Compost tea, also known as liquid organic fertilizer, is a balanced and nutritious fertilizer that can be made by soaking compost in water. You can use this fertilizer on flower crops, houseplants, vegetables, and a variety of other crops to increase growth, flowers, and yields. Liquid organic fertilizer is made from old compost that no longer contains harmful pathogens, and uses an aerator pump to circulate air when the compost is soaked. In this way, beneficial microorganisms present in the soil will thrive in the tea, and this is what keeps the plant healthy.
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Part 1 of 3: Making Compost Tea
Step 1. Remove chlorine from tap water
To make this tea, you need about 11 liters of water. Place the water in the sun and fresh air for a few hours to allow the chlorine in the water to decompose. The chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria in the compost tea.
This step is not necessary if you are using water from a well or other source that does not contain chlorine
Step 2. Place the aerator pump at the bottom of the large bucket
To make compost tea, you will need a 20 liter plastic bucket. Place a pond or aquarium aerator at the bottom of the bucket. This aerator will be connected to an external pump that keeps the tea moving when it is steeped.
- Use a pump capable of moving as much as 20 liters of water.
- This pump system is needed to circulate the air in the compost tea that is being soaked. Tea that doesn't move will turn into anaerobic, which is not good for the plant.
Step 3. Plug the aerator into the pump
Plug one end of the hose into the aerator placed at the bottom of the bucket. Plug the other end of the hose into the pump that is outside the bucket. You can place the pump on the ground next to the bucket, or attach it to the side of the bucket.
Step 4. Add the loosened compost until it reaches half the bucket
Once the aerator is installed and connected to the pump, put the cooked compost in the bucket. Do not fill the bucket more than halfway, and do not compact the compost. Compost must remain loose for the aerator to work.
- Only use old compost. Immature compost may contain harmful pathogens that are not good for plants.
- Ripe compost smells earthy and fragrant. It doesn't smell like alcohol or rotting food.
Step 5. Put water in the bucket to fill the remaining space
Once the compost has been added, add enough water to fill the bucket. Leave 8 cm of space at the top of the bucket to prevent the liquid from spilling out when you stir it.
Step 6. Add 30 ml of molasses and stir in the compost mixture
Molasses will feed the beneficial soil bacteria so that these bacteria can grow and multiply. When adding molasses, stir the contents of the bucket so that the water, compost, and molasses are thoroughly mixed.
Use molasses that does not contain sulfur. Sulfur can kill beneficial bacteria
Part 2 of 3: Making Compost Tea
Step 1. Turn on the pump
After mixing compost, water and molasses, connect the pump to a power source and turn it on. The pump will flow air into the aerator which is placed at the bottom of the bucket to provide oxygen and air circulation in the compost tea.
Step 2. Soak the tea for 2-3 days
The process of making compost tea takes 48-72 hours. The longer the process, the more microbes that multiply in the tea. Do not soak the tea for more than 3 days because the food for microbes is not sufficient if you do it more than this time.
Compost tea should smell like earth. If it has a different scent, throw the tea away, and make it again from scratch
Step 3. Stir the tea daily
In the process of making it, stir the tea mixture at least once a day so that no compost settles at the bottom of the bucket. This is also to ensure that all materials are always in motion.
Step 4. Turn off the pump, then strain the tea
Turn off the pump when tea brewing is complete. Remove the hose and aerator from the bucket. Strain the tea by placing a wide burlap sack or cheesecloth on the top of the second 20 liter bucket. Pour the tea mixture into a bucket that has been covered with a cloth. Wrap the compost mixture in a burlap sack or cheesecloth and remove it from the water. Squeeze the burlap sack to extract the tea.
Step 5. Return the compost to its place
After separating the liquid from the solid compost, the compost tea is ready to use. Return the solid compost to its original place using a hoe or shovel. Alternatively, you can use the solid compost to fertilize the plants in your garden.
Part 3 of 3: Using Compost Tea
Step 1. Use compost tea within 36 hours
The beneficial microbes present in tea cannot survive for more than a few days. Due to its short shelf life, you should immediately use this compost tea while it is still fresh. The sooner you use it, the better. Do not store compost tea for more than 3 days.
Step 2. Moisten the soil with compost tea
This liquid fertilizer can be directly sprinkled on the soil in the garden. Put the compost tea in the pot and sprinkle it on the soil around the plant. You can also put compost tea in a spray bottle and spray it.
- For best results, water the soil with compost tea two weeks before the plant begins to sprout.
- Compost tea can also be a great addition to the soil for plants that are young or have just been transplanted into the soil.
Step 3. Put the compost tea in a spray bottle, then spray it on the leaves
Spray compost tea directly on the leaves of the plant. If the tea is very dark in color, first mix it with water in equal proportions and put it in a spray bottle. Add tsp. (1 ml) vegetable oil and beat the mixture until smooth. Spray this compost tea mixture onto the plant's leaves in the morning or evening.
- The vegetable oil will help adhere the compost tea to the leaves.
- Always use diluted compost tea if you are using it on young or fragile plants.
- Do not spray compost tea on the leaves of the plant in the middle of the day as it can burn the leaves in the sun.
