Garden club gets the poop on worm tea

Bob Welch shows members of the Southern Maine Garden Club his worm tea, which is meant for gardens, not people. (SMGG photo)

Southern Maine Garden Club members met Oct. 16 at the Springvale Public Library to hear Bob Welch, who has a home business called Welch’s Working Worms, talk about worm castings.

Worm castings are the organic material that has been digested by worms and then expelled. One of the purest and most perfect form of plant food, it creates healthy root systems, naturally aerates the soil, retains high moisture levels and slowly releases important nutrients over time. It also attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil. In addition, worm castings enhance germination, plant growth, and crop yield.

By the end of his presentation, club members were looking forward to introducing worm castings to their house plants and gardens.

Welch gave every attendee a 1.5 pound bag of worm castings, which have the texture of coarse coffee grounds or peat moss. He also gave the recipe for “worm tea” by mixing 2 cups of worm castings contained in a secure stocking with knots at both ends in a 1.5 gallon container of water and steeping for a number of days with lots of stirring and shaking. Club members then raffled off the worm tea and one member took it home.

The Nov. 20 meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m., at the Springvale Library, 443 Main St. The topic will be on how to take the perfect nature photos, with presenter Allan Amioka. The club meets the on the third Wednesday of every month. The public is invited to sample a meeting. For more information, contact Mary Stewart-Dore at 490-1833 or, in New Hampshire, Donna Claveau at 603-332-4860.