Making Compost Tea for Healthy Soil & Healthy Plants

[@a.chandler6993]

Jess, please pass this on to Will. Most municipal water treatment systems use chloramine, not chlorine. Chlorine will offgas, but chloramine will not. However, you can easily neutralize both with a very simple thing - Vitamin C. A 1000mg caplet will neutralize an entire bathtub full. It's cheap, easy, and very fast. You can even buy Vit C filters for your shower or garden hose. But for his teaching purposes, he can counsel people on city water.

[@SageandStoneHomestead]

THANK YOU for this! I'll be looking into those filters!

[@tinamichelle7212]

Thank you for sharing this information!

[@naynerboppers5254]

I was going to add this. I plan to invest in a Boogie Blue Plus because I can tell that our city water was to blame for our garden not doing as well as it could have. Simply letting it sit overnight to offgas want enough.

[@a.chandler6993]

@@naynerboppers5254 it's really bad in some areas. Our water district is changing over from chloramine to free chlorine. Not sure why since most water treatment went to chloramine in the first place because it was safer to store than chlorine. But during the transition, everyone in the area is complaining about the heavy chlorine smell and being so itchy from it. It's just bad stuff all the way around for plants. And if you are a fermenter, it's just not useable! Thanks for the heads up on Boogie Blue Plus.

[@winonamika4891]

You can dechlorinate tap water by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or ACV per gallon of water. Your plants will love it!

[@mountainmadefarm]

That mug is so precious 🥰🍄

[@rainfalls2964]

I saw that too, I'm always mug stalking her. 😄

[@thisismyname3328]

I would actually appreciate (if its applicable to you) an entire blog post about your contamination journey - a place where all the knowledge you've acquired over this year can be easily accessible. I don't know about you, but I believe contaminated soils could become a more regular problem, and I'd find the information more readily available in a blog, rather than across multiple videos. As always, thanks for the hard work, for allowing us nosey strangers into your life, and for being a positive source of regular and reasonable content. Much appreciated!

[@mjn042679]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@ciaohoney54]

Jess, plant semi deep huge old buckets drill or cut holes in old pots put in the middle of your garden boxes, ADD WORMS feed the worms with scraps n paper. The worms will go on n out on their own... it WORKS and saves tons of time. Great old school ideas WORK.... i put a clay pot saucer on top to keep critters out, with a rock on top.

[@rachelneely9973]

Is there anything special that needs to be done, for them, in the winter?

[@debrasaints3809]

Old school definitely works for me!

[@ciaohoney54]

@@rachelneely9973 i live in desert in calif, it gets extreme heat n cold in winter. Worms know how to adapt. I feed scraps and shredder paper they are great for the dirt and feed my box turtles in summertime. 🥰🐢🐢🐢

[@rachelneely9973]

@@ciaohoney54 I live in the New Mexico high mountain desert 😊 I've wanted a worm farm for a long time. This is definitely doable. Thanks for sharing!!

[@ciaohoney54]

@@rachelneely9973 Hi Rachel, worms grow anywhere.... find a few, give scraps, they love potato skins!! 🥰 *never onions..... Also, if the pot is dug deep, the worms will be cooler in earth... just like on their own. They know what to do. I used 5 gallon thin plastic pots, they are happy. Put dirt to the top and put clay saucer on top. You'll have happy worms that will fertilize your gardens naturally.... no fuss. 😁 Nice to write with you 😘

[@donnacochran3335]

Steve with Nature Is Always Right is where Natalie from Hey It's a Good Life got her worm farm setup. Nature Is Always Right is in Tennessee now so not too far away. Maybe Natalie will be on the East Coast soon 😊 Natalie is such a great encouraging person. Highly recommend going to check out her channel! Her Instagram is informative also and you get to see her sweet family. I'm really enjoying Will and Taylor on their channel. Basil tea...OH WHERE HAS THAT BEEN ALL MY LIFE!! So delicious!! Thank you Jessica for teaching us and sending us to other channels to learn too. It takes a village to feed a village. We're all on the same team on this journey of life. Thank you.

[@elainechristensen81]

Love you guys! FYI - city water systems now use CHLORAMINE (chlorine and ammonia) this will NOT dissipate no matter how long you let it sit!

