some experts say it is good for plants but others say it's just leachate from the bin and can harm plants (including josh byrnes from GA). I have a worm bin too but I dont use the leachate, but you can use the castings on anything, a handful around each plant covered up with mulch, or a couple of handfuls diluted in a bucket of water then strained will make a tea.

I have never read or heard anything that said you shouldn't use the liquid. I have read that it contains beneficial bacteria and to mix 1 part to 10 parts water. I have also seen reference to its use on natives. I would like to know the reasons for NOT using it. Perhaps somebody knows??
Cheers,
Dee.

Ive invited gardenwebs worm guru Kelly over to take a look at this thread so I hope she comes over.
she knows more about worms than you ever thought there was to know so she will have the answers for us.

Greetings folks! How are things down under?

Trancegemini emailed to tell me you folks were having some fun with leachates, and invited me over to join in the discussion. I hope you don't mind since I am neither in nor from Australia (though I would LOVE to have an accent as cool as the one you folks have), but I have spent several years working with worms, composting tea and, yes, leachate and always enjoy these threads.

Some of the confusion regarding whether or not to use leachate results from the current popularity of so called "compost teas" and "castings teas". To ensure we are all on the same page, "teas" are defined as a steepage generated by placing finished, stable compost and/or worm castings in water; some folks agitate the water, some don't; some folks aerate the water, some don't; some add nutrient solutions to amplify the biology, some don't. Regardless, "teas" all use as the substrate from which the initial biological community, nutrient and other chemistry are extracted, finished, stable material.

Leachate, on the other hand, is liquid that drains from an actively decomposing mass of organic matter, thus it is liquid that is in contact with undecomposed material in the system. It is this factor, coupled with the cause for liquid to be draining in sufficient quantity that it can be collected, that creates concern.

Composting and vermicomposting are processes understood to destroy or significantly reduce pathogenic organisms, typically rendering their numbers suficiently low to pose little threat to human health. Because leachate drains through material that has not been thoroughly processed, however, pathogens like e-coli and salmonella associated with household organic waste and even yard debris can potentially be picked up in the leachate and contaminate the surfaces of fruits and veggies to which it is applied. It's important to understand that the concern is not that plants might take these pathogens up through their systems, but is a concern over surface contamination of garden produce. Those who chose to use leachate on edible plants are encouraged to wait several weeks after application before harvesting to ensure pathogens have died off before produce is eaten.

Water is generated by the composting and vermicomposting processes as well as being released from OM as it is broken down. In most healthy worm bins and compost piles the released moisture is absorbed by the the surrounding OM, thus little water drains freely from the system. A healthy worm bin, for instance, generally produces little more than a few ml of liquid per week. A system from which liquid is draining freely is typically a system that is saturated, thus, it can hold no more water. This is of concern because the water saturating that system is displacing oxygen, setting up conditions favorable to anaerobic microorganisms. Even if there are no significant odors, very wet compost piles and worm bins tend to have significant...