All About Compost Tea

Compost tea is an aerobic water solution that has extracted the microbe population from compost along with the nutrients. In simple terms, it is a concentrated liquid created by a process to increase the numbers of beneficial organisms as an organic approach to plant/soil care.

The concept behind compost tea is quite simple, though the actual process of making compost tea becomes scientific and very complex. The idea is that compost (full of beneficial microorganisms) is put into water and then nutrients or foods for the microorganisms is added to allow the bacteria and fungi to multiply rapidly. Air is sent through the water to keep the water oxygenated, as this favors the beneficial bacteria and fungi over the pathogens (ex.-e coli). At the end of the brewing cycle, what you have is a concentrated liquid full of billions of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes) that can then be sprayed directly onto the leaf surface. This puts the "good" biology where the plant needs it to protect itself. It keeps the plant healthier and helps it to fight off potential diseases. The "good" biology occupies the infection sites on the leaf surface and is held there by simple sugars that the plant puts out (exidates) that work as a glue to keep the beneficial microorganisms thriving and protecting the plant.

Compost tea has been used by many people all over the world with mixed results. Part of the problem relating to studies on compost tea is that there is a high diversity in the quality of the compost tea produced in many of these studies. After all, if you don't start with good compost, don't add the proper amount of nutrients, or don't keep the brew sufficiently aerated, you could be selecting for the "pathogens" rather than the "beneficials," and end up with compost tea that could potentially harm your plants. Much more likely is that the compost tea would be low in bacteria and fungi and have little more effect than putting water on your plant. We take great care in our tea production and have tested all of our products thoroughly every step of the way. Our recipes have taken years to develop and we worked to maximize the biodiversity of our final tea product.

Compost tea has been shown to be effective in clinical studies in suppressing a variety of diseases. Click here for more information.

You will find other companies offering less expensive compost tea brewers or books on how to make your own compost tea brewer. However, very few of these companies can supply lab tests or data to support their brewers or brewer designs. Many of these brewers don't make quality compost tea and what you end up putting onto your plants and soil will have very little effect on their health and in some instances can be detrimental. Please compare our lab results against any of our competitors and you will see the difference. This is because we have spent considerable time and money refining our brewer, composts and foods, and our committed to providing the highest-quality product we possibly can!

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