Does Compost Tea Work - The Science Behind the Claims

What does science say about using compost tea in the garden?
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Does Compost Tea Work - The Science Behind the Claims
compost tea makes plants grow better, adds nutrients to soil, is a good foliar spray, fights disease and adds microbes to soil - or so they claim, but what is the truth?
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[@oneirosailing5572]

I think that the main reason for compost tea is to enable to spread either bacteria or more importantly fungi over large areas with small quantities of good quality compost. Depending on how one makes the tea one can either multiply bacteria Or fungi.

[@stunbanks]

Heard the statement “never know what’s in the teas” Must of never seen or heard of a microscope before. And yes people do scope their teas during and after it’s done.

[@PoochDoobie]

He completely over simplifies and glazes over things, coming to the inaccurate conclusions, and then accuses others of not using science to form their opinions.

[@ttb1513]

@@PoochDoobieI agree. But how do you refute his statement that soil microbes are always maxed out at capacity, so adding tea can provide only limited boost? Sometimes hearing contrary opinions helps to understand your own better. Have you seen benefits from compost tea? I’m inexperienced, but I’ve seen people make the case that well oxygenated, aerobic tea is important. It’s also curious that his study at the end was on trees, which are more concerned with fungal soils than bacterial soils. What’s been your experience?

[@annekincannon-kf3hx]

You guys have magical thinking. I’m sure you wouldn’t know an E. coli from an L. gasseri under the microscope. You’re really angry that your belief is busted. Get over it

[@annekincannon-kf3hx]

@@ttb1513 there are not “fungal soils” and “bacterial souls”. Where did you pull that idea out from?

[@ttb1513]

@@annekincannon-kf3hx I meant fungal dominated soils versus bacterially dominated soils. I left the word "dominated" out, meaning the ratio is relevant. Will you please forgive me? BTW, what is a "bacterial soul"? Do you not believe there are differences? Google "bacterial versus fungal dominated soils" and you’ll get a TON of info. Or you can read an excellent book like "Teaming with microbes". Having read this book prompted my statement. Is that garbage, along with all of the other plentiful info available? What is your point exactly? If it is that all soil has fungal elements and bacterial elements, I agree and did not mean to imply it was one or the other, 100%.

[@pdfbrander]

I don't think people think that compost teas will "increase" the amount of nutrients in the soil. It's a way of extracting the nutrients quicker. The soil that you use in the tea might have 6 weeks worth of nutrients for a single plant. By making a tea, you can extract those into water and water a lot more plants with it, not expecting this watering to last 6 weeks.

[@ashleyskinner1467]

A lot of really bold claims here. May we see any of these studies you reference? Links appreciated

[@sscott411]

Very good info! But, are your statements contradicting each other? If bacteria from compost tea does not grow on the plant or in the soil, then how could E. coli, which is a bacteria, transfer from compost tea to plants, proliferate and contaminate produce? If your football stadium analogy is accurate, then how could E. coli from feedlots contaminate entire crops, even actively living and growing in the rhizosphere as many researchers have found? Also, I would like to see your take on other methods, such as bokashi composting, that control the type and amount of microbes introduced into the tea, which in theory should impact both the breakdown of nutrients, the total nutrient content of the tea, microbial benefits, etc.

[@RealEstateInsider247]

According to Dr. Elaine Ingham (the queen of soil IMO), compost (and compost tea) is NOT used for the nutrients. The critical factor is the beneficial micro-biology within the compost, which works WITH the soil and plants, to enzymaticaly break down the sand, silt, and clay ... witch actually contain the nutrients. The nutrients are actually in the sand, silt, and clay. They just need to be delivered to the plants in the proper form. It is all about the biology.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

unfortunately Dr. Ingham's ideas on compost tea are not supported by scientists. Compost tea does not increase the microbe level in soil. www.gardenmyths.com/compost-tea-does-it-work/

[@pch7847]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 is she not a scientist?

[@goodgroundserves]

I've heard that one of the purposes of brewing compost tea is to create plant available nutrients immediately. Even your compost is a slow release. Same as worm tea. In regards to not knowing what your putting in your tea... The same could be said for your compost.

[@michaelbradt6853]

I'm not disagreeing with this video, but to be fair to your viewers. If someone puts out a video that makes a claim, based on science, how does one know this is a credible source? Scientific information is validated through rigorous experimental study and peer review. Having said that, what and how many scientific studies is he referring to?

[@travisevans7502]

Good information I know several people who swear by it but they don't grow any better plants than I do and I only use compost and some organic fertilizer the first couple years of establishing a new bed. I do mostly no dig accept in some containers

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Great video. Well thought out as always!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Thank you.

[@tastyfishsauce4410]

Thank you, I am thinking about applying compost tea this year since it seems easy enough to make. Social media and some researches are full of conflicting information. I too wonder if there is a correlation/causation between using tea and the consistency of care (watering and frequency) of plants. I have observed this in gardening and animal husbandry that more often than not, it is the consistency in care and attention to detail makes difference in the outcome. I wished you have included links to your source/s so that your viewers may be further educated in this matter or at least make educated decision of "to tea or not to tea". Thanks again, I enjoyed your video and subed.

[@deathnote9382]

Thank you sir, very logical and scientific content

[@cwallcw]

I was duped by the tea craze too, I appreciate the education!!!

[@curiouscynic4357]

Perhaps makes sense just scattering the solids and recycling ♻️ as nature does. Perhaps the critical aspect is soil structure itself that allows processing of solids. Perhaps that can reduce the need for spending on compost which may be contaminated with long life herbicides. The appearance may be untidy. Working on this in my allotment. Hope to know better in a couple of years.

[@wardaldo69]

Although I do ponder a question ❓ if growing in something inert like Coco , would anything like compost tea or one of these Many mycorrhizal products that have swarmed the market over last few yrs 🌱👀 Would adding them be of any use to the root zone? & If watered until run off each time would/ does that flush out those added mycorrhizal etc 🤔🤔🌱 Those are my thoughts if not entirely proper organic 🌱 Thank You for your time ⏳ & information good sir 👌👍😎🌎🌱 happy growing everyone 🌱🌍😎

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

Great! People need to see this!

