How to Apply Aerated Compost Tea

As you may recall, in the last two issues of Gardening Suggestions we have been discussing the benefits of aerated compost tea, and how to make it. This final installment will give you the necessary steps to realize these benefits in your garden.

Once the brewing process is complete it is best to apply your compost tea to the garden as soon as possible. Left un-aerated (stagnant) for a few or more hours, harmful microbes may start to multiply. Your tea should emit an earthy but sweet aroma from start to finish if you have brewed it correctly. If there is even the slightest odor of decay, sulfur, methane, or manure then something has gone wrong and harmful microbes have begun to grow.

It may take the additional step of re-filtering the tea if you want to apply it with a hose-end or pressure tank sprayer, so most people simply use a watering can. Morning application is important with aerated compost tea, and as the temperature of your garden soil heats up with the sun, the warmth keeps the microbes active and busy. This allows them to become familiar with their new homes and of course their caretakers (your plants). Without plants, these microbes could not live; in turn the plants thrive with them. Once the tea is applied the microbes feed on simple sugars that the plant produces near its roots. The continuing microbial decomposition occurs right in the place where the nutrients are most accessible to the plant.

We hope this series has been informative. Please let us know how it works for you.

—Noah