Compost, Worm, & Weed Tea – Natural Remedies To A Healthier Garden

If you are the type of gardener that prefers to avoid using chemical pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and so on, or simply looking for a way to improve the health of you garden, you may want to grab a cup of tea. Not the drinking type though, trust me you don’t want to do that. 

Rather, “tea” is a name popularly given to certain natural by-products and concoctions used to greatly aid in the health and vitality of gardens, plants, and soil.   

Compost Tea

Preparing compost tea involves adding mature, rich compost into a container such as a large bucket or bin and adding water to create a sort of nutrient smoothie or soup. The name “tea” comes from some gardeners using a material of some kind, e.g., porous cloth, shade-netting, old sheets, or stockings, etc, to create a sort of compost tea bag that sits in the water, infusing it with beneficial nutrients and microorganisms.

There are many recipes for compost tea found online and in books. Some add extra ingredients, such as brown sugar or molasses to increase microbial growth, also garden waste, fish, grain meal, and more, adding various nutrients and microbes as needed.

Generally, there are two main methods of making it:

Aerobic – A process that requires aeration and allows oxygen-loving microorganisms to multiply more rapidly and break down the materials. This can be achieved through continuous stirring, adding a device, or various other methods. The success of this, though, largely depends on the compost and other ingredients, but most importantly oxygen. Without oxygen, the beneficial aerobic microorganisms can quickly die and be replaced by anaerobic microorganisms, leaving you with the smellier and less effective anaerobic tea.

Anaerobic – Although less effective than the aerobic method, is still useful, and being the easier of the two, more frequently and commonly. As mentioned it is also smellier. So make sure to cover it up securely. You have been warned.

Worm Tea

The names for worm tea are many, such as worm juice, worm pee, black gold, and many other unofficial titles. Ultimately though, what it really is, is “leachate”. Leachate is the general term for a concentrated liquid runoff resulting from a process. Worm tea is therefore the leachate runoff gained from the process of worm-farming. 

Full of beneficial properties, worm tea of course requires a worm farm to produce. If you don’t have one, check online, enquire at your local nursery, or perhaps consider starting one.

Weed Tea

Weed tea is another popular type of “tea” used by gardeners. This is simply the infusion of certain plants, such as comfrey, dandelion, nettle, and others, in water. Over time, the nutrients are extracted and infused, giving you a potent “health drink” for soil and plants.

Conclusion

Just like when you play bingo online for money there are many types of teas and recipes to be found. Apart from the additional health they give to gardens and soil, they are also a great way of using up excess garden waste. Teas should be considered as a supplement though, and with all the bacteria and microbes involved, also handled with care.