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Yesterday’s video shares the how and why of making compost tea. Let’s talk application and additives. First, repasting the recipe here:
Basic Compost Tea Recipe Materials Needed 1 cup finished compost 1 cup garden soil Tap water (if water is chlorinated, allow to sit for 24 hours) Cheesecloth or unbleached coffee filter and String, optional 5-gallon bucket Aerator, optional Directions Combine the compost and garden soil into a cheesecloth or unbleached coffee filter or add to the bucket. Secure tightly by tying with a string. Submerge the tea bag in a 5-gallon bucket filled with tap water. A water temperature of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Add any desired additives to the water. If using an aerator, place in the bucket and turn it on. Brew the tea for 24 hours. Dilute to 3 parts tea:1 part water for application. Try to use the tea within 2 hours of brewing to deliver optimal benefits. Optional Compost Tea Recipe Additives Worm Castings (use in place of compost altogether or use half-cup compost, half-cup worm castings in recipe) Worm castings contain more humus than compost or garden soil, enabling more water and nutrient absorption. Also contains active soil microbes and low levels of iron. Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses (2 Tbsp) Offers a food source for beneficial bacteria, stimulating population growth. Also fortifies tea with iron that won’t burn plants. Liquid Fish Emulsion (1 teaspoon) Liquid fish provides a readily accessible source of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Also stimulates healthy soil structure. Liquid Kelp (1 teaspoon, added after brew is complete) A renewable resource which stimulates chlorophyll production, overall plant growth, photosynthesis, and strong root development. Also assists with nutrient absorption and contains trace amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium for plants. Epsom Salt (1 teaspoon) A source of magnesium for plants that assists with flowering and fruit production. Many people are under the impression that compost is a fertilizer. But actually, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are bound up in the organic matter. While it does release these nutrients slowly over time, studies show the initial nutrient content of finished compost isn’t that impressive. To turn all those nutrients into a from that plants can readily absorb, we can create compost tea. This gives plants nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium AND microbes, mycorrhiza, protozoa, and all the good bacteria that make amazing soil and good plants, sooner rather than later.
1️⃣ In part one, let me show you a base recipe. 2️⃣Tomorrow we’ll discuss application and additives, in part two. Basic Compost Tea Recipe Materials Needed 1 cup finished compost 1 cup garden soil Tap water (if water is chlorinated, allow to sit for 24 hours) Cheesecloth or unbleached coffee filter and String, optional 5-gallon bucket Aerator, optional Directions Combine the compost and garden soil into a cheesecloth or unbleached coffee filter or add to the bucket. Secure tightly by tying with a string. Submerge the tea bag in a 5-gallon bucket filled with tap water. A water temperature of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Add any desired additives to the water. If using an aerator, place in the bucket and turn it on. Brew the tea for 24 hours. Dilute to 3 parts tea:1 part water for application.  I used to glaze over soil health when I started homesteading. But now I get it. We need to pay attention to it. It matters.
Nutrient dense soil is the foundation for nutrient dense food for humans, and forage for animals. We can feed our crops with liquid kelp or synthetic fertilizers, but there’s so much more to it. We need to feed the soil. Adding organic matter (leaves, sticks, manure, compost) gives the soil new material for plants to feed off of—and the plants that grow in it. This improves soil structure… the ability to absorb and retain water, self-fertilize, and become more resilient to change over time. If we just feed the crops and not the soil, we’re exacerbating the problem. Here’s why: Plant roots are surrounded by microbes and micorrhizea (fungi). These work with plants to pull nutrients and water from soil, and protect them from harmful pathogens. If we feed the soil with manure, compost, decaying cover crops, leaves, etc, we feed this system, strengthen the fungi and helping our crops. If we just feed fertilizer we are directly feeding the crops—the fungi is no longer needed to work to pull nutrients from the soil and those microbes and micorrhizea begin to die. Any remaining microbials begin feeding off soil structure at lightning speed because they’ve just been doused in the very nutrients they are meant to absorb slowly. Soil structure is consumed too quickly and is depleted. Our soil begins to die. Studies support this. I have shifted my focus as an ecological farmer from feeding my crops to feeding my soil. I will no longer be using liquid kelp or other synthetic fertilizers. I will no longer be sowing straight grass as forage in my pastures. I’ll be planting consumable cover crops that feed my animals AND my soil simultaneously year-round. Detailed info on all this will be in my upcoming book, The Sustainable Homestead. You can also listen to Season 2, Episide 2 of my HOMESTEADucation Podcast with Mandi of Wild Oak Farms.  As we gear up for planting season many folks turn to soil testing before making amendments. Totally smart. But did you know your weeds tell a story about soil health too? If you see dandelions, violets, Queen Anne’s Lace, and yarrow (to name a few) year after year, know that Mother Nature is an opportunist and trying to tell you something. We can use these clues to improve grazing and growing spaces.
