Weed tea fermentation – Is some rot acceptable?

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    everythingisrosyeverythingisrosy
    Greenhorn
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    I am making weed tea for the first time, specifically horsetail tea to treat black spot on roses. I somehow missed that the stirring up for aeration should happen several times of day and only did it once a day for the first 5, including some periods that were over 24 hours. I noticed that the smell got very bad and returned to the instructions to find that I should be turning it more often. I added some coffee grounds and lemon peel and began to turn more often but the smell continues to be quite noxious. It is very bubbly when I go to turn it, so is clearly fermenting as well as rotting. Is it a problem to spray my roses with a tea that has rotted as well as fermented? Or should I throw it in the compost and start again?

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    Nate from N&GNate from N&G
    Green Thumb (moderator)
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    Hi everythingisrosy, welcome to the forum!

    It isn’t a problem at all to use what you’ve already prepared. Health-wise it won’t affect the plant much, since much of the fermentation is with healthy yeasts and such. Even when it doesn’t rot, it still packs a powerful smell…

    The important part is to ensure the fermenting is taking place. Keep turning it several times daily until no more (or much less) bubbles appear. That’s when most of the nutrients will already have been released to the weed juice. Slowly, the rotting smell will decrease and the fermenty-like smell will take over, but even if it doesn’t it’ll still work great.

    So no need to throw it out!


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