Vermi t?

[Dr.Green.Thumb]

Alight.....the people at the hydro shop were hyping this product. I read the back too see the ingredients and i only saw worm castings....

Can i add real earth worm casting and molasses and get the same benefits?

Has any marijuana grower ever used vermi t, is it worth it?

Please, any experiance with vermi t would help.


thanks in advance

 

[Seamaiden]

I've never used Vermi-T, I've read of others who love it. I use worm castings and molasses, but since I've never used the VT I have no idea if the benefits are the same. Seems logical, though, doesn't it?

 

[CT Guy]

All Vermi-T is a is a overpriced water pump that's hidden in a black box. Worm castings and a food source are then agitated in the container. There's more than a few things wrong with this.

1. They are using a water pump. Air pump would be far superior in raising DO levels.
2. I've only seen one biological test ever from their company.
3. They're way over-priced!
4. Hidden parts mean you can't clean thoroughly.
5. I've heard them say you can store it in the fridge. This is plain nonsense unless there's not enough biology to even cause it to go anaerobic, in which case you're not getting a great tea either way.

Personally, if you want to buy or make aerated compost tea or "vermi-T" then go with a commercial product or company that has done and continues to do biological testing of their brewing systems. (I can recommend some if you would like).

Or, make one yourself if you're not as concerned about testing, but don't waste your money on Vermi-T when you could get way better results from making your own.

They do have wonderful marketing though! Of course, most of the bottled nutrient companies do as well, and most of their organic products are comprised of the same few ingredients with fancy labels (typically kelp, humic acids, molasses, or mycorrhizal fungi).

 

[Dr.Green.Thumb]

I'm very interested in making my own teas. Just kind of nervous about the mixing and amount of ingredients I use. Kind of going commercial on this grow because it has to work. I do wanna start gradually experimenting though. Any recipes would be great.

 

[ibTheMan]

Vermi-T is the Bomb, mostly to fix problems and Most important you use it when your flushn, also eats PM.
75ml, and 1/2 to 1ml B'Cuzz Flavor per gallon during final flush. 1 bag does 20 to 25 gallons, improves smell and taste. theres No nutes in this tea.

 

[CT Guy]

Okay, here's few good websites to get you started:

Keep in mind we're discussing ACT or aerated compost tea, where the purpose is to add beneficial biology. This is quite different from nutrient teas or manure teas or non-aerated teas.

www.gardeningwithmicrobes.com (some basic articles, recipes, etc...)
www.microbeorganics.com (more info, just a little harder to navigate)
www.simplici-tea.com (good lab tested small brewers)
www.soilfoodweb.com (click on about us, then sustainable approach)

Hope that helps!

 

[mastacheeser]

vermiT is a great product

my problem with it is that it is one of the products that is WAY oversold. It keeps you coming into their store every week. several ive been to wouldnt even sell extraction kits!

remember it needs to be used in combination with several other products to be used to its full potential

 

[CT Guy]

Vermi-T is the Bomb, mostly to fix problems and Most important you use it when your flushn, also eats PM.
75ml, and 1/2 to 1ml B'Cuzz Flavor per gallon during final flush. 1 bag does 20 to 25 gallons, improves smell and taste. theres No nutes in this tea.

Okay, to be clear, that Vermi-T in the pic is just "worm tea" or "worm juice" or whatever you want to call the leachate that comes out of the bottom of the worm bin.

Make your own worm bin for under $20 or buy one and you can have the same "tea" available as well.

 

[sky high]

I had some major deficiencies using their soil. Necrosis followed by red/purple leaves. The stuff LOOKS great but it definitely fucked the dog here until I figured out that it was the soil. The guy who owns the hydro store acted as if he'd never heard the complaint before but on my next visit a mention of the problem got his employee talking/admitting that, indeed, other growers were experiencing a similar hits in their gardens.

The tea is too expensive. I can brew a sicker brew myself and tailor it to my needs for far less and have a better product on the end. No cutesy bag...but....

 

[ibTheMan]

My local shop where custom brews it there way. Use it for flushn.

 

[Seamaiden]

Okay, here's few good websites to get you started:

Keep in mind we're discussing ACT or aerated compost tea, where the purpose is to add beneficial biology. This is quite different from nutrient teas or manure teas or non-aerated teas.

www.gardeningwithmicrobes.com (some basic articles, recipes, etc...)
www.microbeorganics.com (more info, just a little harder to navigate)
www.simplici-tea.com (good lab tested small brewers)
www.soilfoodweb.com (click on about us, then sustainable approach)

Hope that helps!

I think we need to put out some nutrient tea recipes and ideas as well.

So, this is what I use and do for a worm casting tea. When I scoped the tea after 24hrs I saw nothing that appeared to be alive, though, so do what you will with that information. Amounts, for me, are not hard or fast, just general guidelines. I use mostly 5gal buckets and only have an aquarium pump (double outlet pump, can do a couple of trash cans and some buckets).

