Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Liquid Manures and Herbal Teas

Herbal teas, also called liquid manures or garden teas, are an old practice
in organic farming and gardening — especially in biodynamic farming —
yet little is published on this topic outside of the practitioner
literature. A complementary practice is the use of compost teas.

In reality, herbal teas usually consist of one fermented plant extract,
while liquid manures are made by fermenting a mixture of herb plants in
combination with fish or seaweed extracts. The purpose of herbal teas and
liquid manures are manyfold; here again, they perform dual roles by
supporting biological as well as dynamic processes on the farm; i.e.,
source of soluble plant nutrients; stimulation of plant growth;
disease-suppression; carrier of cosmic and earthly forces. To reflect their
multi-purpose use, they are sometimes referred to as immune-building plant
extracts, plant tonics, biotic substances, and biostimulants.

Further insight into foliar-applied plant extracts, liquid manures, and
compost teas can be understood by viewing biological farming practices in
the way they influence the rhizosphere or phyllosphere. (Those
microbially-rich regions surrounding the root and leaf surfaces). Herbal
teas and liquid manures aim to influence the phyllosphere; composts,
tillage, and green manures influence the rhizosphere.

In addition to physical modification of the leaf surface to inhibit
pathogen spore germination or the promotion of antagonistic (beneficial)
microbes to compete against disease-causing organisms (pathogens),
foliar-applied biotic extracts can sometimes initiate a systemic whole
plant response known as induced resistance.

Horsetail tea is extracted from the common horsetail (Equisetum arvense), a
plant especially rich in silica. Horsetail is best seen as a prophylactic
(disease-preventing, not disease-curing) spray with a mild
fungus-suppressing effect. During the months when green plants are not
readily available, you can prepare an extract by covering dry plants with
water and allowing them to ferment in a sunny place for about ten days.
Dried equisetum, available through the Josephine Porter Institute for
Applied Biodynamics (5) in Woolwine, Virginia, can also be used to make
horsetail tea.

Stinging nettle tea is extracted from whole nettle plants (Urtica dioica)
at any stage of growth up to seed-set. To make nettle tea, use about three
pounds of fresh plants for every gallon of water, allow the mixture to
ferment for about ten days, then filter it and spray a diluted tea.
Dilution rates of 1:10 to 1:20 are suggested in the biodynamic literature.
A biodynamic nettle tea is prepared by adding BD preparations 502, 503,
505, 506, and 507 prior to the soaking period.

Chamomile tea is derived from the flowers of true chamomile (Matricaria
chamomilla) which have been picked and dried in the sun. Fresh flowers may
be used too, but they are only available during a short part of the growing
season. To prepare the tea, steep about one cup of tightly packed flowers
per gallon of hot water. Stir well, and spray the filtered tea when cool.
Chamomile is high in calcium, potash, and sulfur; it is good for leafy
crops and flowers and promotes health of vegetables in general.

Comfrey tea is another tea commonly used in organic farming and gardening.
Comfrey is a rich source of nutrients; it is especially good for fruiting
and seed filling crops. It can be made by packing a barrel three-quarters
full with fresh cut leaves, followed by topping the barrel full of water.
It is allowed to steep for 7-14 days, then filtered and diluted in half
with water prior to use.

The Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association (4) can supply literature on
herbal teas. Two pamplets you may be interested to know about are:

    Pfeiffer, Ehrenfried.  1984.  Using the Bio-Dynamic Compost
Preparations & Sprays in Garden, Orchard, & Farm.  Bio-Dynamic Farming and
Gardening Association, Inc., Kimberton, PA.  64 p.

    Koepf, H.H.  1971.  Bio-Dynamic Sprays.  Bio-Dynamic Farming and
Gardening Association, Inc., Kimberton, PA.  16 p.

Compost teas are gaining wider recognition in biodynamic and organic
farming for their disease suppressive benefits as well as for their ability
to serve as a growth-promoting microbial inoculant. See the ATTRA
publication Notes on Compost Teas for more detailed information at:
<http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/compost-tea-notes.html>.