Off the Urban Grid

Compost Tea, a Free Way to Boost Your Garden’s Productivity

If you’re a gardener, you’re probably already making your own compost. (And if you’re not, it’s time to get started! Not only is it cheaper–AKA free–to make your own compost instead of buying from the garden store, but it’s more eco-friendly as well since no one needs to haul away your yard waste and food scraps for some indeterminate fill site.) If you haven’t tried making compost tea yet, it’s definitely something to consider this year.

What is compost tea?

Compost tea is a liquid solution made by steeping compost in water, usually for a week or more. It is then used as a natural (and free) fertilizer to promote plant growth, and some say it also helps prevent plant diseases.

How to make compost tea

While you can buy fancy machines that are supposed to make really great tea, the basic process and is simple and can be done with nothing more than a bucket and some cheesecloth or some such for straining.

“Steep 1 part compost in 3 : 9 parts water, with optional additions of a handful of basalt-meal or granite-dust and seaweed powder, and stand at room temperature ( 20 – 25C°) for 3 – 24 days, with frequent stirring. Sieve through cheesecloth or a fine mesh screen.” ~ From the Wikipedia entry on compost tea

I grabbed a discarded bucket I found by a trail while walking the dogs and have my first batch of the season going now.

Now if you want to get fancy, you can also add some molasses and an aeration method and brew compost tea. This is supposed to be chock full of beneficial bacteria that will help prevent diseases in the soil and on the foliage of the plant. This is something I may try in the future.

What about you? Have you tried compost tea or are you thinking of it? What has been your experience?

Tags: Composting, gardening