You may have heard gardeners or plant enthusiasts mentioning compost tea. This is a simple liquid made by "brewing" compost in water. It's said to help prevent or treat leaf diseases and increase the available nutrients the plant can use. Compost tea may also be able to reduce the damage caused by toxins, creating healthier plants. Healthy plants lead to tastier, better vegetables and more attractive flowers. If you have a compost pile already, there's no reason not to give compost tea a try.
Compost is a substance formed by beneficial microbes which break down the organic material in the pile. In addition to providing better nutrition for your plants, compost, when used to make compost tea, can benefit them in other ways. The microbes are still present in compost tea, and they compete with "bad" microorganisms for nutrients, produce chemicals that can kill these other microbes, take up space they could be using, and even consume them. That means that a population of the microorganisms present in compost can be good for you plants. It may help make them healthier and improve their soil.
Aerobic bacteria are the desirable kind. Undesirable microbes live in poorly aerated soil, and will die in the presence of oxygen. Good compost is well oxygenated, and full of aerobic microbes that combat the anaerobic type. Using it on your plants will help them grow stronger and better, and making compost tea is nearly free. If you're interested in increasing the number of ways you can use compost to help your plants, here's what to do.
Compost tea requires a number of gallons of non-chlorinated water equal to the number of pounds of compost you're using. So, if you have five pounds of compost, use five gallons of water. Collected rainwater is excellent. Some people also add a half cup of Epsom salts to this recipe. Just mix all the ingredients in a large container, and allow the material to ferment for several weeks. You should stir it daily, although the compost tea may give off an unpleasant smell. After the compost teas stops bubbling, it's ready for use. Just strain it into jugs and store in a cool location. Remember that this is a very concentrated substance. When you use it, dilute one part of tea to ten parts water, and drench the soil around the plants. Chances are, you'll see a big difference soon.
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