I use both. When I use the tea, I dilute 4 ounces to a gallon of water. I probably use my castings more often now just worked into the soil and watered in. Tea takes extra time and steps, and so it's just not a happening thing around here.

I'm one of those who believe that foliar applications of worm poop is beneficial to plant surfaces. Until I can figure out a way to get that stuff to spread out over the lawn and leaf surfaces as easily as in a liquid form, I'm gonna spray tea thru my hose end sprayer on everything in my yard, and mist my indoor plants with a plastic sprayer.

If you only use it as a drench, don't bother. Just spread it around the plants and water it in.

Chuckiebtoo

Research has shown that application of compost and/or earthworm castings to the soil produces more and longer lasting benefit than does the application of tea made from these same materials. This is a pretty generalized statement, however, as much depends on what you intend the tea to do, but tea absolutely does NOT replace the complete package of benefits delivered by the solid compost/castings.

As Chuckie points out, getting castings onto leaf surfaces is an exercise in futility, thus, if you need a foliar spray, then, between the two, tea is going to be the better choice. While there is insufficient science to state that tea is always going to have the desired effect, regardless of what that effect is, there is enough anecdotal evidence that tea is beneficial to encourage many to try it. I hope you do as well.

One note that seems to bear making; many if not most plant diseases begin life in the soil. The application of compost/castings to the soil can, thus, aid in preventing diseases that ultimately infect the plant through leaf tissue. And you know what they say about an ounce of prevention...

Kelly S