My Garbage and has been working with worms for over 30 years. Visit her website at: http://www.wormwoman.com and subscribe to her free WormEzine.

©2003 by Mary AppelhofSubmitted by:
Mary Appelhof
Flowerfield Enterprises
10332 Shaver Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49024
269-327-109 FAX 269-327-7009
Email: mappelho@tds.net
http://www.wormwoman.com

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