Compost Tea Might Be The Secret To A Lush, Pest-Free Garden

Are your plants looking sad? Maybe their new leaves are smaller than usual or they have trouble growing altogether. You might even find pests or diseases frequently invading the foliage and soil. If this is the case, your garden will benefit from compost tea. Not only will it solve the growth problem, but it will also improve your plants' overall health. Compost tea is also perfect for gardens treated with pesticides and herbicides as it will counter most possible adverse effects these products may have. Thus, your garden can get treated for pests without losing out on the vital microorganisms that are beneficial to your plants.

It's similar to synthetic fertilizers because it adds nutrients to the soil. The more beneficial microorganisms available, the more your flowers or vegetables can thrive. However, since it's made from the humus of finished compost, it won't burn your plants if you accidentally give them too much. As you continue to use this tea, you'll notice your plants look healthier, and the amount of care you need to provide decreases. You also won't have to water them as frequently or use synthetic fertilizers. But before you can start using this tea in your garden, you'll need to brew it.

Compost tea is a nutritious liquid you dilute in water before giving it to your plants. The actual tea is filled with macronutrients for your garden. This includes magnesium and potassium, along with zinc and iron. Your plants need these minerals to make the food that gives them the energy to grow large foliage. Plus, they're more soluble in this form. Even better, compost tea helps deter common pests, so you can lessen your reliance on chemical pesticides.

Before brewing the tea, you need to keep a compost bin. You have two options: The first is to have an aerated compost tea, where you would use a device to pump air into a mixture created with compost and water. The second is non-aerated, which is simpler since all you have to do is combine compost and water in the bin and wait for the nutrients to be extracted. You'll periodically add scraps which break down and eventually turn into humus. Once it's finished, you'll have a liquid that can be drained out to add to your garden beds.

You don't need a whole compost bin to brew this tea. Instead, you can get the same effects after a week with kitchen scraps and a glass jar. You should aim to include eggshells, banana peels, onion skins, and coffee grounds. As you use these foods in your kitchen, collect the scraps in your jar until almost full. Doing this is excellent for your plants and the environment because you're saving trash from ending up in a landfill.

Once you have enough scraps, it's time to add water to the jar. Use enough to fill the container. Then tuck it away somewhere safe without the lid on. After three to five days, your compost tea should be ready. Before using it in your garden, you must strain the food scraps from the liquid. You can add the tea the next time you water your plants with a ratio of 1 part tea to 4 parts water. If your garden needs even more nutrients, you can make a compost smoothie with the scraps left in the strainer. Just add them to a blender with some water. Then you can use it as fertilizer by placing it in the soil.