Can I make my own organic feed / tea ?

17 years ago

hi all

I recently boiled up some garden mint to make some mint tea, but I didnt much like drinking it, but then I came up with the idea of feeding mint tea to my plants, as a feed or something.

It doesnt seem to kill the plants nor does it seem to boost their growth, are there any plants that you can make teas out of to feed your plants?

I think I have read somewhere that you can make nettle tea by letting all the sap drip out of the nettles or something along those lines.

Any ideas?

cheers

peter

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Comments (6)

DrHorticulture_
17 years ago
Personally, I think anything besides compost tea is a waste of time for the amount of effort put in.
garotina
17 years ago
Indeed, I practice vermicomposting. I have made castings tea and it has helped, nathing alike the castings themselves! The broussel Sprouts SIMPLY LOVE to be transplanted in castings!

I mainly use the powered sea weed and dilute that with water and foliar feed the brassicas, tomatoes peppers onions garlic etc.
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But how did it get into the ground in such a pure form? Layer deposits over very, very, VERY long periods of time--like the limestone that's under my soil. Teeny shelled organisms die, lose their shells, and get deposited in layers that slowly (via compression) form limestone. Chilean nitrate looks to have been formed by planetary ejection and leaching instead of the action of life (which would tend to nibble on the nitrates for energy). It's not that pure, either--six to ten percent, although purer than anywhere else on the planet. he fusion process continues until all of the natural elements in the periodic table are created. Minor point, and only because I'm a stickler. The elements up to iron are formed due to fusion. Iron doesn't give off any energy as it fuses (it requires energy to fuse, actually), and elements above it are only created in a supernova explosion. That's still technically fusion, but it's not driven by the same processes. Here is a link that might be useful: Chilean Nitrate
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spavinsmailorder
Original Author
17 years ago
hi

wat are casting teas and how do you make them?

is there anything other than seaweed, (i dont live near the coast) that i can use to feed my vegetables?

also is there anything specific to feeding pepper plants?

thanks
lee53011
17 years ago
spavinsmailorder,
Yes you can make stinging nettle tea. It is suppose to be one of the best things to use on your plants. I have not used it yet but I plan to. Here is a link.

Lee

Here is a link that might be useful: Stinging nettle tea
dchall_san_antonio
17 years ago
Have you seen this?
habitat_gardener
17 years ago
Re mint tea: a sprig or two of fresh mint in cold water gives a subtle bright minty taste to the water. I have kept the mint sprig in the water in the refrigerator overnight. If you must use boiled water, pour the water into a cup or teapot with a few sprigs of fresh mint, let it sit for 10 to 30 seconds, and strain. The longer you let the mint sit in the hot water, the more bitter the tea will get. You want the mint to visit the hot water, not soak in it. Fresh mint is also great in salads or in dishes such as tabouli or dolmas.

Re teas for the garden: I use comfrey as a garden amendment, partly to keep the comfrey in check (I cut it back 3-5 times a year), partly to add minerals to the garden (comfrey has deep roots that mine nutrients from deep soil). How to make it: in a bucket that has a lid, chop up comfrey, cover with water, put lid on bucket, let sit for 3-10 days or so, hold nose, open lid, strain out solids (muck) for compost pile, pour "tea" on plants. If anyone else is within 100 feet, they will think a sewer main has sprung a leak when you open the bucket.

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Can I make my own organic feed / tea ?

Comments (6)

DrHorticulture_

garotina

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Can I make my own organic feed / tea ?

Comments (6)

DrHorticulture_

garotina

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spavinsmailorderOriginal Author

lee53011

dchall_san_antonio

habitat_gardener

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