Here we have a post (and a video) about the basic concepts of good “compost tea.” Yum. We want to cover what is compost tea and also how to make compost tea. Should you want an explanation of How compost tea works, well we’ve got that in here for you as well; it’s all about giving your plants all they need to be happy and productive. As it seems is the case with everything in gardening and growing, this can turn into complicated subject if we get carried away. So, we are going to stick to the surface of the topic and keep it simple.
What is Compost Tea?
Compost tea is a liquid version of compost that allows you to give your garden and plants the extra umph they need without adding extra material to your pots or garden. The compost tea we’ll discuss here is just a simple compost tea that anyone can make. Seriously, you’ll only really need a five gallon bucket and some great compost.
The key to amazing compost tea is using a great compost! Finding a compost product that has added good stuff (like beneficial minerals) allows you to make a tea that goes beyond regular composts … and beyond straight manure. As a tip, you should always look for compost that has vermicompost and added solution-grade minerals like calcium, potassium and trace minerals. These solution-grade minerals will dissolve fully in the compost tea, allowing them to be applied to your plants in the most efficient way. Have a compost with vermicompost? If so, that creates added microbiology to the compost tea that normal manures do not. Worms really are the king composters and their castings are the best.
Making compost tea is easy. Here’s how:
First, you need some stuff …
- 2 cups high quality compost that has vermicompost and solution grade minerals (for Nevada Compost, Full Circle’s Boost is the way to go)
- 5 gallons water
- 5 gallon bucket
- Stir stick
Now all you do is add the compost to the bucket, add the water, stir and let sit for 24 hours. You may stir the compost tea periodically in this time frame to get all the materials incorporated. After the 24 hour period, depending on the quality of the compost, most of the organic materials and compost should have settle to the bottom. This allows you to add the tea directly to the plant, in a watering can or sprayer with a filter on it. This light, diluted tea can be used often. Also, you can use your new compost tea as a direct root-drench.
Compost tea can be the big boost you need in your yard and garden. Compost tea made by using great compost can add extra nutrients to your garden all season long.
Rather watch a video on how to make compost tea? We thought you’d never ask:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri4cLxQX270
A Note on Using and Buying Nevada Compost (or compost anywhere):
Making any compost tea can be dangerous to your plants, especially when used on the foliar level if the compost used is not properly made. The key is finding a compost that has been made under strict rules and processes to kill all pathogens. The compost product used in this video was made where temperature levels rose above 140 degrees F for at least one week’s times. This temperature level kills all pathogens and guarantees that this compost is safe to use. If you are using a compost product and especially a manure, you must make sure the producer of this product follows EPA guidelines for processing their materials to kill all possible pathogens. If the producer has a great process (Like Full Circle’s Nevada Compost does) there is no need to worry.
