Organic Materials Management

Frequently Asked Questions About Compost Tea

Do you have questions about making or using compost tea? Please e-mail your questions to the contact listed at the bottom of this page. This page will grow as more people send in their questions for answers that are not readily available.

Q. My tea stinks. Is that bad? What should I do about it?

A. As with any form of compost, bad smells mean bad business. Don't try to make compost tea without good aeration equipment. If the tea is not aerated constantly, the organisms in it will quickly use up the oxygen, and the tea will become anaerobic. That is what causes the smell. Never use a smelly compost tea on your plants as it can harm them.

Healthy, adequately oxygenated compost and compost tea should smell sweet and earthy. If your compost tea smells bad, add a second pump with more bubblers and stir it more often. Aerate it until the smell goes away. Likewise, if your compost pile smells bad, turn it more frequently.

Q. I've made my tea and it looks and smells good, but what do I do with the compost I used to make the tea?

A. No worries! The compost will still have plenty of good bacterial and fungal foods left in it, as well as humus. Just put the compost solids back into your compost pile or add it into your garden soil.

Last updated: August 29, 2008