Organic in the Garden – Pea straw Tea – Your questions answered

Pea straw tea is an infusion of pea straw in water for several days. I usually infuse it for several weeks but it does begin to put off a smell after a while. It has a lot of benefits to the organic vegetable gardener and can be used on annual flowerbeds and perennials.

I’ll being by explaining the basic steps:

What is pea straw?
Pea straw is the vine of peas. It is the product that is left after the harvesting of peas on large scale Agricultural farms for commercial processing. Pea straw is usually baled in small square bales the same as grass hay, but it can also be found in large round bales.

Where do I buy pea straw?
Agricultural Farmers who grow peas will generally have a supply to sell, you can also find it for sale in Country newspapers usually under Livestock or Wanted to Sell sections. Local nurseries and garden centres will also likely have a supply or may have a list of those who do have peastraw available.

How do I prepare pea straw to make pea straw tea?
Shredding the straw with a commercial shredder is ideal to increase the surface area in contact with the water. If you do not have a shredder you can use a lawn mower with a catcher attached. Lay the pea straw on the ground and run over it with the lawn mower. Make sure it is a thin layer so as not to damage the lawn mower. I know I am stating the obvious, but for safety always wear protective shoes, goggles or face shield and ear protection. NEVER put your hands in a shredder or under the lawn mower when it is still running. If you are not able to shred it, don’t worry, it will still work unshredded, it might just take a little longer.

What will I need?
You will need 5 things before you start.

1. A large bucket or dish (40 litres or more would be good)
2. A large onion bag (anything similar would be good – Onions often come in 10kg bags in vegetable markets)
3. Enough water to fill the bucket
4. A rock or heavy weight
5. Last but not least Pea straw

I have the pea straw and all the gear, what do I do now?
Half fill the onion bag with your pea straw (either shredded or whole – filling the bag is easier if its shredded). Place the rock or weight in the bag and continue filling the bag up. The rock is to help the bag stay under water. Place the bag in the bucket and fill it up with water.

You will need to ensure the bucket stays under cover for a few weeks while it’s infusing. Make sure the bucket is where you want to leave it before adding the water as it will be too heavy to move once filled.

How will I know when its ready?
The tea will be ready when it resembles the colour of a weak to strong cup of tea. The stronger it is, the more you will want to water it down before using.

How do I use the pea straw tea on my garden?
On the vegetable garden Mix the tea at a rate of 50% tea solution to 50% water. The same mix could be used as a tonic on annual flowerbeds.

When preparing a new vegetable bed for planting, add the solution full strength to the bed a week before planting. This will encourage soil bacteria, worms and beneficial insects who will break the soil up and release nutrients making them available to plants.

You can water your indoor plants with the same solution mixed at a ratio of 70% water to 30%  tea solution.

June 14, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Organic Soil Conditioners

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.