Fertiliser Tea Guide A Comprehensive Guide To Organic Liquid Feeds Written by Suzi Franks
Edited by Donna Miller
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Disclaimer Let’s attend to the serious business first. I have written this guide as an information product only and would appreciate if you viewed it as such. The information contained in this guide is not guaranteed to produce ‘wonderful’ results as gardens and indeed gardeners are unique and what works in mine garden may not work in yours. Having said that, the information contained in this guide has been fully researched and tested in my own kitchen garden with good results. I have done my very best to present a true and full account of the information I have gathered, to provide you with some informational stepping stones to expand your knowledge and understanding of organic gardening methods. In the hopes that, like me, you can bypass the supermarket and gather your harvest bounty from a simple walk around your own garden. I would appreciate your feed back on any thing contained in this guide, and any information you would like to me to consider adding to future editions. Happy Gardening Suzi
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What Are Fertiliser Teas Fertiliser ‘teas’, foliar feeds and liquid feeds, are all names referring to the same thing. All are, very simply, solutions made up of a ‘nutrient giving’ material and water. The ‘nutrition giving’ materials are ‘steeped’ in a container of water for a few days or longer, depending upon the ingredients used. The resulting concoction is a concentrate, which is then diluted with more water before being used on the plants. This diluted mix is usually the colour of a weak cup of tea, hence the name, and can be used to feed plants, vegetables and trees of all kinds. The trick when using a fertiliser tea is to err on the side of caution. In this case, weaker (more diluted) is better, as many fertilizer teas contain ingredients that could burn and damage the roots of plants if applied in too strong a concentration.
Why use a fertiliser tea Fertiliser teas are mainly used in organic gardening at various times in a plant’s life cycle to supplement a plant’s nutritional needs, correct a nutrient deficiency or assist with natural pest control. I am not a great advocate of using too many fertiliser teas, as I feel most of the goodness should already be provided in a healthy, humus rich soil. But in nature, as in life, there are times when things need a helping hand, and this is when an application of a liquid tea can be used to great advantage. A few rules... A nutritious liquid tea will help by giving your plant a much needed ‘quick fix’ of nutrients, giving you the time to get to the real underlying source of a problem. But fertiliser teas should only be used on a ‘quick
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fix’ basis and not depended upon to make up for an unhealthy, nutrient deplete soil. The only exceptions to this ‘rule’ are young seedlings, which benefit from the easily absorbed nutrients; and container grown plants, whose roots are restricted from searching the surrounding soil for all the nutrients it needs. A point to ponder on… While a good nutrient supply is important, young plants, trees etc will not respond to any fertiliser applications if they are suffering from poor drainage, lack of shelter, incorrect growing climates, adverse temperatures or disease, especially rot. Different fertiliser teas can be used for specific problems at specific times in the plants growing cycle. For this reason it helps to understand what your concoction does and how, as well as understanding when and where to apply it.
Which fertiliser tea does what There are many choices for nutrient packed materials with which to make a tea. Here we look at some of the more popular ones: Compost: Makes a good all round ‘pick me up’ tea, with a nicely balanced mixture of potassium, nitrogen and phosphate — the three major nutrients which all plants require for healthy growth and development. Compost tea is best when made from mature compost. Leave the compost to fermented in the water for a few days and then use promptly. What it’s good for... This is a good tea for stimulating overall growth of plants, it makes a good foliar feed and is great for leafy vegetables.
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Manure: Makes a good nitrogen rich tea. You can use fresh manure from sheep, cows, goats or horses. Sheep manure gives the best results, with cow & horse manure in second place. I think the performance resulting from each type of manure has to do with the internal system each species of animal has for processing the grass it eats. Fresh or ‘young’ manure still has the ability to give off ammonia when used to make a tea. The ammonia will burn or scorch plant roots and leaves. For this reason it is advised to use mature manure, I often get asked how can you tell mature manure from fresh? You can tell if manure is mature because it resembles soil more than manure. Using pieces of dried manure will give a weaker concentration but will still do the job. What it’s good for... Manure tea is good for feeding container plants or giving to young hungry seedlings. It’s also good for stimulating overall growth of plants and makes a good tea for leafy vegetables. Nettle: Makes a rich nutrient feed, full of iron, magnesium, sulphur and nitrogen, which the long nettle roots have dug deep into the soil to find. Nettle tea helps make all plants more disease resistant by supplying the essential nutrients to boost and develop a healthy immune system. It also assists in building and strengthening cell walls, which in young seedlings creates a good foundation for their life ahead. What it’s good for... Nettle tea is especially good as a flower, fruit and flavour enhancer. Comfrey: Makes a feed rich in the big three nutrients — potassium, nitrogen & phosphate.
