Helping your garden grow with compost tea by Michael Lauher Education Director Connolly Ranch Education Center Healthy soil is essential for growing strong plants and recharging the earth with nutrients and organic matter. Unlocking the life in soil and bringing nutrients to plants is vital to a robust garden. A great way to increase microbial activity in your soil is with a liquid fertilizer that you can brew at home with a few supplies and your own compost. This liquid gold, known as compost tea, is used to boost microorganism populations in the soil, increasing beneficial interactions within the soil and between the soil and plants. Farmers have been using this simple recipe for years by merely stirring compost and water together, letting it sit to ferment, and using it to water crops. This method still works and will produce a suitable soil amendment. Or you can speed the process up and get better results by feeding the beneficial bacteria and fungi so they reproduce in greater numbers. To accomplish this, you need to add oxygen with an aquarium pump (available at pet stores), molasses (a sugar for the bacteria) and kelp food for the fungi. Here is a list of materials needed to make your own compost tea brewer: 5 gallon bucket 1 small shovel of finished compost or worm compost 1/4 cup of molasses 1 Tablespoon of liquid kelp (available at a nursery) 1 aquarium pump with 1/4-inch hose and a bubble stone (to diffuse the bubbles) Non-chlorinated water Most of you probably have chlorinated city water and that’s okay, but you first need to bubble the chlorine out by filling your bucket with water and running your aquarium pump with the stone. Do this for at least 6 hours before adding the other ingredients; otherwise the chlorine will kill some of the microorganisms that you are trying to encourage. Of course, you can buy distilled water as an alternative. If you have well water or rain water, you can skip this step and move on to adding the ingredients. I recommend using a lid on the bucket so it is not a hazard for small children or pets. Drill a hole for the hose. Let your blend bubble and brew for 24 to 48 hours. Then it’s ready to use directly on your garden, seedlings, trees, houseplants or the lawn – anything green that needs some love. NAPA VALLEY BUSINESS SPOtLIGHT by the Napa County Green Business Program From the depths of the canyon to the eagle’s perch, Jericho Canyon’s steeply terraced vineyard is spectacular to the extreme. Since 1989, the Bleecher family has sustainably farmed grapes for its terroir-driven, small production estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. “Our approach to green growing is multipronged,” says owner and vineyard manager Dale Bleecher. No-till farming reduces wind and water erosion while providing crucial habitat for beneficial insects. Insectaries provide habitat for beneficial insects, which keeps Jericho Canyon insecticide-free. Within the vineyard, owl boxes attract nesting owls which provide rodent control, and bluebird boxes invite the bug-eating birds to call the canyon home. In their winery, the Bleechers have installed water-saving devices, energy-saving light fixtures, and skylights. Perhaps most importantly, they age their wines in a naturally climate-controlled cave, meaning no need for air conditioning. Jericho Canyon Winery is a Certified Napa Green Winery, Napa Green Land, California Sustainable, Napa County Green Business, and Fish Friendly Farming. For more information visit www. jerichocanyonvineyard.com, call 707.942.9665, or email info@jerichocanyonvineyard.com. For more information on the Napa County Green Business Program visit www.greenbusinessca.org or contact Danielle Schmitz at dschmitz@nctpa.net. Connolly Ranch | 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa 707-224-1894 | www.connollyranch.org GOING Green JERICHO CANYO N VINEYARD MAY / J U N E 2 0 1 3 53
NVLife_MayJune_2013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above