WormCastings_Tea

AllAboutWormCastingsandTheirUse
UsingCastingsandCastingTea CompostTeas:BrewingaSweetBlend WrittenBy:KellySlocum(usedwithpermission) Anicecupofgood,hotteahasforyearsbeenenjoyedasarestorativetothemindandbody.Centuries agohumankindlearnedthattheflavorandbeneficialessenceofcertainplantscouldbedrawnfrom theirleaves,barkandrootsbysteepingtheminwater,sometimesfortifyingthebrewwithabitofmilk andhoney.Howwellweunderstandthatanipofsoothingmintteawillsettlethestomach,acupof fragrantchamomileteawillsoothefrayednerves,andaheavymugofvitaminrichalfalfateacan stimulateaweakappetite.Bysteepingtheseplantmaterialsinwaterwecanpartakeofwhatisbest aboutthemwheneatingtheplantisnotanoption. Thisconceptofusingwatertodrawbeneficialextractsfromsolidmaterialsforthepurposeofmakinga liquidsolutionhasapplicationsbeyondmakingwehumansfeelbetter,however.Ourplantsandeven oursoilscanbenefitgreatlyfromanicecupofteawhenthatteaisderivedfromaplantnutritionsource likewormcastings. UnderstandingtheValueofCastings Castingsaddedtothesoilcarrytotherootzonearichcomplimentofsolubleplantnutrientsandgrowth enhancingcompounds,adiverseandpopulousconsortiumofmicrobiallifeandasubstrateoforganic matterharboringastorehouseofnutrientsthatarenotlosttorainandirrigation.Theplantisdelivered anongoing,reliablefoodsourcewhenbacteriaandmicroscopicfungifeedontheorganicmatter, releasingsomeofthenutrientstothesoilandstoringothersfortheirownenergyandreproduction. Whennematodesandprotozoainturnfeeduponthem,thenutrientsstoredinthebacterialandfungal bodiesarereleasedtothesoilinaplantavailableform. AccordingtoDr.ElaineIngham,DirectorofSoilFoodWeb,Inc.ofCorvallis,Oregon,whensoil,compost orcastingssupportprotozoanumbersontheorderof20,000pergramofsolidmatter,400poundsof nitrogenperacrearereleasedthroughtheirpredationofbacteria.Whenwefeedorganicmattertothe soil,thesoillifefeedsnutrientstotheplant. Further,unlikesolubleplantfertilizers,thenutrientsstoredinorganicmatterandthebodiesofthe microbiallifearenotlostthroughirrigationtocontaminategroundwater.Hairthinfungaltentacles, calledhyphae,wrapaboutsoilandorganicmatterparticlesintheirsearchforfood,formingaggregates thatarethebasisforgoodsoilstructure.Thus,boththefungiandtheorganicmatterareheldinthesoil. Bacteriaexudestickygluesthatenablethemtoclingtosolidparticlesofmineralandorganicmatter, ensuringtheytooremaininthesoiland,likethefungi,aidintheformationofaggregates.

