What is Compost Tea?

So why not give this tea a try either by buying it or It will improve the taste/flavor of your vegetables. Compost tea helps prevent foliage diseases and at the same time increase the nutrients to the plant and shutdown the toxins hurting the plants. If you start with a good compost you'll have a versatile elixir for all your garden needs.

But now, there's something even better and that's compost tea. Organic gardeners all know compost is fantastic stuff.
brewing it yourself
You won't believe the results! .
Four ways that good bacteria work:

Help compete for the nutrients
Dine on the bad varmits

Help produce antibiotics to use against the varmits.
They shove the bad varmits out.
Compost tea that is correctly brewed has a wealth of microorganisms that will benefit your plants' growth and health as well as the soil that they live in. Compost tea can be considered yogurt for the soil. The microorganisms living there are both good and bad. What the tea does is make sure the good guys win by introducing helpful bacteria, fungi, protozoa and beneficial nematodes.
Harmful bacteria lives best in soil that does not have good air circulation. Good bacteria lives best and will thrive in soil that is well ventilated with oxygen. This is where a good compost tea, made the right way, comes in. When you have well oxygenated compost you automatically get rid of 3/4 of the bad varmits. Also by using harmful insecticides or chemical fertilizers we reduce the number of beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Plants produce their own energy and food and half of that goes to the roots and some of that goes into the surrounding soil and guess who gets that? Correct, the good guys, and then it turns into a beneficial cycle.
The following is taken from the internet and shows compost tea is becoming a force in gardening.
National Organic Standards Board convened a Compost Tea Task Force Report April 6, 2004 Introduction In 2003, the National Organic Standards Board convened a Compost Tea Task Force Report April 6, 2004 Introduction In 2003, the National Organic Standards Board Compost Tea Task Force Report April 6, 2004 Introduction In 2003, the National Organic Standards Board convened a Compost Tea Task Force to review the relevant scientific data and report their recommendations on ‘What constitutes a reasonable use of compost tea?' The Task Force was composed of 13 individuals with knowledge and expertise in organic farming practices, organic certification, EPA pathogen regulations, compost, compost tea production and analysis, plant pathology, food safety and environmental microbiology.
Throughout their discussions, members consistently acknowledged the growing interest among certified organic and conventional growers to use compost teas, and the need to develop effective biologically-based tools to manage plant fertility, pests, and diseases.
A primary reason for producing compost tea is to transfer microbial biomass, fine particulate organic matter, and soluble chemical components of compost into an aqueous phase that can be applied to plant surfaces and soils in ways not possible or economically feasible with solid compost.

Can Tea Help Prevent Food Poison?

Symptoms usually appear 8-16 hours after exposure to the bacteria, and can disrupt your life for a few days. While not usually life threatening, this common form of food poisoning can cause diarrhea, nausea, cramps and vomiting. One of them is Bacillus cereus.

