Cheap, Fast, Relatively Free Fertilizer

Could you replace nutrients in your garden soil without buying any fertilizer? Gardening supplies are getting more expensive and food shortages may increase but if you know how to replace your soil’s nutrients and how to do it cheaply, you will be able to produce nutrient-rich food no matter what the economy does in the future. We offer you three “recipes”. Let’s get brewing!

Aerobic vs Anaerobic Composting to Produce Fertilizer

For centuries, poor Korean farmers have used plant juice to create compost tea for their gardens. This process isn’t commonly used here in the U.S but with rising costs of food and gardening supplies, it’s gaining a lot of attention.

The compost tea, which you are probably familiar with is made from our compost piles, but this process is a little different and something we are trying.

Aerobic Process

Aerobic composting is the breakdown of organic waste at a temperature below 90 degrees Fahrenheit using microorganisms that require oxygen. Composting bacteria are naturally occurring and reside in the moisture near organic material.

The moisture in the soil warms up and is penetrated by oxygen from the air. As aerobic digestion occurs, the by-products are heat, water, and carbon dioxide (CO2).

The warmth produced in aerobic composting is powerful enough to destroy germs and pathogens. It also aids in the development of psychrophilic, mesophilic, and thermophilic bacteria, some of which require higher temperatures.

Sludge-like byproducts are produced as the material is broken down by anaerobic digestion. The majority of the time, this stuff must be aerobically composted in order to finish the process completely.

Anaerobic Process

Composting that occurs without the need for oxygen is known as anaerobic composting. The majority of the chemical energy stored in the starting material is transformed into methane in an anaerobic system.

Anaerobic decomposition is characterized by strong odors. Only a small amount of heat is generated which slows down decomposition and prevents it from reaching temperatures that can destroy plant pathogens, weeds, and seeds. ​

Compost Tea Tips

Any organic material you have access to, such as vegetables, weeds, fruit, kitchen scraps, urine, wood ash, coffee grounds, and manure can be used. Everything you’d put in your compost pile except, with this method, you can add all kitchen scraps including meat.

A 55-gallon drum will produce enough fertilizer to feed up to 10,000 square feet of corn for an entire growing season. For most of us, this is the main cost of a compost tea system. You can often find these free but in our area, the highest priced ones are around $45.

This recipe uses this large drum but you can easily scale it down to even a 5-gallon bucket. Just use what you have available or can afford.

This process is easier than making your own Super Soil recipe and it’s much easier on your bank account. Although the super soil recipe is more nutrient complete than this tea.

With only 2 to 3 weeks of steeping time, it’s faster than most other composting methods yet it’s still able to replace many of the minerals used up by plants in the growing season.

Don’t use it on fruits or vegetables you are about to harvest.

You don’t have to empty the barrel each time. You can simply let it ferment. Some people say letting it sit and ferment longer way makes the fertilizer stronger.

Remember, any fertilizer should be added to the soil around your plants, not directly to the plant to avoid burning tender leaves and produce.

When we empty the barrel, we use the debris as part of our deep mulch in the garden

Anaerobic Compost Tea

The basic recipe for anaerobic composting tea takes 2-3 weeks.

You’ll need a 55-gallon drum with a lid to prevent most insects from taking over. To the drum add:

1. 5 gallons of cow manure
2. 1 gallon of chicken manure
3. 5 gallons of grass clipping or weeds
4. 5 gallons of kitchen scraps
5. 5 gallons of urine
6. 2 cups of Epsom salt
7. Coffee grounds and wood ash you have available
8. Fill the drum with clean, unchlorinated water and mix it well. We find an old boat oar works great for this but use what you have on hand.
9. Let it sit undisturbed for at least 2-3 weeks. The material will settle to the bottom and you can dip the tea off to use in your garden.

You can use whatever you have available if you don’t have access to anything listed above.

A Word About Water Memory

Water memory is the apparent ability of water to retain a memory of substances it was previously exposed to. Scientists say this holds true even when they may be diluted to the point that no molecule of the original substance remains.

Some people believe this is how homeopathic remedies work even with small amounts.

This may be how some of the benefits of soaking ingredients in water works.

Aerobic Compost Tea

Most aerobic compost systems use aeration pumps and require electricity to work. This system uses constant pressure and heat to drain the plants of their liquid nutrients.