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Comfrey tea should come with a ‘nose warning’ though, because when made from fresh leaves which have been steeped and fermented, it has THE most AWFUL odour!! An odour free tea... However, I have discovered that if you pick the leaves, and let them rot down without the aid of water you get a black concentrate. This concentrate can be diluted down with water until it’s the colour of weak tea, and used WITHOUT the awful odour. What it’s good for... Comfrey tea is good for improving flower and fruit set. It also improves the flavour of fruits. It’s especially good when feed to tomatoes, potatoes and other ‘hungry’ plants. Camomile: makes a soothing tea which can used for a soothing protectant against a variety of conditions. It can be used as a natural fungicide, as oils found in the chamomile plant have significant anti fungal properties. These anti fungal properties can be used to good effect when sowing seeds, before they are covered and again just after they germinate, to
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help give them protection against the fungal ‘damping off’ disease, especially in cold and humid weather. Avoiding transplant shock... It can be given to young seedlings the day before transplanting them outside, and once again after they are safely in the ground. It helps settle the young seedlings into their new home and reduces the chance of transplant shock. The green feathery leaves of a chamomile plant work better than the flowers alone for making a tea. The reason being, green chamomile leaves contain significant levels of magnesium which many seeds require in good amounts to be able germinate. Magnesium is used in this instance for its ability to dissolve the natural germination inhibitor found in some seed coats. If you only have the flowers available or commercial chamomile tea, you can successfully mix a solution of chamomile tea and Epsom salts together and use this for the same effect. What it’s good for... Camomile tea is also good for stimulating the overall growth of plants, and for centuries has been referred to as the plants’ physician as it has the ability to keep surrounding plants healthy. It also makes a good foliar feed for leafy vegetables. There are several plants in the chamomile ‘family’ with German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) being the most commonly known. It is the German chamomile flowers which are favored for making chamomile tea for human consumption. Roman chamomile is more commonly used as a ‘grass’ substitute for making lawns. Borage: Produces a high nitrogenous concentrate that smells, works, and acts like human urine. It is especially good for the hungry feeders like pumpkins, melons and brassicas.
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What it’s good for... Borage tea is also good for stimulating overall growth of plants, and makes a good tea for leafy vegetables like cabbages. Worm Castings: Research has shown that worms, as they burrow, will swallow bits of soil which they then regurgitate to make ‘worm castings’. These worm castings contain 5 times more available oxygen, 7 times more available phosphorus, and 11 times more available potassium than the soil they originally swallowed. WOW, how do they find this stuff out?? What it’s good for... I LOVE this tea! It’s a good pick me up for all types of plants, especially after heavy rain, which can wash away essential minerals and salts from the soil. Container plants also love it and it’s a good tea for stimulating overall growth of plants. It also makes a good feed for leafy vegetables. Seaweed: This is another one of my favorites and my chickens love it too!! I have a bucket in the chicken coop which gets filled up every time it rains. The chickens will drink their tea daily, when it’s available. When they have their daily fill of seaweed tea they NEVER get sick, nor attacked by mites, worms or fleas. It adds minerals and trace elements to their diet which they don’t get from the kitchen scraps, laying pellets, grains or grass. Regional restrictions... A word of warning, many regional councils have cottoned on to how good seaweed is and many have restricted, or even banned the collection of seaweed from local beaches. Seaweed tea is used mainly as a growth booster, as it’s more of a catalyst than a food. I