There are dozens of variations of food poison, and none of them are pleasant.
Cooked rice that is improperly refrigerated is one of the most common carriers of bacillus cereus. The problem can be exacerbated by improper refrigeration, which just allows the spores to further grow. Bacillus cereus is usually caused by improper cooking.
Tea has far more anti-microbial properties than previously realized. It appears that tea's catechins may protect our bodies from bacteria like bacillus cereus. However, researchers are learning that there may be ways to protect our bodies from the ravages of such bacteria.
This study concluded that all eleven of the anti-oxidants evaluated contained anti-microbial properties. These anti-oxidants and infusions were evaluated to determine their anti-microbial activity against bacillus cereus. They also evaluated actual infusions of 36 commercial black, white, green and oolong teas, as well as herbal teas. One particular study reported by the UK Tea Council evaluated the anti-microbial activity of seven green tea catechins and four black tea theaflavins, both important anti-oxidants.
In fact, most of the compounds were more active than medicinal antibiotics such as tetracycline or vancomycin at comparable concentrations. The study also concluded that the brewed infusions of true tea that contained these catechins and theaflavins also had anti-microbial properties as well, particularly freshly brewed infusions. However, herbal brews did not have anti-microbial properties.
The presence of the anti-oxidants in tea may be enough to keep us from getting sick from these bacteria, or at least be sufficient to lessen their effects. If we consume tea on a regular basis, we may be able to ward off these harmful bacteria before they wreak havoc on our bodies. Well, it means that drinking tea can protect your body against certain harmful bacteria like bacillus cereus. So, just what does this mean to our real life?
This is likely just the tip of the iceberg. We already know that green tea prevents many serious illnesses, such as heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and some forms of cancer. And, if we've determined that it can kill bacteria such as bacillus cereus, then there's certainly potential that it can act as an anti-biotic against other harmful bacteria, as well.
Certainly it has been determined from this along with many other studies that tea is an important part of living a healthy life. In Japan, the medical community recognizes green tea as a known cancer preventative, and it's likely that medical communities in other countries will soon follow suit. This information, combined with the other studies that have shown green tea to be effective in preventing heart disease should be enough to convince us that drinking a few cups of green tea each day is a simple way to protect our health.
But, why is does it seem that so many of the positive findings are associated with green tea, and not black tea too? Well, it stems from the way the tea is processed. While the study noted here on the anti-microbial activity of tea didn't find a difference between the two, in most health studies green tea beats black tea every time.
Black tea is fermented during processing; green and white tea are far more powerful.
However, it is likely that researchers would find that white tea is just as healthful, since its anti-oxidants are preserved in their natural state, just like those in green tea. The research done so far has mostly been performed on green tea because it is much more widely consumed.
Scientists decided to back up this anecdotal evidence with research and the findings have been astonishing. Green tea first gained notice as a health preserver because of the much lower incidence of heart disease and cancer in Asian countries, where green tea is a staple.
Some studies have shown that administering green tea along with chemotherapy makes the chemotherapy more effective than when it is administered alone. Other studies have shown that green tea protects our health, there has also been evidence to suggest that green tea may even be effective as an alternative cancer treatment. In addition to evidence suggesting that green tea slows the growth of certain cancers.
It's amazing to think that something many of us have been drinking all our lives just for the taste could hold so much power to protect our health. As time goes on, and more studies are conducted on human subjects, we'll learn more definitive information about this wonder beverage. So, it appears that green tea may be one of the most promising natural health products we can consume.
Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current
tea
offerings, including their exceptional
green tea
, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and
wu long tea
Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas. ) and chai.

Tea Tree Oil Acne Treatment

Mainly used as a spot treatment, tea tree oil has gained a reputation as the natural alternative to benzoyl peroxide, giving many of the same clear skin benefits with generally milder side effects. Although most natural acne treatments that work come in the form of internal vitamin supplements, tea tree oil is an all-natural treatment that can produce great results with just a topical application.
More recently, its antibacterial properties have been found to be a potent weapon against acne. It's also been known to help sooth pain and speed the healing of small wounds. For years it has been used as a natural disinfectant, killing harmful bacteria in cuts and scrapes without the stinging that accompanies alcohol. Tea tree oil originates from the leaves of the Australian Melaleuca Alternafolia Tree.
In my experience, using 100% tea tree oil will not bleach your clothing either (plus it's less expensive, and a small amount will last much longer). In my experience, using 100% tea tree oil is usually used either as a concentrated spot treatment, or a diluted face wash. Most users find that the drying is not as severe as with other acne products that use benzoyl peroxide, and tea tree oil is usually used either as a concentrated spot treatment, or a diluted face wash. In my experience, using 100% tea tree oil directly to acne spots can kill the underlying bacteria and dry up the inflamed region, sometimes as quickly as overnight.

As an acne treatment, tea tree oil is usually used either as a concentrated spot treatment, or a diluted face wash.
As with any topical treatment, you don't want to over-dry and irritate your face, or clear skin will be even harder to maintain. Tea tree oil is most effective in high concentrations, so you're better off using a small amount directly on trouble spots, rather than diluting the concentration and using it all over, although users with highly sensitive skin may find dilution necessary.
As effective as tea tree oil is at eliminating current acne blemishes, like all topical treatments it cannot really help with preventing new acne from forming under your skin. Tea tree oil also has a rather strong alcohol-like smell, so it may be best to use it only at night before bed. These factors aside, tea tree oil is an excellent alternative if you're looking for a natural spot treatment that is more gentle on your skin than benzoyl peroxide. Combined with internal natural acne products (for acne prevention), you will have a natural regimen that eliminates spots quickly and maintains clear skin in the future.