"Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"

We've published articles on the benefits of using compost tea (also
known as "compost watery extract") and on commercially available kits
for making compost tea. Here are instructions for making compost tea
with a brewing system you can make from readily available materials.
The
instructions are adapted from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection web pages devoted to home composting (which also include
directions for making compost bins out of recycled pallets, a backyard
compost screen to sort out sticks and stones, and a bin for worm
composting) at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/. [NOTE! Compost tea
webpage can be found at
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deput...e/Tea/tea1.htm

Compost tea is easily made by soaking or steeping compost in water.
The resulting compost tea is used for either a foliar application
(sprayed on the leaves) or applied to the soil.... Compost tea
increases
plant growth, provides nutrients to plants and soil, provides
beneficial
organisms, helps to suppress diseases, and replaces toxic garden
chemicals.
Supplies needed: two- to five-gallon plastic buckets, one gallon of
mature compost, aquarium pump and gang valve (to divide the air supply
into several streams), four gallons of water, approximately three feet
of aquarium hose, unsulfured molasses, and cheesecloth.
1. Attach three separate pieces of hose each at least 12" long to
the
gang valve. [One piece of hose at the inlet, attached to the pump, and
two pieces at outlets.]
2. Place the gang valve on the rim of a bucket and make sure the
hoses reach the bottom of the bucket.
3. Add your finished compost and make sure that it covers the ends
of the hoses.
4. Add the water, filling the bucket to within six inches of the
top. (If you are using water from a public water source, run the pump
and bubble air through the water for at least an hour before adding
the
water to the compost. This allows any chlorine to escape. Chlorine can
kill beneficial organisms in the tea.)
5. Add one ounce of unsulfured molasses to provide a food source for
beneficial microorganisms.
6. Turn on the aquarium pump and let the mixture brew for two to
three days. Stir the brew occasionally to help mix the compost and to
separate the microorganisms from the solid compost particles.
7. After brewing the mixture, you need to strain the tea. Use
cheesecloth and strain into another bucket. (You can put the compost
solids back into the compost pile or in the garden.) The tea should
smell sweet and earthy. If it smells bad, do not use it on your
plants,
but dump the mixture back into your compost pile.
8. Apply the compost tea to your flower and vegetable plants
immediately. The beneficial microbes will begin to die shortly after
the
air source is removed. You can sprinkle the compost tea onto the
foliage
and the soil around each plant. The tea will provide nutrients and an
energy boost to your garden plants. You can apply compost tea every
two
weeks to your garden.
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Reprinted with permission from the May 2003 _HortIdeas_. Copyright
2003 by Greg and Pat Williams. HORTIDEAS (ISSN 0742-8219) is published
monthly by Gregory and Patricia Y. Williams, 750 Black Lick Road,
Gravel Switch, KY 40328 U.S.A. Annual subscription rates: U.S., $25.00
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