What Is Compost Tea?

Compost tea is a vital part of the way we create healthy, safe, self- maintaining gardens. It reintroduces the ‘Soil Food Web’ into the garden ecology. It is a water based aerobic extraction and multiplication of live beneficial soil microorganisms from good aerobic compost. Soil microorganisms were the first life on earth. Higher plants evolved a mutually beneficial and dependant relationship on this ‘soil food web’. These organisms make nutrients available to plants far beyond the quantity or diversity that plant roots can absorb from the soil on their own. Your browser may not support display of this image.A healthy soil food web also protects our drinking water by holding nutrients in the soil so they are not leached into the ground water. Compost Tea also creates a protective coating on plant leaves which prevent disease organisms from harming our plants.

Over the past 65 years use of synthetic fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides, and soil compaction due to construction have killed the soil food web in most managed soils. With the soil striped of life, these synthetic products leach into the drinking water, and are carried for miles in the air and can be tracked into our homes on feet and clothing, creating human health hazards.

Compost tea reintroduces a healthy soil food web into the soil and reestablishes the natural plant growth system. As a result our plants, families, soil and drinking water are healthier and more nutritious.

Making Compost Tea

All compost teas are not created equal.

Your browser may not support display of this image.Quality of compost tea and compost is very dependant on the ingredients used in their production and on the process by which they are made. It is vital that both are made in the presence of adequate oxygen, and from ingredients not treated with synthetic products or antibiotics. Aerobic (High Oxygen) processes ensure the development of beneficial microorganisms and proper cycling of nutrients into plant beneficial forms. Anaerobic conditions encourage development of harmful organisms and converts nutrients into gaseous forms allowing them to be lost to the atmosphere, or into plant toxic forms which burn of harm plants and soil.

Compost, furthermore, must be made from the proper proportions of high nitrogen and high carbon sources to produce nutrient rich plant beneficial soil amendments.

As compost tea becomes more common, it will be vitally important to know that your provider has a wholesome aerobic product. Ask them to show you the compost and compost tea biological analysis before you choose a provider!

Compost Tea Is Available for Your Lawns & Gardens

In 2007 we offered our home brewed compost tea on a trial basis to some of you. Results were amazing. This powerful product is rapidly gaining recognition for its ability to renew agricultural and landscape systems to a state of health. Our company has participated in intensive training with Elaine Ingham at Sustainable Studies Inc. in Corvallis, Oregon. Elaine is an internationally renowned developer of compost tea and the expert in the field. Since 2008, we are offering compost tea and the associated organic soil food web enhancers to all our clients. This comprehensive organic land care system creates a safe, healthy environment for our families, pets and improves the health and vigor of all parts of the landscape and our air and groundwater. March is the time for the first application of compost tea. So let us know now if you are interested in learning more about how to make your lawns and gardens safe and healthy.

Totally Organic Land Care & Permaculture

We offer a completely organic landscape care program to all our clients. We establish virtually self sustaining, closed systems. Your gardens can produce their own mulch and fertilizer and store their own water. Our goal is to keep what the garden produces, in the garden, and bring in as little extra as needed. Garden trimmings and leaves are composted or used as mulch. The more nature does, the less human labor is needed. These combined techniques are what we call Permaculture. That means beautiful gardens with less expense in labor for you each year.

Your gardens will mimic naturally occurring systems, skewed to produce things of value to you. Would you like food, flowers, fire wood, birds and butterflies? These can be part of your backyard!

We use no pesticides or herbicides. We incorporate flowering plants that attract beneficial insects. We use compost tea, and organic soil amendments. Your gardens will be safe for family, children, friends, and pets. No poisons will be tracked into your home. Your gardens will help purify ground water, clean the air, and restore the soil. We invite you to join us in healing the earth.