How to Use Compost Tea in Hydroponics
Hydroponic gardening is simply growing plants without any soil. This doesn't mean the plants are not planted; they are often placed in a nutrient mixture or gravel. However, the one thing that plants grown without soil need more than other plants is a rich fertilizer that provides the nutrients the plants can't get from soil. One fertilizer to use with hydroponic gardens is compost tea. Luckily compost tea is easy to make with items most gardeners already have. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pitch fork
- Table scraps and yard waste
- 5-gallon bucket
- Water
- Cloth
- Spray bottle
Instructions
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1
Make the compost by placing any form of organic material such as leaves, grass clippings or table scraps (no dairy or fats) into a pile outdoors, preferably away from homes. Use a pitch fork to mix the pile once per week for approximately one month.
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2
Make the compost tea mixture by combining equal parts of compost and water in a five-gallon bucket. Stir the mixture thoroughly. Allow the mixture to sit for a week, stirring once per day. At the end of a week, cover the top of the bucket with a large piece of cloth and drain the water into another container. Place the compost back into the compost pile or discard.
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3
Place the compost tea mixture into a spray bottle and spray it directly onto the leaves of the plants, thoroughly saturating them.
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4
Pour an additional amount of compost tea into the container the plants are sitting in.
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5
Continue using the compost tea in place of water, making sure to apply it at least one per day.
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