10/30/2018 / By Zoey Sky
Homesteaders know that natural fertilizers are better for both plants and the environment. One such alternative is compost tea, an organic liquid fertilizer that can help enrich the soil in your garden without the use of harmful chemicals. You can make compost tea – which is cheaper alternative to -laden store-bought fertilizers — using this easy guide. (h/t to PreppersWill.com)
Some gardeners call compost tea “liquid gold fertilizer” for flowers, houseplants, and vegetables. Compost tea is a “liquid, nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic supplement made by steeping aged compost in water.” You can add compost tea to your garden at any time of the year because it can also act as a very mild, organic liquid fertilizer.
Soaking or steeping compost in water produces a liquid that you can use as either a foliage application, which is sprayed directly on leaves, or applied to the soil in your garden. Keep in mind that while this liquid is good for your plants, compost “tea” is not safe for human consumption. (Related: 4 Soil problems and how to fix them.)
Use compost tea instead of chemical fertilizers, fungicides, and pesticides that can harm the environment.
Compost tea also offers other advantages such as:
Follow this guide to make compost tea.
Tools:
Steps:
Compost tea smells sweet and earthy. If the liquid smells unpleasant, don’t use it on your plants. Instead, return the mixture back to the compost pile.
The compost tea can immediately be used on flowers and vegetables because the beneficial microbes will start to die off once their air source is removed. Sprinkle the compost tea onto leaves and the soil around each plant. This liquid will provide nutrients and a much-needed energy boost to garden plants.
Apply compost tea every two weeks to your garden plants to keep them strong and healthy. This liquid fertilizer helps return organic matter to the soil in a usable form.
Organic matter in the soil boosts plant growth in three ways:
Use natural and effective compost tea to boost soil quality and cultivate healthier plants.
Learn more about natural alternatives to chemical fertilizers at HomeGardeningNews.com.
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