BREWED FRESH! Aerated Compost Tea for Plants
| “Compost teas are a veritable liquid soil food web. Instead of lugging around wheelbarrows of compost, consider compost teas, a concentration of the same microbiology. When you use them, you are really teaming with microbes.” –Teaming with Microbes– |
What is Compost Tea?
Compost tea is a liquid extract of compost and it is one of the primary tools to making healthier soils, full of life and biology. Keep in mind, healthier soils make healthier plants. And, the trickle down aspect of health includes better disease and pest resistance, drought tolerance, flowering, fruiting and so forth. In a quality tea you will have major plant nutrients, micronutrients, plant growth compounds and very importantly, billions of beneficial microorganisms.
What is Compost?
Compost, according to a definition in Wikipedia is: “Organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. Compost can be rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil.”
Compost Tea Versus Compost
What is different about quality compost tea and compost is that the tea goes to work right away. Compost, on the other hand, can take 7-months before nutrients become available to plants. Note: Both are essential tools to restore “life” and ecology back to your soil. See soil food web.
What is Aerated Compost Tea?
Aerated Compost Tea, or ACT, is a modern process of making compost tea. It uses a pumped air brew process that carefully maintains oxygen levels essential for aerobic functioning. ACT is prepared by pumping air into a mixture of compost, dechlorinated water, and microbial nutrients. Unlike old fashioned teas, which were anaerobic, ACTs remain aerobic – and the aerobic microorganisms are the beneficial ones. The energy from the air bubbling through the mixture strips the microbes out of the compost and into the tea. With the microbial nutrients (microbe food) also within the brew, the good biology microbes multiply 25 to 30 time over. Aerated compost tea brews for 24 hours.
About our Aerated Compost Tea:
Our method of making aerated compost tea is designed to bring consistent quality with each brew. Our state-of-the -art commercial compost tea brewer, made by Growing Solutions, uses an aerated diffused bubble system. The gentle oxygenating system extracts the goodness from the compost (vermicompost) which includes macro and micro nutrients, as well as a diverse population of beneficial microorganisms. Over the 24-hour brew cycle, an exponential increase in good microorganisms takes place. Teaming with life, fresh brewed compost tea has a shelf life of about 24 hours; however, it’s best to apply immediately after brewing or purchase.
High Quality Ingredients in our Brew…
Vermicompost – We’re using locally sourced worm castings from Sonoma Valley Worm Farm. Their red wiggler worms are fed composted organic dairy manure from Strauss Dairy Farm in Petaluma.
Tea Catalyst – A nutrient charge that feeds a broad range of microorganisms within the vermicompost. It’s made with ingredients such as: humic acid, soluble kelp, rock dust and complex carbohydrates.
Dechlorinated Water – Sans chlorine and chloramine.
Benefits of Compost Tea:
As mentioned, compost tea can help to restore or maintain the natural biology of good microbes to your soil food web. If you’ve been using chemical or synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, these will kill the good life in your soil. Compost tea is an excellent way to bring back the balance and life to your soil. Diverse and enormous good microbial population can also help protect against pest and disease and make available plant nutrients in forms that plants can readily utilize. Additional benefits include:
1. Healthy soil
2. Pest and disease resistance
3. Improved plant health
4. Improved plant vigor
5. Increased yield in fruits and vegetables
6. Better flavor to fruits and vegetables
7. Increased plant nutritional quality
8. Improved uptake of plant nutrients
9. Improved soil structure – drainage and compaction
10. Greater drought tolerance
11. Safe, no odor, product – kids, pets and the environment
12. Liquid compost comes in a more convenient form for urban gardens than bulky compost
Plants and Soils that can Benefit from Aerated Compost Tea:
Some Examples…
Existing urban gardens, Newly planted gardens, Organic landscape care, Sustainable landscaping, Greenhouse & nursery grown plants, Ornamental gardens, Edible & herb gardens, House plants, Container plants, Trees, Shrubs, Perennial, Groundcovers & Grasses, Vines, Roses, Lawns…
How to Apply Aerated Compost Tea?
Aerated compost tea can be used as a foliar spray or soil drench. As a soil drench, apply to base of plant; as a foliar spray, 70% leaf coverage is suggested.
About our Application Service:
We provide customized compost tea spray and soil programs to home owners and businesses in San Francisco. We can also custom brew up to 25 gallons. Please contact us to learn more about our services.
Is there a Shelf Life?
Yes! Because aerated compost tea is a live product it is best to use immediately after purchase, or within 24 hours.
Coverage
10 – 15 gallons per acre straight or diluted.
For more information: