Compost Tea Demystified As a serious gardener, you are probably already using homemade compost in your garden or are contemplating doing so. You have also probably heard the term compost tea and may be wondering what exactly it is and where can you buy some. Compost tea is a marvelous byproduct of your composting efforts and no, you dont have to buy it because it is so easy to make yourself. There are two schools of thought regarding compost tea, and while both methods create a wonderful product, some feel that by going one step further to create their own exclusive brew, their vegetables and plants will be the envy of all other gardeners. The first and most basic method is to simply place an amount of compost in a tea bag put it into a bucket of water and let it steep for a period of time. In order to achieve the best results, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Fill a cloth bag with compost and tie a rope around the neck so the bag can be easily retrieved. A burlap bag or an old pillowcase work well although burlap will drain the water out much more quickly, simply hang the rope from a nail situated over your bucket and let it drip. The remaining compost can simply be placed back into your working compost to continue its good work. Some gardeners fill an old sock or two with compost and throw them in a pail of water for a day and use that as a quick fix with excellent results. Stir your mixture or slosh the bag and allow to steep at least 12 hours although two weeks is preferable. The use of a bag should keep particle out of the mixture, otherwise it will have to be strained, especially if you plan on using a sprayer or watering can to apply the tea. The second method actually creates a brewed Anaerobic compost tea. You will need a bucket (5 gallon), an aquarium air pump, an air stone and some tubing. Fill the bucket up to about 6 inches from the top and let the air bubble for a couple of days to get rid of any chlorine present in your water. Try not to use chlorinated tap water inasmuch as the chlorine may kill the good bacteria. Rain water is ideal, but if you dont have a rain barrel or cistern, let the tap water sit for a day or two to dissipate the chlorine. Add compost (one part compost to 4 parts of water is about right) and add 2 tablespoons of unsulfured molasses and let it brew with the air bubbling through it for at least one day and preferably three days, stirring often. The molasses promotes the growth of the needed bacteria. The bubbling is needed to prevent the growth of harmful pathogens and may cause your mixture to possibly foam. Strain the brew through cheese cloth so the sprayer or watering can will not clog up and apply to your plants. Use the tea as soon as possible because the bacteria will lose all of its benefits if left to sit for any length of time. The finished product can then be applied directly to the soil around the plants or applied directly on the foliage. By applying the brewed tea directly to the leaves the beneficial bacteria will help prevent disease on the foliage of your plants although this is open to debate and will require a through washing of edible foliage. Dick Murray is a retired urbanite who has kept his passion for gardening alive with the creation of an informational web site backyardcomposttumbler More and more families are beginning to grow their own fruits and vegetables due to their increased concern regarding the quality, price and safety of our food supplies.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:05:38 +0000
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