[@katipohl2431]

As I am a biologist you are one of my top 5 gardening channels. I absolutely agree that the microbes of the phylloplane are a very specific society which can even be disturbed by compost tea spray. Hi from Germany. A company in Austria has developed special tanks and machinery for producing/vortexing compost tea. The channel 'Rela Visio' just presented it this week.

[@katipohl2431]

Personally I don't use compost tea but I do vermicomposting.

[@theressomelovelyfilthdownh4329]

I think if some backyard gardeners see benefits from using compost tea. It may really be down to them having a routine and looking at their plants in more detail. Along with consistent watering, which many people aren't very good at these days due to our hectic lifestyle. I'm on an allotment site with two large communal poly tunnels. The main advice I give people is to stay on top of their watering and actually look at their plants. If it looks too congested, or you see any weak or sick leaves, remove them. So you can make sure there is good air flow around each plant. They will also catch any pests before they can take hold, with any luck. You didn't have fewer pests, you just saw them before they got time to colonize the entire plant/plants, kinda thing. I think some people need a little ritual to motivate them.

[@tihomirmezlichev8235]

@@katipohl2431 You do vermicomposting but do you make worm tea?

[@flatsville9343]

​@katipohl2431 I soak my seedlings in a slurry of 50/50 Vermicompost & rainwater before planting & pour any remaining slurry liquid to help water them in. If pressed for time, half a handful of vermicomospt in the bottom of the hole at planting. Works miracles. I even soak some seeds in Vermicompost slurry or extract before planting & water in with remaining liquid. Non-Vermicompost "Tea" BS.

[@RealEstateInsider247]

While it is true that a bad batch of compost tea can harm soil and plants. Good compost tea can be extremely beneficial and predictable as well. The key is having the knowledge to analyze the microbes with a microscope. It appears as though the maker of this video lacks that understanding. I consider this video to be mostly void of good information; I don't think purposefully, but from lack of knowledge of the micro-biology.

[@pearlruth]

You have freed me from the long-awaited time when my food scraps would turn into "humus". Last summer I bought bags of dehydrated manure and my white irises bloomed twice in one season, nice surprise. All my plants showed better results with this addition.

[@krumba100]

Imagine the effects if this manure was not dehydrated. People do not realize how much more beneficial are additives if they are not processed.

[@pearlruth]

@@krumba100 The Amish community is nearby, and local farmers spread cow/horse manure over the fields before plowing in the Spring

[@johnbrazelton6130]

Bokashi Composting System to make Humic and Fulvic acid extracts easily.

[@davidanderson8469]

@@pearlruth Yes and they rotate the areas where the cows graze. The soil is enriched sending roots well down into the substrate. Ranchers are beginning to do this and getting away from salt based fertilizers. The results are staggering and the grass is free of petro contaminants. The results are lower overhead for the rancher, happier soil and a better tasting product.

[@charlesbale8376]

A lot to think about, thanks for sharing.

[@charlessudom288]

I agree that foliar application is not great, soil is better. Tough to apply a blanket statement to compost tea as many proponents admit the quality of compost does make a difference. I prefer vermicompost. I can't say that I understand exactly how it works but I have not had potato bugs since using it and the brix is higher but there was no mention of it here.

[@sistergoldenhair2231]

You saved me so much work. 😮

[@dahutful]

and probably some money LOL

[@jillnewton5630]

compost tea doesn't cost @@dahutful

[@mattde4606]

Great video Robert!

[@JulesGardening]

Enjoyed your explanation. Linda Chalker Scott (WSU) explained that the only studies done that could be trusted indicated there is no difference. She then warned the biggest issue is that you really have no idea what is in the tea by ratio and so are blindly feeding. Related, she skeptically studied wood chips as a mulch and by scientific comparison discovered that it is in fact the best mulch you can use and adds that benefit you mention of decaying. It seems to me that once you get the soil proper including the elements, the system is organic mulch, watch your Ph and nitrogen and water of course. I suppose the whole thing is complicated by companies wanting to sell stuff to the gardener. Compost Tea Brewers seem to be pricey....and unnecessary. Have a good one.

[@andrexadoh]

One of the issues I have with Chalker Scott is that she talks about the "science" but fails to acknowledge that the science of soil is ages behind what it should be. Secondly she is not really providing solutions for large scale farmers looking at regen soil practices. Many farmers are noticing that compost extracts and teas, when done through thermal extraction and spread acts a s a catalyst for regenerating soil biology killed of through pesticide and chemical fertilizer use. Its not a quick fix. If we want a quick fix, then we should just keep using degenerative soil practices.

[@HiloBoiz808]

Theres a thousand and one recipes for making compost teas.I made tea in 400 gallon batches x 3.Twice a week dropped tea.Heavily amending ferts, guanos etc.And foliar sprayed.The results were outstanding.

[@MotosAllotmentGarden]

What is your view on "JADAM organic farming"

[@nickthegardener.1120]

I’ve made my stadium big as I added bio char.👍🏻

[@mightyconker3903]

Best thing I ever did for my soil Sea salt, charcoal and hot 18 day compost

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

I just shared this video link with a very nice gardening channel, that was promoting the use of compost tea, I hope they don’t get upset with me but the truth is the truth and can help people use their time more effectively in their gardens! Sometimes people hold their garden folklore knowledge very dear, I bet you have noticed that!? Klaus

[@cristianlungu2977]

"Microbes working at capacity" isn t a valid argument for stating compost tea is useless because it implies that the situation is fixed, unchangeable. But life proliferates. Logically, then, if you increase the preassure for further colonization crapy areas by introducing microbes (compost tea being one method), a larger area/volume of soil will improve, over time of course.

[@justinhoskins2569]

My thoughts are if you have a population at max capacity for sustainability, but then the population increases significantly, then the first thing that would get depleted would be the food supply before things would start to die off. So there would be a bell curve. It seems to me that Compost Tea used properly would speed up the breakdown of Insoluble fertilizers and nutrients making them bioavailable to the plant.

