How to Make Worm Tea (for Gardens, Lawns, + More)

Worm tea is a non-toxic, cheap and easy way to naturally fertilize your yard, garden, or houseplants! It’s made by steeping worm castings in water for 24 hours, and works similarly to vermicompost.

Vermicompost (AKA worm castings) is produced as red wiggler worms break down food and other organic scraps in a worm bin. In other words, vermicompost is worm fecal matter. Worm poop!

Worm castings are nature’s BEST fertilizer. They’re full of nutrients and microbes that increase soil and plant health, among many other benefits.

Read more about worm cast tea below.

So What is Worm Tea Exactly?

Worm tea is basically the microbial rich liquid derived from vermicompost. It’s full of nutrients and beneficial microorganisms that soil and plants love, and is absorbed faster than castings by root systems.

Also a soil amendment, worm cast tea increases soil’s ecological diversity. Similarly to vermicompost, it improves soil structure and can suppress plant disease and help ward off pests.

Think of worm tea as a probiotic supplement for your garden. Probiotics help our digestive and immune systems flourish, while maintaining a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria.

Worm casting tea does the same for plants.

Worm casting tea is easy to make. Just steep finished worm castings in water (preferably non-chlorinated and fluoride free) overnight. Drain the tea and it’s ready to be used as a fertilizer on the lawn, in the garden, or on houseplants.

See full directions here.

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NOTE: Never substitute worm leachate for worm tea.

Leachate is a liquid by product of a compost bin. With vermicomposting, waste may release liquid from it’s cell structure before it’s fully broken down by red wigglers during the decomposition process.

Worms play an important part in minimizing harmful pathogens as waste passes through their digestive systems. So that’s why you don’t want a lot of leachate build up in your vermicomposting bin.

Make sure to drain leachate regularly for a healthy bin! Too much leachate in a worm bin is bad news.

Worm Casting Tea Benefits

Like vermicompost, there are plenty of reasons to make and use worm cast tea. Firstly, it’s absorbed more quickly than worm castings, allowing soil and plants a quicker nutrient boost!

Here’s a complete list of worm tea benefits. Click on each benefit for the detailed explanation:

1. boosts microbiological activity in soil by adding bacteria and other microbes like fungi, acinomycetes, and protozoa
2. helps plants ward off infections and other pathogens
3. feeds established soil microorganisms
4. prevents root burn
5. enhances seed germination
6. increases plant growth
7. speeds up flower and fruit production

Keep reading for more detailed information on the benefits of worm castings tea.

1. Boosts Soil’s Microbial Activity

Worm casting tea is full of healthy microbes, which creates an even more ecologically diverse soil system that plants thrive in. Castings in general contain more calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that soil on its own.

2. Helps Plants Ward Off Infection and Pests

The healthy microbes help flush out harmful bacteria and diseases, allowing plants to flourish with a boosted immune system.

A healthy and immune plant produces hormones that taste bad to pests and insects. In addition, worm compost tea sprayed directly on leaves helps form a waxy layer on plant skin.

This protective layer shields the plant from insects and harmful microbes.

3. Feeds Established Soil Microbes

Nutrients in worm casting tea feed already healthy soil bacteria, therefore multiplying its fertilizing powers.

4. Prevents Root Burn

Chemical fertilizers may cause root burn when applied in excess. Worm castings tea is derived from nature’s preferred fertilizer (worm poop), and is a ready-to-use form of fertilizer that plant’s prefer.

5. Enhances Seed Germination

Studies have shown that seedlings watered with a diluted worm cast tea solution germinate faster and produce stronger plants.

These stronger plants often withstand elements that plants treated with other fertilizers cant, like frosts, colder temps, and harmful diseases.

6. Increases Plant Growth

Worm castings and tea can naturally increase crop production by about 25% in both short and long term growing periods, without harming Earth’s ecosystem per a study published on Nature.com.

Important studies using earthworms, castings, and their tea are currently underway as a means to feed Earth’s growing population without damaging the environment.

7. Speeds Up Flower and Fruit Production

Healthy soil plus stronger plants yield fruit and flowers faster. When you compare humans and plants, we’re not so different.

When our immune systems are healthy, we’re more productive at work and can accomplish more in a smaller amount of time. On the other hand, when we’re feeling weak or sick, a normal task takes much longer to complete.

To summarize it up, your garden and plants definitely benefit from the many all-natural fertilizing powers of worm castings tea. Now let’s talk about how to make this powerful plant juice.

How to Make Worm Tea

It’s exactly like making regular tea, but on a larger scale! Then end result is a healthy, cozy drink for your soil and plants!

There are two primary ways to make worm tea:

1. steeping method
2. aerated compost tea brewer

1. How to Steep Worm Casting Tea (without aeration)

Home brewing is the simplest method for smaller yards and gardens. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Materials Needed:

• several pounds of finished worm castings from your worm bin (or purchase online)
• filtered or natural water (chemical free is preferred since chlorine or fluoride can reduce the amount of good microbes)
• large bucket
• makeshift porous bag (an upcycled old cotton t-shirt or pillow case will do)

Next, follow these steps to ‘brew’ your own worm tea.

