If the word "brew" makes you nervous, relax. If you can fill a bucket and plug in a little pump, you can do this. Here is the simple way we brew fresh worm castings at home, straight from our farm in Seymour, Missouri. Fresh castings brew for pots, not cups.
What a fresh castings brew is
It is fresh worm castings and water with air bubbling through. The air matters. It gives the tiny living microbes that ride along in fresh worm castings oxygen and time. You pour the finished brew on your houseplant soil. It is never for drinking.
What you will need to brew worm castings
- A clean bucket or jug that you keep just for plants
- Water. Use non-chlorinated water (or tap water left out at least 24 hours so the chlorine can leave), at room temperature. Filtered water works too.
- Unsulphured molasses: one kit squeeze packet per gallon. Using your own bottle of molasses instead? About 1 tsp per gallon (optional).
- Fresh worm castings in the castings bag: 1 cup per gallon
- An air pump with an air stone. Both come in the Starter kit.
The four steps, in this order
- Water. Fill the bucket with 1 gallon for each cup of worm castings.
- Molasses. Tear open the molasses packet and squeeze it into the water. One packet per gallon.
- Castings bag. Drop the bag of fresh worm castings into the water.
- Pump. Set the air stone on the bottom and plug in the pump. You want lively bubbles, not a sad little whisper.
Now let it brew for about 24 hours. Watch it and smell it as well as checking the clock.
The sniff check
A good batch usually smells earthy, like a forest floor after rain. If it smells sour, rotten or swampy, do not pour it on your favorites. Compost that batch, clean the bucket and air stone, and start again.
How to use it
Lift out the castings bag first and let it drip back into the bucket. Spent worm castings can go on soil or compost.
Pour it at the soil line and water the potting mix until it is evenly moist or you see a little runoff. You can stretch one finished gallon with plain water up to 3 gallons, depending on how many pots you have. Start on the milder side for fussy plants.
Match the amount to the plant. Thirsty tropicals in bright light can take a pour more often. Slow growers, low-light plants and plants resting for winter want a lighter hand, or can skip it. Think of brew day as an occasional treat for your pots, not a daily chore. Your light, water and pot still run the show.
Use it within 24 hours
Once the air stops, the brew winds down, and an old batch can go off. Use it within 24 hours of finishing and do not store it. Brew only what you will pour.
Which kit is right for you?
- Starter, 1 cup, $44: about 1 to 3 gallons. Good for a shelf or windowsill of pots.
- Starter, 5 cup, $89: about 5 to 15 gallons. Good for a houseful of plants.
- Refills: $29 and $79, with autoship every 2 weeks or monthly if you like a steady brew day.
Shipping is free in the US. You get 30 days from delivery to try it. If you are not happy, you get 100% of your money back, no questions asked, and you keep the kit.
Shopping for a plant parent this Christmas? A brew kit is a fun gift for the person who already owns every pot.
Get your kit at wigglejuice.com/brew. Want the longer story? Read Poppy's Hand Guides or the step-by-step Brew guide.