Worm tea - the return

[E-Jag]

I have 2 questions regarding worm tea - forgive me if they were answered in a previous thread, I looked but may have missed it. I purchased a pint of tea from Jerry Meola at the St Pete Green Thumb Festival last week (man, it's nice to be able to put a face with the name, doesn't happen very often) and have been using it all week. Thusly: I now water my dens every other day and my phals twice a week. Should I use the tea every time or only, say, once or twice a week? Second, I mixed up a gallon and am using it at least 6 times a week. How often can I reuse it before it's pretty much spent? Maybe a few months? Less? TIA for your help - and patience.

E-Jag

[justloveorchids]

I use it daily to mist some very neglected phals i was given .......the results are amazing the new leaf growth rate is phenominal
i cant see any reason you cant use it every day so long as its been diluted as recomended

[jerrymeola]

Using worm tea as little as once a month will make a noticeable difference.

You can reuse the tea until it is gone. Shelf life is 9-12 months. I make 15 gallons at a time for the greenhouse and have reused it for 3 months before it was all absorbed by the plants.

It is a live solution of thousands of microbes that keep reproducing. Enough material will wash out of the pot each watering to feed the microbes.

I have not run enough experiments yet on the effect of phosphates on the microbes since basically they do not inter-react well. Two Paphs on my desk growing hydroponically in worm tea have each added 4 inches to the new pups in 8 weeks without any additional fertilizer. I have never had results this good.

It was nice to meet you at the Green Thumb show. It was a great weekend event.

[E-Jag]

Jerry, thanks for your help. I was surprised at the number of orchid growers at the show who had no idea what worm tea is. Never heard of it. I've been using it in place of my usual fertilizers and my dens - which were nearly decimated by !@#$! squirrels (hyperventilating now) have suddenly produced 6 new shoots/stalks. Since it's been only a week and a half I'm not sure it's just the tea - that would be miraculous - but somethings at work. Maybe I really will get a few blooms this winter. Regards.

E-Jag

[chefatplay]

Jerry, would worm tea work on other plants such as african violets and parlor palms? I am very interested in this. I have a palm I bought three years ago that was gorgeous and now, due to my inexperience, aka neglect, is very sad . Can we buy this from you online? I would much prefer to support a "family member".

By the way, E-Jag, I also was surprised that no one knew of worm tea. I went to my local McKee Botanical Garden orchid show in Vero Beach a week or so ago and no one was knowlegable.

[siriusmk]

After reading this thread I'm interested in trying worm tea on my orchids. I googled it and found many different suppliers. What type of worm tea do you use? and where did you purchase it from?

[justloveorchids]

Start a wormerie .......compost all your kitchen scraps/veg peelings etc and you have your own supply of worm tea

dead easy and free along with being good for the environment

[Sharyn]

chefatplay: I've been using the worm tea on my other indoor house plants as well. Misting occassionally and watering with the tea about once a month. My peace plant shot up three new flowers this spring - still have one flower in bloom. It's the first time I've had more than one flower at a time for years.

siriusmk: You can p.m. Jerry Meola for an order or go directly to www.ourvitalearth.com

[chefatplay]

Thanks for the info, Sharyn. I've got to get some of this. If I am going to do this, I want to do the best.

[pitik101]

Does anyone know of any supplier for worm tea here in Asia?

With all the good things about this...might as well join the band

[jerrymeola]

pitik101

The production method was originated in Australia as an better use for food waste.

It may not be commercially available near you, but several members have described making their own worm bed. Worm tea is just the liquid run-off of the worm bed. Commercially they feed it additional trace elements and recycle the liquid 50 times to increase the concentration, but for home use the original run-off is fine if used within a few days.

To everyone, if you read my first posting you would realize that it was unknown to me until last year and the producers did not have any idea how well it would work for orchids or how to apply it.

It was Renee's use of it, in what i thought was an impossible way on a Vanda, that got me experimenting with it. Commercial growers are slow to change and the use will be more expensive in a large greenhouse than regular fertilizers. I am still balancing the results against the cost. For hobbyist the 'waste' will not be as great. I am limited to how much I can recycle in a commercial setting. If I add it to my injectors, as I intend, there will be a significant cost factor.

I qualified my first post with my lack of first hand knowledge. I have been experimenting a lot and will list some amazing results as soon as I can get some time to do the photos.

[jerrymeola]

Chefatplay and all others

the Worm tea will work very well for all plants. In addition there is a second product which is worm castings (dried worm excrement, fortunately odorless). This is easy to use and excellent for potted plants.

I did not mention it, because it will wash out of the pot too fast with orchid watering. I would think it would be better for your violets and palms. It is used as a topping for lawns. Not a cheap fertilizer but excellent when mixed 20% castings to 80% manure (now this smells). Effectively it results as a slow release fertilizer. The microbes can reproduce since the earth has a good food source for them.

When used this way they will kill off soil problems like nematodes.

It is being used to spray on Sago Palms to kill Asian Scale. The Asian Scale gets into the trunk and roots of the plant and is almost impossible to eliminate with normal poisons. Several customers told me it eliminated the scale after six sprayings over two weeks and a treatment of the soil around the base, and keep it away for a full year.

[chefatplay]

Thanks for the info Jerry. My "mother" orchid, called so because it is my first, is coming to the end of her flowering stage, although I have about 11 flowers left, there is a new leaf emerging. Oh my, I think I did something right. My husband, he who can grow everything and has, is even pleasantly pleased that I have come this far. Worm tea it is for me. I LOVE this place!! It makes me feel so capable. You know, I looked this morning and I thought for a moment I saw some green on my thumb, awesome.....

[justloveorchids]

I have used my own Worm tea on lots of my Clematis for years and they are doing brilliantly .......i certainly dont worry how old it is either nor would i worry how old it was on my orchids

Just because commercially they mess around and concentrate it etc does not make it better or more stable

Its so simple to make a wormerie and theres no smell even if you keep it in a basement or the garage

[chefatplay]

Thank you for that advice, justloveorchids. I'm looking forward to using it.

[kmarch]

Since worm tea originated in Australia, if I understand you correctly Jerry, I'm suprised I am havign such a time finding it. Does anyone know whaere I can buy some down under?

[justloveorchids]

Why not simply contact local gardening groups theres bound to be someone with a Wormerie who will be happy to give you some worm tea

[butt0n]

I started spraying worm tea on my orchids and bonsai this week and haven't noticed too many differences. I guess I have to wait a bit longer.

[Lucinda Brown]

Check your internet.You're more likely to find some there.Does anybody know if the worm tea spray may help with spider mite problems.The EPA has taken kelthane and just about everything else that I used to use outdoors for them off the market,here.I have major problems with them every year in my garden beds.

[kmarch]

Google isn't the answer for everything. I've done quite a bit of searching and can't find anywhere here in Australia that sells worm tea.

Anton, Fred, any Aussies know where to get this stuff? And no I'm not going to get a whole worm farm set up to make my own. No room.

Cheers.

[fred]

Kevin I would not know where to get it.

Not here in Tassie may be Anton might know