Brewing Basics
Depending on the application and amount needed, you can brew a batch of garden tea in a small saucepan, large kettle or bucket, or even a clean trashcan for larger amounts.
Smaller amounts can be easily made in the kitchen. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan or kettle. Remove from heat, stir in crushed herbs and cover for one to three days, stirring the brew daily.
For large amounts, loosely fill the container about two-thirds full with the desired herb. (Be sure to bend twigs and bruise or tear leaves before filling.) Fill the container with water. Cover and stir twice daily to infuse oxygen into the steeping brew. The brewing process can take from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the weather. (Warm, sunny weather helps speed the brewing process.) The brew is ready when the water has turned a tea color.
When brewing is complete, strain the tea and use full strength, or dilute the brew using one part tea to four parts water. Use the strained tea as a foliar spray or water the soil and plant roots. Add the leftover strained solids to your compost pile for an extra nutrient boost. — K.W.
Steep what you sow
Want healthier plants? Grow and brew your own herbal cure for the garden.
When was the last time you treated your garden to a freshly brewed bucket of herbal tea? Armed with an arsenal of macronutrients, trace minerals and bioactive plant compounds, these nutrient-laden brews protect your plants in many ways. They stimulate seedling and plant growth, enhance soil fertility, increase beneficial soil bacteria, and help protect against a variety of plant diseases. Garden teas also support plants through stressful stages like transplanting, blossoming and fruiting.
Whether called garden teas, herbal teas or herbal brews, biodynamic farmers, organic farmers and gardeners have used these teas for centuries. Garden teas are an environmentally friendly and effective way to increase plant vigor and protect against diseases and pests.
Many herbs rich in plant compounds can be brewed into teas for enhancing plant growth or turning on pest defenses.
These six herbs are common favorites.
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Chamomile, an aromatic annual, makes a calming tea that also curtails blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers.
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Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
A self-seeding annual growing to 3 feet high, chamomile prefers a sunny site and moderately moist soil. Rich in calcium, sulfur and potassium, gardeners use the tea as a fertility boost for tomatoes or other flowering plants. The added calcium may also help prevent blossom end rot common to tomatoes and peppers.
To prepare tea, steep about a tablespoon of tightly packed fresh or dried flowers for every cup of boiling water.
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Comfrey remains leafy through winter in frost-free climates.
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Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
This easily grown perennial thrives in full sun to partial shade and slightly moist soil. The roots spread freely in fertile soil and can be quite aggressive. To keep it in check, grow comfrey in pots, a neglected corner of the garden, or even its own bed.
Comfrey is rich in nutrients and a wonderful tonic for transplanted or flowering plants and fruiting vegetables. Use as an all-purpose fertilizer for annuals, perennials, container plants or houseplants. The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium balance and added dose of calcium especially benefit tomatoes. Rich in allantoin, comfrey also promotes tissue growth and speeds healing in plants that have been mishandled or damaged.
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Garlic serves as a powerful antioxidant to both people and plants.
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Garlic (Allium sativum)
A natural fungicide and powerful antioxidant, garlic helps protect plant cell membranes from damage and disease. The cloves also contain calcium, potassium and phosphorus, all essential nutrients for garden plants.
Use the tea as a repellent against aphids and to protect susceptible plants against black spot and other fungal diseases. To prepare tea, chop 1 cup of garlic cloves for every 4 cups of boiling water. Let steep for up to 10 minutes, then strain.
Horsetail (Equisetum spp.)
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Horsetail may look somewhat bizarre, but this rushlike plant can help make garden plants more resistant to pests and disease.
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Found near ponds, streams and moist woods throughout North America, this unusual prehistoric descendant can be extremely aggressive in some garden situations, especially when grown near water. The perennial stalks contain an abundance of silica, a known plant cell strengthener, which can make plants more resistant to pests and disease.
The tea is often used as a foliar spray to protect and treat plants from fungal diseases, like mildew and rust, as well as damping off disease in seedlings. To prepare a tea, steep one part horsetail to two parts boiling water for up to one week, or boil the plant in water for about 20 minutes.
Willow (Salix spp.)
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A corkscrew willow is one of many species of Salix used as a natural rooting hormone for plant cuttings and transplants.
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These fast-growing deciduous trees and shrubs contain auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins — all hormones that stimulate plant growth, buds and roots. The tea is widely used as a natural rooting hormone for plant cuttings and transplants.
To brew a batch, simmer crushed buds, twigs and branches, covered, for 10 to 20 minutes, then allow the tea to sit for several days. Soak cuttings to be propagated in the prepared willow tea for one hour, or use the tea to water newly planted seeds or transplants.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
This hardy perennial herb is easily grown in full sun with little to moderate moisture. The aromatic flowers are high in potassium, calcium and sulfur, and contain other trace minerals like magnesium, phosphorus and copper.
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Yarrow may be low-maintenance in the garden, but it's chock full of insect repelling qualities and nutrient-rich compounds.
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Yarrow is valued for its insect repelling qualities — especially against aphids and other soft-bodied insects — and for its use as a natural fertilizer. The tea may also increase overall plant vitality due to its nutrient-rich compounds. Use the flowers and prepare the tea the same as you would for a chamomile brew. — Kris Wetherbee