How to Make an Easy & Effective Compost Tea for Your Sick Cannabis Plants

by Nebula Haze

Are you having trouble figuring out how to make compost teas to help your sick cannabis plants? Want to give indoor marijuana plants a little bit of a boost that comes straight from nature? Compost teas (when made and used correctly) can help plants grown in soil, coco, or hydro that are suffering from nutrient deficiencies, root problems, droopiness, shock from cold or heat, light burn, and almost any major stress. Today, you’ll learn how to make 3 different types of compost tea, each with its own benefits. Let’s get started!

Water sick cannabis plants with these easy homemade compost tea recipes and get plants back to 100% as fast as possible.

What is Compost Tea & Why Do Cannabis Plants Love It?

What is Compost Tea?

Compost Teas are “tea” or brew made of compost, the main ingredient in soil that separates it from inert media like coco or hydroponics. Think of this like making tea out of super nutritious soil. This makes all the good stuff in the soil (microbes, nutrients, etc.) readily available to your plant roots for easy uptake.

Compost tea is full of good stuff that your cannabis plants love.

What are the benefits of Compost Tea for cannabis plants?

Marijuana plants respond well to compost tea that’s made properly. What does good Compost Tea do?

• Nutrient-Rich – Gentle, organic way to replenish nutrients without burning your cannabis plants.
• Stress Relief – Help re-invigorate sick cannabis plants that are suffering from drooping, root problems, nutrient deficiencies, and other forms of stress.
• Soil Health – Replenish the root zone with beneficial microbes, which help deliver nutrients more efficiently to plant roots.
• Fast-Acting – Nutrients delivered directly in the water are typically more available to roots than top-dressing or other ways of supplementing cannabis plants with extra nutrients.

Compost tea helps make happy cannabis plants.

What are the main ingredients?

1.) Compost

For the purposes of making Compost Tea, there are two main types of compost:

Vermicompost (Excellent for growing cannabis)

“Vermicompost” is a type of compost that is made by earthworms that combine with microorganisms to consume and digest organic material. Making your own vermicompost takes little time, space, and work (worms are easy to keep happy), and as a bonus, vermicompost typically contains a good ratio of nutrients for cannabis plants. Vermicompost also typically contains more nutrients overall that are available to your cannabis plants. It produces compost with a pleasant mild earthy smell. Just make sure not to add inappropriate materials such as meat, dairy, or oily foods to your worm garden. However, you can also buy vermicompost directly if you’re not ready to start a worm farm yet.

Vermicompost is a fancy way of saying “worm poop” and cannabis plants love it!

“Regular” compost (Not recommended for beginners)

Driven by microbes that decompose plant material, for example, food scraps. A “compost pile” makes this type of compost. Composting this way is a great way to get some use out of old food, but compost piles need to be tended to prevent foul-smelling gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. For example, the compost should be turned regularly, have enough drainage and aeration, and have a balanced ratio of carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials. Given how picky cannabis can be about nutrient ratios, it’s not recommended to use this kind of compost for your cannabis garden unless you already have experience and understanding of the composting process. If you’re still interested, check out this cannabis “super soil” compost recipe.

A compost pile

Optional Ingredients

What other ingredients could you add to compost tea? Although compost is the main part of compost tea, many other additives are often added for various purposes. Some common optional ingredients are:

Castings / Guano (Poop)

Compost Tea contains various types of poop (which makes sense when you consider one of the main types of compost, vermicompost, is essentially a nice way of saying “worm poop.”

• Worm castings – The poop that worms make is known as “vermicompost” and is close to a complete meal for cannabis. Worm castings are one of the best ingredients for a stellar cannabis compost tea and can even be used by themselves brewed with water.
• Seabird guano – The poop from sea birds. Bat guano used to be popular, but seabird guano is just as good and collecting the bat guano was bad for bats.
• Other – Other common guano for cannabis plants may vary depending on where you live and what kinds of fertilizers are available to you. It can’t hurt to ask the workers at your local gardening store about what they recommend for compost tea. They may have some insider knowledge.

