Brewing Better Soil: The Benefits of Compost Tea
Ernie’s Earth Notes: Musings from the Mulch Zone
Hello. My name is Ernie Earthworm.
You will hear from me often if you want to stay current on what’s up in the down under. Down under the surface, that is. I’m kind of a big deal down here, and I’m also Leaf & Limb’s special correspondent for all things underground. You can read my bio here.
I will introduce you to the world inhabited by underground dwellers like us. You should really get to know us. There’s a lot happening down here!
Compost tea is a brew made from fungi- and bacteria-rich composts that have been steeped in chlorine-free water. The fungi-rich compost comes from locally sourced leaf mold. Leaf mold is partly decomposed leaves. The leaves decompose and slowly become compost because they are covered in fungi and other organisms whose job is to reduce shed leaves to organic matter. Organic matter is essential for good soil. It’s also my favorite dish. Without organic matter, soil is just dirt. Dirt is as barren a place for us to live as an asphalt parking lot would be for you.
The bacteria-rich compost comes from, ahem, me and my kind as worm poop (also called “vermicompost” or “worm castings”). As we munch our way through a smorgasbord of delicious decaying leaves and anything else soft and organic that looks tasty, it transforms in our guts into something really special. All kinds of microbes too small for even me to see transform our poop into pellets packed full of nutrients and disease-fighting products. For example, one of the diverse products that we worms produce is an enzyme called chitinase, which can fight off some kinds of bad-guy organisms that might be hanging around, ready to harm your plants.
Meet My Buddies; Fungi and Bacteria
You might think that fungi are not the kinds of organisms you would want anywhere near your beloved trees, but this thinking is so 19th century! Humans now know that fungi are much more than life forms that rot decks or kill trees. Many kinds of fungi are important and, in fact, essential for good soil health. A large group of fungi called mycorrhizal fungi partner with tree roots in a mutually beneficial relationship. You might have heard of them. They are pretty famous and popular down here. I could talk about these guys for hours, but I won’t. The important thing to know is that rich, organic soil is teeming with all kinds of fungi that work in many ways to make roots more powerful collectors of nutrients. Some fungi fight the kind of fungi that do cause decay in trees. The things you see down here. I tell ya, it's a pretty busy place.
The idea of deliberately adding bacteria to soil might scare you even more than the idea of fungi, but trust me, bacteria are also essential to rich organic soil. For example, whole groups of bacteria live inside your plants quite happily, feeding the plant and helping it grow. It’s always been like that, but humans are just beginning to learn how much of this plant/bacteria partnership is actually going on.
I hope I’ve quelled any reservations you might have about my fungal and bacterial buddies, and why compost tea is a good way to take care of the soil we live in and that your plants depend on.
I Don't Care if It Has an Earth Goddess on the Label!
Now I want to tell you why I really hope you don’t decide to give us a helping hand with some traditional fertilizer from a shelf at the big box store or from a landscaping service. Sorry, this might be a bit of a rant.
Even if it has an earth goddess or rows of smiling daisies on the label, we don’t want it down here! These products don’t come from the soil and shouldn’t go into the soil either. They are designed to flood the soil with a whole bunch of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but we don’t need it down here. We have that all taken care of; adding it just throws everything out of whack for us. For example, too much phosphorus interferes with fungi doing their day jobs, making things worse instead of better.
Too Much Salt!
Traditional fertilizer usually comes in a salt-based form, which hurts my skin and is even worse for some of my tiny buddies down here. If you touched your tongue to the granules, you’d taste the saltiness. Really, don’t do that! Take my word for it.
My soil buddies and I can do our jobs improving the soil and making it better for your trees when we have what we need and not stuff we don’t. All we really need is food (rotting stuff), water (rain), air (uncompacted soil) and a place to live, just like you do. Compost tea is one of the best ways to give us all a helping hand. Healthy soil is our best world, and it’s an essential part of your world too.
Are you interested in feeding your soil (and my friends) compost tea? Book an appointment to get a a free quote or send us an email and we’ll be in touch.