Making compost tea doesn’t have to be rocket science.
Here’s one method:
Last fall, I filled a trashcan with pulled weeds, leaves, some chicken
manure, straw and a bit of dirt… filled it the rest of the way up with
water, then let it rot for a while. I then dipped into that water and
fed my plants in the greenhouse throughout the winter. They did quite
well, though the smell… my gosh… it was amazing. (I think I need to
market it: Dave’s Fetid Swamp Water (TM)).
Incidentally, you’re supposed to keep air in the mix in order to encourage the friendly and less dangerous aerobic bacteria – but hey, who can fault a guy for sending a little love over to the anaerobic side once in a while?
Watching these videos made me start a new batch… and it stinks already. This time I threw in some yogurt, kefir, sugar, urine, compost, leftover water from cooking beans and mustard greens, ashes and a bit of epsom salts. YUM!
UPDATE: There’s a lot more on making compost tea in my book Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting. Pick up a copy and start growing gardens like you’ve never seen.
2 responses to “Making Compost Tea”
OK, I'm sold. Double-digging and compost tea. These are my projects for 2013.
I mean, I would be happy if my veggies are even 1/3 the size of his. I could feed a whole village on 1 acre.
And don't forget – good old fashioned piss is a great fertilizer all by itself.
And you're right… I can't believe the results that fellow is getting. Almost miraculous.
The strawberries (which I've been feeding with a variety of things, including compost tea, urine and pot liquor) are looking amazing right now. And producing berries – which is freaking me out, considering the season.