[@cristianlungu2977]

@@justinhoskins2569 not before microbes multiply, thus expanding the colony and thus putting preassure on the boundry for expansion.

[@kylelobb1206]

My idea of a compos tea is to balance the microbes in the soil with a soil drench. Tilling and pesticide can cause and in balance in the soil. But I agree with most of the stuff said here and it is important to know what you are brewing.

[@diamondsprings6490]

Id love to hear your thoughts on compost extract for auto inducers and quorum signalling molecules to stimulate the native soil microbiome

[@HippieFertilizing]

That’s interesting

[@MuscadineMarlon]

Glad I found you!

[@videoviewer2008]

I like this recipe. Thanks

[@Allknowingkeith]

Compost seem to be a carrier for the nutrients. I think magnesium is key for potting soil. Haven’t figured out the soil yet. I started too dressing with amended soil vs fertilizer alone. It looks cleaner.

[@johnt3728]

Hi, I bought your book Plant Science.Great book.👍

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@prjndigo]

Its always been about somehow increasing the surface area of water in the soil. That's the main trick - you gotta increase the surface area to do that. Dissolving water soluble stuff out of compost doesn't increase the surface area.

[@ttb1513]

I understand water retention benefits. But why is surface area a factor? Why is more and more surface area beneficial? And what proof, aside from belief, is there? This idea is new to me and it would be good to understand the background.

[@johnvandelft6813]

Great content, I appreciate the science backed study you included at the end. Could you please do a video on the role of auxins and amino acids in plant growth? It's hard to find content on these subjects that show validity from actual studies.

[@krumba100]

Auxins and amino acids are two separate topics and very large topics too. Information on those is very abundant, but in print - actual books in your local library. New studies are often protected by copy rights or are trade secrets if they are digitized.

[@AndrewUnruh]

Fantastic video. As an engineer, I had already discounted the idea that compost tea was an effective fertilizer, but I thought it might still be good for adding beneficial microorganisms. Thank you for laying that notion to rest.

[@Aswaguespack]

As always a thorough discussion on a controversial topic. Although many people have “published” their opinions on the apparent “positives” of compost tea, it usually has appeared to me that there’s injected into the narrative a “bias” towards making the results skewed in favor of a positive outcome. Yes I have tried compost tea. In my experience and strictly my own observations based upon my soil chemistry, weather (I’m in Zone 9A/B) and plant selection, I found that just regular Compost added to the top of my planting areas provided the best results. Foliar spraying in high heat, high humidity (even on warm spring summer evenings and nights) provided absolutely NO control on the growth or prevention of leaf fungal outbreaks and in fact could have actually caused additional problems with such conditions. With the periods of excessive rainfall frequently experienced in my location just adding compost to the top of the soil allows for “watering” the compost into the soil. I haven’t used any type of “tea” in years and I don’t plan on using any compost tea anymore. Another great scientifically factual presentation that you do so very well. Thanks!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@racebiketuner]

Very few people have the ability to understand complex systems and soil science is extremely complex. Unless the information is coming from a paper that's been published in a peer reviewed journal, you should take it with a kilo of salt.

[@kriskulczynski8957]

Keep spraying at night

[@krumba100]

Great video. Thank you. I want to add something of little importance. People who prepare compost teas pay closer attention to the frequency and correctness of watering. This is the main benefit of compost tea. The other benefit is from micronutrients for those who prepare tea by soaking specific plants in water, not compost.

[@xuyahfish]

What's the best thing to feed your soil bacteria? Let's say after winter when my soil is depleted? Is there something that can jump-start my soil BEFORE I put seedlings or add seeds? Like molasses, shredded up kitchen scraps, etc? (My spring is very short & I like cold weather veggies best)

[@cicatrace]

Maybe blood meal

[@TuckFwitter]

Keep your soil alive . Some kind of cover crop during the winter will help.

[@MobileVisions]

Buy the book of “JADAM”. Korean natural gardening techniques

[@Byrod1]

Very good video, changed my mind about compost tea, but little bit backward compost tea is about microbes but he talk about it last. Also if you spread compost and wait for rain most living things in there will be dead, some nutrients will escape too. Also compost tea maniaks will be mad.

[@xuyahfish]

I've only been able to make a moderate amount of compost at home. I've also been unsuccessful at making "hot" compost - I don't have any chickens, ducks, etc. I can source outside sources for manure but that can be risky (pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, etc). So I'm thinking about compost tea to increase my good bacteria.

[@magesalmanac6424]

You can make hot compost without dung. Just got to get a decent ration of greens and browns. I struggle to heat the pile in cooler months though

[@flatsville9343]

Put your time & effort into a worm bin. Vermicompost is far superior to any other kind. To cover & protect soul use mulch. Chopped-up leaves & green grass/weed clippings are just fine for that.

[@HollenbergR]

Agreed with magesalmanac6424. I make vegan hot compost just fine so you don't need manure for it to get up over 150. I use clean fresh grass clippings carefully sprinkled into each layer as I flip my pile, and put my own urine into the pile regularly and these are easy to get.

[@johnbrazelton6130]

The whole point of compost tea is to make the nutrients water soluble/plant available through microbial processing. Absolutely, whatever you add to the tea is what it is. But whatever you add to that tea is going to be rapidly plant available.

[@Koivisto147]

yeah but how much nutrients are being added with tea compared to just spreading the compost on the ground. the bacteria in the soil will make the nutrients available at a slower rate but there is a much larger store of nutrients being made bioavailable at a more steady rate when compost is spread on the ground, compared to a quick, sudden burst of a relatively small amount of nutrients with the tea. compost tea is definitely can be better than just applying plain water to your soil but I don't think it's an efficient way to fertilize. If you can set up a good passive way to make lots of compost tea with minimal labor then its probably worth it to use.

