Are you planning to try and utilize something different for your garden from the regular compost? It’s a great idea to utilize compost tea. What exactly is compost tea? When organic materials are brewed, you receive rich organic compost tea. It is an excellent boost to optimize the health of your plants. I understand that at times it may seem a bit complex to make compost tea, however, there are certain instructions if you follow, it wouldn’t be so difficult. In this article we will discuss about compost tea and a simple way for you to make compost teas. So, keep reading and learn more.
Organic compost tea
This tea is made by utilizing microorganisms like microarthropods, nematodes, protozoa, fungi, and bacteria. These microorganisms are extracted from the compost through a brewing method. High-quality compost tea will have every organism which was in the original compost prior to brewing. This liquid water extract will hold soluble nutrients that are from your compost.
Advantages
Compost tea is an excellent booster for the overall health of your plant. Just like the way vitamins are good for humans. As we all are aware that if your plants are healthy, they will resist diseases and pests.
- High-quality compost tea enhances the overall health of the soil. If the soil is healthy, it will not leach nutrients beyond the root of the plants. Therefore, if the soil of your plants is rich in nutrients you would not require to fertilize them frequently.
- When you utilize compost tea regularly, it improves the overall capacity to retain water, reducing the requirement to frequently water.
- Utilizing compost tea regularly will improve the structure of the soil.
- The components present in the soil create the structure, therefore for excellent structure, various organisms form groups, making a food web. Compost tea adds useful microbes like microarthropods, nematodes, protozoa, fungi, and bacteria.
- It also loosens clay soil allowing the flow of water and air.
- When added to sandy soil it helps the soil to retain nutrients and moisture.
- The roots of the plant are stimulated when compost tea is applied.
- You can also spray it on the plants because it adds microbes to the foliage which is extremely beneficial. When these microbes are placed on the surfaces of the leaf they keep away potential diseases from your plants.
- It is great to fight against the negative effect of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides that have a chemical base.
- When you make your very own compost tea, you can fine-tune it according to your plant needs and specific condition.
Making organic compost tea
Ingredients
- Seaweed extract – 1 cup
- Straw – two handfuls
- Fish hydrolysate – 2 cups
- Healthy plant leaves – 5
- Garden soil – one handful
- Compost – one handful
Instructions
- Add the compost, garden soil, straw, and leaves into a bag. Now, tie the opening of the bag up tight and place it in a bucket full of water.
- Seaweed extract and fish hydrolysate should be added to the bucket of water directly.
- Place an aerator within the bucket, keep it on.
- It must brew for at least 36 hours at a temperature of 68 F – 72 F.
- It must be diluted with one portion of water and three portions of tea prior to spring
- I always recommend utilizing it in early mornings or even late evenings.
Well, that’s all for this article folks I do hope that our insights and suggestions on organic compost tea have given you better clarity. Happy composting!