A few warm days in February gave our trees an early nudge this year. The orchard started to stir sooner than usual, easing out of dormancy and moving toward bloom. In fact, our Juneglo nectarines, Dapple Dandy pluots, and Apache apricots are already flowering—some of the earliest blooms Farmer Al has ever seen!

He’s optimistic. “We tend to have really good fruit in years when the bloom comes early,” he says.

An early bloom is often a good sign, but it also comes with added vulnerability. Blossoms are delicate, and once trees are in bloom, they’re more exposed to whatever the weather brings. Heavy rain can damage flowers and warm rain can increase the risk of fungal disease. A sudden cold snap can cause injury, and the earlier the bloom, the longer that window of risk stays open. That’s where compost tea comes in.

A Living Brew for a Living Orchard

When we talk about compost, most people picture rich, dark soil. But during these critical windows, we also brew it into a tea and spray it directly onto the trees and soil. 

Compost tea is rich with trillions of beneficial microbes. When we apply it, we’re feeding the tree and inoculating the entire ecosystem with microorganisms that help create a healthier, more balanced environment.

“When you spray compost tea in the orchard, you change the ecosystem of the tree,” Farmer Al explains. The beneficial bacteria and fungi we introduce help compete with and suppress harmful fungal organisms. The result is a tree that’s less vulnerable during those wet, unpredictable stretches of late winter and early spring.

Over time, we’ve watched this practice make a visible difference. The orchard becomes greener, cleaner, and more resilient. Paired with our composting and careful pruning, compost tea plays a quiet but powerful role in producing nutrient-dense, flavorful fruit.

What’s in the Brew

Our compost tea starts with a five-pound “teabag” of finished compost suspended in a 300-gallon vat of water. But the compost culture is alive, and it needs food. We add fish emulsion for protein, seaweed powder for trace minerals, molasses for sugar, and humic acid for carbon; these are the building blocks that help microbial life flourish. Then we aerate the mixture, feeding it oxygen so those beneficial microbes can multiply.

The brewing process takes about three days. Once it’s ready, we have a short window—roughly eight hours—to get it onto the trees before the microbial activity begins to decline. Timing is everything! If the orchard floor is too muddy, we can’t get equipment in. If it’s windy or raining, spraying isn’t effective. So we watch the forecast closely, looking for calm, dry windows to brew and apply the tea ahead of incoming weather. Experience has taught us to stay one step ahead.

Building Resilience, Season After Season

In winter and early spring, we spray compost tea directly onto the trees when disease pressure is highest. In summer, our Ground Team runs it through the irrigation system across all 280 acres, maintaining amplified microbial activity in the soil.

Beyond disease prevention, these microbes improve soil structure and organic matter. Healthier soil holds water more effectively and reduces runoff during heavy rains. It also helps the orchard become more resilient, responsive, and alive with microscopic activity. Year after year, we’ve watched the orchard become greener, cleaner, and more robust thanks to this practice. Paired with our soil composting and pruning methods, this microbial magic plays a vital role in producing nutrient-dense, flavorful fruit.

Compost tea isn’t a quick fix. It’s part of a long-term commitment to working with natural systems rather than against them. As Farmer Al says, “We’re following a natural pathway provided by Mother Nature.” With blooms already unfolding, we’re doing everything we can to protect our trees and promote a healthy orchard ecosystem, all in service of producing legendary fruit. We can’t wait to share it with you in the seasons ahead!