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What it’s good for... It will perk up all plants, fruit trees and young seedlings very quickly. Overnight it seems, the leaves will take on a darker green and the plant does seem to ‘glow’ with good health and pests and diseases have to find alternative accommodation!! Seaweed tea will also stimulate the soil’s micro life, improving their numbers and increasing the variety of organisms as it also ‘unlocks’ micronutrients from the surrounding soil. In addition, seaweed tea has amazing natural growth stimulants which are put to good use on young seedlings to ensure strong new growth. For this reason it is an essential part of my orchard routine. I use it on my fruit trees every month to ensure strong new growth and good fruit set. Seaweed is not jammed-packed with huge amounts of the major nutrients, but is bursting at the seams with potassium, minerals and all the trace elements that the other ‘nutrient teas’ lack. Human urine: I know the thought of urine is offensive to many, but it is quite ‘hygienically safe’ to use human urine because it’s sterile when it comes out of our bodies. It is rich in nitrogen and potassium, and contains a variety of other nutrients which our bodies didn’t have time to use. When you gotta go... The first pee of the morning is the best, because it is usually more concentrated. If you’ve seen the movie, “The Worlds Fastest Indian”, you might recall that the main character thought it was essential to pee on his lemon tree daily. Well it’s true, pee on your lemon tree everyday and you will get a bumper harvest of glowingly healthy lemons!! However, it seems only citrus trees can tolerate an application of ‘fresh’ undiluted urine on a daily basis. When ‘watering’ your citrus in this way, aim for the surrounding soil and try not to splash any onto the
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tree itself, as fresh urine does contain some ammonia which can burn on contact. Other pees throughout the day can be collected in a bucket, diluted down with water, and used as a tea. I would only recommend using urine collected fresh on the same day it’s going to be used as a tea. Older, stale urine can be safely added to the compost heap. Don’t tell, but in the summer I collect our urine and add it to the compost heap… it’s a great way of conserving water by not having to flush the toilet :) A word of caution: Don’t use your urine if you are unwell, have a urinary tract infection or are taking prescription medications, as you will pass these into the soil. What it’s good for... It is a good tea for stimulating overall growth of plants and great for leafy vegetables. Epsom Salts: Can be used as a tea to supply newly sown seeds with the magnesium they need to germinate.
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The magnesium contained in Epsom salts is needed to dissolve the natural germination inhibitor found in some seed coats. The only exception here is with legume seeds, as they are susceptible to rotting if they are moistened when sown. You can use an application of Epsom salts tea to prepare the soil in the beds before planting out your legume seeds. Then don’t water the area again until after germination. Quantities for Epsom salts solutions... For use on seed planting area use 1/2 teaspoon Epsom salts in a little warm water to dissolve then add 2 litres of water. Water the sowing area before sowing the seed, then mist the seeds and cover with dry soil or potting mix and keep the area just dark damp. Use mulch and pull this back at watering time and replace afterwards, don’t water the mulch as it will not reach the soil and make the mulch like a soggy brick. What it’s good for... For use on punnets and pots use 1/4 teaspoon Epsom salts in a little warm water to dissolve, then add 1 litre of water. The growing mix in the pots or punnets must be thoroughly dampened, not soaking before sowing the seeds, then cover with dry mix and keep just dark damp. Soot: From your wood burner, would you believe, is high in nitrogen and other goodies and is extremely good for pineapples and citrus fruit. What it’s good for... It is another good tea for stimulating overall growth of plants and great for leafy vegetables.
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Leaf growth and root feeds Growth and root feeds are higher in phosphorus, which promotes good root growth and has an important role in creating full flavours and good textures in fruit and vegetables. These feeds are especially valuable to crops like parsnips, turnips and strawberries, believe it or not, because strawberries need big green leaves to shield their precious fruit. Seaweed and comfrey teas make the best leaf and root feed with manure tea bringing up the rear.
Overall growth and leaf feeds These feeds contain proportionally more nitrogen, and are mainly used to promote strong healthy growth and lush leafy growth. They are great for salad crops, like spinach and lettuce, where quick strong growth produces the best flavour and most tender eating. Avoid applications of these feeds later in the year. Feeding too late in the year will encourage plants to grow, making soft growth that won’t survive the winter. Growth and leaf feeds with initially high nitrogen levels break down and loose their value quickly, so freshly made and used at as soon as possible is best. Best growth and leaf teas are made from borage, compost, chamomile, manure and worm tea.
Flower, fruit and avour feeds These are usually high in potash, which contain potassium compounds that promote flowering, fruiting and disease resistance. They also have the most profound effect on the flavours of all fruits, onions and potatoes.
