Compost Tea – How to Make It

If you’ve been gardening for awhile (and maybe if you’ve just started), you’ve likely heard about something called “compost tea”. It’s organic, good for your plants and acts as a fertilizer. And while you will have to make it yourself, it’s pretty easy. Want to learn more about this tea — how to make it and how to use it? Read on!

What is Compost Tea?

It’s kind of what it sounds like — a liquid that is created from compost and/or additional ingredients.  It can be a “steeped” variety, or a “brewed” variety.  They both feed the soil, which in turn feeds the plants.  However, they go about that feeding in a different manner.

Depending on what you put into the tea, it can act as a fertilizer, a (good) bacterial/fungal agent, or both.  It can be watered in or used as a foliar feeding.  Let’s find out what’s needed to make this tea.

Red Beefsteak Tomato Plant, Before First Compost Tea

(By the way, it’s not only just for tomatoes — all plants can benefit.)

Does it Work?

The first thing you might want to know is — does it really work?  From using it myself, I can whole-heartedly agree that it does work.  I put off using tea for quite a few years, because I thought it was too much of a pain to make.  Turns out it can be very, very simple (or as complex as you want).

Personally, I use the simple method – at least for now.  And I have to say that within literally 2 days, I saw a significant change, for the better, in the majority of my plants.   Within 4 days, all the plants had responded favorably. In a previous post, I mentioned that one of my tomato plants had doubled in size within a week!

And it’s all organic!

The Steeped Method of Compost Tea

This is super-easy.  I make it in 5-gallon buckets, but you can scale it down or up as needed.  Here’s how to make it:

• Take a 5-gallon bucket, and into it put one heaping trowel (a small hand shovel) of fresh compost or two heaping trowels of bagged compost.
• Fill the bucket to the top with water.
• Let it sit at least overnight, and even better is 24 hours.
• Use it while watering your plants.  First water normally, then add a cup or two of the tea to the base of each plant, depending on the size of the plant.

Same Plant, 10 Days After, With 2 Doses of Compost Tea

You can use it immediately, or within a week of  making it.  Either way, give it a quick stir before you use it.  Note:  It should look really dark, like coffee or a really strong tea.  If yours is more like weak coffee or tea in color, just add some more compost next time.

You can also use worm castings in place of some or all of the compost, or in addition to the compost.  And if you like, add in some liquid kelp — maybe a tablespoon or two.

You can use this for foliar if you like, but  I think just watering it in works just as well.   I used just worm castings for my first two batches, but my next batch will be a half bagged compost and half worm castings (1 trowel bagged compost + 1 trowel worm castings)

The Brewed Method of Tea

It’s a little different, and takes a little more effort.  This kind of tea basically encourages good bacteria and fungi by feeding them, and then it is sprayed onto the plants as a foliar or using it as a supplement to watering.  There are lots of companies that sell a brew mix that is ready to use, or you can make your own.  Either way, the process is pretty much the same.

Use de-chlorinated  water.  If you have chlorine in your water, either use a chlorine filter or just put water in a bucket and let it sit overnight (or better, 24 hours) to let the chlorine dissipate.

Put together the following in a 5-gallon bucket along with your water:

• 1 trowel of compost (or, worm castings)
• 1 tablespoon of molasses (blackstrap, if you can find it — otherwise regular)
• 1/4 teaspoon humic acid
• 2 tablespoons of liquid kelp

Stir together to mix thoroughly.  Then you will need an oxygen source, like an aquarium pump with tubing and an air stone.

With the aquarium pump outside the bucket and the air stone in the bucket (connected to the pump via tubing), run the pump and let the tea brew for at least 4 hours — 8 hours is better.

Use immediately as either a foliar feeding or a cupful after you  water your plants.  You’ll need to use it quickly, as this doesn’t keep well.  If you can’t use it all in one day, you will need to keep the air stone in. to continue the oxygen.

Variations

If the above brewed recipe isn’t quite to your liking, there are quite a few companies that sell a product that is ready to brew.  All you need to do is add the de-chlorinated water and air stone, and then brew the length of time recommended in the instructions you receive with the product.

Note:  Also follow the directions for how to use the finished tea — some products require you to dilute it further before using it on the plants.

Using Compost Tea

This post is already pretty long, so I’ll do a separate post for how to  use compost tea.  As soon as I have the post written I will link to it.