1-2 cups worm castings, the newer/fresher the better
1tsp-2Tblsp molasses (which can be substituted with another sugar like malted barley extract, panocha, date or palm sugar. I've not yet tried table sugar)

You can either put the castings into a paint strainer, or just dump them in the bucket, and let them bubble away, or let them sit. I like the agitation and better aeration bubbling provides over just letting it sit, plus a scum forms more quickly on the surface if I don't aerate.
Let it set for 12-48 hours, then use alone or diluted. You can add other things to the mix as well, like seaweed/kelp, or alfalfa in whatever form you have it.

 

[Shredder]

Here's a quick tea most anyone can make. Soak alfalfa meal in water overnight. Strain off the meal and spray the plants with the water. Throw the meal in a compost pile. I use that tea on vegging plants and they seem to love it, and I doubt growing can get simpler than that, or wait here's simpler than that. Take an old plastic one gallon milk jug, put in a cup or two of ewc, Fill with water add a touch of molasses shake well and pour on the plants dirt.

While simple these teas are not as good as a well made aact, but I use both and they might just rival store bought concoctions........shredder

 

[CT Guy]

So many options for nutrient teas!

When I water, I use:
1 tsp. ProTekt
2 T. Tera Vita LC-10+7
1 pinch of Nature's Essence Seaweed Extract Powder

That's all I use for "nutrients." The rest is already in the soil mix.

However, you can do foliars of many different things for micronutrients and other benefits, such as nettle, comfrey, kelp, alfalfa, humic/fulvic, and many more. I plan on experimenting with horsetail soon to see if I can get my silica for free.

 

[Organicyumyum]

vermi t is overhyped and over-priced because of the simple fact that microbes start dying off within four hours of turning off the brewer. They say putting it in the fridge will keep it good for a week, but I don't believe the microbe counts will be high enough to work as a biofilm or to supplement your soil. Teas should be brewed and used within four hours as they start degrading from there. Look into simplici tea compost tea from keep it simple. amazing teas, it's a small father/son company that keep high standards. you're looking at $8-$11 per brew and can do one every other week. Makes 5 gallons and is great for foliars and soil drench. bountea is pretty decent too, but no where near the quality of simplici tea

 

[Seamaiden]

Here's a quick tea most anyone can make. Soak alfalfa meal in water overnight. Strain off the meal and spray the plants with the water. Throw the meal in a compost pile. I use that tea on vegging plants and they seem to love it, and I doubt growing can get simpler than that, or wait here's simpler than that. Take an old plastic one gallon milk jug, put in a cup or two of ewc, Fill with water add a touch of molasses shake well and pour on the plants dirt.

While simple these teas are not as good as a well made aact, but I use both and they might just rival store bought concoctions........shredder

Actually, it can get simpler than that.

Pee in a bucket. Dilute at a rate anywhere from 1:5 parts pee:water, to 1:50. Fresh pee is best, and don't do it if you have a bladder or urinary tract infection.

Seriously. Full metal hippie. :damnhippie: But you guys should see my gardens.

I probably couldn't get away with doing it this way if my soil weren't well-amended with both organic matter and minerals, but that's not what the research seems to indicate. The research that's out there says that urine, used either alone or in conjunction with wood ashes, outperforms chemical salt fertilizers in every instance and in every scenario.

Closing the loop a little bit more every day. Maybe one day I can get it almost completely closed, self-sufficient.

 

[Shredder]

Closing the loop a little bit more every day. Maybe one day I can get it almost completely closed, self-sufficient.

I guess the loop is closed when we are converted to microbes and are directly interacting with the plants? Should I be buried/composted with seeds?

I have some that would be happy to pee on my grave....lol.....but I would not trust them around my plants.......shredder

 

[mastacheeser]

anybody try VermiT and budswel together?
ive been itching to try it, powder vs liquid budswel matter?

 

[Seamaiden]

I guess the loop is closed when we are converted to microbes and are directly interacting with the plants? Should I be buried/composted with seeds?

I have some that would be happy to pee on my grave....lol.....but I would not trust them around my plants.......shredder

LMAO!! Yes!! Same here, but I wouldn't trust them to hit the right spot. :giggle

I want to be buried when I die, so I can be enveloped by the earth. I like the idea of a tree's roots growing through my bones and making me into something else. If I could have my druthers, I'd be buried under our big old black oak, next to my Olde Dawg, Missy Dawg, and Cali the cat and Yoshi the leopard gecko.

 

[UgrewWHAT]

Seamaiden, you're awesome. Old thread but figured I'd tell you that you're admired from afar.

 

[Seamaiden]

:) Oh jeez, thank you.