Worm tea

[orchid_girl]

Is there anywhere else I can get worm tea besides the internet? I want to try it on all of my plants not just the orchids. I have quite a problem with aphids on my roses and other plants too. Does anyone know if it gets rid of Japanese beetles?

[gerneveyn]

There is a brand called Terracycle that I've found in Home Depot and Walmart. http://www.terracycle.net/locator.htm

[orchid_girl]

Thanks, I'll look for it!

[jerrymeola]

Terracycle is made by soaking worm castings in water. It has the beneficial nematodes and some fertilizer qualities but does not have the live microbes that I find are so effective on orchids.

The live solution would not handle the packaging and distribution of a box store chain. Storage of live solution requires the cap to be kept slightly loose, which is not a problem for a nursery or hobbyist but impossible for a chain store.

[maninair]

How many days I can keep the worm tea mixture in open without spoiling.

[jerrymeola]

It depends on the method in which it was manufactured. If you Goggle Worm Tea you will see a number of articles from Ohio State University where they use a once through liquid run-off and say to use it in 1-2 days.

The product I use from Our Vital Earth is a super concentrate with may added minerals. It has a shelf life of 9-12 months as a concentrate and I have had good results on the diluted solution for 1-2 months. Usually I try not to mix more than I will use in a couple of weeks.

Other brands and methods can be anywhere in between.