[@RealEstateInsider247]

@@Koivisto147 Minimal nutrients are in the compost. It is not fertilizer. The compost/compost tea is not for the nutrients. It is for the micro-biology. The nutrients are in the sand, silt, and clay. The micro-biology, via enzymes, makes the nutrients from the sand, silt, and clay available to the plants. For the most part, there are plenty of nutrients all over the world in the sand, silt, and clay; enough for millinia. To be certain you have beneficial microorganisms with favorable bacteria:fungi ratios, you need a microscope and knowledge about the microbes. There is such thing as bad compost and bad compost tea (all depending on the microbes). This is a sliver of my interpretation of what Dr Elaine Ingham teaches; the soil queen IMO. If you have any doubts, please look her up. She has a lifetime of knowledge on the topic.

[@wildwillie419]

Awesome overview! What about compost extracts to bring biology back to desolate soils?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

They don't work.

[@wildwillie419]

So the key is to increase the “stadium” size with organic matter? Which compost does, but compost water does not.

[@andrexadoh]

Nah it does work and their is a growing body of evidence it helps with rengenerative soil practices. You simply can't toss 1 million tones of organic matter on a 10 acre field as a small scale farmer that isn't a millionaire. There is a process and its a combination of things. Soil science is pretty far behind@@wildwillie419

[@imdaddio]

Do you think homemade biochar charged with undiluted compost tea will help my sandy-silty soil hold water, grow microbes and worms?

[@blainejones6857]

I'd like a video on worm castings! I have a few bins of red wiggler worms and would love to hear your opinion on vermicomposting! Pretty please :)

[@conorlooney6391]

Have made my own compost for years now...pure Black Gold...was considering making tea,but after see your video, I've decided against it...put it directly on to the soil...lawn..and baskets and containers as I've always done ✔ 😀 😉 👍.

[@gabrielglouw3589]

I hope you see this comment. My interest in compost tea is as a vehicle for efficiently inoculating relatively large quantities of biochar. I would be interested in your opinion on this.

[@martind2218]

I'm no expert so I might be wrong. I think the main idea is to add nitrogen to the biochar (so microbes eating the biochar don't compete with your plant for the nitrogen). As for inoculating with microbes, it would happen naturally. Although I imagine it would speed up the process of bacteria inoculating the biochar. I guess it comes down to how long would it take for that to happen naturally which I don't have the answer too. Good question, I hope he addresses it in his forthcoming book on microbes.

[@braedenmoses]

So this is the idea behind compost tea in general from my current understanding. Not foliar sprays, not addition of NPK, but a focus on inoculation of “healthy thriving organisms” to your soils themselves. Yes of course the microbe populations will die back, but they’ll come back even stronger when conditions allow, making for a developing soil health long term. Best to y’all 🌱⚡️

[@gabrielglouw3589]

@@braedenmoses, exactly. The entire point is to add microbes into the soil. I’m not even entirely sure that trying different types of feeder stock is a valid experimental parameter since properly made biochar is essentially pure carbon anyway. Feeder stock shouldn’t matter. The whole experiment strikes me as poorly thought out or biased towards having a neutral or poor result bias towards biochar.

[@gabrielglouw3589]

@@martind2218, no. The entire point is to infuse the biochar with microbial life. Just adding one element needed for healthy plant development would be a waste of time.

[@braedenmoses]

@@gabrielglouw3589 felt the same in regards to the study at the end. He’s using a similar slightly more mechanistic or materialist paradigm, commingling the thoughts of Austrian chemist Justus Von Liebig, that led to the wide scale use of industrial chemical fertilizers that destroyed our soil health to begin with

[@martind2218]

I both love and hate this man. I hate him because he challenges some of my beliefs. I love him because he challenges some of my beliefs.

[@bluewolf4915]

Does the same hold true for worm casting tea?

[@Byrod1]

Absolutely, teas are fools gold.

[@lindaspellman2108]

What about JADAM type extractions, or aerated "weed" teas. I had planned to chuck my noxious weeds in a bucket with an air stone to pull nutrients out while also making sure those particular weedy individuals dont propigate. While JADAM would use less energy, it's also noxious in its own right 🤢

[@mightyconker3903]

They work well. This video is pure opinion.

[@dougzale9611]

I heard of a tea maybe would work as a foliage spray. Free. Take some healthy newer leaves put them in a blender with water. Blend them up this process adds air to the water promoting the right microbes to grow. Spray the leaves. I used that one year with some good results.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Why???

[@dougzale9611]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 if your trying to replace the microbes as you saying compost tea has the wrong ones.

[@annekincannon-kf3hx]

@@dougzale9611 so how many other tasks were you attempting while watching the video?

[@DanielHarvey1980]

what's the utilization method of the wood chips in your comparison?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

as a mulch.

[@DanielHarvey1980]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 thanks. I also had a question on your website, wondering what a more suitable replacement for azomite would be if I were required to apply it in the same manner as azomite. I'm working with 3000 sq ft of beds personally and work overall on a 4.5 acre farm helping others. Efficiency is a must.

[@williamwaters4506]

Compost tea makes no sense to me, why go through on the preparation for such low NPK numbers. As you say just add the compost.

[@kgarden8960]

@13:15 "What's the best way to make compost tea?" "Spread the compost on the soil and wait for it to rain" Priceless! Made my year, thanks Robert :)

[@darooster5787]

If you grow indoor how it going to rain in your grow tent?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Glad you enjoyed that.

[@andrexadoh]

yeah or try finding 10-15 acres of organic matter if you aren't a cattle farmer, or a millionaire with access to all that organic material. @@darooster5787

[@thebiosoilcompany]

Think of tea as a boost. When used appropriately, in a well functioning system, it can give a boost toward development. Early development boost can make enormous differences in how productive that plant will be over its lifetime.

[@annekincannon-kf3hx]

😂 you are convinced of your idea by zero evidence. You’ve got magical thinking going on and too much time on your hands 😂

[@willsimmons3492]

How do you know he's doesn't have evidence....let's not assume😂

[@johnnyb4869]

Compost tea is a thriving industry 😊

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Yes it is - that is not proof that it works for gardeners.

