How does a gardner make compost tea at home easily?
Is your garden in need of a mid-season pick-me-up? If so, it’s time to brew up a batch of compost tea! This potent, microbial elixir will invigorate your garden with beneficial microbes that will reduce disease problems, ward off pests, and provide immediately available organic nutrients to boost plant vigor. Compost tea is hardly a new idea. Generations of farmers and gardeners the world over already know the amazing power of compost tea. What’s new and very exciting is scientific research that is proving just how incredible this home-brewed garden beverage really is. Billions of beneficial microbes Here’s a mind-blowing statistic. Less than 1/4 teaspoon of good compost tea has been shown to contain over a billion bacteria—most of which are beneficial to plant growth. This same quarter-teaspoon may also contain over 16 feet of active fungal strands. The beneficial bacteria in compost tea are good for your plants because they out-compete most disease-causing organisms. They also decomp
Making the tea is much like brewing a cup of tea in the kitchen. Simply put some compost in a cloth or nylon bag, soak it in water and circulate some air in the water and within 24-48 hours, you will have finished compost tea that you can use as a soil drench or as a foliar spray on the leaves of plants. For a tutorial, watch the “Brewing Your Own Compost Tea” video at safelawns.org.
