make the nutrients and micro-organisms more easily available to be released into the water. If you have a worm box, worm castings also make excellent compost tea. If you ' re using tap water that contains chlorine, let it sit overnight for the chlorine to dissipate. Put two shovelfuls of compost into a coarsely woven sack, old pillow case, or old pair of pantyhose, tie the top shut, and place the bag in the bottom of a bucket or barrel. Dilute by adding five parts water to one part compost. Let it“ brew” for seven to ten days. Dilute the resulting“ tea” with water until it is light brown or the colour of weak black tea and use. Keep in mind that E coli can be present in the raw ingredients of a compost pile, so do not apply compost tea to any vegetable within three weeks of its planned harvest date. Compost tea can be applied to any plants, either in the ground or in containers. Use it freely on your vegetables, flowering plants, trees, shrubs or lawn. You can use compost tea as a drench by simply watering your plants with it or the tea canalsobeappliedasafoliar spray. Foliar feeding with compost tea is shown to boost a plant ' s immediate uptake of nutrients. You might need to sieve the tea more carefully if you are using a spray, to prevent it from clogging the spray nozzle.
Adding a couple drops of mild dishwashing liquid or proprietary wetting agent will help the tea adhere to leaves. The spent compost material
33 www. sasmallholder. co. za
can be used as mulch or can be put back on your compost heap for further decomposition. If you have any tea left over,
SNAKES
An unwelcome snuggle-partner
One day a pig farmer and a paramedic were enjoying a cup ofteaandasnackduringa quietmomentatthe Donkerhoek Veterinary
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Consulting rooms, next to Alzu Feeds near Rayton. Suddenly the pig farmer said softly“ keep very still. There is a snake”. The paramedic thought he was joking, but the pig farmer moved quickly through to the back of the practice to get a broom. As the paramedic glanced down, the snake moved rapidly into view, making a strange grumbling sound as it slid over the dark red concrete floor.“ EEK” said the paramedic and leaped on to the chair as the
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IN THE GARDEN
consider putting it on your compost pile. This can help accelerate the microbial activity of your compost pile.