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How to make a tea Fertiliser teas are very simple to brew. Just collect a huge bucket crammed full of your desired nutrient medium and cover with water. Put on a loose-fitting cover, as fermentation can build up to explosive levels if it cannot escape, and leave to brew anywhere from a few hours up to a month. A word about the water you use to make your teas... It is best to use rain water if you can, collect it in clean dustbins or other suitable containers around your house. Especially if you have any gutters which overflow in heavy rain, just put a container under the drip line and you will be amazed just how much water can be collected in even a light downpour. Mains water is chlorinated as chlorine destroys any microorganisms, good or bad, which can be found in the mains water system. This may be good news for the health of your drinking water, but the chlorine will also destroy all the microorganisms in your tea mix, and eventually in your soil. Using mains water... If you do use main water, fill a large container with water and leave it out in direct sunlight for a couple of days to remove the chlorine. Chlorine disappears this way because it is turned into a gas which is dissipated into the atmosphere, but other harmful chemicals will still remain in the water, and their concentrations will be stronger because some of the water has evaporated, so if you can use rain water. How to brew your batches... Some tea mixtures are going to take longer to brew than others. The weather is going to play a huge part, speeding up the process if it is warm and humid, or slowing the process down if it is cold and wet.
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Below is a rough guide... Comfrey & Nettle leaves can take up to a week or more to decay down, and another couple of weeks to brew. Chamomile & Borage teas take upto 15 minutes to brew, and should be made fresh on the day of use. Use the leaves, put them into a bucket and pour over hot water, or pack the leaves into your bucket, fill with rain water then leave in the sun to steep. Manure tea takes a week to ferment to a good consistency and strength. Give it the occasional stir during this time, especially in warm humid conditions. Manure tea is best used promptly after brewing as it looses it potency the longer it sits. If you plant by the moon like I do, begin to make a batch of manure tea in the last week of the Last Quarter Phase and it will be ready in time for the New Moon Phase. This is when the sap is beginning to rise and the plants and vegetables that grow above ground will be looking for extra nutrients to help them grow. Compost tea can be a little bit more complex than the other teas to prepare as it is recommended that you continuously aerate the brew for 24 hours before use, although I could not find out why. Many of my friends use large hessian sacks full of compost and tie the tops with a long piece of string. This is lowered into the water and the string enables you to swirl the sack around aerating the mixture. Seaweed tea can be a continuous brewing process, using the rain water to refill the seaweed container. You just need to add more seaweed once a year.
How to use a fertiliser tea Organic gardening teaches ‘feed the soil and not the plant’ so, when I use a fertiliser tea, I feed the surrounding soil with the tea and wash any splashes off the plant with clean, warm rain water. Don’t use very
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cold water or water that is hot to the touch, both can damage and shock the plant leaves. A word of warning... Always check the temperature in your hose BEFORE watering the plant. If your hose has been sitting in the sun all day the water in the hose can easily become far too hot, infact I have read it can reach nearly boiling temperatures. I usually do this after a rain when the soil is damp. The reasoning behind this is the plant’s moisture needs will have been satisfied by the rain, but the rain will have washed away mineral salts and other water soluble nutrients from the surrounding soil. An application of liquid feed at this time will replace the ‘washed away’ nutrients and provide extra nutrients to help correct the problem the liquid feed is being used for. Where to apply a tea... I always apply the tea around the edges of the ‘foliage canopy’, which is the furthest point away from the stem where the outer edges of the leaves make their shadow. This is the area where the feeder roots of your plants are, so they can seek out the nutrients and moisture. The feeder roots are found at the edges of the main roots and they are positioned here so they can get to the food from the lush area just outside the tree leaves. Have you noticed the area directly under a tree has very shallow top soil? This is because the tree roots are very close to the surface of the soil, and there is not enough soil depth to sustain the good micro life that is required to feed a tree. I then cover the area with a new layer of mulch. This locks in the moisture and keeps things snug, and the earthworms love this environment.
