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Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association

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Garden Advice – True or False? Compost Tea Helps Plants and Soil by EMG JennFor the next few weeks on Fridays, we’re going to explore common garden advice and myths and whether they are supported by scientific research. Today’s topic: the murky world of compost tea. Many books and websites will tell you that you can steep compost in a bucket of water to make an elixir that will feed your plants and your soil. Sometimes the mixture is aerated by bubbling water through it; sometimes additional sugars like molasses are added. Is this a good idea?Compost itself is a great idea! It contains beneficial bacteria and fungi as well as nutrients. If you think your soil is deficient, adding compost will help. Compost not only provides these organisms, but its structure gives them water, nutrients, and air, so they flourish. But compost tea doesn’t have this structure, and BAD bacteria like E. coli can grow, especially if you add sugars like molasses! If your soil has poor structure, compost tea is not going to help it. Better to use straight compost! What about using compost tea as a foliar spray? Yes, to a limited extent, it can work, but if you have bad bacteria in your compost tea and spray it on fruits or vegetables, it can make you very sick!Want to read more? See extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2019-08-14-compost-tea-miracle-product-or-snake-oilPhoto by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Extension ... See MoreSee Less

Compost Tea- Miracle Product or Snake Oil?

extension.illinois.edu

I love compost. If you have ever sat in one of my classes, you will know that 1) Soil tests can be so important, 2) Always read and follow your pesticides labels (and are those poisons really necessar...

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