Compost tea is made by steeping compost in water, sometimes with aeration, and applying the liquid.
What it can do
- Add small amounts of nutrients and organic compounds.
- Introduce beneficial microbes to the soil or leaf surface.
- Be a low-cost use of good compost where you have it.
What it cannot do
It will not replace the bulk nutrients crops need. Evidence on disease suppression is mixed.
Safety and quality
Use only mature, clean compost; poor tea can carry pathogens, so apply to soil rather than directly onto leaves of crops eaten raw, and use it fresh (within hours of brewing). Strain it to avoid clogging sprayers or drip lines.
Treat it as one tool alongside soil testing and a proper fertility plan.
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