Nutrientretentionandcyclingarenottheonlybenefittocastingsuse,however.Byinoculatingthesoil withtherich,diverse,microbiallifepresentingoodwormcastings,theplantrootisprotectedfrom diseaseandattackbyrootfeedingorganisms.Becausethediversityoforganismsaidsinensuring everyonepresenthasapredator,nooneorganismintherootzoneiseasilyabletoreachpopulations sufficienttocausesignificantdamage.Plantrootsexudefoodsthatencouragecolonizationbymicrobial lifebeneficialtotheplant,reducingthenumberofpossibleinfectionpoints.Manymicroorganisms exudecompoundsinhibitorytopathogenicorganisms,furtherreducingthechanceforpathogenblooms sufficienttocauseplantdamage. Whenweaddcastingsandthemicrobiallifetheysupporttothesoil,weaidinincreasingthecomplexity anddiversityoforganismsintherootzone,thusaidingindiseaseandpestsuppression.Itmaynotbein therootzonealonewherewormcastingsdemonstratetheabilitytosuppresspestattack,however. Thereisagrowingbodyofresearchsuggestingthatcastingsderivedfromafeedstockofplantmaterials arerichinacompoundcalledchitinase.Chitin,acomponentoftheexoskeletonofmanyinsects,is damagedbychitinase,leadingsomeresearcherstobelieveitspresenceinthecastingsmaybeinhibitory tosomeinsects.ResearchbeingconductedinCaliforniaisdemonstratingsuppressionofwhiteflyand ambrosiabeetleinsometreespecieswhencastingscontainingchitinaseareappliedattherootzone. FromCastingstoTea So,"whytea?"onemaywonder.Withcompostandwormproductsdemonstratingsuchtremendous benefittosoilandplantlife,whytaketheextrastepstogeneratealiquidfromthisalreadyunderstood andeasilyappliedsolidmaterial? Leafsurfaces,likeplantroots,harborarichmicrobialpopulationthatprotectstheleaf,andthusthe plant,frominfectionandattackbypathogenicorganisms.Whenthemicrobialconsortiumpresenton theleafsurfaceisreducedbypesticideuseorenvironmentaldamage,itexposesleafsurface,opening infectionpoints.Wecanreinoculatetheleafwiththediversecommunitiesofmicrobiallifefoundin compostandwormcastingsbyapplyingateamadefromthesematerials.Further,teascanbeapplied assoildrenchesandrootwashesafterpesticideuse,toreintroducetothesoilmicrobialcommunities thatmayhavebeendamagedbythepesticide.Themicrobescanthencontinuetoprovideprotection frompathogenstotheplantaswellasaidinginbreakdownofanypesticideresiduesinthesoil,thereby preventinggroundwatercontamination. Teasalsocarrythesolublenutrientsandbeneficialgrowthregulatorscontainedinthesolidmatterused tomakethetea.Manyofthesecompoundscanbeabsorbedthroughtheleafsurface,feedingand enrichingtheplant. Teaorleachate? Themicroorganismspresentinanaerobiccompostorvermiprocessingsystemrequiresignificant amountsofmoistureinordertobreakdowntheorganicmaterialspresent.Theyusethewaterinboth theirlifeprocessesandasavenuesformovingthroughthematerial.Theseorganismsareswimmers. Thus,whenwebuildasystemfortheremediationoforganicwastes,whetherornotwormsare

involved,wemoistentheorganicmaterialstoensureefficientbreakdown.Asthebacteriaandfungi reducetheorganicmaterial,thewaterheldwithinthefeedstockisreleasedtothesystem.Further,as organicmaterialsarebrokendownbymicrobialdecay,moistureisgeneratedasabyproductofaerobic activity.Whatthismeansisthatthesesystemsoftengeneratefluidsgenerallyreferredtoasleachates. Leachatefromanactivelydecomposingpileoforganicdebriswilloftencarrymanyofthesoluble nutrientsthathadbeenpresentinthesolidmatter,producingabeneficialgrowthresponsewhenused towaterplants.Itwillalsocarrysmallnumbersofthemicroorganismspresentonthatsolidmatter,as wellassmallbitsofundecomposedorganicmaterial.Thisbecomesanissueofsomeconcernwhen materialslikemanureorpostconsumerfoodresidualsmakeupevenaportionofthefeedstockinthe system.Thereisthepossibilitythatfecalcoliformsandotherpathogenicorganismscanbepresentin theleachate,potentiallycontaminatingplantandfruitorvegetablesurfaceswithwhichitcomesinto contact. Further,thebitsofundecomposedorganicdebrisintheleachatewillcontinuetobebrokendowninthe liquidwhereoxygenlevelsareverylow,throughtheactionofanaerobicmicroorganisms.Astheyslowly decomposethesebitsofmaterialanaerobesproducealcoholandphenolstoxictoplantroots. Itisnotalwayspossibletotellwhenleachatewillproduceabeneficialgrowthresponseandwhenitwill causedamage.Withoutalabtestitisnotpossibletotellwhenleachatewillharborpotentially pathogenicorganisms.Assuch,itisgenerallyrecommendedthatleachatefromcompostorwormbins notbeusedonplants,butratherusedtomoistenthesystemifitdriesoutortomoistennewfeedstocks beforetheyareincludedinthesystem. Steepingthefinished,stableendproductofacompostingorvermicompostingsysteminagitated, aeratedwater,thenaddinganutrientmixformicrobialgrowthmakesatruetea.Thewaterisagitated toextractasmanyoftheorganismsclingingtothesolidmatteraspossible,andthenutrientmix providesthosemicrobesdislodgedintotheliquidwithafoodsourceonwhichtogrowandreproduce. Aeratingthewaterensuresthatitistheaerobicorganismsthataresupportedintheliquid.Thisblendof foodandoxygenintheteaenablesthemicroorganismstogrowtonumbersrivalingthosefoundinthe solidmatterfromwhichtheteaisderived.Teasmustthenbeusedwithinafewhoursofbeing generatedinordertoensureaerobicityandhighmicrobialpopulations.Oncetheoxygenandfoodare consumed,anaerobicorganismswillbegintopopulatethesystem,producingalcoholsandphenolstoxic toplants. Goodteabeginswithgood,qualitycompost,wormcastingsorvermicompost,orablendofthese materials.Providedthesolidmaterialisstableandsupportssufficientbeneficialmicrobiallife,thereis nothingintheseliquidstocauseplantdamage. Usingthetea Compostandcastingsteasarearelativelynewproductintoday'sagricultureandgardeningindustries. Researchersarestillidentifyinguses,thoughthereisconsiderableresearchdemonstratingthatteascan