[@charlotteseden9303]

Thank you Will for caring about the earthworms. It always bothers me when people don't care and put the worms in the bags as well.

[@gardenercarl1197]

If the water is aerated, the worm survived just fine. They breathe through their skin, and you can put the spent compost right in the garden. I actually put it back in the worm bin, a worm reunion!

[@ebrown3574]

PILLOW CASES... When I was in working in California as a prison guard the inmates made 50 gallon steam pots of coffee using new pillow cases. They made a small hole to thread a shoe string through to tie it off. I think it would work great for the large scale compost tea production.

[@aplaceofstones8999]

Great video folks. You can also aerate without a bubbler, just put a strainer over your drum and pour buckets of tea through it until you’ve gone through the entire batch. Do this 2-3 times a day. On another note, would love to see urine be talked about more as a nitrate fertilizer. Inoculate your biochar and wood chips, add it to your compost, don’t be scared of your own waste, lol Maybe I’ve said too much🤭

[@MarsieInTX]

I know from having an aquarium that my city water is terribly high in chloramines (it's so bad I have to fill up 5 gallon bottles at a water purification station for aquarium water changes), so what I do before making compost/worm teas is use aquarium dechlorinators and vitamin C and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before adding my worm castings.

[@artiearte7620]

I love that you're giving him the ability to push this scale for your garden, but I also truly love his channel also. Thank you for introducing us to him. I have found joy in both of your channels videos. 🥰💞

[@ziggy7077]

Nylon stockings (I get mine at the dollar tree) also work really well as bags for castings, particularly for smaller amounts.

[@slh9564]

How great that you have a mad scientist working with you allow your gardens be the best they can be.

[@jolene1718]

This is how I fertilized my food garden when I lived in the California desert. I used aquarium bubbler and 3, 5 gallon buckets. It works !

[@deanebrownfield6866]

I always test the ph of the soil because if it is too acid, it will kill the microbes you are putting into it. If it is too acid then I add some sourdough starter to the tea with some brown sugar for it to feed on, Yeast is a fungi that loves poor soil and it is bred to be acid resistant. Another important thing about SD is that it has 10 times more lactobacillus (Labs) in it than yeast which is even better for the soil. Fungal teas are best for bloom, flower and fruit stages but I do a combination of bacteria and fungi teas to kill all birds with one stone. It is amazing how fast soil remediation can be when done right.

[@barbaramix1683]

A rolling boil is the look you want to have for your water when it is bubbling.

[@kimberlydrew-morris9378]

I can definitely get you guys the bigger paint strainer bags. I work for the company you probably purchased them from. Thru Amazon. I’m close too. :) Just let me know:)

[@Happyhippy70]

I'm schooled, Thank you Will for making me and my husband smarter. I have forwarded the vid to him. I'm sure I'd have this if he knew, lol. God bless all, XXXO

[@elizabethlink3993]

💚 I'm making homegrown Fermented Zucchini Relish as I watch you and Will on this Vlog! Thanks so much for this detailed information, my soil needs this compost tea! 💚

[@kajohnson2469]

Jess, that 🍄 mug is beautiful

[@laurahalonen6781]

This is sooo cool to see! I am just reading "Teaming with microbes" 🤩 This is so important for people to see 👌

[@TheNakidGardeners]

We brew either actively aerated compost/worm tea once a quarter. When we are aerating, we brew it up to 72 hrs.

[@proximo692003]

Glad to see you embracing the natural way

[@matthewbrown4895]

Great simple explanation. I remember going through all of those videos you mentioned and more trying to figure out what the heck I needed to do. It was overwhelming. I just decided to pull the trigger and learn by doing, and it was great. I liked it so much that I more than tripled my worm farming.

[@tommielourogers4327]

Thank you Will. This was excellent information. I just received my worm bin and I am setting it up next week in my basement. I am looking forward to having the compost to make the tea next spring. I learned about BioChar from a Hollar’s Homestead video so this will be a great combination to fill my soil with life. Since you are also a mushroom guy, would you please do a video about which eatable mushroom spores/Mycelium that you would recommend for mixing into the backfill of fruit trees, shrubs and vines? I used to grow gourmet mushrooms for high end restaurants but I live in a blue city and the forced lockdowns for almost 2 years, so our restaurants and all of the businesses that supplied them went out of business. To be honest most of our business people are now very gun shy about reopening any businesses until until the “control freak “ politicians are purged from the area. It’s just too big of a risk. We might recover after 2024 but until then nobody’s willing to put their money back into the city. And but we do have fast food restaurants still. They were the only ones allowed to stay in business. So for me the lesson I’ve learned is just because it’s a red state doesn’t mean it’s going to behave that way. Research the local politics before you put your money into a new place.

