All About Compost Tea

02.04.2010 · Posted in Making Compost

Learn Everything About Making and Using Compost Tea

Compost tea is simply mature compost that has been steeped in chlorine-free water for 2-3 days. You need to introduce aeration through the use of bubblers and vigorous stirring, feed it with organic unsulfured molasses, and eliminate as many toxins as possible to come up with just the right brew. Of course, there is no rocket science involved since only a little manual labor coupled with the willingness to learn are necessary to come up with well-brewed compost tea.

Why Use Compost Tea

The secret behind the efficacy of compost tea is the presence of beneficial microorganisms that are introduced into the soil and, hence, the plants.

Said microorganisms provide for many benefits such as protection against plant diseases in its capacity as a natural pesticide, improvement of the soil structure alongside solid compost particularly in aeration and water retention, and the improvement in nutrient uptake.

It is also the microorganisms in compost tea that make it desirable when saving on fertilization costs. You need not apply huge amounts of fertilizers into your garden since only a fraction of compost tea is required. Think substituting thousands of gallon for an acre of field if commercial fertilizers are used for just 15-20 gallons of compost tea.

Where to Find Compost Tea

Well, of course, you can make your own compost tea using simple equipment such as bubblers, pump and gang valves for aeration, bucket for containers and old pillowcases as strainers. There are, however, more choices through the use of commercial brewing machines providing constant aeration- no sticks – as well as additional materials like kelp and rock powders for compost food.

Or you can visit the increasingly popular compost tea centers for ready-to-apply formulations. You can save on time making the compost tea, not to mention get just the right balance for your plants’ specific needs. Plus, you need not worry about the problems associated with making your won compost like the bad smell. Of course, you will spend more money but when compared to time savings, you might want to consider this option. Make sure you check out some of the compost bin tumblers, if your looking to become serious.

How to Use Compost Tea

The frequency with which compost tea is applied to your garden depends in large part on the health of your plants and the soil. If your plants and soil are relatively healthy, application can be done during the spring only.

If you also observe more harmful insects in the garden, then spraying the plants with compost tea at least once a month should do the trick. Some gardeners even spray once to twice a week. No matter how many times you spray the plants, try to do the first spray when the plants have sprouted their first set of true leaves. For trees and shrubs, you may have to spray said plants 2 weeks before bud break and then every 10-14 days afterwards.