1. Use the same ingredients as listed in the anaerobic recipe above.
2. In the bottom of the barrel or container, you will be using, drill 1/16th inch holes in two rows down the middle of the bottom of the barrel. Drill the rows and holes about one inch apart.
3. Elevate the barrel on cinder blocks, wood blocks, saw horses, or anything you have on hand. You want it high enough to place a collection bin under it to catch the tea as it drains from the barrel.
4. Using something heavy and flat that will fit into the top of the drum without getting stuck, weight the materials to hold them down.
   • You want to keep a continual amount of pressure on top of the compost materials as the liquid drains out into the collection bin underneath the barrel.
5. Fill it with clean, unchlorinated water.
6. Place a screen or loose-fitting lid over the barrel.
7. As the water steeps over the materials, the liquid fertilizer will drain into the collection bin below and be ready for use.

Comfrey Tea

You can use Comfrey to make an exceptional compost tea to meet the needs of most of the plants you are probably growing.

Comfrey is a hardy perennial plant that grows quickly. The plant needs no special care and grows in partial shade to full sun.

For optimum growth, bloom, and fruit production, every plant requires particular macro-nutrients. The three most important macro-nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Micro-nutrients such as manganese and calcium are also important for plants.

Comfrey has the three major nutrients plus high calcium levels, which can be harvested and made into fertilizer. It’s also a good source of nitrogen. The composted leaves produce a dark greenish-black tea that has high levels of nitrogen.

The phosphorus in Comfrey tea helps the plants remain vigorous and fight off disease and pest damage. Potassium is instrumental in flower and fruit production.

Making comfrey tea will only take a few weeks.

1. In the bottom of the barrel or container, you will be using, drill 1/16th inch holes in two rows down the middle of the bottom of the barrel. Drill the rows and holes about one inch apart.
2. Elevate the barrel on cinder blocks, wood blocks, saw horses, or anything you have on hand. You want it high enough to place a collection bin under it to catch the tea as it drains from the barrel.
3. Harvest enough comfrey leaves to fill your 55-gallon barrel or whatever size container you have.
4. Using something heavy and flat that will fit into the top of the drum without getting stuck, weigh the leaves to hold them down.
   • You want to keep a continual amount of pressure on top of the leaves as the liquid drains out into the collection bin underneath the barrel.
5. Fill the drum with clean, unchlorinated water.
6. Place a screen or loose-fitting lid over the barrel.
7. As the water steeps over the materials, the liquid fertilizer will drain into the collection bin below and be ready for use.

Before applying the comfrey plant fertilizer, dilute it with half of the water. Use the leaf debris as a side dressing next to your garden plants.

FAQs

1. Do weed seeds decay in water, and if so how long does it take?

They do decay, slowly. The rate of decomposition depends on the contents and temperature of your compost pile. The longer they are submerged in water the less likely they can cause a problem. Seeds from weeds can survive for a few days or up to 4 weeks when in water or in the heat of a compost pile.

If you want to avoid spreading a certain species of plant, do not add it to compost while it is producing seeds.

We make it a general rule to not add weeds to our compost piles. Instead, we use them in making compost teas.

If you need help knowing what to add to your compost pile, you can read more about making the best compost for your garden.

2. Can I use coffee grounds in the compost? Are they bad for microbes and worms?

We add coffee grounds to our worm bins, and they have not died or seem to have any ill effects. Our worms are Alabama Jumpers and Red Wigglers. We do use organic coffee roasted in a way that prevents mold.

3. Do I need to dilute the fermented tea mixture before adding it to my garden?

I would generally advise diluting the tea in water. in a 1:1 ratio. However, it really depends on how strong you made your fertilizer.

Like if you use a five-gallon bucket of fresh chicken manure in your 55-gallon mix, you will need to dilute it with water in a 1:1 ratio because chicken manure is powerful stuff and can easily burn plants.

Wrap Up

So, there you have it! We’ve walked through the basics of aerobic and anaerobic composting and shared a recipe for each as well as a recipe for Comfrey tea. Now it’s time to get your hands dirty (literally) and start composting!

Have questions or want more information? Leave us a comment below – we love talking about all things gardening. Happy composting!