There's a new cup of tea in town. This one isn't for you to sip, but rather for your plants to enjoy. It's called compost tea, and it's made by adding finished compost or well-rotted manure to water, letting it steep and then using the brewed and strained liquid to feed your vegetables, flowers and lawn. Some call it the organic version of Miracle Grow.
The reported benefits of fertilizing plants with compost or manure tea vary. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, growers who use the tea report that it increases plant growth and helps suppress diseases. "Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening" describes compost tea as a potent natural fertilizer that supplies nutrients to plants soon after application. The one thing everyone agrees on is that it is a replacement for toxic garden chemicals. (See References 1 and 2)
You can make compost tea right in your own backyard by adding 2 cups of finished compost to 1 gallon of water and allowing it to steep for a few days. The steeping allows time for the water to be infused with the compost's soluble nutrients. Another method is to enclose the compost in cloth --- like an oversized tea bag --- and let it soak for a few days. After the steeping period, discard the compost and use the liquid as a plant fertilizer. (See References 3)
Manure tea is similar to compost tea. Decomposed animal manure is added to water and allowed to steep until the water has taken on a deep brown color. The manure solids are strained out, then the liquid is applied to lawns, gardens and flowers. Human waste is not recommended, because it contains parasites and diseases that shouldn't be introduced into your soil. It some areas, it is illegal to use human waste as fertilizer.
Methods of using compost tea vary, according the USDA's "Compost Tea Task Report." It is often used as a foliar spray applied directly to the plant's leaves. Some growers apply compost tea to both planted and unplanted fields via irrigation systems. When plants are started from seed, compost tea is used to moisten the soilless growing medium and to feed the emerging plants. (See References 1)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Compost Tea Task Force Report
- "Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening"; Fern Marshall Bradley, et al., editors; 2009
- Organic Farming Research Foundation: Organic Teas From Compost and Manures
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