Starter Solutions
Starter solutions can help get transplants and newly emerged seedlings off to a good start. These starter solutions are often referred to as manure teas. A high phosphorus content is particularly important in these solutions because it encourages root growth. A good homemade solution consists of 3 pounds of poultry manure plus 3 pounds of steamed bone meal in 25 gallons of water. Stir the mixture often over several days; then strain off the liquid. Use one cup of liquid for each transplant. Fresh manures can contain harmful bacteria, so be sure to wash up after handling.
Starter tea can also be made from worm castings. Worm castings are a product manufactured by Mother Natures best soil tillers on Earth: the earthworm. Earthworms are fed and digest organic material. In its passage through the worm this organic material is beneficially altered both chemically and physically. The end product is an extremely powerful and fertile organic "super humus / organic fertilizer." This humus contains all the elements and nutrients required of the earth for optimum plant nutrition and optimum growth.
Click here to find instructions for making worm castings tea