Dandelion Often a symptom of soil compaction as nature sends this weed with a long taproot to break it up. Could also be a sign of calcium or potassium deficiencies. Wild Violet Indicates poor drainage as prefers shady, moist soils. Onion Grass Loves acidic soils which lack organic matter. Best to amend with compost! Queen Anne’s Lace Indicates poor, dry soil. Look into cover cropping! Yarrow Prefers poor, sandy soil without moisture. Creeping Charlie May mean a lack of organic matter, nitrogen and/or beneficial bacteria within the soil. Also indicates high levels of calcium and iron. Dock Prefers bare, acidic soil with poor drainage. Be sure to remove before it goes to seed. The seeds can survive their deposit for up to 50 years! If you like these tips, you’ll find so many more weed meanings and permaculture tips in my upcoming book The Sustainable Homestead (spring 2023). I used my kids’ craft supplies and a few toy trees to illustrate a permaculture planting method. Creating sustainable systems like this combine perennials and annuals to create space for beneficial insects, birds, and wildlife to live. We can hold water and retain moisture. We can reduce pest pressure this way while maximizing our real estate for harvests. Grow up, not out.
In this demonstration, I start by showing a conventionally planted plot of strawberries. But how can we maximize this space to increase yields, retain water and relieve pressure from pests naturally? We start by building swales or raised planting mounds from stones and other organic matter. From there we top off our mounds with soil. Next we create a water catchment system such as a fresh rainwater pond and start adding our overstory trees. In this case, I've chosen chestnuts. Next we plant midstory trees (smaller fruiting trees) and then introduce strawberries as our groundcover. Other understory crops that thrive with strawberries (such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, lettuce, tomato, peppers and herbs) are interplanted. Bushes such as gooseberries, elderberries and canberries are wonderful choices too. By growing vertically and interplanting companion crops, we have created food forest.  Come planting season, it can be hard to keep track of when to start which crops indoors, when to sow others directly into the garden, and when it's safe to transplant those freshly hardened off crops to their permanent new homes. I have found that organizing crops into a list categorized by their relevance to the last date of frost is a big help. This way, I know exactly what needs to be done each week leading up to the warmer months. I created a download of this journal page from my own gardening notebook. But I understand my style (and handwriting) might not work for some. So I've also created a companion to this sheet which is a simplified, fill-in-the-blank worksheet for your use also.  To use this download, you will need to know the last date of frost in your location. You can use the USDA's Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find your date here. From there simply fill in the blanks for the date of each week. Also included are common crops that don't require seed starting but rather transplanting. Guidelines for planting/transplanting fruit trees, strawberries, asparagus and more is also included.
