Leachate collector for worm composters

The leachate tray holds 1.1 quarts (1 liter). It is graduated on both sides, so you can measure each harvest and keep track of how much your worm composter produces, and its ergonomic pouring spout lets you pour the worm tea into a watering can or pot without splashes or spills.

The leachate tray slides under the spigot of your worm composter, or at the end of the TinyWorm's hose. To make room for the leachate tray, raise your worm bin on legs: wooden legs for Urbalive, legs for Worm Café, or wooden or plastic legs for TinyWorm. On the City Worms, the shelf holds a container right under the spigot. To water your plants, pour the diluted worm tea into a watering can, such as our Pilea 1.8 L long-spout watering can. Use 1 part worm tea to 9 parts water.

Built-in indicators on the leachate tray show how much worm tea to collect, then how much water to add for the right dilution: just top it off with water up to the mark before watering. Compost tea is a concentrated fertilizer and should never be used full strength. The darker it is, the more concentrated it is.

All our tips: How and when should you harvest vermicompost and compost tea?

Yes, that's what we recommend here at the farm: leave the spigot open at all times, with the leachate tray placed underneath. That way the liquid doesn't pool in the base, it doesn't make the worm composter soggy again, and worms that wander down won't drown. Don't worry if the tray stays empty: there's usually no liquid during the first month, and a well-balanced worm bin produces very little.

All our tips: How and when should you harvest vermicompost and compost tea?