Organic Teas

Marijuana Horticulture

by Jorge Cervantes

Compost teas not only contain soluble organic nutrients diluted in water, but they support a potent elixir tat is loaded with beneficial microbes that fight off pests and diseases. For example, a quarter teaspoon of a well-made compost tea holds more than a billion bacteria and at least 15 feet of fungi strands! A good compost tea also contains thousands of different species of protozoa, nematodes, and mycorrhizal fungi.

Disease-causing organisms are unable to complete with beneficial bacteria and fungi. Beneficial bacteria also work to break down plant residues and toxic materials, plus they improve soil structure and water holding ability.

The best teas are made from well-rotted compost, because it contains a complex collection of microbes and nutrients. Just make sure the compost pile has heated to 135F for at least 3 days to ensure it is free of most diseases. You can usually buy quality compost at the local nursery. If using manure, make sure it has been well decomposed.

You can brew the tea in a 5-gallon bucket. Add about a gallon of rotted compost of manure to 4 gallons of water. Stir well, and let the mix sit for several days. You can also put sifted compost into a nylon stocking, and submerge it in the bucket. To stir, simply bounce the stocking around in the water. Stir the mixture gently several times a day to integrate oxygen and remove microbes from the compost. Adequate oxygen keeps the brew fresh. If it starts to smell foul, anaerobic bacteria are present. Add fresh water and stir more often. The good aerobic bacteria re-establish as soon as they have an ample supply of oxygen.

Dilute the tea at the rate of 1 to 5 with water. Add more water to the same bucket, and continue to brew 3 to 4 more batches before starting a new batch.

Make super tea by gently agitating and oxygenating the soup. This will supercharge the tea and add 10 to 100 times more microbes than regular compost tea.