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Compost Tea

WHAT IS VERMICOMPOST?

The Latin word for earthworm is Vermes and the harvested compound is compost, hence the name.

Vermicompost is a compost made from feeding horticultural compost from bedded pack cow manure through a redworm (earthworm) digester.  The cow manure compost provides good nutrition for the worms to live and maintain their population.  Redworms do a dramatic job of digesting and turning the compost into a high quality product called vermicompost, or worm compost.  The Worm Wonder ™ vermicompost used to brew our compost tea is tested by the Soil Foodweb, Inc. lab in Oregon, which shows that our vermicompost contains the following high levels of beneficial bacteria and fungi:

 

 Worm Wonder ™ Results Desried Range
Active bacterial biomass (u/ug) 37.4 15-30
Total bacterial biomass 816 150-300+
Active fungi biomass 122 2-10+
Total fungi biomass 3370 150-200+


WHAT IS COMPOST TEA?

Compost Tea is a very highly concentrated microbial solution produced by extracting beneficial microbes from vermicompost.  The tea is made by adding quality nutrients that enhance the growth of beneficial microbes to water that is highly aerated.  Vermicompost is then placed in a large “tea bag”, suspended in solution, and the extraction process begins.  Using the Earth Tea Brewer ™, good quality compost tea can be brewed in 20-24 hours.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COMPOST TEA?

Direct Nutrition:

  • A source of foliar and soil derived organic nutrients
  • Cheated micronutrients are easily absorbed by plants
  • Nutrients are in an available form for both plant and microbial uptake, resulting in the retention & recycling of nutrients in the right amounts at the right times

Microbial Functions:

  • Nitrogen is fixed to the plant roots & plant growth hormones are produced
  • Toxic pesticides and other chemicals are degraded
  • Infection sites on plant surfaces are occupied by beneficial organisms so disease-causing organisms have no food and cannot grow

Compost Tea will help create a balanced soil foodweb.  A balanced soil foodweb will:

  • Produce good soil structure, improving water infiltration, water retention & oxygen diffusion
  • Decompose plant residues rapidly
  • Retain nutrients
  • Reduce the use of and worker exposure to potentially harmful chemicals
  • Make land sustainable for future generations

HOW DO I USE COMPOST TEA?

One gallon of our compost tea can be diluted with up to 5 gallons of water, so it goes a long way!

Our compost tea can be used on all types of plants including flowers, vegetables, landscape plants and lawns.  Berries, fruits, and all trees will also benefit. It will not burn plants even if applied directly to them.  Trials show larger root systems and healthier foliage on plants treated with compost tea.  Faster germination of seeds can also occur when compost tea is applied.

Compost tea can be used to water newly planted plants and seedbeds, as well as to nourish establishes plants.

Compost tea can be sprayed onto rose, grape and other foliage to help prevent diseases.  It is most effective if used when leaves first emerge.  The suction cup-like appendages of the beneficial bacteria and fungi “hang on” to leaf surfaces, leaving no room for pathogens to take hold.

Compost tea needs to be used promptly after brewing to prevent it from becoming anaerobic ( and stinky).  It should be used within 8-12 hours of brewing for optimum results; it degrades quickly after 24 hours because of the lack of food and air.

Remember, healthy plants grow in soils that are vibrant and full of microbial life!