How To Make Liquid Fertilizer From Compost For Vegetables?

You should grow your edible plants organically and avoid using chemicals. Using liquid fertilizer is the best way of feeding your vegetable plants.

What Is Liquid Fertilizer And Why Use It?

If you have a vegetable garden and you want to boost the yield then you must feed them on time. In this article, we are talking about liquid fertilizer, which is a form of fertilizer that is easily absorbed in the soil.

You can easily apply diluted fertilizer in your garden. The following are the reasons for using liquid fertilizer.

Liquid fertilizer easily spreads in the soil. Its application is very easy as the roots of the plant absorb them effortlessly.
If you apply granular fertilizer then first it will break down in the soil and after that plants start absorbing it but liquid fertilizers absorb it immediately. If there is a shortage of nutrients in the soil and plants are struggling for their growth, liquid fertilizer provides immediate relief for them and as a result, you will see a rapid boost in the growth of plants.
The most important benefit you get from liquid fertilizer is that it will evenly spread in the soil. This uniform distribution is very helpful for your plants. The application of granular fertilizers will result in an uneven distribution of nutrients in the soil.
You can use a foliar spray for even absorption, especially for delicate plants. For the light-feeding plants, dilute liquid fertilizer is suitable. Its application gives a more generalized boost to these plants.

How Does Compost Tea Work As The Best Liquid Fertilizer For Your Soil?

This is a very powerful and inexpensive way of feeding plants. You can’t deny the benefits of compost tea to your plants. It can easily be absorbed in the soil and there is a flow of energy in the plants.

Compost tea is an instant power that improves the internal structure of the soil. The roots of the plants in the soil absorb the power of nutrients from the compost tea.

Compost tea can be applied every few weeks just like other natural liquid fertilizers. Your plants will get a steady supply of natural nutrients. If you choose commercial fertilizer then it will contain questionable unknown organic ingredients and heavy salts that can weaken the structure of soil.

Instead of using such fertilizer, you should make your compost tea at home. This is a very economical way of feeding your plants. This natural liquid fertilizer contains Minerals and nutrients without damaging the structure of the soil. This magical liquid provides power to your plants and improves soil health.

How To Make The Best Liquid Fertilizer Compost Tea From Compost?

You can add compost to amend the soil and make it rich in nutrients. You can easily gather compostable material from your kitchen and make your compost at home.

You can use this compost for making your homemade compost tea. There are different ways of making liquid fertilizer. The recipe for making compost tea is very simple as it needs a few things.

The first thing you need is compost. Make sure you are using completely decomposed compost or it is very close to the finishing process. You can also use bagged compost.
The size of the bucket is very important. You need a 5-gallon bucket to make a perfect compost tea.
Water
A stirring stick

Following are the simple and easy steps of making compost tea.

STEP 1

Take a 5-gallon bucket and fill half of the bucket with compost. Completely decomposed material has great nutrient levels. You should not select fresh compost for making tea. You can also use bagged compost but make sure this readymade compost contains 100% pure material.

STEP 2

After preparing your half-filled five-gallon bucket the next step is filling the bucket with water. After filling the bucket with a few inches of water, take a stick and stir the mixture of water and compost. Soon the water will absorb nutrients from the compost.
Make sure the water you are using is chlorine and other chemicals-free. The presence of chlorine can alter the tea and it will be harmful to your plants.
To make the mixture, you can use distilled water, rainwater, or well water.
Now leave this mixture for a few days In our shady area. Cover the bucket with a lid to prevent the escape of valuable liquid from the bucket through evaporation. The airflow is very important so you can make one or two holes in the lid. Avoid using an air-tight lid as it can stop the entrance of fresh air.

STEP 3

After 7 days water will absorb all the nutrients from the compost. Stir this mixture daily with a stick. You can check whether the compost tea is ready with the pump off. Leave the compost tea for 20 minutes if the tea has time to settle then it means liquid fertilizer is ready. When one week passes, you can take a cloth or an old kitchen colander and strain this mixture. The leftover solids can be used as a merge around your plants. The liquid you get is the best liquid fertilizer from compost.
The strained liquid is a balanced liquid fertilizer that can boost the vitality of all kinds of plants such as vegetable plants, flowering annuals, perennials, shrubs, bushes, and herbs.