[@peter913]

Yes, thriving due to marketing not necessarily documented results. I will stick to just applying compost (which I make) to my veggie beds. Why would I use diluted compost which is more work to make when I can just apply the compost? We are now in summer here in Australia so I cover the compost with mulch (from bamboo leaves which I source for free). As this breaks down this probably helps to fed the soil life. I did make comfrey tea for a while but now I just chop it up and use it as a mulch on my beds or add it to the compost bins - following your video on making weed teas.

[@dahutful]

@@peter913 THIS

[@wardaldo69]

Imo the WHOLE garden/growing industry is full of money making scams & promises 🌱👀 K'ching 🤑🤑🤑🤑

[@johnysteamboy5102]

Therefore, adding any commercialy sells beneficial bacteries to my soil is useless because they simply die?

[@westernartifact4163]

I'm a bit confused about what seems like a contradiction. If we can't create more microbes because they're at capacity in our compost supply; then how could the act of tea "make" things like ecoli?

[@steveevans1841]

I much prefer to follow the work of Dr. Elaine Ingham who is an American microbiologist soil biology researcher and founder of Soil Foodweb Inc. She is known as a leader in soil microbiology and research of the soil food web, she is an author of the USDA's Soil Biology and Dr David Johnson is an Adjunct Professor for the College of Agriculture at Chico State University. David is a microbiologist who, along with his wife Hui-Chun Su, has developed the Johnson-Su Bioreactor - a static aerobic composting process that produces a very high quality, biodiverse, and fungal dominant compost product that is producing incredible results in the field when applied as an inoculant. along with several other scientists with PhD's in this field of studies.

[@darooster5787]

You didn’t mention humic acid. It holds more nutrients. Therefore more seats in the stadium

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

humic acid does not even exist in soil. Working on that video right now, but here is the blog post version. www.gardenmyths.com/humus-does-not-exist-says-new-study/

[@aNaturalist]

Actively aerated compost tea is a sacred cow to some people. They want 1 + 1 to equal 3, instead of 2.

[@hubertjosephposadas2643]

Very informative. Does this therefore debunk JADAM Practices and Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web practice? I have been using both but now after watching your video I'm wondering if they are not worth doing at all.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

A lot of Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web ideas are not science based.

[@hubertjosephposadas2643]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I thought she was a Soil Scientist?

[@hubertjosephposadas2643]

I thought she is a PhD of Microbiology?

[@stunbanks]

Haha she’s literally the leader in soil microbiology

[@hubertjosephposadas2643]

Yup, she is. Also there are a lot of commercial organic producers using worm compost tea to inoculate and increase production. JADAM Practitioners being one of them. Lots of proofs of concepts and actual application.

[@jeffclarke5497]

Nice, rational and good foundation addressing a lot of the "bro-science" floating around. Thanks.

[@Bachibouzouk1er]

That video is the epitome of bro-science...

[@JGDT5559]

Well if spraying foliar compost tee is a bad idea, why does it work.? Canola Barley and wheat about 2500ha sprayed 4x compost tea not sick and my conventional neighbours keep spraying fungicides to protect the crop… 2 years of no problem. You just need some good JS fungal compost, tea it with some fish hydraulisate , humid and fulfil acid and some kelp extract and Bobs your uncle… at not even 2% of the cost of fungicide

[@illzwillzwatuz963]

Don't spray the leaves with water, but compost tea is cool. Very fancy

[@dahutful]

you've done it again, Robert. Excellent vid. I can hear the complaints already - "But...But...But...research is being done; and I believe in it." The interesting thing to me is, this extends upon the basic science we were taught in high school. I respect what you do, and the time you put into helping us debunk the myths. And you are not breaking any scientific rules, or making new ones. You are essentially reaffirming what we know to be science fact. It really isn't a controversial topic, at all, except insofar as people try to make it into one. So with all the wild claims that just don't jibe with the science, we have to ask... Are people REALLY learning new science, say, something that goes beyond what IS science? That's always possible, I suppose, although it happens so rarely in this arena that the odds are just against it. Or, perhaps, are people just more gullible, willing to accept whatever sounds good,... that it leads to misinformation and those who take advantage of that? Let me know in the comments.... Love your stuff, Robert

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

There are lots of things in gardening that science does not test - no one will fund it. There is room for citizen science, but to do that people need to learn about the scientific method and controls. Without that the results don't mean very much. Unfortunately, most people don't want the truth - they prefer simple answers.

[@annekincannon-kf3hx]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 they prefer simple and magical “answers” 😔. It’s so sad for me to observe this.

[@mightyconker3903]

While some prefer skeptical answers. Same both sides. Test and gather data and retest. We never really know

[@braedenmoses]

What. About. Pleiomorphism?

[@soloporcompartir-HM]

Its not about adding nutrients! Compost its not a fertilizer as many gardeners think.

[@olgakuchukov6981]

I’ve been feeding my plants and soil with anaerobic tea from weeds, kitchen scraps, seaweed, dead worms, leaf mold, anything except manure (no e coli, thanks) and my plants have loved it. The aerobic compost tea people call anaerobic a no-no but Natural Korean Farming has been doing this for decades if not centuries. I’ll stick to my observations. Foliar spraying becomes essential when the surface of the soil is full of jumping worms who eat all the compost and organic matter too quickly. They’ve been in my garden for over 4 years - a very large presence, and I’m learning how to manage and coexist. Making my own fertilizer and keeping it off the soil for some time is helpful and the results are observable. I also like using “noxious weeds” to make fertilizer. Thank you for doing all that research and presenting it.

[@shawnsg]

You don't know if they've "loved" it or not. They may have grown better without it or if you'd just put the compost on the ground. He already mentioned foliar spraying in the video. It's unlikely to provide much nutrients.

[@olgakuchukov6981]

@@shawnsg read my comment more closely. I have distinct actual reasons that make compost on the ground unavailable. Go research Asian jumping worms - Amynthas species. Thank you for your scold but do not tell me what i do or do not know.

