How to Make Your Own Compost Tea Brewer
Compost tea can be purchased for use in your flower beds and gardens, but it is not difficult to make your own with a few inexpensive items. Compost tea is much easier to apply than manure or dry compost and creates fewer unpleasant odors. The liquid tea can be applied to foliar surfaces in addition to the soil at the base of the plant. By making a compost tea brewer at home, you can avoid the mess and nuisance of having to transport this liquid in your vehicle and can have a fresh supply always on hand. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2 buckets, 5 gallon capacity
- 1 gallon mature compost
- 1 aquarium pump
- 1 gang valve
- 4 gallons of water
- 3+ feet aquarium hose
- Unsulfured molasses
- 1 yard window screen
- 36 inches rope
- 1 yard cheesecloth fabric
Instructions
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1
Verify that your gang valve will fit securely on the top edge of one of the 5 gallon buckets. Measure the distance from the interior connectors of the gang valve to the bottom of the bucket and add approximately 2 inches. Cut three pieces of flexible aquarium tubing to this total length and twist onto the connectors of the gang valve. Check that the ends of the hoses reach the bottom of the bucket.
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Add a separate section of aquarium hose between the gang valve and the aquarium pump, at whatever length is convenient for the shape of your bucket and type of pump. Pour in 4 gallons of water to fill the bucket approximately 3/4 of the way full. Run the aquarium pump to bubble air through your water for 1 to 2 hours before adding compost if you are using municipal water that may have added chlorine to kill bacteria. Keep watch during this time to determine that all your hose connections are tight and that the pump is functioning properly.
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3
Turn the aquarium pump off and add your dry, mature compost slowly into the water. Stir gently if needed, but take care not to dislodge the 3 interior hoses from the gang valve. Place the 3 hoses around the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket so that their bubbles float through as much of the area as possible.
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4
Add one ounce of the unsulfured molasses to your mixture to provide nutrients for the beneficial bacteria that live in the compost. Gently stir the molasses into the mix, again being careful not to tangle or crimp the hoses. Anchor a piece of screening over the top of the bucket with a sturdy rope if pests or animals are likely to be attracted to your compost tea brewer.
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5
Restart your aquarium pump and allow it to aerate your compost solution for 48 to 72 hours to extract all the beneficial nutrients from the dry compost into the water. Stir occasionally to evenly mix the liquids and solids. Tie the square of cheesecloth securely with your rope onto the top of the second bucket. Turn off the pump and slowly pour your freshly made compost tea through the cloth to filter out the solids. Set these solids aside for later use in the soil around your plants. Use your newly made compost tea within 1 hour of turning off the aeration system in your brewer, since the beneficial organisms will begin to degrade quickly without the supply of oxygen bubbles.
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Tips & Warnings
There will still be small particles of solid matter in your tea after straining through the cheesecloth. Use a watering can with large sprinkler holes to accommodate this and not become plugged.
If properly aerated, compost tea should not smell bad; it should have an earthy, vegetative odor.
Always keep deep buckets of water away from young children, who can drown in a very small amount of water if they become trapped head first and are unable to extricate themselves.
Follow the maunfacturer's directions when using an electric aquarium pump around water. Although the pump is designed for use near water, be mindful to handle the electric plug properly.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit rain buckets image by nastos from Fotolia.com
