Worm percolate
After a few weeks, a dark liquid may drip out of your worm bin. This moisture is called ‘worm percolate’ and is also called ‘worm tea’.
Worm percolate consists of :
- the moisture released from the kitchen waste
- wormenurine
- substances dissolved in the above liquids.
Dilute worm percolate with water for 1:10 to give it to your plants. It is full of enzymes, bacteria and nutrients.
In your Balkonton, the leachate can already be drunk by your plants. Or it may already be diluted with the rainwater that has fallen into your Balkonton.
The nitrogen in this leachate is released directly to the plants. So you have a chance of over-fertilizing, even if you mix it with water as recommended 1 in 10. it can also be leachate acid and contain anaerobic bacteria. It’s a good natural nutrient for your plants, but use it in moderation. If you have a lot of leachate, it usually means that your worm hotel is too wet. With the wooden containers you have much less leachate because the moisture evaporates more easily here.
Worm tea
Worm tea is made by putting some worm compost in water, possibly supplemented with sugar. Aerate this for 24 hours so that you get a strong growth of aerobic bacteria. This tea has a neutral pH value and the nitrogen is absorbed by the bacteria, which will slowly release it to your plants.
Also on this site the terms are (still) used interchangeably. And you may come across an old post somewhere that encourages the use and generation of worm percolate. Progressive insight leads to the fact that nowadays we are more worried than happy with many worm percolate.