[@olgakuchukov6981]

My point is science and research will yield results for a finite set of variables and not all. There are always mitigating circumstances and a discerning critical thinker understands this and allows for anomalies that do not fit a scientific model.

[@mylesfalconer9183]

Great to hear you having success with weed teas. I've been doing the same but I need to do plenty more treatment vs control experiments. So far I am not seeing huge differences in any crops, but more study is needed

[@olgakuchukov6981]

@@mylesfalconer9183 nice! What does the control group entail? Adding nothing or adding fertilizer or compost? If you look up David the Good here on YT and also his online blog you’ll see he has done A LOT of side by side experiments with all kinds of different inputs. He’s written an entire book on making “fetid swamp water” fertilizer called “Compost Everything.” He was forced to figure out a way when manure and hay and compost and many other elements for MAKING COMPOST came with persistent broad leaf herbicides like Grazon that persist in the manure of animals and destroy gardens for 3 years. So there are real world circumstances that call for making one’s own foliar sprays because outside inputs are tainted by the BigChem and BigAgro takeover and because when you have a large area you just can’t make enough compost quickly for it - enter anaerobic compost tea or aerobic compost tea. It is elitist to assume that a few science experiments have the answer to every circumstance.

[@matthewking2209]

I don't use tea because it's too time sensitive and too many variables. Is not part of the food for the microbes the sugars produced buy the plants roots? So as the plants roots grow so does the stadium? What if the bacteria Azotobacter was in the tea and started fixing atmospheric nitrogen or bacillus megaterium phosphate solubilizing bacteria and made that available to the plant? I have seen with my own eyes where I had an aphid infestation and sprayed a tea made from worm castings and the next day all the aphids were all black and dead. Maybe the castings contained chitinase.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

"So as the plants roots grow so does the stadium?" - if you take soil without plants and add plants the exudates from the plant increases the food available and the stadium grows.

[@projectoldman3383]

I’m not in agreement with this content, it is framed in a manner that depicts compost tea as an ignorant crap shoot, rife with scary ecoli bacteria that delivers no benefits in a stinky process. First of all there is literally thousands of strains of ecoli almost all of which are benign, second I use a microscope to monitor microbe quality and quantity. You never even mentioned aerobic/anaerobic or fungal content and proper tea doesn’t stink at all. You can rehabilitate abused soil with good tea and other remediation techniques in a larger context where spreading compost isn’t feasible. Is compost tea magic, nope, but it’s a tool that can be used to increase microbial activity, introduce potentially beneficial fungi and novel bacteria and is a sustainably available resource. What about vermicompost tea is that also an ineffective, potentially dangerous and unproven technique. It’s not a figment of people imagination that it’s increasing, health, vigor and brix. Not convincing.

[@rondavis2791]

I've been using worm/compost tea for years until about five years ago. I'm convinced that the brewing process of it doesn't do anything extra for your soil or your plants. All of the extra stuff people are putting in the tea are full of nutrients just put it directly on the soil. The tea is way too much work. He hit the nail on the head increase your organic matter/carbon in the soil you will increase the life.

[@wardaldo69]

Imo there's probably enough beneficial life already in most soil & rain water 🌱👀 & unless you go & get your tea looked at how does anyone know if what's in there actually is beneficial to soil life / the plants 🌱 We just think we've "made" a great fertilizer & go chucking stuff on them 👀

[@soil-microbe]

I'm a bit confused. You discuss the foliar spray aspect, but then from the point of view of nutrients. Then you explain the microbial effect in the soil. Compost teas are sticky, they are not targeted to inoculating your soil with microbes. (in most cases compost extracts do a better job with this). Compost teas are made to get your beneficial microbes on your plant surfaces above soil. Adding foods in your tea makes your microbes active so they produce the glues to stick to these surfaces. And these teas, when they are made with compost that contains thousands of different beneficial species, really do have an effect. If you got your soil microbiome in order, it takes some time before the other plant microbiomes get the descent amounts of microbes as well. A lot of these microbes get there by insects (that act as microbe taxis) and it takes more time to establish healthy insect populations. That's why these teas are effective when you're restoring a soil microbiome. You apply the teas 1 or 2 times the first growing season after restoring the soil microbiome (with compost or extracts). If the microbiome is healthy for the next growing season, you most likely don't need any teas anymore. The only thing you had to focus on here, for compost teas, is leaf surface coverage with microbes. And the effect it has on plant diseases, pests and pathogens. Yet I don't see it mentioned once.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

"Compost teas are made to get your beneficial microbes on your plant surfaces" - that is not how most people use them. I have never read a study that tested the "stickiness" of compost tea.

[@soil-microbe]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I don't know what's the most used practice, but I do see many different ways people use them as well. I can only explain what I learned from Elaine Ingham. First make great aerobic compost, check with microscope to find out fungi to bacteria ratio and to see if all microbe groups are present (or not). Then you can do an extract, there will only be a bit of food from the compost, not enough to get a lot of microbes active. The extract is great to use when you want to get the microbes deeper in the soil. Eg. you want microbes inject to handle compaction at a certain depth. For the tea you can play with the foods, fungal vs bacterial foods, to change the F:B ratio. With fluorescence microscopy you can check which ones get active as well, which ones start to duplicate and produce glues. The purpose of the tea is to get as many microbes with glues, so they stick immediately to what they touch. We apply them to the plant surfaces above soil mostly. The beneficial microbes will protect the plant against insects, and other microbes. You can check the microbe coverage as well with fluorescence. We should achieve +70% coverage of microbes on the plant surfaces. But a tea can also be used in soil. Eg. when you do a last tilling (to handle big compaction areas). You can apply the tea while tilling. Or whey you drill holes for seedlings (microbes exactly where you want them). You can also do seed coatings with the compost tea. We for example add mycorrhizal spores at the end of the brewing process, just before applying it to seeds. (if you wait too long, they will germinate in the tea and you lost your inoculation). This is the proper, scientifically proven way to use compost teas and extracts. More info can be found on the Soil Food Web website. Or look up some Elaine Ingham webinars or other soil microbiologists.

[@soil-microbe]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 and always check the compost and tea with the microscope. If you add too much bacterial food thing can get anaerobic. If it gets anaerobic bacteria can consume all your fungi in 20 minutes. It's crucial that while you make your recipes that you always double check with the microscope what's happening.

[@soil-microbe]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 btw, James White confirmed we can get the endophytes back as well with proper compost teas and gave some examples with what to make it. Soil regeneration summit 2023, Q&A session with James White.

[@tonipollack5021]

I recently heard a podcast about adding sugars to add microbes to the soil. What does the science say about this? Does it matter the type of sugar used?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Sugar is not going to add microbes to soil. It simply feeds the ones you already have, until the sugar runs out and the population dies back to what it was before adding the sugar. All sugar is sucrose - so it does not matter.

[@mightyconker3903]

Dextrose.. Glucose.. Fructose.. Maltose.. Not all sugar is sucrose at all...

[@soujirou86]

Could you verify the urine fertilizer trend, is it 4 realz?

[@soujirou86]

@phillip wareham do you apply directly ?

[@drphosferrous]

I've had some good experience using it to get dead soil started but i always use tons of air and very little bsm. It still takes time to form a balanced system. Its easy to get anaerobes and chaotic imbalances by accident. Its hardly an exact science. The way I've seen it work isn't scientific at all. It's a kind of wild guess shotgun approach.

[@DanielHarvey1980]

I don't think large scale farms would be implementing it if there's nothing beneficial.

[@prawnsolo1714]

Due to the amount of scholarly research on the topic contradicting you, I’ll have to conclude that the paper you referenced must have use inferior compost, poor temperature control and/or nutrient addition during the brewing process. Would you be willing to conduct the experiment yourself on the effects of compost tea on certain plants?

[@mattde4606]

Post up the long term studies of tea vs compost. Most of the ones I come across are just tea vs water.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

If you understand the scientific method, you would know that "effects of compost tea on certain plants" is a lot of work requiring space and money. If you want to see the science that supports my conclusions have a look at this: www.gardenmyths.com/?s=compost+tea&submit=Search You say, "Due to the amount of scholarly research on the topic contradicting you" and yet you could not provide a single reference - odd.

[@prawnsolo1714]

@@Gardenfundamentals1Also, citing a paper researching the effects of Compost Tea on “TREES” is ingeniously clickbaity since I’m sure most of your viewers are Plant gardeners. 😢

[@superresistant8041]

I always knew compost tea makes no sense

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

1:29 In a nutshell, you mess up the law of conservation of mass... You shouldn't forget the mass from air: N2, O2, CO2 Theses molecules will add up significantly in your soil/microbiome and plant. All organic vitamins as well as any fungi, plants, microorganism are made from C, O, H Sure, the trace elements, namely inorganic salts, don't come from air and usually are not present in water either.

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

I've listen to the rest of the video... nothing much to complain, quite good indeed! Thumbs up!!

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

11:19 That's the money shot, I very liked it!!!! Basically, your whole video just confirmed what I was thinking about that topic. We need more scientific, less guru.

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

Just subscribed today! Great content, thank you for sharing!!!!

[@kathymyers1023]

Is it the hat? Does anyone else see Bill Murray?

[@cannafarmer]

The microbes are the entire point of compost tea

[@stoamnyfarms]

Compost tea; adding natural microbes that already occur naturally in nature....

[@titoace408]

The point of compost tea is to make beneficial bacteria not for nutrient making

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

But it does not increase microbes in soil.

[@PoochDoobie]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 but it does.

[@curiouscynic4357]

Not sure if this matters hugely when soil with any growth is full of these. Messing with tea has to have credible benefits vs just scattering the solids as mulch. May look a bit unsightly but that is how nature recycled ♻️ . Just a thought.

[@Greek5425]

If compost tea was all that, it would be used on large scale commercial agriculture.Its sad the amount of pedo science that pervades gardening.Also, the time invested into making magical compost tea is not worth the time or effort.Dont believe me, gardeners have grown many a vegetable or flower gardens just fine when the bad idea of compost tea had yet manifested.

[@Josef_R]

That's a fallacy. Organic fertilizers are better for your plants and insect populations, yet they are not used in large scale commercial agriculture, so something not being used does not prove it is inferior.

[@ashleyskinner1467]

The book you reference, Compost Science, is a misleading title. The author admits in this book that he has never used a compost thermometer. Hardly science when one doesn’t use a basic measuring tool during observation. What other “science” are you basing these claims on?

[@kevinkelleher7868]

Compost tea is only done for microbes not nutrition. Foliar feeding especially nitrogen is up to ten more efficient than granular root feeding .

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

"Foliar feeding especially nitrogen is up to ten more efficient than granular " - not true. A plant can never survive by the little amount of nitrogen they can absorb by leaves.

[@aNaturalist]

Organic growing hippies (I'm mostly still that way myself ) always want 1 + 1 to =3, regarding compost tea. That's not how it works though. It's still 1 + 1 = 2.

[@magesalmanac6424]

…what? 😅

[@rezganger]

i only use tea with chicken shit in.

[@bernkondret9981]

Tried all these ideas over 50 years of gardening. Just spreading the compost works and everything else just take time and work, for no difference I ever observed. Not scientific observations. Feeding the soil with compost works.

[@yd8104]

There are major differences between the solutions people call "compost tea", like night and day. 1- compost tea is NOT to add nutrients to the soil or to the plant, it's to provide bacterial and fungal foliar coverage when you have a disease outbreak on the plant. And that happens, you have to apply tea several times. Brewing is to increase the numbers of micro organisms into to increase coverage. 2- Compost tea MUST be kept aerobic during the brewing time and that's where most people fail (most of the time they add too much food and/or they have dead spaces in their brewers and/or they brew for too long,...). Then they don't even look at what is in their compost tea with a miscroscope, they just apply it, assuming it's a good one. 3- To have a great compost tea, you have to start with a great compost 4- The dilution doesn't matter if you have the minimum absolute numbers of micro organisms in the tea you spray on your field. If you have one acre to spray and brewed 10 pounds of compost (which gave you the minimum absolute numbers of micro organisms), you could add 100 gallons or 10 000 gallons of water it doesn't matter, you are still spraying the absolute numbers of micro organisms contained in 10 pounds of compost.