suppressfungaldiseaseinavarietyofplantspeciesandaidindiseasepreventiononplantswhere diseasepressureisgreat. Applicationratesforteawillvaryconsiderablywiththetypeofplantbeingtreated,climate,and whetherornottheplantisalreadybattlingapestorinfection.Dr.Inghamsuggeststhatinagricultural fieldstheapplicationratebeginatfivegallonsofundilutedteaperacreperweekandadjustedas neededbasedonperformance.Forhomeuse,teascanbeappliedtoflowers,perennials,turf,roses, shrubs,treesandvegetablesfromahandsprayeratadilutionratioofonepartfresh,undilutedteato fivepartswater,appliedonceperweek.Theteacanbeappliedmoreorlessfrequentlyoratalower dilutionratioasneededbasedonperformance. Whatwedonotknowaboutteasstillfaroutweighswhatwedoknow,thoughresearchdemonstrates anexcitingfutureforteause.Thepossibilityoffindingameansofcontrollingcertainplantdiseaseswith atrulyeffectiveyetbenignmaterialthatsimplycapitalizesonnature'sownmeansofcontrolisabasic preceptofsustainabilityandpromisestohelpusrepairthedamagealreadycausedbyconventional agriculturetechniques. Andwhilewemaynotknoweverythingthereistoknowabouttea,weknowthatusingitharmsnothing andveryoftenbringsgreatbenefits.Indeed,there'snothinglikeagoodcupoftea! ReadersmaycontactKellySlocumatBonTerraat3602535465orviaemailat:kelly@bonterra.net. Research,WormCastingsandPlantHealth WormCastings Researchshowswormcomposthasgrowthbenefitsthatexcedeeventhoseofplaincompost ByDonLotter,Ph.D.,TheRodaleInstitute MattRyan,researchtechnicianatTheInstitute,helpedwritethisresearchbrief January17,2003:Overthepastdecaderesearchhasshownthatwormcompost,orvermicompost, hasagrowthpromotingeffectonplantsthatgoesbeyondthebenefitsofplaincompost.Anarticlein theIPMPractitioner(May/June2002)discussedvermicompostsabilitytoincreasecropyields dramatically.Onestudyfounda200%growthincreaseinlettucewhenplantsweregerminatedand transplantedinamixwithvermicompost.Oneofthemainclassesofactiveplantgrowthpromoting substancesfoundinwormcastingsarehumicacids.Thesewerefoundtobeassociatedwith significantlygreaterplantheights,leafarea,shootandrootdryweightsintomatoandcucumber seedlingsandbettergrowthofflowersandraspberries.Vermicompostandaerobiccompostteas madefromvermicomposthavebeenshowntosuppresscertainplantdiseases.InPetridishtests vermicompostteashavebeenshowntoinhibitcommonfungalpathogensofplantssuchasFusarium, Botrytis,Pythium,Phytophtora,Rhizoctonia,andSclerotinia.Dr.ElaineInghamsaysthatplant protectionbyhighqualitycompostismostlyduetothemicrobialactivityincompost. Vermicomposthasalsoopenedupnewmarketsforfarmers.Withtherightequipmentandknowhow

farmerscanturntheirfarmmanureororganicwasteintoaproductthathasmorebenefitsanda highermarketvaluethannormalthermophiliccompost.Vermicompostingoperationscanvaryinsize frommunicipalsizedunitshousingmorethan45millionworms,tofarmscaleunitswith300,000 worms.Thereareseveralcompaniesthatselllargescalevermicompostsystems(seetheBiocycle issuecitedbelow).Mostofthesesystemsareflowthroughunitsthatcontinuallyprocessorganic matteraddedtothetop,harvestingthefinishedproductwhenitfallsoutofthebottom. Vermicompostcanalsobemadeinwindrowsbyplacingfreshwasteononesideoftherowwhile harvestingfromtheotherside. Vermicompostcanalsobemadeonasmallerscaleathome,withoutspendingthousandsofdollarson equipment.Redwigglerworms(Eiseniafoetida)arethemostcommonvermicompostworm,notthe largenightcrawlersoftenusedasfishingbait.Redwigglersaregreatdecomposersanddontmind livingamongsteachotherintightquarterswithlotsoforganicmatter.