Worm castings – gold to cannabis plant roots

Other organic ingredients

If being certified organic matters, check the labels of any ingredients to make sure you’re getting an organic version.

• Unsulferd molasses – Feeds the microbes in the soil.
• Epsom salt – A great source of nutrients and helps stabilize pH.
• Bloodmeal – Made from blood. Nutritious but a little morbid.
• Fish bone meal – Excellent source of nutrients
• Sea Kelp – Helps make cannabis plants more hardy against heat and some other kinds of stress.
• Root supplements – Made to replenish microbes that make cannabis roots happy.

A web of fungi is growing through this compost. As a result, this soil is rich with life that was introduced specifically to help improve the quality of the soil. When making up compost tea at home, part of what you’re doing is trying to bring some of the benefits without having to grow your own compost at home.

Minerals or other supplements

These are considered organic when mined from natural deposits and not chemically treated or refined.

• Leonardite
• Humic Acid
• Silica
• Azomite
• Etc…

Optional Equipment

• Container to hold the compost tea (bucket, water jug, etc.)
• (Optional) Air stone and air pump to add oxygen to the water (brew the tea and get things growing)

This bucket of compost tea has an air pump that bubbles water through an airstone at the bottom of the bucket. These bubbles oxygenate the water and improve the quality of compost tea.

Option 1: Botanicare Pure Blend Tea

A kind of cheap “hack” is to buy some Botanicare Pure Blend Tea, which you can mix with water and it makes a great tea. Essentially, you’re paying a premium to get already-made-for-you compost tea for your sick cannabis plants. In addition to organic compost, it contains ingredients that are great for sick cannabis plants, including seaweed extract and humic acid.

Pros

• Easy to use – A pre-made tea saves time and effort compared to making your own compost tea
• Effective – Seems to work like real compost tea in tests on cannabis plants.
• Long Shelf Life – Compost tea typically needs to be used right away. With this kind of product, you can store the bottle in a cool and dark place for up to one year after opening.
• Organic – Easy way to give nutrients to your cannabis plants while ensuring buds are fully organic
• Cheap – A single 1-quart bottle costs about $20, and that will make 192 gallons at 1tsp/gallon

Cons

• Lack of Diversity – Pure Blend Tea may not have the same diversity and quality of microorganisms as homemade compost tea.
• Hard to Find in Person – Typically you need to order it online (for example from Amazon.com) unless you live near a hydro store.

Directions:

1. Shake bottle – Make sure to shake the bottle well before using to ensure an even mixture all the way through..
2. 1-2 tsp per gallon – Mix 1-2 teaspoons per gallon of water and apply it to your plants once a week during the vegetative and flowering stages.
3. Adjust pH – Adjust the pH of the solution before giving it to plants, like you should be doing every time you water your plants. Proper PH at the roots is crucial to preventing nutrient deficiencies.
4. Shake or stir – Make sure everything has mixed together well with the water. Some growers will aerate the water for 2-8 hours but this is likely unnecessary.
5. Water plants – You can water your plants with it. Some growers use it as a foliar spray but you may need to filter it first.

Botanicare Pure Blend Tea is essentially concentrated pre-made compost tea that’s perfect for cannabis plants.

Option 2: Nature’s Living Soil Super Soil Concentrate

Get Nature’s Living Soil Super Soil concentrate. In addition to compost, it included ingredients like worm castings, bat guano, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, and fish bone meal. They sell it in small 1 lb bags for $25, and you mix 2 tablespoons of this super soil mixed with 1 gallon of water and let it sit for 2-8 hours, stirring occasionally. PH to 6.5 if you’ve got really acidic or basic water. A single 1-lb bag will make up to 32 gallons of compost tea.

