Compost Tea. A Whole New Plant Food.

Gabe Granach


The first time I heard about compost tea, I was severely confused. Compost tea? Does it make you grow big and strong? No. Compost tea is not for you, it’s for your plants.
Compost tea is created by steeping compost in water for around five days. Then after straining, the liquid is applied to the soil around the plant and the nutrients are absorbed by the plant. One very cool benefit of compost tea is that extracts that are beneficial for the plant can be added to the mixture while brewing and the tea usually provides much needed oxygen.
Ideally, compost teas contain both an Abundance and a Diversity of beneficial microorganisms which perform different functions. Pathogenic organisms that land on the leaf surface simply cannot compete with the beneficial organisms and therefore have a greatly reduced chance to initiate disease in the first place.
All in all, compost tea is a wonderful addition to any plant. Different solutions can be made to further benefit the plants, and prevent from any disease in the plant. Compost tea is a very easy process to complete, and can be done on any scale.

Direct nutrition


A source of foliar and soil organic nutrients.

Chelated micronutrients for easy plant absorption

Nutrients in a biologically available form for both plant and microbial uptake



Microbial Functions

Compete with disease causing microbes

Degrade toxic pesticides and other chemicals

Produce plant growth hormones

Mineralize plant available nutrients

Fix nitrogen

Plant surfaces are occupied by beneficial microbes leaving no room for pathogens to infect the plant (squatters rights)

Sources:
http://www.composttea.com/earth_tea.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost_tea