It’s no secret that compost is one of the best natural fertilizers you can add to your garden, but did you know that you can make compost tea and use it as a liquid fertilizer to power your tomato plants naturally during the growing season?
In fact, compost tea is actually one of the best and easiest way to provide the nutrients your tomato plants need to keep them healthy, strong, and very productive!
When compost is added to gardens or flowerbeds, it helps to strengthen the overall fertility and structure of the soil. It also helps the soil retain more moisture for plants. But when compost is turned into a liquid fertilizer by soaking it in water, it provides essential nutrients and hydration to plants that are extremely easy for them to absorb. And is it ever easy to make and use!
How Compost Tea Works
Unlike pure compost, which works to gradually improve soil health, compost tea delivers a quick burst of nutrients. It concentrates the goodness of compost into a potent liquid form that plants can readily absorb.
However, the magic of compost tea lies in its versatility. It nourishes plants through two distinct pathways: soaking into the soil’s roots – and directly through leaves and stems. It is a double dose of energy that tomato plants love.
The all-natural fertilizer delivers a gentle yet steady stream of nutrients. Even better, it’s gentle enough to be used every 10 to 14 days to give a consistent feeding without worrying about overloading the plant with too much power.
Unfortunately, unless you dilute commercial fertilizers, there’s a risk of burning your plants with too much fertilizer all at once. Especially if you use it too often. And with tomato plants, it’s far better to give regular but less heavy doses of energy.
In addition, some commercial fertilizers can also leave behind a buildup of salts that weaken soil over time. But compost tea actually nourishes the soil it’s applied to. This means healthier soil that actually gets stronger when you use compost tea.
The Ease Of Making & Using Homemade Compost Tea
The beauty of compost tea lies in its incredible ease. With just two ingredients – compost and water – you can whip up a potent liquid plant booster. Applying it is a breeze too! Whether you use a watering can, a gallon jug, or even a pump sprayer, the compost tea goes straight to the roots and foliage with every watering session, delivering its power exactly where it’s needed most.
And whatever you do, don’t be discouraged by conflicting online information – you won’t need any fancy equipment to create this incredible all-natural fertilizer. And if you happen to have your own compost pile, you can make endless amounts for free. See our article: How To Make Great Compost – The 4 Simple Secrets To Success!
Even if you don’t have a compost pile, it’s no problem. You can create a batch of compost tea using bagged or bulk compost from your local nursery or garden center. Even online retailers offer several options.
How To Make Compost Tea – The Perfect Liquid Fertilizer For Tomato Plants
When you do some research about compost tea, you’ll find many different methods and techniques that others use. That not only leads to confusion, but also hesitation of making and using it for fear of failure or harming plants. Stop worrying – it’s easy and super simple to make!
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to aerate compost tea while making it. All you need to make a powerful tea is water, compost, a bucket and a stirring stick.
The first step is to fill a 5 gallon bucket half-full of compost. If you make your own compost be sure that it does not contain fresh ingredients that still need to break down.
When materials have not had enough time to decompose, the compost will not have the same nutritional value. However, more importantly, if fresh materials or manure have been recently added to your pile, they can actually be dangerous or too potent and kill your tomato plants.
Don’t worry if you don’t have your own backyard compost pile. You can purchase bags of compost at most nurseries, big box stores and online. Affiliate Product Link: Charlie’s Bagged Compost
Use Only 100% Pure Compost
However, be sure to only use a product that contains 100% pure compost and not added fillers. You will find bags that have the label of compost, composted manure and even mushroom compost.
Adding The Water To Make Compost Tea For Your Tomato Plants
Now that you have 100% compost in the bucket it’s time to add the water. However, you do need to be careful on the type of water that you use. Unfiltered well water, distilled water and rain water are all excellent choices when it comes to make compost tea.
If you must use treated water, such as tap water, allow the water to sit outside for a few days. This will help to leach out any chemicals that could damage the plants. Many commercial water systems add chlorine and other chemicals that can harm plants. Allowing the water to sit for a few days lets these dissipate.
Once you have your water slowly pour it in the bucket with the compost. As the bucket fills, stir the mix occasionally with a long stirring stick. This will allow the compost to begin absorbing into the water and charge up the water with nutrients
Continue to fill the bucket until it reaches 3-4 inches from the top rim. If you have a smaller need for compost tea, you can mimic this same process in a 3 gallon bucket, or even a gallon container or large mason jar.
Store the compost tea, uncovered in a place away from direct sunlight. The air flow will help the mixture to absorb the nutrients and the shade will prevent it from evaporating. If you are concerned about animals getting into the bucket place a screen over top of the container.
The Final Steps To Make Compost Tea – The Best Liquid Fertilizer For Tomato Plants
Stir the mixture at least once a day for the next 7 days. If you have the extra time, give it 2-3 stirs a day so that the nutrients from the compost can fully absorb into the water at a faster rate.
After the mixture has been steeping for at least a week, use a large kitchen colander (one that you no longer use for food preparation) or a tea towel to strain the liquid into another container. Place the solid compost remnants back into your compost pile or use it to amend the soil in your garden.
Once strained, the liquid becomes an amazingly effective fertilizer perfect for providing much needed nutrients to tomato plants. Use it every 10-14 days during the growing season. As for how much to use, 1/4 gallon per plant is ideal.
To store the liquid fertilizer, cover it and keep it in a shady area. It will keep for well over a month. And if you happen to have worm castings – they too can make an excellent liquid fertilizer for tomato plants. See our article: How To Use Worm Castings To Fertilize Tomato Plants – Grow Your Best Tomatoes Ever!
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