While definitely not fit for human consumption, compost tea is a yummy, fast-acting, fertilizing beverage for your garden, a la concentrated kombucha, without the caffeine. Fermented wholesomeness, here are some benefits:
- Improves soil fertility and water retention, plus easily absorbed by plants.
- Adds super-beneficial microbes, trace elements, fungi, and nutrients galore.
- Use diluted via irrigation systems, foliar spray (on leaves), or a watering can drench.
- Aeration exponentially improves above benefits and speeds up the process.
Using on seedlings may “burn” them.
Each batch is unique, use what’s on-hand, with non-chlorinated water:
- Dandelion, burdock, nettles, and other “weeds”, and/or comfrey, AND leaf-mold.
- Rotted manure and/or compost and/or worm castings.
- Intense recipe.
- Powdered mixes available online.
- Homemade soil amendments.
Ferment in a cool, dark spot for a few weeks, stirring/aerating often, dilute, and apply. Mmmmm.
Conventional fertilizers burn plants, accumulate in soils, and pollute waterways.
Planetarily,
Laura & Gil
Our friends Laura & Gil Richardson are, in their own words, “imperfect” but they are much further down this Planetarian path than anyone I know. They are a treasure trove of sustainable living inspiration and we’ve asked them to share one simple swap per week that they’ve made (and the products they love) in hopes it might inspire you to make them, too.
