VermiTeaTM What is VermiTeaTM? VermiTeaTM is brewed from our VermiDirtTM worm castings.  What are "worm castings"? Worm castings are the excrement of worms (worm poop). Do worm castings have an odor? Yes, the odor is the same as fresh earth after a spring rain for those that know the smell of aerobic, nutrient rich, uncontaminated soil. Does VermiTeaTM have an odor? Yes, fresh VermiTeaTM (worm tea) has a pleasant to no odor, expired (soured) VermiTeaTM has an ammonia or sewer smell. Are worm castings harmful? NO!!! After the worms ingest the organic material with potential harmful microbes, their own intestinal bacteria kills the harmful bacteria and replaces it with their own safe and beneficial bacteria. Can I still use VermiTeaTM after it has soured? VermiTeaTM (worm tea) is composed of non-chlorinated water packed full of beneficial bacteria that require oxygen to live.  If deprived of oxygen the good bacteria die and the bad bacteria take over which will harm your plants. What will worm tea do FOR me? Worm tea, when applied to the leaves of and ground around plants, trees and vegetables, adds a concentration of nutrients and beneficial microbial life to the leaves and roots of the plant.  The addition of the good bacteria rejuvenates the soil allowing the plants to better absorb the nutrients contained not only in the worm tea but also locked into the soil.  How do worm castings/tea help plants? To best illustrate the process I will use a simple illustration.  It is nearly impossible to suck an ice cube through a small straw.  If the ice melts then the water from the ice can pass through the straw.  Using that example, think of the nutrients in the soil and worm castings as the ice cube and the roots of the plant as the straw.  The bacteria in the worm castings acts not only as the "heat" that melts the ice cube but also makes the straw larger.  The bacteria in the worm castings make the nutrient pieces smaller and the plant roots effectively larger by inducing the plants to grow a more fibrous root system. What is soil rejuvenation? Rejuvenation of the soil is the reestablishment of all the beneficial bacteria in the soil that has been eliminated by the use of chemicals. Rejuvenated soil vs. chemical fertilizer. Again I would like to illustrate the difference.  Normally a person ingests nutrients (food) by mouth.  A person unable to eat is given nutrients intravenously.  A living and breathing soil can feed itself but a soil killed by chemical fertilizer needs continuous replacement of nutrients by the periodic addition of chemicals. If you have any knowledge of organic farming then my question and answer secession was simplistic and mundane.  However, if an interest is sparked as to the truth of my answers then please do a "Google" search under the phrases "worm castings", "vermicomposting" and what ever related terms of which you can think. p.s. Please do a price comparison of prices listed on the various company's web sites but before you purchase from them please visit us first if you are a local. How is VermiDirtTM produced? Our herd of worms are permitted to graze on a mixture of compost (that has met the Federal Class A Standard), grass clippings (that are chemical free) and shredded newspaper.  After the worms have completed their "business" the castings are harvested by screening their bedding material. Why do I have to use non-chlorinated water? The purpose of chlorine in water is to kill all bacteria whether they are good or bad.  The bacteria from worm castings are good bacteria and should not be inadvertently killed. Why should I not use chemical fertilizer after applying VermiDirtTM/VermiTeaTM? Chemical fertilizers are toxic by nature.  Used in excess they will burn your plants.  Imagine the genocide of the microbial life in the soil by that toxic mixture.  As an aside, excess chemical fertilizer has been documented to have adversely affected ground water and open waterways. How much area will VermiTeaTM cover? Five gallons will cover all planted areas of a typical city block. A gallon will cover 200-400 square feet A quart will cover 50-100 square feet. The following is an exert from Pesticides and You, Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, written by Hendrikus Schraven. What is compost? Compost is a mixture of decaying, or decomposing, vegetation and manure, which is then used as fertilizer. The compost heap in your garden, made from grass clippings, leaves, egg shells, potato peels and other common vegetation, is an intensified version of nature’s rebuilding process. What is compost tea? Compost tea is an aerobically brewed liquid extract made from compost. Compost tea contains beneficial microorganisms and nutrients essential for plant and soil health. What is the difference between compost and compost tea? Compost is a solid. Compost tea is a liquid and contains a higher concentration of microbes. Whereas compost will not cling to leaves, compost tea can be applied to leaves, twigs, bark and soil using a pump spray device or sprinkler. Both are very important tools. What are the benefits? Benefits include improved soil structure, retention of nutrients, cycling of nutrients into plant available forms, and reduced plant stress. Disease organisms may be displaced by the normal set of soil or foliar organisms in the tea leading to healthier plants, improved growth and soil. It is non-toxic and safe to family and pets. Compost tea breaks down compacted soils with repeated use, letting roots grow into the soil more easily, find more nutrients, and aerate the soil so conditions do not attract diseases or allow toxic metabolites of anaerobic organisms to build up. It puts the micro-biology back into the soil that has been removed from over-development and chemical application practices. Why are microbes important? Bacteria and fungi retain nutrients in the soil. Protozoa and nematodes make nutrients available to plants and turf; both groups also aid in blocking plant surfaces so non-beneficial organisms cannot gain access, and in consuming potential disease-causing organisms. Given the proper foods, and habitats in the soil, beneficial microorganisms outcompete non-beneficial microorganisms. All four groups of organisms play critical roles in building soil structure, maintaining aeration, and increasing water retention. Colonies of beneficial microorganisms will continue to live in soil as long as they are provided good conditions and organic food sources. Contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and air pollutants impact microbe lifespan and kill the normal set of organisms on leaf surfaces. Will compost tea solve all my gardening /plant problems? Compost tea is not a “silver bullet” for the problems in your yard. Other practices, such as organic fertilizing, soil amending, mulching, and aeration are also important to build and sustain a healthy garden. The soil, environmental and prior chemical conditions of your yard all play a role in its overall health.