A Guide to Making Compost Tea - An All Natural Fertilizer

Compost tea is essentially a liquid fertilizer that you can easily make right from your own home. It is made by running water over compost piles or by soaking the compost. The resulting liquid is then applied to leaves and roots of plants; and because of the organic ingredients and simple process, it is a safe and easy way to give your plants a nutrient boost.

Normal compost is formed when bacteria, fungi, and other soil organisms break down dead plant material. The result is a rich, dark, crumbly soil amendment- and it contains water soluble nutrients that you can filter out using a method similar to brewing tea. Then using the water solution you can apply the nutrients directly to plants, and because of its 'tea' form plants can use the nutrients immediately; much more quickly than from dry compost which has to break down in order to release nutrients.

The simplest method to brew compost tea from home uses a bucket within a bucket method. Choose two buckets, one small enough to fit into a larger one, and then drill or poke holes into the smaller one. Fill the large bucket with water, the smaller with compost, and submerge the compost into the water for about three days. Remove the compost and return it the compost pile or spread it on the ground around plants. Another, more popular way, is to immerse the compost directly into a bucket of water, then filter it out once it has finished brewing.

Don't try to make compost tea without some sort of aeration system. If the tea is not constantly aerated, the organisms in it will quickly use up the oxygen and become anaerobic. An anaerobic tea can harm your plants. You will need to stir the mixture as much as possible, preferably a couple times a day, which will help keep it aerated and shake loose the organism into the water. You could also use one or several air pumps (depending on size and amount of tea being made) with hoses long enough to reach the bottom of the bucket. For the best results, add a small amount of molasses to help feed the bacteria and get the beneficial species growing really well.

Your resulting tea can be applied to the root zone and leaves of plants in the garden and home. It is highly recommended to use the tea within five hours at the most, but If you don't use all of the mixture right away, cover and store it out of the sun. Be aware though that the tea will ferment and begin to smell if kept to long. With any form of compost, solid or tea, bad smells mean bad compost. Healthy, adequately oxygenated compost should smell sweet and earthy.

This is really a great alternative to pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Enhancing the taste and quality of fruits and vegetables and creating a safer place for both people and animals. Generally, you can't over apply because it's completely organic. It can increase water and nutrient retention, helps breakdown the toxins in the soil and on the plants, and extends root systems. More than that it has been known to suppress mealy bugs, rust, aphids, mites, black spot, vertilcillium wilt, tent caterpillars, white flies, and needle cast on pine.

Compost in tea form is not an alternative to healthy compost soil but as said before has so many good benefits for the garden, and is so easy to make, that it is worth the time and effort needed to make it. I guess the hardest part is all in the actual composting. Though the act is incredibly easy, a reasonable amount of research must be done to ensure that you understand the process and requirements. To get you started with some more detailed information on composting click on one of the following links to read some great articles from fellow Content Producers:

How to Start Your Own Composting System

How to Compost: The Most Natural Method of Gardening Available

Easy Composting to Enrich Your Garden Soil

About Worms: Introduction to Compost and Live Bait Farms

How to Build a Simple Compost Bin