Learn how you can make compost tea yourself and use it to benefit your plants.
The valuable properties of compost are undeniable. It is rich in all kinds of trace elements and nutrients that plants need to thrive. But when you mix it with water, it turns into the perfect liquid fertilizer that has a stronger immediate effect. Read on to learn how to make compost tea yourself and use it to benefit your plants. The cold water extract from compost is the perfect organic fertilizer for your garden, which can also be used to prevent fungal diseases.
Make compost tea yourself: Make the plant elixir in simple steps
Compost tea is an excellent elixir that makes plants grow stronger, mature faster and taste better. It can be used on flowering plants, vegetables and houseplants to increase growth, flowering and yield. It also promotes the growth of roots, which become larger and stronger. With a few tricks you can easily make your own liquid fertilizer and give your plants an extra boost for the summer.
What is a compost tea?
Compost tea is made by extracting nutrients from compost and converting them into a liquid. It works in the same way as pure compost, but its liquid form helps plants absorb nutrients even more quickly. You can fertilize the plants every few weeks with the natural elixir without worrying about over-fertilizing.
The liquid fertilizer works its magic by strengthening plants in two unique ways. It provides them with nutrients that are absorbed by the roots as the liquid fertilizer penetrates the soil. But it also supplies them with energy by penetrating the leaves. That's why it's very important to use well-seasoned compost that doesn't contain dangerous pathogens.
Another benefit of compost tea is that it naturally repels pests and prevents disease when sprayed on plants.
How is compost tea made?
To make your own compost tea, you only need two ingredients – compost and water. Therefore, it is important to use good, finished compost. While homemade vermicompost is suitable for this, you should avoid using fresh animal manure as it can contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli. If you don't have onehave your own compost heap, you can just as easily make the compost tea from compost from the garden center.
Be sure to use dechlorinated water as chlorine can kill the beneficial organisms in compost. Distilled water and rainwater are ideal for preparation, but if you are to use tap water, leave it in the sun and fresh air for a few days so that the chemicals in it can leach out.
The compost tea should only be prepared at air temperatures between 12 °C and 30 °C, otherwise the activity of the microorganisms can be slowed down and its effectiveness reduced.
Make compost tea yourself: step-by-step instructions
To make homemade compost tea, you only need a large bucket, 1 liter of compost and 10 liters of water.
- Take a large bucket, add 1 liter of compost and pour 10 liters of water over it. Always use a large container so you can stir the tea without spilling it.
- Place the bucket in a shady location to prevent the liquid from evaporating and being lost. However, do not close it so as not to impair air circulation.
- Allow the compost to soak well and steep the compost tea for seven days.
- While the tea is steeping, stir it at least once a day to make sure the compost doesn't end up on the bottom.
- Make sure you want the compost tea to have an earthy smell, if that changes you should throw it away and start again.
- When the compost tea is finished brewing, take a second bucket and cheesecloth and carefully filter the liquid.
- Once you have removed the solid components, add them to the compost heap and work them back in.
- The compost tea is ready to use and you can use it in the garden.
Use the natural liquid fertilizer correctly
The prepared compost tea should be used within 3 days for best results as the beneficial bacteria do not survive for long. If you do want to store it for longer, keep it out of direct sunlight and keep it sealed to preserve the nutrients for as long as possible.
You can fertilize the plants with the valuable liquid every seven to 10 days to provide them with energy. Fertilization with fresh tea can be done in the following way.
- Water the plants directly with the compost tea. For best results, apply the liquid fertilizer to the soil two weeks before the plants sprout.
- You can also put it in a spray bottle and mist the plants in the evening or morning because using liquid fertilizers in the heat of the day can burn the foliage. The moisture on the leaves increases sunlight and can cause sunburn. Always use diluted tea on young or sensitive plants. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the foliar spray to help the solution adhere to the leaves.
How often should plants be fertilized with compost tea?
Compost tea is the perfect, natural fertilizer for all types of plants. But to get the most out of it, you should follow a few tips.
- Vegetable plants:Apply the compost tea in the morning or evening every two weeks once the plants or seeds are established. Water each plant with half a liter of the natural liquid fertilizer and also spray the leaves with it.
- Potted and container plantsalso benefit from fertilization with compost tea. Therefore, you should dilute 1 liter of tea with 5 liters of water before watering the plants every five to seven days to provide them with the necessary nutrients throughout the summer.
- Flower beds:Fertilize the annual and perennial flowers in the garden every few weeks with homemade liquid fertilizer to encourage lush blooms and new growth.
What types of compost tea are there?
There are two types of compost tea – with or without aeration.
Aeration is an alternative and faster way to make compost tea. The preparation follows the same steps, but you are supposed to insert an aquarium air pump into the liquid and let it run for 12 to 48 hours. This introduces oxygen into the liquid, which promotes good microbes and reduces the risk of pathogens.
To enrich the compost tea even more, you can add some additional ingredients such as molasses.
The molasses provides food for the beneficial bacteria in the soil and helps them grow and multiply. After mixing water and compost, add 30g of unsulphured molasses to the compost tea and stir the liquid well to allow all the ingredients to fully combine.
Those tooAddition of ashcan increase the mixture's ability to retain moisture, which is useful if you use compost that is too dry.
You can also aerate the compost tea with sawdust, wood chips and chopped branches. This allows the aerobic organisms to breathe and promotes the microbes.
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