How to Make Compost Tea

by Chris Molnar

Compost tea is like gold to the organic gardener. It's not for you, the gardener, but for your plants! It is not only cheap and easy to make, it provides plants with a hearty dose of healthy nutrients immediately, which helps them to grow better and stronger. Unlike using compost in the soil, which slowly releases the nutrients into the plants roots, compost tea immediately provides the plant with nutrients, as the liquid is soaked up instantly by the plants.

Fortunately, compost tea is very easy to "brew," whether you are a beginner gardener or more advanced. It also requires very few tools to make. To make your compost tea, you will need:

• bucket or container
• compost
• water
• strainer

The larger your container, the more tea you can make. If you have a very large garden, using a large 55 gallon drum may be more efficient for you to produce the amount of tea you will need. If you have a small garden, a 5 gallon bucket may suffice, which is about the minumum you should make.

Place your compost materials in the container. You want to have a good ratio of carbon and nitrogen based compost, just as you would in a compost pile. Do not pack the compost into the bucket, rather fill it loosely with the material so that it can be easily stirred. Do not fill the container with compost all the way. About 3/4 of the bucket will do.

Add water to the compost. If you can use rainwater, it will be healthier than tap water, which usually contain chemicals such as chlorine. Fill the bucket with the water, leaving enough space at the top so that when you stir the water, it does not spill over the sides.

You will want to let your compost tea "steep" for at least a week, stirring the water every day. You can certainly stir more than once per day, but it will not necessarily make your brew any more nutrient rich.

Keep the bucket in an area where it will remain warm, but avoid placing it in the direct sun. Too much sun will promote algae growth, which will throw off the carbon and nitrogen balance.

After a week has passed, strain the compost particles from the liquid. The easiest way to do this is to securely attach a piece of cheesecloth to the top of another 5 gallon bucket. Using a smaller bucket or container, scoop the compost tea out of the original bucket, and pour it through the cheesecloth to strain the water. This will help to remove all small particles from the mixture, so it easily be used in a sprayer if you desire.

Do not spray the concentrated compost tea directly on your plants, as it may burn them, especially if your tea is strong in nitrogen. Instead, dilute the tea with a ratio of approximately 1 part compost tea to 10 parts water. Again, rainwater will work best for this.

Using a sprayer or watering can, apply the diluted tea to the roots of the plant, or the leaves if it is early morning or evening. Apply as needed, a couple times per month. Since it is a liquid, it will wash out into the soil quickly.

The strained material can go back into your compost pile. However, if planning to make more tea right away, use a new batch of compost first, as the ingredients you just used will now be lacking in essential nutrients.

Let you garden enjoy the fresh jolt of compost tea! It's nature's best liquid fertilizer.

Chris Molnar is currently brewing a fresh batch of compost tea, which he will spray over his vegetable patch. He manages an organic gardening blog, where you can get a free gardening report by signing up for his twice monthly newsletter.