Pros

• Easy – Instead of adding a pre-made liquid, you add pre-composted super soil to make your compost tea. It has to sit and be stirred occasionally, which is a bit more work than Pure Blend Tea, but not much.
• Effective – Seems to work like real compost tea in tests on cannabis plants. In some cases, it may be more effective because it contains more of (and a wider selection of) living microorganisms than Pure Blend Tea.
• Long Shelf Life – While you can’t store this as compost tea after it’s made for long, the actual super soil concentrate can be wrapped up and (according to Nature’s Living Soil) can be stored for up to a year in a cool, dry place.
• Organic – Easy way to give nutrients to your cannabis plants while ensuring buds are fully organic.

Cons

• Expensive – It is more expensive than making your own compost tea. It costs around $25 for 1 lb of super soil, which can make up to 32 gallons of tea, just like the 1-quart bottle of Pure Blend Tea, but costs about $5 more..
• Lack of Diversity – While some cannabis growers believe this has better diversity of microorganisms than Pure Blend Tea, it still likely does not have the same diversity and quality of microorganisms as homemade compost tea.
• Only Available Online – You also certainly need to order this online (for example from Amazon.com or directly from Nature’s Living Soil).
• Strong smell – When you first open one of these, the smell can be pretty strong, though it weakens after a while, and goes away once you close the bag.

Nature’s Living Super Soil concentrate comes in a bag and is great for making compost tea for your cannabis plants..

Note: If you see “mold” growing on the super soil, this is actually the mycelium of a beneficial fungus. If you see this, just stir it in before making compost tea. This isn’t “mold” as you’re thinking of it, but something with a somewhat related structure.

Directions

1. Mix the super soil – You may see beneficial fungi in the soil which needs to be stirred in, but even if you don’t, you should thoroughly stir the super soil together before making compost tea for your cannabis plants.
2. Add 2 tbsp per gallon – Mix 2 tablespoons of super soil compost with 1 gallon of water.
3. Stir and let sit – Let it sit for 2-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Some growers will aerate the water for up to 24 hours but this stuff and strong and that is likely unnecessary.
4. Adjust pH – Adjust the pH of the solution before giving it to plants, like you should be doing every time you water your plants. Proper PH at the roots is crucial to preventing nutrient deficiencies.
5. Water plants – Apply it to your plants up to once a week, but wait until after they’ve already grown several sets of leaves as this is pretty strong. It is not recommended to use as a foliar spray. You can filter out all the super soil but many growers leave it in there as a little extra “slow-release” boost of nutrients.

Stirring by hand occasionally for a few hours is plenty. You don’t need to aerate this for it to be effective.

Option 3: DIY Compost Tea Recipe

This is a “real” recipe for cannabis compost tea. The main ingredient of compost tea made from vermicompost is worm castings, though many cannabis growers add molasses, kelp, ocean products, or guano as supplements. Many cannabis growers also add supplements to add beneficial microorganisms. However, it’s important not to go overboard as the more ingredients added, the more likely you’ll run into issues like nutrient burn (from the nutrient levels being too strong), pH imbalance, or the growth of some bad kinds of bacteria. For this type of compost tea, you do need to get an air pump and air stone, and make sure to aerate your tea for 24+ hours before it’s ready to use.

This type of compost tea must be aerated for 24+ hours before being used on cannabis plants.

Pros

• Cheap – While not as easy as other options on this list, it is cheaper in the long run.
• Best Diversity – Most cannabis growers agree that a DIY Compost tea can be made better than pre-bought products, and offer the best results. But only if made properly.
• Organic – Give high-quality nutrients to your cannabis plants while ensuring buds are fully organic.

Cons

• Effort – Takes more effort than pre-made options.
• Easier to mess up – Unlike the other methods, which are essentially fool proof, it can be easy to go overboard with this method, or add the wrong balance of ingredients, which can result in problems like nutrient deficiencies or nutrient burn.
• Higher initial cost – While it is cheaper long term to make your own compost tea than to keep buying pre-made options, the initial investment to make your own can cost a bit since you have to get the equipment and typically have to buy a relatively large amount of all the ingredients.