[@debsenritchedrefuge603]

Looking great there Jess!!! What a gorgeous fall we are all having! It has been incredible here in North Central Washington state! Enjoying watermelons, still on the vines, lots of volunteer tomatoes and variety of pole beans!! Thanks for your amazing teachings.

[@SageandStoneHomestead]

I've made compost tea with rabbit manure before! I did it for seedlings. We put rabbit manure straight on the garden for bigger plants.

[@thatswhatshesaid14]

TEAcher, teaching about tea. 🤗 Thanks for the video. The place we used to get our compost tea from, unfortunately, closed its doors. So this will be a good resource for when we make our own ❤🤙

[@kmiller6002]

This is Absolutely Amazing Jess, thank You for sharing it🙏 Kendra

[@gmacampbell2908]

Jess I've been doing this for years with a couple shovelfuls of compost horse manure and whatever else I have around tide and a pillowcase and throw it in your barrels I leave it all year round I used it on my roses

[@edwardleecaliforniausa]

Good morning everyone happy Sunday morning and I loved your vlogs and you are amazing Supporter and I'm proud of you

[@justlovinglife9447]

I have been watching since you made your first video in the chicken house years ago. I was so excited when you moved to SC because I was in NC on the east coast. Now we just moved to Oklahoma to my husband's hometown. We have a lot of space and a huge garden. We moved from the beach to the country and loving every minute. Your videos have been so helpful and now with our new space I will be using your videos as a class for my huge classroom. I love you and your family and always look forward to your new videos. Have a great day. I know you will. Be safe.

[@plaisirdelanglais]

I love watching Nature's Always Right!!!

[@mikkileon6380]

Oh and I’ve been watching Will’s channel and I really am enjoying it. I love the mushroom hunting. That’s some thing I’ve been interested in for a while and trying to learn about👍🏼👏🏼

[@ThePosyCo]

I loved Natalie’s (Hey It’s A Good Life) class! We’re starting our backyard worm farm to help feed our garden as well as our neighbors’ gardens. ❤

[@hillarys.k8518]

Tea time with Will and Jess .

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I'm really looking forward to making some compost tea and spreading it in my pastures now that Spring (in Australia) is here and the weather is warming. I'm using compost from from compost pile instead of the vermi compost bin. Good luck with your applications

[@renabuckner8]

Hey Jess, we thought we would save a buck by getting manure from a neighbor’s barnyard. Come to find out after we lost everything in that garden the soil was contaminated with grazon. It’s ok now but it took 3 years before we were able to grow plants in that bed. Sometimes we learn the hard way!

[@lynnsorensen503]

Just a note…where I live the city uses chloramine (a chlorine ammonia compound). This does not evaporate out. Vitamin C will neutralize it (vit C powder works best).

[@ramonasurprenant2122]

Good to know! Thanks!

[@domesti-city]

Thank you! i have the same issue with my city water.

[@MadAcreFarms]

Great info! New gardeners here and a great reminder on soil quality. You are only as solid as what you build on ❤. We have had our worms for about 6 months and hoping to give this method a try next spring. ✌🏽✌🏿

[@robingirven4570]

My sons father in law has a worm farm! They raise worms for fishing but I’m totally going to hit him up for some castings! Thank you!

[@denisebrady6858]

Jess I am going to do this in my new 27 ft bed as the soil really needs help- Will Thank You also for teaching us new methods (new to us). Great Video Cheers Denise- Australia

[@camicri4263]

Thanks Will and Jess! Awesome stuff! Bless you!💜

[@MrsC122]

I’m up North in New Hampshire. Should I do this now or wait until the Spring? Thanks for your content. Love hanging out with you!

[@lori3978]

Jess, I just woke up with you on my tube channel on the TV. I’m so dog gone happy to be here. You were talking about tomatoes 🍅. WoW 🤩 I had to subscribe and hit the like button. The knowledge you share is vast and I’m looking forward to learning more then I ever knew. YEAH!!!!

