Compost tea is a liquid teeming with beneficial microorganisms, a natural remedy that can significantly enhance your garden's health and vitality. This potent decoction is created by extracting these microbes—bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and micro arthropods—from compost through agitation or brewing. A high-quality compost extract contains a diverse array of organisms and soluble nutrients from the original compost, offering a wide range of benefits for your plants and soil.

Understanding Compost Tea: Uses and Benefits

Compost tea is a versatile tool for any gardener, offering a multitude of advantages:

 • Overall Plant Health Booster: Compost tea strengthens plants, making them more resilient to pests and diseases. Healthy plants naturally possess a stronger immune system, reducing the need for chemical interventions.

 • Improved Soil Structure: This beneficial brew can work wonders on soil texture. It helps loosen heavy clay soils, improving aeration and water movement (a process called “flocculation”). Conversely, in sandy soils, it aids in water and nutrient retention, creating a more hospitable environment for root growth.

 • Stimulated Root Growth: Applying compost tea encourages deeper root development. Stronger, deeper roots improve the plant's ability to withstand drought conditions and reduce water runoff, promoting water conservation.

 • Disease Prevention: When sprayed onto plant foliage, compost tea introduces beneficial microbes that colonize leaf surfaces. These microorganisms act as a natural barrier, preventing disease-causing organisms from establishing themselves.

 • Enhanced Nutrient Availability: Compost tea makes nutrients more accessible to plants. The beneficial microbes in the tea help break down organic matter, releasing essential elements in a form that plants can readily absorb.

In essence, compost tea acts as a holistic tonic for your garden, promoting a balanced ecosystem where plants can thrive.

Brewing and Applying Compost Tea: A Step-by-Step Guide

Brewing compost tea may sound intimidating, but it's a relatively simple process, especially with the right equipment and guidance. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create your own microbial-rich brew:

What You'll Need:

 • A reservoir for your brew *

 • High-quality, mature compost (such as Vital Tea)*

 • Extractor bag*

 • Non-chlorinated water

 • Aeration source (air pump and air stone - included in Vital Tea Kit from Vital Garden Supply)*

 • Optional: Supplements to enhance the tea (fish hydrolysate*, mycorrhizal fungi (like Vital Roots)*, insect frass*)

 • Application tools (watering can, hose with diaphragm pump, etc)

(*included in Vital Tea Kit from Vital Garden Supply)

The Brewing Process:

 1. Set Up Your Reservoir: Follow the instructions provided with your compost tea kit, or prepare your own reservoir. Ensure the reservoir is clean and in a shaded location to maintain optimal brewing temperatures. Fill the reservoir with non-chlorinated water, maintaining the correct water level to prevent overflow. 

 2. Add Compost: Fill your extractor bag with enough compost for the volume of tea that you’d like to brew. We recommend ½-1 cup Vital Tea per 5-gallons of water.

 3. Aerate the Mixture: Proper aeration is crucial for the growth and proliferation of beneficial microbes. Position the air stone at the bottom of the brewer and turn on the air pump to ensure vigorous bubbling.

 4. Brewing Time:

 • For soil applications: Brew for up to 12 hours.

 • For foliar applications: Brew for up to 24 hours.

 5. Enrich the Tea (Optional): Once your brew has aerated for the desired amount of time, you may add supplements to your reservoir for added nutrition, such as Vital Fish Hydrolysate (for balanced nutrients, especially nitrogen), Vital Fish Powder (for a nitrogen boost in growth phase), Vital Flower Powder (for a phosphorous boost in flowering phase), Vital Roots mycorrhizal fungi (to enhance nutrient absorption and support the soil ecosystem), and Insect Frass (to feed fungal growth and provide natural pest deterrence). This step enhances the microbial activity and nutritional value of the tea.

 6. Strain and Apply: If necessary, strain the compost tea to remove any large particles that could clog your application tools. This step is not necessary if you used a Vital Compost Tea Extractor Bag.

 7.  Apply to Your Garden:

 • Soil application: Use a watering can or hose with low pressure pump to apply the tea directly to the soil around the base of your plants.

 • Foliar application: Use a sprayer to mist the leaves of your plants. Apply in the early morning or late afternoon to minimize evaporation.

 8. Clean Your Equipment: Thoroughly clean your brewing equipment after each use to prevent the growth of anaerobic bacteria and ensure the health of future brews.

Conclusion

Compost tea is a powerful ally in the pursuit of a vital, thriving garden. By harnessing the power of beneficial microorganisms, compost tea improves soil structure, enhances nutrient availability, strengthens plant health, and helps prevent diseases. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, incorporating compost tea into your routine can significantly improve your results and foster a deeper connection with the organic gardening lifestyle. With products like Vital Garden Supply's Vital Tea Kit, brewing and applying compost tea has never been easier, making this valuable organic gardening practice accessible to everyone. For more information and to explore high-quality compost tea brewing solutions, visit vitalgardensupply.com.

Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that play a vital role in plant health and overall soil fertility. While these minerals may be present in your water or garden beds, they aren't always readily available for your plants to absorb. That's where Vital Cal Mag comes in, offering a unique solution to enhance soil microbiology and boost plant growth.

Vital Cal Mag is a vegetable-based hydrolyzate that effectively nourishes the soil's microbial community, which is crucial for the success of any organic gardening endeavor. Soil microbes are the unsung heroes of the garden, and Vital Cal Mag is specifically designed to support their activity, leading to healthier, more vibrant plants.

A key advantage of Vital Cal Mag lies in its formulation. Unlike other calcium sources that may use calcium chloride (which can harm beneficial soil microbes), Vital Cal Mag utilizes calcium carbonate. This thoughtful choice ensures that your plants receive the calcium and magnesium they need without compromising the delicate balance of your soil's ecosystem. This makes Vital Cal Mag an ideal choice for gardeners who prioritize organic practices and the long-term health of their soil.

Vital Garden Supply offers a comprehensive liquid line, including Cal Mag Baseline Liquid, Vital Veg, and Vital Bloom, all of which are low in salts. This low-salt content allows for more frequent feeding, providing your plants with a continuous supply of nutrients. This consistent nourishment promotes vigorous growth, abundant flowers, and fruitful harvests. By mimicking the natural foraging behavior of plants, this approach ensures that your garden receives the steady nutritional support it needs to thrive.

Key Benefits of Vital Cal Mag:

• Supports Soil Microbes: Vital Cal Mag's vegetable-based hydrolyzate nourishes the soil's microbial community, which is essential for healthy plant growth.

• Readily Available Nutrients: Provides calcium and magnesium in a form that plants can easily absorb.

• Microbe-Friendly Formulation: Uses calcium carbonate instead of calcium chloride to protect beneficial soil microbes.

• Versatile Usage: Suitable for a wide range of cultivation scenarios, supporting both home gardens and commercial agriculture.

• Low Salt Content: Enables more frequent feeding for continuous nutrient availability.

• Promotes Vigorous Growth: Supports the development of vibrant flowers and abundant fruits.

Are you looking for a simple yet powerful way to boost your garden's health and vitality? Vital Garden Supply introduces Vital Soil Builder, a revolutionary all-in-one soil amendment designed to make organic gardening easier and more effective than ever. This innovative product combines the incredible benefits of biochar and a rich blend of compost tea ingredients, including Humus, Worm Castings, Kelp, Organic Compost, Insect Frass, Glacial Rock, Colloidal Clay and Yucca to create the ideal foundation for thriving plants. Whether you're tending a small backyard garden or managing larger cultivation projects, even those using light deprivation techniques, Vital Soil Builder is your key to unlocking exceptional growth.

Integrating Vital Soil Builder into your organic soil is a seamless process. For established plants in approximately 30 to 35-gallon pots, a simple application of about one cup of this potent amendment can make a world of difference. The key is to gently incorporate the Soil Builder without disrupting the delicate existing soil biology – a simple "scratching in" around the base of your plants is all it takes to deliver a powerful nutrient boost.

One of the standout features of Vital Soil Builder is its contribution to sustainable gardening. We champion the practice of reusing your soil, a cornerstone of environmentally conscious cultivation. By regularly top dressing with Vital Soil Builder (every five to ten days, using about a half cup for a 30-gallon pot), you can continuously enrich your existing soil, reducing waste and fostering a healthy, living ecosystem beneath your plants. This consistent nourishment ensures your plants receive a steady supply of essential nutrients throughout their growth cycle.

For gardeners committed to organic practices, Vital Soil Builder offers unparalleled peace of mind. This exceptional product boasts multiple organic certifications, aligning with the highest standards of environmental responsibility and ensuring it's safe and beneficial for your garden and the planet. This certification underscores Vital Garden Supply's unwavering dedication to providing truly natural and organic solutions for all your growing needs.

Vital Soil Builder isn't just a product; it's a comprehensive approach to nurturing your soil and empowering your organic gardening journey. Its carefully balanced formulation of biochar and compost tea ingredients works synergistically to improve soil structure, enhance water retention, and foster a thriving soil microbiome – the unseen engine of plant health. This powerful combination ensures your plants have access to the nutrients they need for robust growth and abundant yields.

Embrace the simplicity and effectiveness of Vital Soil Builder and experience the transformative power of truly organic soil amendments. Join Vital Garden Supply in cultivating a healthier, more sustainable future, one garden at a time.