[@mightyconker3903]

Compost tea is whatever anyone wants to call compost tea

[@davidnelsen9971]

I think you're on the right track. I think that compost tea is mainly for larger farming applications. If you are gardening, I think just using good compost is enough. The better way to think about it is that you're not making the tea to transfer nutrients from the tea - but as a way to transfer fungi & bacteria - which then can unlock the N, P & K that is already there.

[@andrexadoh]

This explanation of soil microbes lacks context and lacks a full picture of regen soil practice. You don't insert soil microbes and sit back waiting for magic to happen. You need to keep planting cover crops to increase decaying material, You need to plant crops that will increase microbial activity. You need to practice no or no till. Microbes will die off if they have nothing to eat but that's we we give them something. In soils that have next to 0 microbial interaction, you need to create a catalyst. Also there is difference between tea and extracts. When timed right and done properly a rapidly created extract will do wonders for soil bio diversity.

[@CBe-ot8vu]

I top dress with castings a 4-4-4 all purpose, fish bone meal in veg and castings a 2-8-4 bloom, fishbone meal in flower. And i water with teas. I use molasses or boogie brix & Soluble Seaweed extract and mix well with water before add my "tea bag". I use worm castings, kelp meal alfalfa meal, and a variation of mineralized phosphates, seabird guano & bat guano,

[@HighGradeTexan]

Not even a simple bio char worm castings bubbled tea ? DUDE JUST ABOUT EVERY CANNABIS GROWER IN THE EMERALD TRI IS RUNNING THIS. ARE YOUR ACUSATIONS TARGETING ALL PLANTS ?

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Oh, don't talk science to the garden crowd. They want magical elixirs, pixie dust and old wives tales.

[@travisevans7502]

I don't think they want that they want to believe that the research they have done is correct and they are doing the right thing speaking for myself but over the years I have come to realize I wasn't doing it the right way still learning every day never felt the need to try compost tea I just put it on the soil and make it myself

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

"they want to believe that the research they have done is correct" - but gardeners don't do research - they just try things without controls and reach incorrect conclusions.

[@travisevans7502]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 No I watch and listen to KZbinrs like you and soil scientists and hope they are being honest I don't have the space to do the tests myself and my garden is thriving every year try different things every year and keep ideas and information that works

[@iraqyemensudangenocide5898]

Sources- Trust me Bro.

[@Eric-ww2qb]

exactly. he showed no data and no references. this guy is a clown.

[@Realdavidart]

The main problem with modern science is their absolutism. Their main assumption is if we can not prove it, it is quackery or ineffective. But what if the process is beyond their current understanding? Much of what we know about agriculture today was outside human knowledge just 50 years ago. How do you and other naysayers explain side by side comparisons of beds that are treated with tea and those without? Those with synthetic fertilizer vs those with organic… not with just growth but with plant quality. Also are we saying that dead soil subsidized with miracle grow is the same as living soil with organic fertilizer? I challenge the assumptions you gloss over to prove your points which is a basic debate ploy.

[@honestlee4532]

I don't trust "experts" or "studies." The last few years are a good example of how "experts" can be wrong.

[@Eric-ww2qb]

100%. This guy is probably triple vaxxed boosted and still wears a face diaper when he's driving alone.

[@Test7017]

If you hire your expert witnesses theye say what you pay them to say.....dont watch public programming

[@GerryMantha]

It's much better to feed the bacteria in your soil than in a plastic bucket. I can't understand the point of compost tea. Bacteria exist in your compost (and soil obviously) already. Feed them with organic material, including by growing plants that release exudates that feed and encourage the bacteria that most benefit the plants in their rhizosphere. We're trying to increase the carbon content of our soil, not deplete it with adding water + nutrients - the carbon. The whole compost tea thing is ridiculous in my opinion.

[@cacosta6294]

I believe THE idea is to múltiple the microbes , similar to THE quick Vinegar method , in THE end You still must add THE solid compost to THE dirt, i can't Say wether it works ot not since ive nevera tried it

[@billiebruv]

There is more to tea than just bacteria, look at the vid history, he discusses it in older yt vids

[@naattukaran4639]

Well let me tell an example to help you here. If we keep milk in room temperature for a few days bacteria will grow in it. Still we usually add a starter solution (a spoon of old yogurt) to it and in a day the milk is turned to fresh yogurt ready to use. Vs the milk without the starter solution go bad. The difference is, we want to increase the percentage of helpful bacteria in soil. Hence compost tea is equivalent to a spoon of ‘old yogurt’ here

[@xuyahfish]

What's the best thing to feed your bacteria? Let's say after winter when my soil is depleted? Is there something that can jump-start my soil BEFORE I put seedlings or add seeds? Like molasses, shredded up kitchen scraps, etc? (My spring is very short & I like cold weather veggies best)

[@GerryMantha]

@@naattukaran4639 Your analogy doesn't work. The milk contained in yogurt is full of food that lactic acid bacteria feed on. I assume you're using one of those commercial bacteria starters in sterile water, along with sugar and ammonium nitrate for food? If not, how do you guarantee that the bacterial starter you added isn't contaminated with other bacteria that you feel you don't like, such as that which is airborne? See why right off the analogy doesn't work? In any case, diversity of microorganisms is what you want and let the plants choose which they want most in their rhizosphere. Likely you've breathed in a greater diversity of airborne bacteria while reading this message than within the commercial starter you used to start your compost tea. Besides, science still hasn't even begun to sort out the combination of bacterial species that serves each plant best in every environment. This makes sense considering a single gram of soil can harbour up to 10^10 bacterial cells and an estimated species diversity of between 4·10^3 to 5·10^3 different types. Try get that natural diversity in a commercial compost tea starter! Just add food to your soil and the bacteria will come eat it because they are everywhere :)