[@concettahartford6681]

Your mug is amazing !

[@citybarbs5563]

Vitamin C dechlorinates water instantly. Aquarists' trick. Powdered C is fairly cheap and it doesn't take much to do the job.

[@juuritarha]

Beautiful miracle work! Thank you, bless you and your microbes!

[@tammipadilla2774]

I saw this video when it came out, but just set up my two 5 gal buckets with aquarium bubblers, yesterday, I don't know how they will do, because even the greenhouse is getting cool at night, but fingers crossed. I'll def do it again in the Spring. I have some new garden beds with newly purchased garden soil for my garlic planting, and I was hoping to feed it, as well as the beds I'm letting rest over the winter. Thank you for this!

[@sherylhart2704]

I have my worms in 2 gallon buckets with bottom cut out and holes drilled around sides sunk in my raised beds. They do fine in our long winters blanketed under feet of snow. I also make aerated tea, but learned some things here. Blessings.

[@JMK_Fam]

❤❤❤❤ thank you so much for always helping fellow dirt geeks 🤓 🪱 💩 🌱

[@karionhawkins3091]

Love the orange mug with the red mushroom’s on it!🙂

[@leahharbison4932]

Bless you Jess !

[@lionheartfarmandgardening]

Another wonderful video Jess! Fantastic job! I love using worm casting and worm tea, it's all great stuff for the garden!

[@lionheartfarmandgardening]

I just want to add that seeing that rocking chair inside of the greenhouse brought me such joy. I imagine you sitting there in a chilly morning,, rocking, sipping from your mug, and looking around at all of the great things you have done and the joy that the garden and homestead bring you. Love it!

[@parentingdecolonized]

Hi. Have you considered growing comfrey in your hi tunnel and making tea/ green compost with the leaves?

[@justgoodness333littlehomes5]

I was seriously just about to refresh myself on this through research Thanks bunches. 😃

[@ruthsetters6567]

As a gardener it is easy to forget about the germs in the dirt and then when you’re

[@brittanystansbury7339]

Just had to say I love that coffee mug!!!

[@13Jerred]

At the smallest scales, you can make a compost extract without the bubbler in just a few minutes for a soil drench. Same benefits in much less time. For more than a few garden beds, that’s when compost teas make the most sense, in my opinion.

[@tammyingle233]

Since Wisconsin has gotten too cold for this. I am going to try this next growing season. Thanks for the information!

[@junelewis5266]

Larger cities have a chemical called chloramine and that doesn't air out but has to be filtered out with a filter specified to remove it that you can attach to your hose.

[@confusedbutinspired8675]

Will's beard has stunned my hubby. He told me to ask what's his secret to getting it so full🤣🤣🤣💀💀

[@suen4741]

Excellent content as usual and so helpful! Thank you both

[@ArtByKarenEHaley]

I enjoyed the video, though I am really not set up or am able to set up a compost tea operation at the moment.

[@tamararoberts9307]

I've learned a few things with this video, ty 😊

[@tonijurkones8373]

Good morning ☀️

[@christwarrior6096]

Oh my soul definitely needs this.

[@bridgestew]

I'm curious what people do with the worm castings after making the tea. Can you make a second batch with the same castings? Can you still sprinkle them in some soil after removing them from the bags?

[@michellegray5905]

thank you so much for this information Will and Jess! ☕ thanks for the tea

[@user-h3s7v]

Thank you both for this. I have been enjoying Will and Taylor's channel. They have a lot of very good information to share. ~Kelly

[@dmartin8203]

Please do a video on this small scale liking your kitchen in a smaller container. I would love to do this but I don't have that kind of space and would like to see how it could be adapted

[@AmericanaGardens]

I love the mushroom mug!

[@hollowacres]

Thanks for this! I've been working on creating different types of garden teas and am now excited to try this method!

[@heatherpfeil2939]

Could you do a side by side comparison, plant two beds exactly the same and water the same but put the tea only on one. To me it seems like a lot of work compared to just spreading the worm castings on the soil so I’d be interested in seeing the efficacy.

