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How to Make Compost Tea

Picture
by Suzie's Farm/Flickr
Nearly every gardener knows that compost is good for the soil and provides slow-release nutrients to plants. But you don't need to amend your soil with compost to reap its benefits. By making compost tea, you can add liquid gold to your garden all summer long without the fuss of working it into the soil. 


You will need:

  • Large bucket 
  • Cheesecloth or old pantyhose 
  • Twine 
  • Compost 

Directions:
  • Fill a large bucket with water. I prefer to use rainwater gathered in my rain barrel - but if you don't have a rain barrel using water from the hose is fine.
  • Place the bucket in a sunny location where it will heat in the sun. This speeds the process as nutrients leach from the compost faster in warm water. It also prevents shock to the roots of your plants when you apply the compost tea.
  • Make a bag from porous material, such as cheesecloth or the leg of old pantyhose. Fill the bag with aged compost. Secure the top of the bag with twine or garden ties. Keep in mind that as the compost becomes soggy its weight increases. Make sure the tie will withstand the weight of wet compost.
  • Submerge the bag of compost in the bucket of water and allow it to steep for 24 hours. 
  • Lift the bag of compost out of the water and swish it up and down to agitate the water several times a day to agitate the water. This helps speed the process of releasing nutrients into the water.
  • Remove the bag of compost. Add the compost to the top of your compost bin or mix it into the pile. Although you have leached the nutrients from the compost, the remaining organic matter will further decompose in your compost pile.
  • Dilute the compost tea with water before using on your plants. I typically use a cup or two per gallon on water in a watering can and fill it with fresh water.
  • Pour the compost tea around the base of plants or to container gardens once a week to provide a quick source of nutrients to promote healthy growth.

Make enough compost tea for approximately one week to prevent issues with stagnant tea. By making new tea each week, you will have fresh compost tea to feed your plants all summer.
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables