A lot has been said about compost tea.., the benefits and all. But how many actually do it, and use the home made product and put to good use in garden. There was a highlight in local prime time 8 oclock news on this recently... A woman was showing how to do it. She was holding a 5 litre cooking oil plastic bottle and put veggie leftover and some brown sugar into it... and a little bit of water. I think it was about greener world drive. After three months the compost tea can used as foliar fertiliser and as cleansing agent to clean up dirty bathroom tiles....
We gave it a try. Leftovers of papaya peels, and other veggies were pushed in .... By mid September, a home made liquid fertiliser shall be tested on its effectiveness!!... What a long wait.
The second bottle [ FN orange ] has pieces of banana stalks and leaves. I place dry grass as well. Other bottles are queeing.....
From time to time, I open up the cap, then there is a ziiiiipppp sound coming out. I suppose the material is fermenting alright, and they are releasing CO2 gas [is it?]. I just close it and give a good shake before placing the bottle back somewhere far from sight.
our first attempt
at making compost tea
Anybody done it before?
These could be useful for further readings.
1 What are the Benefits of Aerated Compost Teas vs. Classic Teas? -
2 How to Make Compost Tea :: Harvest to Table
3 Compost Tea Recipe
4 Recipes for Compost Tea
I have heard about it before, but I don't know anyone who has actually done it. I am very excited to see your results in September.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just want to tell you how fun it has been reading about your garden adventures on the other side of the world. You give some great photos and tidbits. Thanks!
Everybody is talking about this but I just did not have the chance to try it. TQ for sharing the recipe here. I probably try it when I am more free ;-) Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteOf course, I use the geese's pool water as manure tea, but compost tea....hmmmm! What a great idea. I look forward to the results. Janet
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so interested in this technique. The way I've made compost tea is to add finished compost to a bucket of water and let it steep for a week or so. Then I ladle it onto plants. Can't wait to hear more about your process! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI think I will pass on this idea. I remember fellow allotmenteers making it with Comfrey years ago but the smell was off putting.
ReplyDeleteI have not done this...you will have to let us know. I thought you were going to say it was the water from the worm composting or something along that line.
ReplyDeleteI make it the same way June mentioned. I think if I tried this method I would forget to release the gas and it would explode when I bumped into it. Maybe one of those valves used in brewing beer would be helpful. Or maybe just leaving the tops loosened a little?
ReplyDelete> The Hip Homemaker
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit.. I am as exited as you are to see the result, come september.
> Stephanie
You can try that too... so many bottles at home, especially the five litre MINYAK MASAK... First few days there were lot of bubbles coming out, the bacteria busy themselves maybe.... but now, a little bit quiet... but still there is a slight hissing sound whenever bottle cap is opened.
> islandgardener
You are so lucky to really go organic with goose pool water.... But you can always try other alternative, who knows this might just be answer to endless plants problem!!.. haha.
> June
I have not tried your way of compost tea... Then to experiment organic alternative, I may just divide my plants into 3 groups, one with your kind of compost tea, two with my version of compost tea and three with liquid organic fertiliser I already purchased.
~ bangchik
> Joanne
ReplyDeleteThis my first attempt... I dare not anticipate the kind of success expected.... So far no real foul smell coming out... anyway they are fermenting under air tight condition....
> Janet
I will keep updating until september and beyond. Lets see how plants react to different kind of foliar treatment.
~ bangchik
> Maggie
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit.... So far, I have been very disciplined, releasing the gas morning and evening... They are a little bit quite now by the way, less hissing......
~ bangchik
I have heard from others what a great fertilizer compost tea is for plants. I will be watching to see the results of yours.
ReplyDelete> Hocking Hills Gardener
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be fun... the anticipation of whats going to happen... will the plants react positively?...
Keep checking,
~ bangchik