When you think of compost, you probably imagine shovels of rich, dark humus teeming with nutrients and earthworms. But did you know we also use compost in a tea which we spray in the orchard? We start with a 5-pound “teabag” of compost and a 300-gallon vat of water. And it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Let’s start with the weather

When the air and soil are damp, fungal disease can spread through the orchards and cause irreparable harm to crops. Late winter and spring, when our orchard is in bloom, is when our trees are most susceptible to fungal infection. A warm late winter / early spring rain can have a disastrous impact on the apricot crop. That’s where our compost tea comes in.

“When you spray compost tea in the orchard, you change the ecosystem of the tree by inoculating it with beneficial bacteria and microorganisms, Farmer Al says. These beneficial bacteria and microorganisms fight fungal microorganisms, creating a healthy environment that is less vulnerable to fungal disease.

Additionally, the beneficial microbes that are introduced by compost tea improve soil structure and organic matter content. This enhances the soil's ability to retain water, increasing its water-holding capacity. By holding onto moisture more effectively, the soil supports tree health even during dry spells and reduces water runoff during heavy rains. This is just another one of the many benefits of using compost tea.

What’s in the brew?

We start with a 5-pound bag of compost that they suspend in 300 gallons of water. This compost culture is a living thing – it needs food, just like we do. We add fish emulsion for protein, seaweed powder for nutrients, and molasses for sugar. They add humic acid for carbon. Humic acid provides the molecular building blocks for a lively microbial tea. 

Once all the ingredients are in the vat, we aerate it, giving it oxygen so it can grow.

Timing is everything

We use compost tea on an as-needed basis. The mix takes three days to brew, and then we have about 8 hours to spray it on the trees before it goes bad. 

Compost tea is very effective, but its brief shelf life makes it difficult to use.

“You can brew the tea and have it ready, but if it’s too muddy in the orchard, you can’t get to the trees to spray them,” Farmer Al says. “Or maybe the weather is rainy or windy and not really conducive to spraying.”

This time of year, we watch for dry, windless windows to brew and spray our compost tea, giving our trees a protective boost before the rains arrive. With several wet days in the forecast, experience has taught us to stay ahead of the weather. Last week, we sprayed over 10,000 apricot trees, allowing beneficial microbes time to establish and strengthen the trees’ resilience before the rain sets in.

We measure the efficacy of the compost tea by examining the trees that farm crews have sprayed. He looks for signs of disease. If he doesn’t see any disease, the tea worked.

Drink it up

We spray the orchards with compost tea during the winter months. But during the summer, the Ground Team adds it to the irrigation system that covers all 260 acres of the orchard. They use it on a regular schedule, inoculating the orchard with amplified microbial activity, protecting the trees from fungal disease, and enhancing the soil’s fertility and resilience. 

Compost tea is one of the many ways we create a healthy environment for our trees. “We’re following a natural pathway provided by Mother Nature,” Farmer Al says. 

The Secret to Legendary Fruit

At Frog Hollow Farm, everything we do—from brewing compost tea to nurturing our soil with regenerative practices—is in service of growing the most flavorful, nutrient-dense fruit possible. This commitment to soil health is what makes our fruit stand out. 

We’ll be enjoying the fruits of our labor very soon! We anticipate our first harvest of apricots in the first week of May. Our apricots are now available for pre-order. Reserve your share of the harvest now!