Denofearth69
Active Member
I am really digging using my preexisting organic gardening knowledge combined with what I have come to learn on this site and others like it. The topic of compost teas seems to center around the purchase of high dollar ingredients, and I am writing this recipe to illustrate how easy it is to brew inexpensive ( in my own case basically free ) compost tea.
Your first requirement is obviously compost. My compost is made up of household organic materials, which can include all veg matter, coffee grounds, human and pet hair, egg shells, pretty much anything other than citrus, meat products and whole bones, and I also own ducks so my compost has a lot of manure covered straw from their coop. Here is my compost pile.
The way that composting works is to speed up natural decomposition by creating an environment suitable for all those helpful critters to do their thing. The pile must be warm, moist, and turned regularly to provide air to your critters. This pile is roughly five feet across, and in a hole about a foot deep. Because this pile is doing as it should, it swallows a wheelbarrow full of material every week, but doesn't grow any bigger. Also, I urinate on my pile each morning to provide additional nitrogen in a readily metabolized form. I know what you're thinking, and I invite you to research this centuries old technique.
Next you always want to use the most composted material, whcih can be found at the bottom of the pile. Here is my pile opened up to expose the dark materials within.
Fill a five gallon bucket about half full with compost from bottom of pile.
Add water. Chlorine doesn't seem to have an effect on soil beasties as I theorize that wetting the pile with tap water makes them immune, and aeriation process will eliminate chlorine before tea gets to your plants.
I have two cheapy walmart fish tank air pumps with lines, and bubble stones to provide tea critters with air. Have read other posts claiming you can run two lines off one pump, but remember, you are forcing air through saturated organic materials imagine the force required to blow air through fresh cow pie. Anyways, in my own experience, two lines on one pump required more pressure than pump could with stand. Here is the set up.
Now here comes the gross part ( at least the first time ) place the bubble stones at the bottom of the bucket on opposite sides from each other. Yes it is similar to handling fresh turd, but you get used to it and after a while you won't mind because of the results you get.
To this mix we next add about a quarter cup of molasses. Molasses serves dual purpose of feeding tea critters, and plants. Mix is left to brew, with the occasional gentle stir ( don't want to disturb stones ) for about 24 hours. Next the heavier materials are strained out of the tea. Again I can't understand some peoples thinking in that they purchase paint strainers and things, when the simple fact of the matter is that everyone has an old T-shirt or two they can donate to the cause, and if not thrift stores have them starting at about 50 cents.
Next we let tea bubble for another 48 hours again giving mix the occasional stir, and when done we have a dark fluid with a smell like pure earth. If your tea smells offensive let it steep longer. Tea must continue to have air, and food to live, but as long as bubbles are blowing and a tablespoon of molasses per week is flowing, you've got some great stuff for growing. It tends to get used up fairly quickly anyways. I have applied this tea straight ( especially to flowering plants ) diluted ( in the case of younger plants ) and as foliar feed ( be sure and filter through coffee filter so particles don't clog your sprayer ) and in all cases and a very wide variety of plants all have thrived. It is also notable to point out that I have never had a plant nute burn no matter how much tea they are given, and Ph levels hover at 6.2 to 6.7. An added bonus of compost teas, and this only comes if you include urine, is that plants are more pest resistant.
Here are some of my results, and please keep in mind that in the case of my indoor plants these are my first ever attempt, and my set up is pretty ghetto indeed.
But that pales when compared to outdoor results. Mind you these are all carmelicious plants all started at the same time, just some were indoor some went outdoors. Here is my best outdoor plant ( I stand six foot one ).
View attachment 1016073
So there you have it easy to do but it does require a certain commitment to keep the biology alive and well. I wrote this to illustrate that effective fertilization need not come from a bottle or under a fancy label. Learning the biology and natural processes involved can bring you to a place where growing becomes simple repetition of steps with very little need for testing and adjusting.
I hope someone will find this beneficial and may you all grow well with whatever technique you are using.
Your first requirement is obviously compost. My compost is made up of household organic materials, which can include all veg matter, coffee grounds, human and pet hair, egg shells, pretty much anything other than citrus, meat products and whole bones, and I also own ducks so my compost has a lot of manure covered straw from their coop. Here is my compost pile.
The way that composting works is to speed up natural decomposition by creating an environment suitable for all those helpful critters to do their thing. The pile must be warm, moist, and turned regularly to provide air to your critters. This pile is roughly five feet across, and in a hole about a foot deep. Because this pile is doing as it should, it swallows a wheelbarrow full of material every week, but doesn't grow any bigger. Also, I urinate on my pile each morning to provide additional nitrogen in a readily metabolized form. I know what you're thinking, and I invite you to research this centuries old technique.
Next you always want to use the most composted material, whcih can be found at the bottom of the pile. Here is my pile opened up to expose the dark materials within.
Fill a five gallon bucket about half full with compost from bottom of pile.
Add water. Chlorine doesn't seem to have an effect on soil beasties as I theorize that wetting the pile with tap water makes them immune, and aeriation process will eliminate chlorine before tea gets to your plants.
I have two cheapy walmart fish tank air pumps with lines, and bubble stones to provide tea critters with air. Have read other posts claiming you can run two lines off one pump, but remember, you are forcing air through saturated organic materials imagine the force required to blow air through fresh cow pie. Anyways, in my own experience, two lines on one pump required more pressure than pump could with stand. Here is the set up.
Now here comes the gross part ( at least the first time ) place the bubble stones at the bottom of the bucket on opposite sides from each other. Yes it is similar to handling fresh turd, but you get used to it and after a while you won't mind because of the results you get.
To this mix we next add about a quarter cup of molasses. Molasses serves dual purpose of feeding tea critters, and plants. Mix is left to brew, with the occasional gentle stir ( don't want to disturb stones ) for about 24 hours. Next the heavier materials are strained out of the tea. Again I can't understand some peoples thinking in that they purchase paint strainers and things, when the simple fact of the matter is that everyone has an old T-shirt or two they can donate to the cause, and if not thrift stores have them starting at about 50 cents.
Next we let tea bubble for another 48 hours again giving mix the occasional stir, and when done we have a dark fluid with a smell like pure earth. If your tea smells offensive let it steep longer. Tea must continue to have air, and food to live, but as long as bubbles are blowing and a tablespoon of molasses per week is flowing, you've got some great stuff for growing. It tends to get used up fairly quickly anyways. I have applied this tea straight ( especially to flowering plants ) diluted ( in the case of younger plants ) and as foliar feed ( be sure and filter through coffee filter so particles don't clog your sprayer ) and in all cases and a very wide variety of plants all have thrived. It is also notable to point out that I have never had a plant nute burn no matter how much tea they are given, and Ph levels hover at 6.2 to 6.7. An added bonus of compost teas, and this only comes if you include urine, is that plants are more pest resistant.
Here are some of my results, and please keep in mind that in the case of my indoor plants these are my first ever attempt, and my set up is pretty ghetto indeed.
But that pales when compared to outdoor results. Mind you these are all carmelicious plants all started at the same time, just some were indoor some went outdoors. Here is my best outdoor plant ( I stand six foot one ).
View attachment 1016073
So there you have it easy to do but it does require a certain commitment to keep the biology alive and well. I wrote this to illustrate that effective fertilization need not come from a bottle or under a fancy label. Learning the biology and natural processes involved can bring you to a place where growing becomes simple repetition of steps with very little need for testing and adjusting.
I hope someone will find this beneficial and may you all grow well with whatever technique you are using.
