Compost Tea Recipe

Compost works well as a soil amendment, but you can also use compost as a liquid fertilizer. When compost and water are steeped together, the resulting liquid is known as compost tea, an easy to apply liquid fertilizer that contains all the nutritional benefits of compost.

Compost works well as a soil amendment, but you can also use compost as a liquid fertilizer. When compost and water are steeped together, the resulting liquid is known as compost tea, an easy to apply liquid fertilizer that contains all the nutritional benefits of compost.

When making compost tea, it is important to aerate the water so beneficial microorganisms stay alive. The easiest way to do this is with an aquarium pump, although you can choose to stir the mixture a few times daily instead.

A five-gallon bucket is sufficient for a batch of compost tea. Use purified water or well water instead of chlorinated water. For about 5 gallons of water, use one shovel full of compost. Place it in cheesecloth on top of the bucket, like a tea bag. This will keep your water liquid instead of mud, which will be easier to apply to the garden. Also add a tablespoon of molasses for the bacteria to eat.

After steeping for 24 to 48 hours outdoors, remove the cheesecloth and compost (you can put the wet compost back in the compost bin) and transfer the tea to a hose sprayer attachment. Spray over the garden, as you would apply any other liquid fertilizer. Be sure to use a clean sprayer that has not had chemicals in it previously. Apply the tea to the garden within the next day. The compost tea loses its strength as time passes, so use it as soon after brewing as possible.