Compost tea please!

Did you know that in a single tablespoon of soil there are more soil organisms than there are humans on this planet?

Or that there are 5,000 different types of bacteria in a single gram of soil?

Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees, or to fully comprehend the countless organisms bustling just under our feet. The vast majority of plant species used in urban horticulture will benefit from the presence of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. A great way to boost nutrients and reintroduce beneficial microbes and fungi is by using compost tea. Compost tea is attracting increasing attention as an inoculant to enhance and restore soil and leaf surface microflora. There is even some research to show that compost tea has a role in deterring disease. While compost tea is sometimes made by simply fermenting compost in water, it is now more commonly made in a brewer or extractor, which  creates aerobic conditions to yield great quantities of  bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in ratios designed for very specific purposes and soil conditions. The extraction and proliferation of beneficial soil protozoa and the extraction of nematodes from the compost are also delivered in the actively aerated compost tea. Compost teas may be made through aerobic or anaerobic processes, using different methods designed to produce various results.

Here at Backyard Bounty we are dedicated to the health of your garden beyond what can be seen with the naked eye. By restoring the living soil we are creating symbiotic relationships between our gardens and an unseen world where miles and miles of fungal hyphae can exist in a square foot of soil.

Byron Gwinn
Horticulturist
Backyard Bounty