If you use weed/clipping tea as plant food: how long does it keep?

[ladrianmarie]

I ended up with a bunch of Ivy clippings today. I was thinking of making a fertilizer tea, but my plants are not quite sprouted yet. Is there a good way to store weed/herb tea so that it lasts a few months? Or is it better to wait and make something just before I need it. I was thinking of putting it in the freezer or fridge, but I'm not sure if that would remove the nutrients.

 

[Chuck]

There are 2 types of teas. Aeroated and leachate or non-aeroated tea. When an aeroated tea no longer has an oxygen supply it goes anerobic and all of the micro-organisms die and the tea become odiferous and not much good until more oxygen and carbohydrates are added. The object of a leachate is not to increase the micro-organisms but to add a very mild fertilizer to plants. Fertilizer or NPK from a leachate is very limited. The best leachates are from thistles and from Comfrey. I don't know the NPK values of Ivy or if it is measurable. It will last a long time if tightly contained. You will probably lose nitrogen but phosphorus, potash and trace minerals will still be in the water.

 

[ladrianmarie]

Thanks! My goal was to use the tea as a mild leachate fertilizer. But the instructions I read were unclear on this point.

 

[delightfulbags]

I ended up with a bunch of Ivy clippings today. I was thinking of making a fertilizer tea, but my plants are not quite sprouted yet. Is there a good way to store weed/herb tea so that it lasts a few months? Or is it better to wait and make something just before I need it. I was thinking of putting it in the freezer or fridge wham thc, but I'm not sure if that would remove the nutrients.

You can store ivy tea for a few months, but there are a few things to consider to preserve its nutrient content. If you’ve already brewed the tea, the fridge can keep it viable for a few weeks if it’s sealed tightly. For longer storage, freezing is a good option—nutrients should remain largely intact, though you might lose a bit of microbial activity. If you haven't brewed it yet, it’s better to dry the clippings and make the tea closer to when you need it. Dry ivy stores well and ensures fresher, more nutrient-rich tea when your plants are ready.