[@Wildevis]

Great video, I have done it before years ago so have the aerator for a small amount

[@laniray75]

I started gardening because of you and Justin rhodes but I am struggling a bit with aphids on some of my plants I have tried spraying them off with my hose, using need oil , using a soap water solution nothing has worked any suggestions? I absolutely love your videos and having been praying for you with your medical stuff I have M.S. and Addison disease medical stuff is the worst! Keep your head up it will get better!!

[@amandar7719]

During a period of little spare time when my brassicas were covered with aphids a few years ago, I just threw some diluted comfrey tea and worm tea onto the plants and surrounding soil because I had it on hand. Most of the plants pulled through. And subsequent rains washed the stinky tea off the plants by the time they were harvested. Pretty sure the teas rebalanced the soil and perked up plant resilience. You could try everyday store bought liquid fertilizer diluted per instructions…. Take off lower damaged/dying leaves to maintain tidy,clean smelling bed.. if you can. Hope that helps.

[@dugchris2009]

Thanks, this is great information! God bless!

[@angelearogers761]

I loooooovvveeee your coffee cup!!!

[@angelacox6105]

I do this with rabbit poop. I make rabbit poop tea. It actually also contain worm castings because I collect the rabbit poop from under the cages and the soil under the cages is full of worms. Mine Smells bad when I use it but boy do I get lots of great veggies!

[@kathleenmclain9856]

How would you be able to tell if it is anaerobic vs. just done processing? Great video guys!

[@FarmsteadForge]

Very cool, thank you for sharing.

David the Good's videos on biochar & Terra Preta might also be of interest. It's like compost tea on steroids, aiming for a sort of permanent living char-compost mix that lasts hundreds of years.

[@classicrocklover5615]

I love his channel! I will be doing biochar for the first time next year

[@MarlenevT]

Years ago my sister gave me a worm farm. 3 layers each at different stages. All the liquids drained into the bottom basin which had a tap. Pour direct into a pitcher for pouring. My garden is much smaller than yours...

[@stephaniehanuman-dale6279]

How do fertilizers differ? When and why would you use worm casting vs. chicken or steer manure or fish emulsion or comfrey tea? Do you use all? Are they for different purposes? Is one better? Why?

[@tpen891]

Been using worm casting tea to try and kill Root Knot Nematodes.

[@choirmom78]

Blessings

[@PiscesMoon2You]

Hi Jess, how did the mushroom experiment go for treating the soil?

[@CharlieNagoo]

Please give us an update on the mushroom growth.

[@_modvault]

Important that if you're going to dilute your tea with water, be sure to let that water sit for at least a day, too, bc the chlorine will kill your microbes both before brewing and after!

[@grammi-d]

He said that. Several times.

[@slh9564]

Have you or Will heard of the Johnson Su bio-reacter? It seems like something that you would find interesting. I'm a home gardener, not a homesteader, and I am working on having my soil become micro-diverse on a smaller scale. My husband came across a video where someone constructed one that can be for home use. If your not aware just search Johnson Su Bio-reacter.

[@deeziemann5478]

i love the idea of feeding my plants with a compost tea versus a synthetic fertilizer. How many plants or 4x8 gardenbed will one 50 gallon tank feed? I am trying to figure out how many tanks I would need to water/feed all of the plants in my garden.

[@gardeninggal249]

thanks guys! very helpful!

[@weirdheathersgarden]

When you mention the book Teaming With Microbes, is that the one by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis? If so, I’m halfway through reading that one, it’s really interesting 😊

[@elliemay7300]

I always save the worms too! And the spiders, crickets, ants, horned beetles etc...😁

[@HalleluYahfarm]

Is there another way to do this without the tea? Could you just add compost/vermicompost to your soil and water it in the off season to help add the same nutrients and microbiome to your soil? Forgive my ignorance here, new to gardening and soil amendment. Thank you for the inspiration and teachings and the kick in the seat to get growing where we are ❤️

[@amylawrence2622]

What do you do with the castings once you make the tea? Also, the blog is helpful. Thank you!

[@nandisaand5287]

You want it to be like bubbly champagne. I would think putting the Azomite in the worm bin and letting them digest it and work it into the castings would make it more bio-available

[@sheilarussell1329]

Love you mushroom cup

[@valdirpereira5121]

*JESS LOVE YOU! XX*

[@lindamurns1245]

this was very interesting, thanks!