Homebrew Soil Tea

You can make your own humic acid or worm tea, or buy bottled worm tea.

To ‘brew’ this excellent soil amendment at home, you'll need:

Start batches in moderate weather and set up in shade.

Fill bucket or trashcan with water.
Leave out for 24 hours to passively de-chlorinate (or use rainwater and skip wait period).
Drop bubbler stone to bottom. Start bubbling.
Wrap castings in cheesecloth or stuff in pantyhose and tie top. (+/-8 cups castings for 55 gal. can, +/-5 handfuls for 5 gal bucket)
Suspend ‘tea bag’ in water. Unsulfured molasses can be added as an optional sugar feed for faster microbe growth.
Make sure bubbles are vigorous and moving the water as the beneficial microbes need oxygen to grow. Stagnant water will spoil the batch.
Depending on the weather, in about three or four days bubbles will start forming on the surface, followed by foam. It lives! The water will be brown and slightly murky with small floating clumps. It should smell earthy but not stinky.
For maximum benefits, dilute with water.

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Nora Lousignont published this page in Soil and Watering 2024-09-23 18:27:02 -0700