Let me start with perhaps a little more explanation here… as many are confused due to the false information advertised by some worm bin manufacturers and web site owners.

First there are two instances which happen when collecting leachate from the bottom of a worm bin versus collecting worm castings (vermicast, worm poop) not to be confused with worm vermicompost which is a mix of unfinished decaying material and worm castings.

When collecting fluid from the bottom of a worm bin, the liquid passes from top to bottom basically which can carry unfinished decaying material. This includes a lot of malicious bacteria, some of which is converted into beneficial bacteria which is converted by worms as they digest.

On a second note, as I mentioned earlier, you are basically setting up a swamp environment which can cause humans severe sickness and diseases. Here, water seals off oxygen and helps to compact organic matter which is not converted, hence generating anaerobic (harmful) bacteria.

Ever notice when it rains that worms come to the surface? It is commonly believed (not proven fact) that it is due to the lack of oxygen due to the soil becoming too saturated with water hence cutting off the needed oxygen ratio to water for a correct worm environment.

By using worm castings ( again not referring to vermicompost) to brew worm tea via a process of usually aerating in water for 24 to 48 hours and the assistance of a food source, i.e. unsulphurized molasses, you help to explode aerobic (beneficial) microbes. worm tea needs to be used within 24 hours of brewing and should never be placed in a sealed bottle or container over an extended period of time.

I am not stating that every batch of leachate will harm you or your plants, however extreme caution needs to be adhered to. I have heard numerous horror stories of people using leachate on their plants, some of which have had damaged their plants overnight.

If you ask any professional, reputable worm farmer, they will inform you that if you get liquid coming out of your worm bin, it is too wet. The only holes on the bottom of our worm bins are for aeration.

I honestly believe if the tests you mention were ran with leachate compared to true worm tea rather than plain water, you would see a much better result with the worm tea

Hope this helps.

Bruce

I do not know what they are using. I can tell you this. First, worm tea and leachate are two different things. If you bottle worm tea, you cut off the aerobic microbes produced in the worm castings and worm tea. You are defeating the whole purpose to generating worm castings and worm tea as a by product.

If they have worm castings in them, they are useless and might as well be omitted. Perhaps this is so they can place worm castings on the label to sell less knowledgeable people believing they are purchasing something that is really good for their soil.

Bruce

Bruce

They actually got 2 lots yesterday, as after I had done the regular houise scraps (450 gm) I noticed a small water melon growing in the garden had split, so gave the blender more exercise. As this was very watery, I added some egg carton and some coir into the blender to dry it out. That feed came to another 1250 gm, so 1750 gm (3.86 lbs) in total for the day.

It was 37 degrees Celsius (98.5 F) again today, so I had the screens on, but being busy only sprayed the bins a couple of times, though when I checked all the layers at tea time, it was a very busy place all through out.

So yea, I often decant out excess moisture, as I occasionally add some leachate to aid the blender, and/or I add some cardboard or coir as well.

I must say, it’s really satisfying having a look and seeing worms everywhere all having a good time!

More info, eleven days ago after doing some more reading, I got out a spare tray, put a layer of cardboard on the bottom, then added a bunch of shredded newspaper, shredded cardboard and coir, which had all been soaked in my first brew of Aerated Worm Tea (another proud moment). I put it below my active tray (that bin was still on it’s first tray) and within a day worms were getting into it a lot, so I then did another tray pretty much the same for the 2nd bin.

This bin already was on it’s 2nd tray, so I inserted the new one between the bottom castings layer and the working tray. It isn’t as busy as the other bin, though I suspect that is because it is not as full, so isn’t touching the upper layer in as many places. Also, the worm tea mix may not have worked quite as well.

When I looked tonight, the first bin’s new layer looked to be very much converted to castings, I completely turned it all over and there were worms everywhere, and it almost appeared that most of the paper/cardboard was gone! While I was at it, I effectively destroyed the cardboard bottom, as I felt it wasn’t stopping the few worms that wanted to go down – they went around the outer edge, but it did mean they had a hard time getting back if they climbed either the centre hill or the leg towers.

I hope nobody is bored yet, I am enjoying sharing what I have learnt.

A thought came to mind while reading your comment. If you are adding a lot of food scraps, even when pulverized, this would put off a lot of heat and most likely why your bin is running so hot. Try adding more layers of browns, basically shredded newspaper, cardboard… This should help to cool the bin down after a little while being you are hot over there currently… Can you send some of the heat to the US?

Also after you have used the blender to spoil the worms you can add a filler such as some peat moss to thicken the mixture so as not to create so much leachate.

Just some food for thought!

Bruce

There are 2 reasons for the leachate in my systems. Firstly, I chop all the feed in a food processor, it’s spoiling them I know, but I am looking to boost the capacity of the farm. This tends to release the water in the vegetables right away, compared to them slowly drying out if left intact.

Secondly, to cope with the heat, I have left the normal lid off and placed fly screen over the top to allow air movement and keep bugs out. I then spray the top hessian covering a few times a day to keep it moist so the evaporation can help cool the farm.

I think it’s mainly the processed food causing the leachate, as I have only sprayed during the hot spells, but tend to have leachate all the time.

I recently added a new bottom tray to each system filled with soaked/squeezed shredded carboard and newspaper to see if it will stop the worms going to the very bottom – but it hasn’t. It also hasn’t really affected the flow of leachate apart from the first day as it was soaking some up.

So, for me, the tap is a good thing.

However, my experience is also that leachate doesn’t seem to achieve much in the garden. I have applied it to patches of lawn both full strength and diluted with no noticeable effect, compared to where the lawn went yellow where I pee’d on it (coff) or green where the dog has done the same. The affect might vary with different plants.

I figure my leachate is usually fairly “fresh”, no smell, drips into an open bucket etc, so I often tip it back through the bin to both help it stay cool and put microbes onto the food.

Again, this is just based on the experience of a newcomer, but it’s a vote for a tap from me!

Your Welcome!

Bruce