STEP 4

You can apply this magical drink every 7 to 10 days for your vegetable plants. After absorbing this nutritious tea, your plants will become more strong and energetic. The yield of your vegetable crops will be higher after the application of this incredible compost tea that you make at home.

How To Apply Compost Tea To Vegetable Plants?

When spring comes your vegetable plants need a dose of compost tea to produce. Spring is the ideal time for the application of composting but this is not a fixed time as different vegetable plants require different amounts of nutrients.

The timing of application depends upon the circumstances and plant needs. When you use compost tea for your vegetable plants good microbes help to boost the health of the soil. Its application improves the water retention and pH level of the soil. Plants easily absorb nutrients and moisture to thrive well.

Before the application of compost tea should be diluted by adding more water. The ideal ratio of tea and water is 1:10.

After preparing the solution, you can pour or spray it on the vegetable plants before watering. As you are using organic liquid fertilizer let the solution sink in the soil as it needs time to break down. Plants slowly absorb all the nutrients present in the compost tea.

Always use a small amount of compost tea at a time so your plants adequately absorb all the nutrients. Liquid fertilizers are efficient and release nitrates and phosphorus quickly in the soil. In case, if you are using granular fertilizer it will take up to 6 weeks to break down and improve the health of the soil.

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Benefits Of Compost Tea For Vegetable Plants

Compost is a biological fertilizer for vegetable plants in your garden. Organic liquid fertilizers are free from chemicals which is why your plants grow naturally. Following are the benefits of the composed tea for vegetable plants.

Compost tea helps to improve the size of your plants. The nutrients present in the compost tea and the plant’s immune system and they start growing fast.
It improves the structure of the soil which is very beneficial for your plants.
As you know compost tea is an organic liquid fertilizer. It helps to improve the structure of soil instead of what we can eat by using chemicals.
Weeds are unwanted plants that steal nutrients from the soil. The application of compost surpasses weeds.
There are no toxic chemicals in the compost tea so your plants will grow naturally.

Which Is Better Compost Or Compost Tea?

Both are beneficial for your plants in specific circumstances. Compost is used to amend the soil and improve fertility and water-holding capacity of the soil. On the other hand, compost easily spreads in the soil as it contains water-soluble plant nutrients.

Compost has more nutrients than compost tea because compost takes time to decompose. If we talk about compost tea, it is extracted from compost at a time when biological action is not completely done for many of the nutrients.

That’s why compost gives a functional boost to vegetable plants. This is the reason that composed tea holds half or less of the nutrients than the compost.

Most gardeners prefer compost tea because it is easily absorbed into the soil and is available for plants. Compost takes time to break down into the soil. The application of compost helps to fix the poor soil it penetrates deeper into the soil.

How To Select The Right Liquid Fertilizer For Your Vegetable Plants?

Before choosing the liquid fertilizer for your plants you must carefully examine the shortage of nutrients in the soil. You should also consider the needs of the vegetable plants that you are going to grow.

When vegetable plants receive the required nutrients they will grow taller. If you choose the wrong liquid fertilizer then it can be harmful and become the reason for killing your plants.

It is better to perform a soil test before using any liquid fertilizer. A soil test gives you all the information about the shortcomings of the soil. The following considerations are very important before selecting liquid feed for your plants.

NPK BALANCE

Npk balance is very important for any plant. Nitrogen Phosphorus and potassium are the main nutrients that are required by vegetable plants. Your plants need the right NPK balance to grow.

Nitrogen is very important for leafy vegetables. If the leaves of the plants are turning yellow it means that Nitrogen is deficient in the soil and you have to fix it by adding fertilizer that contains a high amount of Nitrogen.

Slow growth is a clear symptom of a shortage of phosphorus in the soil. This deficiency occurs due to heavy rain and clay soil.

Another important ingredient that should be present in the soil is Potassium. It is essential for the promotion of fruiting and flowering in the plants. Yellow or purple leaves and a clear sign that your plants need potassium.

pH LEVELS

After NPK balance, the second thing you must consider is the pH of the soil. A soil test will give you all the information about the pH of the soil. You should maintain the pH of the soil according to the vegetable plants you are growing.