Monday, July 26, 2010

Nutrify Your Garden With Compost Tea



Now that the rains have stopped and the sun is (fairly) regularly shining, Paysage will soon begin treating the established plants in clients’ landscapes with Compost Tea, a liquid extract of compost. More specifically, it is an aerobic water solution that has extracted the microbe population from compost along with the nutrient. The Compost Tea supplies a concentrated liquid full of billions of micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes), soluble nutrients, and humic substances. We feel this eco-friendly approach is the best way to rejuvenate the health of the soil feeding the gardens we care for which is naturally depleted as the plants grow.

Compost Tea Treatments consist of either soil application (drenching) or foliar spraying. The drenching of trees and shrubs planted in our local soil, which is lacking organic matters and made mostly of clay, will move the Compost Tea into the root zone and affect the rhizosphere (the part of the soil enclosing the root of a plant). Nutrients carried in the tea will be used by the plant as well as by the microorganisms in the soil. The compost tea builds better soil structure, decreases compaction and increases water retention, helping to prevent disease and enhancing the overall plant health and vigor.

Lotus Land, a local historical garden and beautiful example of the beauty that can result from green landscape practices, is also a believer in Compost Tea treatments. Paysage staff recently visited the garden and were amazed at the vibrant health evident in a collection of roses which Lotus Land had been treating with organic fertilizers and compost tea for approximately 15 years. We are confident that continued treatments at our landscape management properties will have equal or better results. Please call or email us if you would like further information on compost tea.

For further reading material on compost tea, Paysage recommends this article by Nourished Magazine.