Making Worm Casting Extract
After I first posted “Leachate, Extracts or Tea?” I’ve had a few people ask about extracts. I recently recorded a video making an extract for my house plants (this is the video above).
For anyone with a rather small scale worm farm that wants to grow it, or if you just have a small amount of casting; extracts are a quick and efficient method of using your castings and growing your worm herd if you choose.
Personally I don’t like sifting castings. If your bin is too wet it means drying your castings a bit, then sifting them (often more than once). After all this you’re still not sure how many egg capsules (cocoons) you’ve lost.
Experts I’ve talked to suggest this drying and sifting harms the beneficial microbe diversity in castings too. The very thing that helps make castings so useful.
What I’ve shown in this video is a very small scale method I use in winter just for indoor plants. I have sieves and filters larger for spring, summer and autumn usage.
The sieve I used in the video is a re-purposed pen organizer from an office supply store. My larger sieve(s) I got off of EBay as a honey sifter
I did have to contact the seller to special order the one with 3/32″ holes but also ordered the 400 micron one as pictured on EBay to remove castings from extract if I want to.
By spraying water over my casting to make an extract I’m able to remove almost all the cocoons from my casting to start new bins and quickly grow my worm herd. I eliminate the need for drying and sifting. I have the option of using the extract immediately or straining it to 400 microns and brewing an actively aerated casting tea,
I recommend giving extract a try for newer worm farmers or anyone using castings only for themselves.