- 1). Make compost tea based on National Organic Program standards to ensure no harmful levels of fecal bacteria are in the compost tea. Fecal bacteria from raw manure makes people sick if contaminated produce is consumed. Therefore, manure compost must be composted at high temperatures to kill harmful bacteria before it is used to make compost tea and applied to food crops. Then the compost tea must be tested for harmful bacteria by a professional lab before being applied to food crops. Compost tea not made from manure can be applied without restriction.
- 2). Test the soil in the area where the compost tea is to be applied as well as the compost tea by contacting your local County Agricultural Extension Office and asking for assistance. This is how you find out what nutrients are lacking in the soil and how much compost tea to apply. Compost tea contains phosphorous, which builds up in the soil to toxic levels that interfere with organic certification and adversely affect plant growth.
- 3). Drench the soil with the compost tea and use as a foliar spray over the target plants at the rate recommended by your soil and compost tea test. If the compost tea was made from manure, it must be applied more than 90 days before harvesting crops with fruit that stays above the ground, and 120 days before harvesting crops that touch the ground.
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