Imagine healthy vivacious plants without any foliar or root diseases and maintaining this plant health by not using any synthetic man-made fungicides or chemical treatments. Yes, it can be, with a new technology that is very ancient in some respects, but very new and cutting edge in its approach today. It is home compost tea brewing. Simply put, it is an extract of compost, aerobically brewed, that contains some soluble nutrients and a wide range of aerobic beneficial bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa that make up the soil food web. There are millions of microscopic organisms that live in the soil and around the roots that interact with each other and with plants, this is called the soil food web. Healthy soil contains 600 million bacteria per teaspoon of soil, and as many as 25,000 species. In comparison most agricultural soil contains only 1 million bacteria and less than 5,000 species. There is also a foliar food web similar to the soil food web, on the foliage of your plant. The plant’s leaf, fruit, blossoms and stems release exudates just like roots do; this action feeds these organisms that keep a protective layer around the plant, so antagonistic pathogens cannot attack. Boosting fungal and bacterial activity on leaf surfaces also increases the length of time the plant stomates stay open, which promotes nutrient uptake, especially when foliar-feeding plants. The brewing of aerobic compost tea is very easy and takes 18-24 hours. During the brewing beneficial micro-organisms are extracted from healthy compost into the tea. They reproduce into the billions making an inoculum of beneficial micro-organisms, to be either drenched into the root zone or applied as foliar spray that will establish and colonize beneficial microbial life that creates its own ecosystem so thoroughly that antagonistic and pathogenic bacteria and fungi cannot establish themselves onto, or into, root and leaf surfaces. Beneficial micro-organisms in soil break down and digest basic nutrient materials into forms available for plant uptake, promoting stronger vigorous plants with rapid root growth and resistance to disease.

Compost Teas For Plant Disease Control

Using today’s “dead” man-made growing mediums like rock wool, expanded clay pellets, sphagnum moss mixes or other growing mediums for indoor gardening, they lack these beneficial micro-organisms. If you colonize beneficial micro-organisms on leaf surfaces and into the root zone, the bad microbes have literally no place to live and grow. They can’t find food. Compost teas have shown very impressive disease suppression in trials conducted at Oregon state, Arizona state and Cornell University. Benefits of a “good” fungal colonization are the suppression of powdery mildew, downey mildew, snow mold, red thread, fairy ring, brown patch and summer patch. Benefits of good aerobic bacterial colonization are suppression of pythium, dollar spot, crown rot, necrotic ring spot, pink patch, leaf spot, yellow patch and stripe smut. As well, beneficial protozoa in compost tea release nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and other nutrients in plant-available forms. Beneficial nematodes consume root-feeding nematodes, certain species of nematodes carry bacteria that attack ringworm, root grubs, maggots, crane fly larvae and weevil larvae.

In ancient times various manures were put into vessels and beaten with a stick to add oxygen. The ancient way produced anaerobic bacteria that are not that beneficial to plant disease suppression, and most of the plant growth benefits came from the actual N-P-K value of the manures. You could make your own tea by using 1 lb of very good worm compost and adding some Fulvic and Humic Acid of (1/4 tsp each) to produce higher fungi counts. Then, place this compost into a 5-gallon bucket that has an air stone on the bottom of the bucket hooked up to an air pump and brew for 24 hours, then strain and use immediately. The sooner, the better - no longer than 10 - 15 hours after brewing. Additional suggestions on how to create an even more beneficial inoculant of bacteria and fungi: use worm compost, mushroom compost and forest litter. Some high quality chicken manures are good, addition of syrup or molasses, plant extract of yucca or nettle, fulvic, alfalfa meal, and yeasts, such as bakers and brewers, are all good for bacterial growth. Sources of humic, cellulose, fish hyrolysate, lignin, kelp, glacial dust and calcium are all good for fungi development.. Hay infusions are good for protozoa growth. For beneficial nematodes, there are only 2 good sources of material, good compost and healthy forest litter. When brewing, you want to keep the tea well aerated. At least 6ppm - 8ppm of oxygen or 70% dissolved oxygen and brew (aerate) for 18 - 24 hours at room temperature (65º - 70º). Also, make sure your water has been de-gassed of chlorine. If the compost smells like manure, don’t use it. Good compost has an earthy smell.

Strain your tea, if you are going to foliar spray and apply at a dilution ratio of 5:1 or, if soil drenching, dilute 10:1. Remember to use within 10 to 15 hrs of brewing. If you wait to long before applying, your tea will go anaerobic, and this is not good. You want your tea to be aerobic to be beneficial for plants. Teas that have gone anaerobic have a smell like sewer or sulphur (rotten egg). Don’t use these teas or products.

For most purposes applications should be made weekly or as disease problems become prevalent during specific times of the year. When used as a foliar spray you should have at least 70% leaf application. As a soil drench in poor soil multiple applications might have to be made. For outdoor gardens 2 to 3 applications, several weeks apart, may have to be made. At least 1 application should be made before planting crops. Indoor gardens: 2 applications should be sufficient. In the 1st and 3rd weeks of flowering or every 2-3 weeks in vegetative stage. It would be hard to over-use a properly made tea. If all this is too much for you to do, don’t despair, there are a few companies that make these home brew kits, and they work very well. There’s Alaska Giant (www.alaskagiant.com), who makes 1 and 5 gallon machines. They have won awards for huge vegetables that you can see on their website. Simplici-tea (www.simplici-tea.com) makes a 5 gallon kit. Soil First (www.soilfirst.com) has 35 and 85 - 500 gallon systems. Advance Nutrients (www.advancenutrients.com) Dr. Hornby’s Fungal Funk compost tea brewer is a 5 gallon home brew kit. Whatever you decide on, get brewing today and have happier, healthier, disease resistant plants.

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