Worm Tea Update

[jerrymeola]

The large increase in interest in Worm Tea on Orchids is spawning a number of tests. In addition to my own testing which is continuing, The Greater Orlando Orchid Society has made it a club project to test its benefits on orchids in a controlled test environment. They are using OurVitalEarth’s product.

Their initial results are a 30-50% growth improvement over control plants not receiving anything and even greater improvement on a third set of test plants when Worm Tea was used exclusively (although not as great an increase).

I will keep you informed as the testing continues and post the entire test results when they are finished.



A number of people have asked about making worm tea by soaking castings. OurVitalEarth recommended against it, because you would not be getting the live microbes. It is the beneficial microbes, that I have found to be the biggest benefit for orchids. Castings do not have any live microbes. Castings will give you beneficial nematodes, which have a great deal of value in an area like Florida suffering from nematodes.


I found it ironic this week that the State of Florida Dept of Agriculture was polling nurseries about insect problems and insecticides. One of the questions was whether I was using beneficial nematodes in my nursery.



I did some research on Terracycle Worm Tea sold in WalMart and Home Depot. This is made by mixing castings with water. I had not thought it possible to ship and store the live microbe product in a box store distribution chain. If you are going to use this product with its limitations then buy the castings and make your own at a considerable savings of money.



I use a mixture of castings and cow manure (20/80) on my property for my flowering trees and plants. It seems to have eliminated nematodes in these areas. The cow manure is necessary in lace>Florida because our soil is so poor and sterile the beneficial microbes do not have anything to eat, needing the manure for food. Ugh! However the plants look better.

The product is extremely good for golf courses, but I hate golf courses and live in a conservation area where golf courses are banned (yes banned in Florida).

[chefatplay]

Thank you Jerry for continuing to work on the Worm Tea issue. I am happy to see people are really thinking about this product.

"Their initial results are a 30-50% growth improvement over control plants not receiving anything and even greater improvement on a third set of test plants when Worm Tea was used exclusively (although not as great an increase)."
Question, were the first set of plants receiving Worm Tea also receiving commercial fertilizer? I seem to be confused on this topic as I thought commercial fertilizers did not interact well with Worm Tea beneficial microbes. I would appreciate clarification on that.

[elitebettas]

I have personally been to Our Vital Earth and have seen the worm pits. A bit skeptical, i still purchased the product. I've been using it for about a week now but keep going back and forth as to whether it actually makes a difference, as all my plants before using worm tea were in stages of new growth. I'm not sure if the worm tea has helped, but I do not like to use chemical pesticides so use it for that reason alone. Also, the live microbes-would that not degrade the inert potting mediums we use quicker? And secondly, I'm wondering if there are any harmful bacteria in the mixture? Guess it's too early to tell, but I have only noticed good things, momentum in growth on the orchids, and the bouganvellias LOVE it, lol. i foilar feed and put in the potting soil, you would not believe the texture of the leaves now, increased turgor and new growth is shiny. Will continue to report

[KenFL]

I started using worm tea yesterday. Hope it works

[tizzycat]

I'm still looking for some in the uk

[mayres]

Like was noted above, not having the resources to prove that it is beneficial over other methods of fertilizing, I use it for the pesticide value - any other value I may get is just an added bonus. I will be most anxious to see the results of a scientific study that will show conclusively that there is or is not a marked difference. Thanks for the update Jerry and will look forward to updates in the future. mike

[boxerfan]

I've been using OVE worm tea for about 2 months now and am pleased with the amount of new growth on my orchids. I still use commercial fertilizer "weekly, weakly" as well and use worm tea as a spray. Should I be spraying both the tops and undersides of the leaves? In the studies in Fla., is WT being used as a spray, for watering, or both? Thanks, Lisa

[jerrymeola]

I will get the entire test conditions and results from the Greater Orlando Society as it completes over the six month period.

they basically divided a set of orchids into three groups. the control group did not get worm tea but watered normally

the second group got worm tea once a month. this group had 1 1/2 inches of leaf group in the first month

the third group had worm tea every watering and two inches of leaf group the first month.

I do not know if the first group is getting fertilizer but normally fertilizer would not show any results in a month

In my own unscientific observations I noticed significant leaf growth the first month of tea usage. I have some of this documented in photos and will keep posting results as they come available

[jay]

From everything that I have found, earth worm castings are very rich in Nitrogen. The tea is also very rich in nitrogen. I believe that this nitrogen in combination with the microbes which help absorb nutrients and water is where we are seeing increadible signs of growth, especially during vegatative growth. I certainly have seen this and will be posting my one month results soon.

Now for the million dollar question. Will this slow flowering stages that generally require higher amounts of phosphorus and lower amounts of nitrogen.

Jerry, this especially applies to those of us who use the worm tea (OVE dilluted) in the S/H culture. My plants have the worm tea available 24/7. Should we stop this in the winter and switch to water and conventional hydroponic fertilizers? I have a Burrageara Stefan Isler 'lava flow' that is currently in spike. I am actually surprised that it is spiking because it took some damage (sun burn) this spring and was repotted to S/H worm tea this summer. As of right now the flower spike seems a bit smaller than the last two times it has flowered (1st when purchaced and one re-bloom). I suppose this could be due to the rough year it has had, but could the nitrogen make the flowers smaller?

ok, so there were two million dollar questions.

jay

[jerrymeola]

I have not gone through a full years cycle with the tea but I am not making any changes.

I have to check with the lab assey of the tea but I was under the belief that it does not have nitrogen but nitrofying-bacteria which makes any nitrogen available for the plants use.

It will certainly be a point of research with these tests.

[jay]

Jerry,

For the plants to do so well, there must be some kind of nutrients in the tea. I mix the concentrate with distilled water, which shouldn't have any nutrients or minerals, yet the orchids really seem to grow fast. If they are in a hydroponic culture, with no other additional nutrients other than worm tea, where are they getting the nutrients to grow/flower?

Just curious. I love the worm tea, and use if for all of my orchids. Just trying to get a better understanding of how it all works.


jay

[jerrymeola]

what is not said about chemical fertilizers is that a plant can not absorb the minerals directly. It is the microbes that break down the compounds.

Wild orchids get all the nutrients they need from rain (admittedly a lot runs off a rain forest). Orchids do not need much as long as they can use what they get.

[justloveorchids]

Tizzy Cat

if you are near and able to collect from the 01484 area code in Yorkshire I can probably get some Worm Tea bought up next time my neighbours daughter comes back down here to visit