6/11/2021 Compost Tea: A How-To Guide - Rodale Institute
Home Blog Compost Tea: A How-To Guide
COMP O S T T E A : A HOW-T O
GUIDE
Are you a gardener or agricultural by Rick Carr, Farm Director & Compost
professional looking for a useful Production Specialist
material for plant production, or
Feb 14, 2020
hoping to avoid chemical treatments
that are too often assumed to be the
CAT EGORIE S
Resources for Farmers
standard for growing plants? Are
you looking to return to the ancient CORE CONCEP T S
Compost
roots of nutrient management and
Backyard Composting Basics
disease control? Or do you simply
want to avoid the financial burden
of purchasing bags of fertilizers and other soil amendments?
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6/11/2021 Compost Tea: A How-To Guide - Rodale Institute
No matter what your rationale is, there is one answer: compost tea.
What is compost tea?
Compost teas are liquid versions of the solid compost material. They
contain soluble plant nutrients and a complex community of beneficial
microorganisms. While there are an infinite number of ways to prepare
compost teas, basically all teas begin by mixing compost in water in order to
extract plant nutrients and microorganisms. Liquid teas can be applied as soil
drenches, foliar sprays or incorporated into irrigation systems.
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Compost teas have gone by many different names. Some of the earlier names
are slurries, watery fermented extracts, compost steepage, and amended
extracts. In the last few decades, compost “teas” and “extracts” have been
used interchangeably to describe the simple product of putting compost in
water and extracting microorganisms and soluble plant nutrients. While
there are some semblances to the tea you drink, such as its color, steeping
process and optional use of a bag, the goal of making compost tea is to extract
a part of the whole.
There are two diverging methods for preparing compost teas: aerated or non-
aerated. The costs and benefits for each method are described below as well
as instructions for at-home preparation. Aerated compost extracts are
actively aerated with oxygen using a blower, bubbler or any other device used
to force air into liquid. Alternatively, NCEs are not actively aerated but
occasionally mixed or stirred to re-suspend solid materials that have settled
to the bottom.
LE ARN MORE A BOU T COMP O S T IN ORG ANIC >> >>
Why use compost tea?
Plants require up to 17 micro- and macronutrients for growth and
reproduction. When compost is placed in water, soluble nutrients are
released into the solution and are readily available after the liquid is applied.
The liquid environment, containing organic matter and other nutrients, is
perfect for encouraging microbial growth. Bacteria and other microbes
are attracted to germinating seeds and developing roots. Plants release a
variety of exudates into the soil that are consumed by microbes. In return,
specific microorganisms will release metabolites and other by-products of
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6/11/2021 Compost Tea: A How-To Guide - Rodale Institute
growth and reproduction that benefit plant production by suppressing plant
diseases and increase nutrient turnover.
Compost extracts have been used for centuries because they work. While
extracts can be variable and unpredictable, they will promote plant growth.
How to Make Aerated Compost Teas
What you’ll need:
6.5 gallon bucket with lid
Aquarium air pump
3 to 6 feet of aquarium hose/tubing
One T-valve or cross-valve (to increase the number of available air
streams
Aquarium airstones or bubblers (optional)
5 gallons of water
2-4 cups of mature compost, sieved through ½” mesh or smaller
One nylon stocking, sock, or another porous bag-like material to hold the
compost
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6/11/2021 Compost Tea: A How-To Guide - Rodale Institute
Directions:
1. Obtain the materials for preparing 1:20 to 1:40 (compost:water, v:v)
ACT.
2. Add tap water to the bucket and let sit over night to remove chlorine (you
can also use rain water).
3. Start aerating the water.
4. Put mature compost in the bag and place the bag in the bucket.
5. Initially stir or gently massage the contents of the bag.
6. Let sit and aerate for 1 hour to 3 days. The longer the extraction period
the great the potential for nutrients and microbes to be released into the
water.
7. After extraction, filter the liquid through cheesecloth, strainer, or a new
nylon stocking.
8. Apply the liquid immediately after preparation as a soil drench or as a
foliar application. The liquid can also be further diluted with
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6/11/2021 Compost Tea: A How-To Guide - Rodale Institute
dechlorinated water as needed.
How To Make Non-Aerated Compost
Teas
What you’ll need:
6.5 gallon bucket with lid
5 gallons of water
2-4 cups of mature
compost, sieved through
½” mesh or smaller
Long-handled instrument for stirring
Directions
1. Obtain the materials for preparing 1:20 to 1:40 (compost:water, v:v)
NCT.
2. Add tab water to the bucket and let sit over night to remove chlorine or
else use rain water.
3. Put mature compost in the water.
4. Vigorously stir the solution for about 2 minutes.
5. Stir daily or twice daily for 7 to 10 days.
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6/11/2021 Compost Tea: A How-To Guide - Rodale Institute
6. After extraction, filter the liquid through cheesecloth, strainer, or a nylon
stocking.
7. Apply the liquid as a soil drench or as a foliar application. The liquid can
also be further diluted with dechlorinated water as needed.
There is no one right way to make ACE or NCEs just as there is no one right
way to make compost. Find a system that is effective, efficient and does not
negatively impact plant production. It is more important not to cause damage
to plants than it is to increase production. Often, the benefits of compost
extracts are too small to observe but they still exist.
WAN T T O S TAR T COMP O S T ING IN YOUR BACK YARD ? >> >>
The use of compost tea and compost are key aspects of a regenerative
organic system, returning nutrients to the soil without the use of synthetic
fertilizers. Share this post with other gardeners or farmers and watch the
results grow!
Rick Carr is the Farm Director and former Compost Production Specialist for Rodale Institute.
Compost-related questions can be directed to [email protected]
For more updates on Rodale Institute’s research and programming, follow us on
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
K EEP DIGGING
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Farmers
3 thoughts on “Compost Tea: A How-To Guide”
AffiliateLabz says:
February 15, 2020 at 10:51 pm
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up!
Reply
Rodale Institute says:
February 21, 2020 at 10:16 am
Thank you! Your support means so much.
Reply
Daniel Gomez says:
June 23, 2020 at 10:02 am
I do believe in compost tea but in my reasearch I found there is no
scientific evidence regarding the benefits of the compost tea . Where can
I found this scientific evidence ?
Reply
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