Liquid from my composter

It is nice and black. What would you do with it? I was thinking to add some of it to water and then water my plants. Is this as good as fertilizer and what would be the ratio? Thanks Linda

I am guessing you are talking about your vermicomposting bin.......do not use it on house plants this is actually called leachate........Many sources call the leachate "worm tea". This is incorrect. Worm tea is created by soaking vermicast/vermicompost in water. Leachate is bacteria laden waste from the bin. The two are not the same thing. I don't believe using leachate in your garden will harm anything, it just won't have any beneficial effects..........this is because its anaerobic where as the tea you aerate as you steep. It would not hurt your outdoor plants its just that you indoor plants are living in a closed system and you are introducing bacteria and "life" to a "dead" soil system........

Actually it is from my outdoor composter. No worms. I have the Mantis 2 door. I love it but at times when there is too much moisture it drains out into a bucket that I placed there to collect it.
Any idea how to use it? I was thinking 1/2 cup to a gallon. Linda

Same holds true for the aeration, anaerobic bad - well may be not bad just not as GOOD.

Get a $5 aquarium pump (do not even have to get the stone) and aerate for a day then use (MUCHO BETTER) - the "nutrients" are the same either way its the micro-organisms that will change. 1/2 cup to 1 gallon dechlorinated water sounds good to me (chlorine will kill the good aerobic micro-organisms) just let your water sit out (no lid) for a day. Or for even more bang for your buck make tea - alot of good compost tea recipes out there. They vary in ingredients but method always the same - dechlorinate your water - day 1. Add your "liquid" add mollasses add compost (most people put it in a nylon or something similar) and put in you bubbler via the aquarium pump let steep for at least 2 days. Basically thats it - if you search Compost Tea on this forum you will see the recipe can be as varied and as complicated as you want.

COMPOST tea ROCKS for your plants great foliage feeder (pour directly on leaves) and a good soil fertilizer. I did not use compost tea last year (had 2 broken feet gardening was limited) and I really could tell. But nice thing is that compost tea is a gift that keeps on giving years after....so the year before last when I did to it.....helped last year & will help this years....I just did not get "it" taken up one more notch.

If you want to go ahead use it as is I would not bother dechlorinating the water, maybe think about doing the tea down the road, it really does do a wonderful job.