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Making compost tea

1sthomegarden1sthomegarden Posts: 22
in Problem solving
Looking for suggestions on the best way to make compost tea. Is it worth it and what's its best uses? Thanks
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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Do you mean making tea from plants - nettle, comfrey to name a couple - to use as a feed for your garden in general or do you want something for a specific plant ?
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I'd not heard the term so did a quick Google and found this which I'm yet to read

    https://www.almanac.com/content/how-make-compost-tea

    I've made comfrey tea and also collect the worm wee from composting which is good. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
     I do know that Monty Don thinks it is great stuff but very smelly.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • 1sthomegarden1sthomegarden Posts: 22
    I read about it in a book about organic gardening. My thought was its basically water with compost in it left for a period of time.  Yeah I can imagine if the water is left it can get very smelly @GardenerSuze . I think it can be used in lawns or in pots or in flower beds too for most plants. 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It's not something I've done, but I do recall seeing various presenters occasionally making the stuff.
    It was usually manure of some sort steeped in water for a few days-
    This recipe covers what I recall-
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/manures/manure-tea.htm

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited January 2023
    @1sthomegarden There is a video on line 'How to make Comphrey feed' presented by Monty Don if that is any help.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited January 2023

    I have Alkanet as a weed in my garden. Alkanet is rather similar to comfrey; same family, boriginaceae, and with the same deep-delving roots that bring nutrients to the surface.  I wonder if alkanet tea would have similar properties to comfrey tea as a liquid fertiliser. At the moment I just fork it out and add roots and tops to my compost heap as and when, as I also do with comfrey.

    The word "tea" is dangerous in this context.  Foxglove tops look rather similar to borage; I wonder what that would do to you.


     

     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Are we all talking about the same thing? I took compost tea, not to mean, comfrey or nettle tea but utilising compost instead. The link I added above and the one Pete mentions is slightly different to what I think most of us do with our comfrey (which does smell terribly). 
  • 1sthomegarden1sthomegarden Posts: 22
    @thevictorian yeah I think there may be some crossed wires 😊. I was specifically asking about using compost. However I hadn't heard of comfrey tea either so that's interesting too 👍
  • 1sthomegarden1sthomegarden Posts: 22
    @philippasmith2 I was specifically asking about using compost. Not looking for anything specific to give a plant but thought it would be good as a general fertiliser. Also interested if I can use it on my lawn.
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