Create and grow lettuce in a hydroponic system using worm casting tea.

    What exactly is hydroponics you ask? Hydroponics is a method of gardening and growing plants in a mineral nutrient solution, in water, without a soil medium. We are using a worm tea solution created by floating large tea bags filled with a worm casting media in water which is then pumped through a series of tubes. The plants are placed in the tubes, as the roots hang in the solution they absorb nutrients from the solution.  Hydroponics is a great way to produce edible crops, reduce pest and disease problems, reduce the need for expensive fertilizers, as well as, speeding up crop production. Worm Castings are one of the best organic fertilizers that easily dissolve in a water solution.

Worm castings or worm manure is the end result of the breakdown of organic matter by earthworms. The final product is humus like and contains nutrients and trace elements that are in a simple form. This allows the roots of the plant to quickly and easily absorb and use the nutrients. The digestive process of the earthworm also adds beneficial bacteria and microbes to the soil. The castings can be used in any concentration without fear of burning your plants. This nutrient rich process speeds up production and allows us to turn a crop of lettuce in just 30 days. Because the solution is made from a soil like substance and contains trace elements and minerals, we get a product that has a much better flavor than conventional hydroponic solutions.

  The system is very easy to build and can be customized to various sizes. We have one system that fills an entire greenhouse. The pipe is simply six-inch PVC sewer pipe that we evenly drill holes to accommodate 3 inch slotted hydro pots. We grow the lettuce plugs in trays ahead of time then place a plug into each hydro pot. The worm tea solution can be kept in any vessel that will hold water. We used a 32 gallon covered plastic tote in order to easily access the submersible circulating pump and to replenish the worm tea bag.

The addition of a bubbler or air stone is recommended to provide aeration and oxygen to the solution to benefit the growth of beneficial microorganisms. You can also add a tablespoon of molasses to provide food for the beneficial organisms. The addition of an aquarium heater may be necessary in colder climates, as the beneficial bacteria grows best in solutions with temperatures between 70 to 80 degrees. This modification along with the addition of a poly tunnel or cold frame may allow you to grow and harvest year round.

For additional information and facts on worm castings please visit our friend the Worm Guy at: http://www.banddorganics.com/