There is a 'soil, compost and mulch' forum that would be more specific to your query. Having said that (and I encourage you to go there for additional responses), I don't think it makes that much difference what you use in teas nor do I think it makes any difference whether the tea is aerated or not. Many, many will disagree and I wholeheartedly respect their disagreement. My advice to you is do things different ways as you feel so inclined and to the extent you find it fun and then form your own conclusions. When it comes to teas there simply is no one size fits all recipe. Teas are one of those areas where there are ardent, passionate supporters of various methods, but once you look at the science underlying the claim you will find all of them wanting. The result is you have to rely upon empirical (do it yourself) evidence. Sorry, I wish there was a shortcut, but at this time there simply isn't. Pick a method and try it and then pick another and try it as long as you are having fun. Go with whatever works best for you.

I was wondering - I use worm castings to make worm casting tea. The most important part to me is the beneficial bacteria, which helps fruit trees absorb nutrients & fights off diseases. For someone w/o worm castings, can they use apple cider vinegar w/ the mother to achieve bacterial colonies that would benefit fruit trees?

I believe I am the one who stated "compost tea." ... but I do not have a "WF." Rather, I have several barrels that are watered by gutter rain and fed with kitchen and garden scraps, as well as chicken poo. At the bottom of the barrel there are several spouts that feed into holding containers. The water that drains through to the holding tank is what I refer to as "compost tea." I use this directly on plants without diluting, and have had only marvelous results. As for the smaller tubs of concentrated redwigglers -- I use the large Wal-Mart totes that held items sent to the thrift store. Stacking two, three, four, or more depending on the amount of worms and accumulated castings. On the very bottom is a solid tote with holes in the lid which holds anything that drains through the top bins. I equipped the bottom bin with old spouts from large detergent containers to dispense the liquid as needed. This liquid...I have no name for it. It is sometimes there, sometimes not, and sometimes I drain water all of the way through to have a bit of concentrated liquid. The concentrated liquid I use on my open-air compost piles or throw in the Compost Tumbler to heat up the compost. But if you have an indoor worm bin, which I believe a "WF" is...I wouldn't want water on the bottom. When my indoor worms (meals and supers) get too wet I think I am seeing spots...then I realize fruit flies are multiplying like crazy. Then it's off to the big-box for some apple cider vinegar and some Damp-Rid. :)

I am currently using the mushroom compost to ammend the soil, not as a mulch. My soil is basically sand. This is my first year using mushroom compost. In previous years, I used composted yard waste from the landfill. It had a lot of broken glass, debris and weed seeds in it. I use wood chips for mulch. Here in Florida, everything rots away in our hot, wet summers. I add more compost before planting my flowers and veggies. I don't know much about vermicomposting and was just curious if using it along with the mushroom compost would be beneficial enough to make it worth my time. I will still continue with the mushroom compost for the volume. I garden year round and try to add compost before planting a new crop as it readily breaks down.