Prior Reading
To make your own starter, read our article on DIY Compost Tea – Making starters.
Once your starter has been made it should be used as soon as possible for maximum benefit or stored carefully for up to a few days. It can also be used to brew compost tea as shown in DIY Compost Tea – Brewing for Gardeners.
Applying Starter for Immediate Use
Soak the completed starter in 10 litres of water for only 10 minutes in a 20-litre pail. Do not soak for extended periods as this will reduce its kill the biology you have worked towards and trigger a shift towards anaerobic biology (learn more in DIY Compost Tea – Brewing for Gardeners).
Break any lumps in the mix with your hands and stir a few times. Use as is or dilute with more water and apply to your garden with a watering can without a nozzle. This may apply to 10 – 40 square metres.
Complete uniform coverage is not needed as the biology including the fungi can spread two metres in 100 days.
Water it in by hose soon after the application to wash into the soil or apply in the evening, as direct sunlight kills the biology.
Short-term Storage
The starter will keep for a few days if kept moist and cool. Keep out of direct sunlight and use within a few days.