This guide is a free downloadable PDF of two sheets. No physical item will be mailed to you. And it's completely free. Happy planting! Download here.  Most of us will be prepping our soil for spring planting soon. There are lots of ways to improve soil quality and health other than just using compost and conventional fertilizers. Here's a list of items you may already have around your home. Coffee Grounds
Epsom salt
Egg shells
Leftover Wine or Beer
Banana peels
Coconut Water
White Vinegar
Blackstrap Molasses
Sourdough Starter
  Imagine planting a seed once and being able to harvest food from that plant for years. Wouldn't that be nice? We often think about gardening in terms of annuals; corn, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Things we plant once, harvest and then have to plant again. But when thinking about permaculture and holistic homesteading, it's pivotal to start thinking in terms of perennials; plants that return year after year. Here's the perks: - Less work - Better for the soil as nutrients are pulled deeper and larger root systems loosen the earth - Better for the environment as more carbon dioxide is absorbed and held within woody plant matter - Better for natural insect control as birds and other predators of "bad bugs" have a permanent place to build their homes Instead of thinking short term, I had to retrain my brain to think of growing food as long term. Here's a short list of common plants we consume in North America. These will all come back EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Will you be incorporating any of these into your growing spaces this season? Almonds Apples Apricots Artichokes Asparagus Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Chestnuts Chives Collard Greens Cranberries Elderberries Grapes Grapefruit Goji Berries Gooseberries Hazlenuts Horseradish Jerusalem Artichokes Kale Kiwi Lemons Lemonbalm Lemongrass Limes Loganberries Lovage Mango Mint Mulberries Nectarines Olives Oranges Oregano Peaches Pears Pecans Persimmon Pomegranate Plum Quince Radicchio Ramps (Wild Leeks) Raspberries Rhubarb Sage Sorrel Strawberries Thyme Walnuts Wine Berries This list does not include self seeding crops we may think of that come back every year such as chamomile, arugula, etc.   Are you familiar with companion planting? It's one of the foundations of creating working ecosystems when it comes to permaculture. We can group plants together when planning and planting our growing spaces to help crops deter pests/disease, mine nutrients from the soil, and attract pollinators. The result is a higher crop yield, less human intervention by way of fertilizing and pest control, and maximizing garden space.
These concepts can be applied to small spaces--even container gardens--to large environments like orchards. It's about getting away from mono-culture (planting rows upon rows of corn for example) and planting many things together, called poly-culture. You can find my companion plant systems for my fruiting trees in my highlights on Instagram. These are called Guilds and Guilds 2. But for containers, raised beds or in-ground garden systems, here's some helpful companion plant combinations I use. Tomatoes Plant lettuce, carrots, radish underneath and around Broccoli/Cauliflower Plant broccoli and cauliflower between rows of garlic and/or sage to deter cabbage moths. Crimson clover acts a great living mulch to attract predatory insects to feed on those cabbage moth larvae also. Cucumbers Surround with radishes to deter cucumber beetles Pumpkins/Squash Sow 2-3 nasturtium seeds around each seedling after sprouting to deter squash bugs/borers Marigolds and Calendula Use around borders to attract beneficial pollinators and deter rabbits Roses Interplant garlic around roses to deter fungal diseases (some folks say it also encourages a stronger fragrance from the rose blossoms!) Peas Peas give nitrogen to the soil so are great for heavy-feeding plants like tomatoes, corn, peppers, eggplant, and even potatoes Strawberries Interplant with mint to deter pests. Also interplant with borage to attract pollinators and enhance berry sweetness. There are LOADS of studied and proven plant relationships out there. You can find tons of information online, in books and in science journal articles.  Did you know that you can tap many different varieties of trees for sap? This sap can be boiled down into homemade syrup. Maple and birch trees are most common, but there are many other sources for syrup making. The sap from each tree contains different amounts of sugar and water which means we need more sap to make syrup from some trees than we do from others. The taste will also vary. Sap flows at different temperatures for different trees as well. 🍁MAPLE (Sugar, Silver, Black, Red, Norway, Big Leaf) 40 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below 🍂BIRCH (European White, Paper, Yellow, Black, Gray, River) - 110 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are 40-50F (4.4-10C) 🌳BOX ELDER 60 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below 🌰BLACK & ENGLISH WALNUT 60 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below 🍃BUTTERNUT 60 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below 🌳SYCAMORE 40 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below 🌴PALM 88 parts of sap yields 11 parts finished syrup // Can be tapped year round 🍃GOROSOE 40 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup // Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below Other edible tappable tree varieties include: Linden/Basswood Ironwood Alder 🌲Pine trees can be tapped, however, their sap is very resinous and used for resin and turpentine.  |
Angela is the farmer and content creator behind Axe & Root Homestead LLC. This historic six-acre farm is home to two Clydesdale horses, ten honeybee hives, three Hampshire sheep, a guardian dog, barn cats and a flock of 40 geese and ducks. The farm produces maple syrup, fruit from a small orchard and loads of garden produce for consumption, preservation and donation to the local food pantry.
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