06/26/2012
Benefits of Compost Tea
by Chris Skowyra
Before we can talk about the amazing things compost tea can do for your soil and lawn, we must ask the the following questions; What is compost tea? How is it made? Most importantly, is it safe? These questions are critical to understanding why compost teas can play such an integral role in creating and maintaining healthy lawns without using any synthetic chemicals.
Simply put, compost tea is a living liquid mixture of compost and water that contains millions of beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and other critical microorganisms (well its not that simple). Compost tea works by restoring the natural balance of the biology in your soil. The functions that the bacteria and fungi, as well as the other microorganisms provide to the soil in turn allow organic materials to be broken down and later used as fertilizers by the plants. Compost tea sprayed on leaf surfaces helps to crowd out harmful bacteria that cause diseases, by replacing them with beneficial ones. Having said these few things, how compost tea is made is critical to understanding what role tea can play in your landscape.
At Pure Lawns we only apply Actively Aerated Compost Teas (AACT). These are produced by first starting with a healthy, manure free, organic compost source. This is by far the most critical point to be made. Without a healthy compost full of life to draw from, your tea will be literally lifeless and ineffective. Next a clean water source is a must. We de-chlorinate our water by letting it sit overnight and aerating the water to fully remove any chlorine that may be present. Finally we use what is called a “compost brewer”. A compost tea brewer is a device that combines a compost source suspended in water to produce a tea which is aerated, full of oxygen and life. This is where the term actively aerated comes from. We actively aerate our tea batches for a minimum of 18-24 hours before applying them on the field. A food source such as molasses, seaweed, kelp and various other natural products are added to feed the biology in the tea as it multiplies. We are now left with a liquid gold that contains all the life which we were able to extract from our compost source. The only thing left to do is spray.
Although using a compost tea may be a relatively new idea, I believe that it is the best way to achieve the results our clients are looking for; healthy and aesthetically pleasing, low maintenance lawns. By applying these beneficial bacteria and fungi back into the soil we are helping to restore a soil food web, made up of millions of microscopic life forms, all of which play a critical role in restoring and maintaining healthy soils. These healthy soils are the basic building blocks which are needed to harbor healthy plants and allow them to thrive. Technically, compost tea is not a fertilizer, nor do they directly eliminate weeds, however by applying compost tea and introducing new biology to your soil you are allowing these processes to naturally unfold. The microbiology in compost teas help to break down organic matter, aerate the soil, encourage disease resistance, improve fertilizer efficiency and improve overall soil structure.
At Pure Lawns we understand that in order to provide you with the best organic all natural solutions to your lawn needs, we need to be on top of the latest research and the most up to date trends in the field. Our compost teas are 100% organic and are safe and effective to apply. If you are thinking of making the transition to an organic lawn, or your soil has been compromised by chemical or pesticide applications, contact Pure Lawns and get more information about the benefits of compost tea and how it can bring your soil back to life.
www.purelawns.com
Pure Lawns organic lawn care service and treatment specialize in transitioning your lawn off chemicals to keep your family and pets safe. Call (617) 276-7877 for a free consultation.
