5 Compost Tea Recipes: Brew Liquid Fertilizer for Healthier Plants

Compost tea extracts beneficial microbes and nutrients into liquid form — a probiotic for your soil. Five proven recipes, from simple to enhanced.

Recipe 1: Basic Steep

• 5–10 gal bucket: ½ compost, ½ water
• Steep 12–14 days, stir daily
• Dilute 1:5 (tea:water) → iced tea color
• Strain through cheesecloth
• Add 2 tbsp molasses/gal (feeds microbes)
• Optional: citrus oil for pest deterrence

Recipe 2: Aerated Worm Casting Tea

• 10 gal bucket: 5 gal water, 1 lb worm castings, 1 tbsp each: molasses, fish hydrolysate, liquid humic acid
• Aerate 8–12 hrs (aquarium pump)
• Dilute 1:5, use

Recipe 3: Enhanced Aerated Tea

• Bucket: 9 L water + aquarium pump
• Add: 2 cups compost, 3–4 tbsp molasses, 2 tbsp each: fish emulsion, seaweed fertilizer, liquid humic acid
• Aerate 12–18 hrs
• Dilute 1:5

Recipe 4: Nutrient-Dense Brew

• Plastic bucket: 2 lbs compost, 2 tbsp ground oatmeal, 2 tsp yucca extract, 2 oz liquid humic acid, 1 oz liquid kelp
• Steep 12–24 hrs, stir
• Aerate 6–8 hrs
• Dilute 1:5

Recipe 5: Concentrated Microbial Tea

• 1.5 lbs compost, 1.6 oz liquid humic acid, 1 oz liquid kelp, 1 oz molasses
• Steep 12–16 hrs
• Aerate 6–8 hrs
• Dilute 1:5

Critical Rule

Good tea smells earthy. Bad smell = anaerobic = dump it. Use within hours of brewing. Apply biweekly.