Stan V. Griep, Retired American Rose Society Certified Consulting Rosarian Photographs Stan V. Griep
We all know that good nutrition is very important for all of our rosebushes and plants to perform at their peak. We have read many an article about the benefits of “teas” for not only our rosebushes but also the other plants we grow for enjoyment or for food. These “teas” carry not only excellent nutrients for our rosebushes and other plants but also some soil building nutrition for the soils home of our rosebushes and plants. Keep the soils home organisms happy and you will have happy bloom smiling roses and flowers, not to mention bumper crops of good fresh home grown garden veggies!
The biggest problem I have run into over my years of gardening and being a Rosarian in making up such teas is the messy nature of it. I used to take either a large plastic barrel or several five gallon buckets of water, toss in some alfalfa cubes (for alfalfa tea) or some lumps of cow or horse manure (for manure teas) or some cubes I made up of compost (for compost tea) and let sit for 4 to 5 days, stirring them a bit at day two and just prior to application.
I would pour the newly brewed tea through an old window screen frame to keep out the bulk “nasties” (again as I call them) that I used to make the tea. It was all a nasty process but I did it due to the benefits I got and still do get from the application of these teas. At one time I asked my wife for some old pantyhose, which got me a strange look or two, to use as my tea bags. I would put some alfalfa, cow or horse manure or the compost cubes I made up into the sections of old pantyhose I had made up, tie them off and toss them in the barrel or buckets of water. Doing this worked pretty well as I no longer had to pour the finished teas through the old windscreen frame before application.
I did not have to deal with the discarding of the “nasties” in a messy fashion anymore either! Big plus! I did still have to deal with the old pantyhose “teabags” though. The discarding them in some usable fashion, the making them all up for use and the questioning looks I got from my wife when asking for more old pantyhose were still kind of a problem for this gimpy old gardener & Rosarian.
Then like a wonderful sunbeam I met a nice lady by the name of Annie Haven. She has an on-line company called Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brews/Soils Conditioner Teas. On her website she has Moo Poo Tea, Horsey Poo Tea and Alfalfa Tea for sale. Each one comes fresh to you in handy “tea bags” all packed with good ole cow manure, horse manure or top notch alfalfa, depending upon what you desire to purchase.
Being an old farm boy that was raised on a dairy farm and worked with beef raising feed lots, I am partial to the Moo Poo Tea. I also love the alfalfa tea for the mile long list of nutrients it brings to my rosebushes and other plants as well as their soils home. The Moo Poo Tea brings great soil building and plant nourishing features as well. All you have to do is buy some of the tea bags of choice from Annie. Place one in a five gallon bucket of water, (I like to start out using warm water, just cause we are making tea right?) let it sit for 3 to 4 days and it is ready to use. Scoop some out and pour it around the bases of your rosebushes and other plants. The natural goodness soaks right in and you can nearly hear the roses, plants and soils organisms whispering “Thank You.” This just could not be any easier folks. Check out Annie’s website here: http://ahavenbrand.com/index.html and be sure to tell her that Stan The Rose Man sent you and tell her Hello for me too. About the Author: Stan V. Griep is a Retired American Rose Society Certified Consulting Rosarian; a Colorado Native Rosarian with over 40 Years of Rose Growing Experience; an Honorary Member of the Rose Society of South Australia; and Webmaster: The Colorado Rosarian Website
Posted June 13, 2014
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By Dan Heims, President, Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Photographs courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Terra Nova’s breeders have created a series of outstanding world-class echinaceas that are consistent in size, bloom power, color intensity and are a pollinator buffet. What’s not to like.
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We all know that good nutrition is very important for all of our rosebushes and plants to perform at their peak. We have read many an article about the benefits of “teas” for not only our rosebushes but also the other plants we grow for enjoyment or for food. These “teas” carry not only excellent nutrients for our rosebushes and other plants but also some soil building nutrition for the soils home of our rosebushes and plants. Keep the soils home organisms happy and you will have happy bloom smiling roses and flowers, not to mention bumper crops of good fresh home grown garden veggies!
I did not have to deal with the discarding of the “nasties” in a messy fashion anymore either! Big plus! I did still have to deal with the old pantyhose “teabags” though. The discarding them in some usable fashion, the making them all up for use and the questioning looks I got from my wife when asking for more old pantyhose were still kind of a problem for this gimpy old gardener & Rosarian. 
