The nutrients in herbal tea are absorbed by plants especially actively during the flowering and fruiting period. I will simply and clearly tell you what recommendations Candidate of Technical Sciences Anatoly Alexandrovich Veselov gives on this issue.
In order not to use chemical fertilizers on my site, which are quite expensive, and also to avoid the use of manure, which is also not cheap, I prefer to use natural fertilizers. Compost, for example, is a good option, but we usually use it when preparing flower beds or apply it directly when planting. But when plants start to turn yellow or fall over, herbal teas come to the rescue. This is a really economical and effective method.
I tried infusing several herbs, but after a week the infusion began to give off such a strong and unpleasant smell that its use for watering plants became undesirable. It was also unclear how much and when it is best to use it.
However, after studying scientific works, I found answers to my questions. The books describe in detail recommendations for the correct preparation of herbal teas, which herbs to choose, how long the solution should be infused and how to properly dilute it.
It turned out that not all herbs are suitable for infusion. For example, horsetail, plantain, nettle, sorrel and burdock are excellent. It is important to remove the roots and flowers, chop the grass and put it in a container, filling it by two-thirds.
If you are using a metal container, you should paint it first to prevent rust. Then add water and leave it for 10 days, stirring daily.
After seven days, the fermentation process begins and an unpleasant smell appears, which after 10 days resembles the smell of manure. After this time, the cap must be put back on a mesh to allow the infusion to “breathe”, and after a couple of days it can be used.
This infusion is diluted 1:10 with water or 1:20 to spray the leaves when they show signs of disease.
This “green smoothie” not only nourishes plants but also helps fight pests and diseases. It’s a simple and proven way to improve the health of your garden.
