Compost Tea: Why you should use it in your garden

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If you have a garden, you want it to be healthy and look its best. There are many ways to have a successful garden. If you are looking for a simple way to help to improve your garden, then compost tea is a great option. Compost tea is simple to make, and it provides several benefits for your plants and soil.

Steeping finished compost into non-chlorinated water makes compost tea. This process allows the water to absorb all the nutrients that are found in compost. Once the compost has been steeped, it can then be applied to your garden in a number of ways. It can be used as a foliar spray, or it can be diluted and used as a root drench. This tea can also be added to potted plants or watering cans to enhance your watering routine.

How to make compost tea?

While doing research for this article, I found a number of different ways to make compost tea. You can use a compost tumbler if you have one. If you don’t have a compost tumbler then you can just simply use a bucket. In my experience, what I have found works the best is to keep it simple.

There are basically two options: aerated and nonaerated. For both options, you need a bucket (a 5-gallon bucket works well) and non-chlorinated water. Put about one shovel full of finished compost into the bucket and cover it with the non-chlorinated water.

The aerated version is slightly more complicated because it requires the use of an aerator device that pushes oxygen into the mixture, but it takes less time. Once you’ve mixed the compost and water together, add the aerator and let it run for 24 – 36 hours.

Nonaerated compost tea is the way that I have done it for my own garden because it is easier and doesn’t require any electronic equipment. This method takes a bit longer about one week and you need to stir it 1-2 times a day to allow the water to absorb the good nutrients the compost has to offer. It’s a simple process that can be done by using finished compost to start with.

Store-bought: If both of the above two methods still seem like too much work, then you can purchase compost tea from a gardening store.

Benefits of Compost Tea

Not only is compost tea easy to make, but it also provides a number of benefits for your garden. Compost tea can improve plant growth, help prevent disease, and enhance soil health. Below is a closer look at each of these benefits.

• Improved Plant Growth: With this tea, you get nutrients that plants need for healthy growth, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. When applied as a foliar spray or root drench, this tea can give plants a quick boost of nutrition.
• Disease Prevention: Compost tea can help prevent plant disease by providing beneficial bacteria and fungi that compete with pathogenic organisms. These beneficial microbes can also help strengthen plant immunity, making them more resistant to disease.
• Enhanced Soil Health: This tea contains a variety of microorganisms that improve soil health by breaking down organic matter, improving drainage, and increasing aeration. These benefits lead to healthier plants and improved overall plant growth.

How to use compost tea in your garden?

After the appropriate time has passed you will need to strain the mixture and use the liquid to fertilize your garden. The liquid can be sprayed on the leaves of your plants or it can be poured directly on the roots of the plants and so it will infuse into the soil.

The tea can be used undiluted, however, if you see that your tea is particularly dark, then it may be too strong and can be diluted 1:1 with water to avoid harming your plants.

Also if you have a large area that you want to fertilize then you can dilute it with water to make it stretch a bit further.

Are there any concerns with using compost tea?

The only real concern with using compost tea is if you are using compost that is raw manure or unfinished and has not been fully composted because it may contain harmful pathogens such as e.coli 0157:H7 or salmonella.

To avoid this problem, it’s important to use only high-quality finished compost from a reliable source.

Compost tea can also be made from compost that was made from kitchen scraps.

Conclusion

Compost tea is an easy and inexpensive way to improve plant growth, prevent disease, and enhance soil health. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make compost tea at home and use it in your garden to see these benefits for yourself.

Making compost tea is a simple way to give your garden a boost. By brewing up a batch of compost tea, you can improve plant growth, prevent disease, and enhance soil health. Give it a try today!

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