Compost tea is an excellent way to boost the vitality of your plants on an ongoing basis. You can apply this liquid directly onto the soil to feed the soil and roots of the plant, or as a spray to feed the leaves directly. Use compost tea as a natural fertilizer to give your plants a boost in growing and for disease resistance.

To make compost tea, get a large bucket and a couple scoops of finished compost. Some people place the compost directly into the bucket while others prefer to keep it in a nylon pouch or pair of old pantyhose so the solids stay together as much as possible. The next step is aerating and oxygenating the liquid. If you have an aquarium pump and air stone, we recommend using it and letting the mixture aerate for 12-24 hours. If you don’t have one or don’t want to spend $20-30 on this, stir vigorously every 15-20 minutes for 1-2 hours. Use immediately by pouring onto the soil or putting the liquid into a spray bottle to apply onto the foliage of your plants.

Cover Image by Mark Smith, used under its Creative Commons license.

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