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Sandy soil tips... If you have a sandy soil, it is better to apply half the amount of tea to an area and then repeat the process frequently. This way you reduce the wastage run off. Condition your sandy soil with ‘solid’ manures and composts over time to help reduce the sieve-like nature of the sand. Overuse of fertiliser teas will lead to an unwanted growth spurt, producing sappy, tender, pale green growth. This is the kind of growth the sap suckers love, and believe me they will devour it with wanton abandon.
Plants that don’t like ‘tea’ Some plants don't thrive on any extra fertiliser treatment as it is too rich for them and can damage them beyond repair. Orchids and very young seedlings are in this group. Root vegetables are another good example of plants that don’t thrive on fertiliser treatments, although for a different reason to orchids. Root
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vegetables will grow more green leafy tops if given fertiliser teas, rather than produce the swollen root part.
Foliar feeding Foliar feeding is recommended by many gardening experts, but I personally never foliar feed, especially in New Zealand. Our sun is SO strong, even on a cloudy day, that it can cause the moisture and nutrients on the leaves to burn the plant terribly. Another compelling reason to avoid foliar feeding is that when you foliar feed, the root system of that plant is not encouraged to grow strong and healthy because you have taken away the need for the roots to hunt around in the soil to find the nutrients. For those who wish to foliar feed and live in cooler climates, where the sun is not so harsh, foliar feeding is when you spray the leaves of the plant with the liquid teas. Folar feeding tips... If you do want to use this method, avoid the hottest times of the day and make sure the leaves have time to dry before night time. Also, it’s useful to know certain plants don’t respond well to foliar feeding, especially those with woolly or fine hairs on their leaves, as it tends to clog up their pores. Foliar sprays should be even more diluted than the 'teas' to avoid burning the delicate leaves of the plants. Use foliar sprays in spring time, especially for gross feeders like brassicas, squash, pumpkin, etc. instead of water. Soil v Folar application... The potency and effectiveness of the tea may decrease rapidly when a foliar application is used due to sunlight, rain, and especially UV radiation.
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However, when used on the surface of the soil, research has shown that the microbes in the tea will colonize plant litter and debris, and improve decay rates of the surrounding organic matter, turning it into food for the plants and the micro life in the surrounding soil. Most teas can be used as foliar sprays, but be cautious about which ones you use as they can leave a residue on the leaves. Believe me when I say you don't want to taste comfrey tea or fish-based tea with your dinner!!
When to use a fertiliser tea There are many reasons why a plant, tree or vegetable will appear stressed and the solution is not always to feed them. Research has shown more plants are killed by over feeding than for any other reason. A wilting plant is more likely to require plain water than nutrients. In fact, drooping or wilting leaves may be due to disease or pest problems and a fruit plant producing abundant leaves but no fruit is an indication of over feeding. So it pays to investigate the cause first before reaching for the fertiliser tea. A tea is not a miracle worker... Feeding doesn’t make extra strong plants. Plants fed with too much nitrogen will produce more foliage at the expense of the flowers because the plants put their energy into growing bigger. Then, because the plant’s energy has been distracted into new growth it has taken the energy away from flower or fruit making, resulting in either no or very low-quality fruits and flowers. Not really the desired outcome. And if that’s not bad enough, the succulent growth will be a magnet for pests and diseases.
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Easy does it... Over feeding, especially during the phase when the plant is not actively growing, will ultimately weaken the plant making it susceptible to pest attack and disease. (Please see: How things work under the soil) One of the great things about fertiliser teas is that they can be mixed together and diluted to the correct strength. I personally use the 'weak tea' strength as a colour guide. The rule of thumb is... The weaker the better. You can always repeat the process if you think your plants haven’t had enough. Liquid teas should be applied in the New Moon Phase and the First Quarter Moon Phase. In general, seedlings should only require an occasional application of fertiliser tea, and mature plants can only absorb the extra nutrients when growing vigorously before fruiting or flowering.
When not to use a fertiliser tea • When fruit has set: as the plant is concentrating on producing fruit not on growth and feeding will make the plant grow by stimulating the roots. • Close to harvesting time: as the nutrients will not have had time to break down sufficiently into anything edible by the time you are ready to harvest and eat them.
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That’s all folks... I hope you have enjoyed this Fertiliser Tea Guide as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you. If you have any feedback or questions let me know. I would appreciate it. Please e-mail me at: suzi@2womenon2acres.com
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