Newbie needs garden prep advice....

[Attirex]

Hey, guys:

Hardiness zone 7a here (Northeast U.S) and per helpful recommendations from this forum last year, I got some compost tea for my small suburban plot (8' x 16'). Instructions say dilute one part tea per seven parts water and then soak ground.

What's the best way to do this? A sprayer of some kind? And when should I apply the tea? Now, pre-planting, or wait until seedlings are in?

And anything else I should add to the soil at this point (ie, before planting)? Fertilizer? Corn meal?

Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

I work my fertilizer into the planting area 1-2 weeks prior to planting. Cornmeal is used to stop or reduce fungus. I use it on my seed started seedlings like tomatoes to eliminate damping off. After your plants are in the ground and growing you can sprinkle it around the base of the plant to help prevent early blight and other damaging soil born fungi. About your compost tea. What you have is actually leachate and unlike aerated compost tea it has no microbial life as it is anaerobic but it is full of minerals and micro-nutrients. If it were me I would water in the plant with it when I put the plant into the ground. A quart per plant should sufficient. Later you can spray the plant. It somehow makes the leaf tougher and more insect resistant

 

[Attirex]

Thanks, Chuck! Great info to have.