This method involves putting your compost in a “tea bag” and then submerging it in water. Truly a compost tea!

Supply list

• 5-gallon bucket with lid
• An aquarium air pump with tubing and an air stone
• A nylon stocking or a cheesecloth (this will be your “tea bag” that holds your compost and amendments while your tea is brewing
• A rubber band or a string
• 4 cups of worm castings
• 2 tablespoons of unsulfured molasses
• 2 tablespoons of liquid kelp fertilizer
• Water (preferably non-chlorinated or dechlorinated)

If you search on Amazon, Etsy, or eBay, you may be able to find pre-made kits with everything you need to compost, so you don’t need to get everything separately.

Directions

1. Fill the bucket with water – Let it sit for a few hours if you are using tap water as this may allow some chemicals such as chlorine to evaporate out.
2. Add worm castings – Put the worm castings in the nylon stocking or cheesecloth and tie it with a rubber band or a string to make a tea bag.
3. Star the bubbles – Attach the air stone to the tubing and connect it to the air pump. Place the air stone in the bucket and turn on the air pump. You should hear the pump turn on and bubbles should immediately appear in the water.
4. Add the molasses and the kelp fertilizer to the bucket and stir well.
5. Submerge the tea bag in the bucket and cover it with the lid. Leave some space for air to circulate.
6. Let the compost tea brew for 24-48 hours, stirring occasionally. You should see bubbles and foam on the surface, indicating that the microorganisms are active.
7. Remove tea bag – After brewing, remove the tea bag and squeeze out the excess liquid. You can reuse the compost or worm castings in your garden or add them to your next batch of tea.
8. Strain the compost tea through a fine mesh or a coffee filter to remove any solids. Your compost tea is ready to use.
9. Water your plants – Water your plants with this up to once a week as needed.

Conclusion on Compost Teas for Cannabis Plants

Compost tea is a great way to help your sick cannabis plants, provide extra nutrients, and make your garden more stress-resistant in general. Compost tea mimics the natural processes of the soil web in nature. It essentially gives your cannabis roots their favorite banquet.

When it comes to growing cannabis, vermicompost (worm castings) is the best choice for making the base of your compost tea. It has a balanced composition that is ideal for cannabis plants. Unless you have a lot of experience with the composting process, I don’t recommend using food scraps as part of your compost.

In addition to compost, you can add other supplements, such as molasses, kelp, fish, or guano, to enhance your compost tea, but be careful not to add too much or too many as it may cause nutrient deficiencies, nutrient burn, and other unexpected problems. Like anything with growing cannabis, try not to go overboard.

Compost tea is not that hard to make, but there are many pre-made products you can buy so it takes essentially no work. This article covered 3 ways to make compost tea, but that doesn’t even touch the surface of the options, as this topic can go deep.

I encourage you to experiment with different ingredients and methods to figure out what works best for you in your cannabis garden. If you have a compost tea recipe you swear by, or have any feedback, questions, or experiences with compost tea that you want to share, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Today you learned how to give your cannabis plants the power of worm poop!

About the author

Nebula Haze is a passionate cannabis cultivator and educator dedicated to helping other growers. She has been teaching home growers how to grow amazing weed in the indoor environment for over a decade. She co-founded GrowWeedEasy.com in 2010 and has published hundreds of free and easy-to-follow tutorials aimed at both beginners and experts to improve their results with home cannabis cultivation.

If you enjoyed this article and want to build a deeper understanding of cannabis cultivation and nutrients, please sign up for our GrowWeedEasy weekly newsletter. You’ll receive the latest tips, tricks, and news on growing cannabis delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning at 4:20 am.

Thank you for reading!

Happy growing! ~Nebula