Instructions

1. Make your ‘tea bag’. If using a t-shirt, tie up the bottom to hold the castings in place.
2. Add castings and secure the bag with a rubber band or string.
3. Fill the bucket with filtered or natural water, then add the tea bag of castings.
4. Allow the castings to steep in the water overnight or for around 24 hours.
5. Worm tea is finished when water has turned a brown color.
6. Strain the tea and transfer it to a watering can or several spray bottles.

Don’t wait too long to use the worm casting tea, as the beneficial bacteria will die off eventually.

Also, the spent worm castings can either be added directly to soil or potting mix, or put back in the worm bin. Just make sure to squeeze out any extra moisture.

2. How to Make Worm Tea with an Aerated Brewer

This method of brewing worm compost tea is often used by lawn care professionals in charge of fertilizing large areas like golf courses, athletic fields, or farms.

Oxygen (via aeration) and a food source is introduced to help feed microorganisms. This significantly increases the density of microbes and beneficial bacteria already found in worm castings.

This gives the soil and plant life a major nutrient boost, which leads to healthier soil and faster growth.

Materials Needed

• about three pounds of finished worm castings
• filtered or natural water
• 5 gallon bucket
• makeshift porous tea bag
• compost tea aerator (or a basic fish tank aerator works also)
• air pump
• microbial food source (1/4 cup of molasses, honey, or syrup)

Some examples of compost tea aerators available for purchase online follow:

Once all materials have been gathered, follow the directions below to make aerated worm tea.

Instructions

NOTE: Steps 1 and 2 are the same for the regular worm tea brewing process.

1. Make your ‘tea bag’. If using a t-shirt, tie up the bottom to hold the castings in place.
2. Add castings and secure the bag with a rubber band or string.
3. Secure the aerator inside the bucket and attach tubing to air pump.
4. Fill the bucket with filtered or natural water, then add the tea bag of castings. (If using tap water, aerate for an hour BEFORE adding castings to eliminate chlorine gas.)
5. Mix 1/4 cup of microbial food source (molasses, honey, syrup) with a cup of water until dissolved, then add to bucket of water.
6. Allow the tea to brew in the water for around 24 hours.
7. Worm tea is finished when water has turned a brown color. The surface will be full of foam and bubbles.
8. Strain the tea and transfer it to a watering can, watering system, or spray bottles.

Aerated compost tea brewing kits are available to purchase online. The option below is for general compost, but will work with worm castings as well.

How to Use Worm Tea Fertilizer

Home brewed worm casting tea should be used within two to three hours after brewing is complete, preferably in the morning or early evening. Moisture is best absorbed into the ground at these times.

Worm casting tea should be used within a day, but within the first few hours is best. The microbes in the tea mixture will start to work immediately when it’s introduced into the soil.

If not used quickly, the beneficial bacteria and microbes will begin to die off without a food source.

You can also buy shelf stable worm tea that lasts up to a year. Click here for more info on where to find worm compost tea for sale.

It’s important to note that five gallons of worm tea is sufficient to cover an acre of plant life. A little goes a long way!

Use worm casting tea in one of the following ways:

• Add worm tea to a watering can and water fruit or vegetable gardens about once per week.
• Use worm tea directly in a drip irrigation system.
• Apply tea directly to fruit tree or plant leaves using a watering can or backpack style sprayer weekly.
• Consider worm cast tea concentrate for small gardens or houseplants. Apply per manufacturer’s directions.
• Cover a larger space by adding worm compost tea to a lawn sprayer, like the one below. Spray lawn, shrubs, trees or turf every two weeks.

For more insight on using worm casting tea in the garden, check out this informative video:

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Where to Find Worm Tea for Sale

Prefer to buy worm casting tea instead of make it on your own? Many people simply have no need for five gallons worth of worm cast tea, so purchasing it is the best option.

Luckily it’s simple to find! Just do your research to ensure it’s coming from a reputable source that knows what they’re doing.

Always look for worm compost tea in concentrate form. As mentioned previously, fresh worm tea should be used as quickly as possible or microbes die without their food source.

The beneficial microbes and bacteria lie dormant in a concentrated solution. They are only activated after water is introduced. Once activated, the worm casting tea solution should be used within one day or less.

Find worm tea concentrate for sale in the following locations:

• local worm farm
• some home and gardening stores
• Etsy
• Amazon
• Vermisterra.com

These are the highest rated options online:

Final Thoughts on Worm Tea

To summarize it up, worm cast tea is nature’s miracle fertilizer! The benefits are endless, and it’s 100% non toxic and safe for pets, kids, and plants.

Remember these key points to get the most out of your worm tea:

• 5 gallons of tea will cover about an acre of plant life.
• Freshly brewed worm casting tea should be used as quickly as possible. (within 2-3 hours before beneficial bacteria and microbes die off)
• Worm cast tea concentrate has a longer shelf life (up to one year), but it should be used within a day when water is added to activate dormant microbial life.
• Water plants and soil with worm cast tea early in the morning or late evening when moisture absorbs easier.

Have you ever made your own compost tea? Let us know how you use it in the comments!

P.S. Click here to read about the 16 different methods for composting at home! Includes methods for every size living space and budget!

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