Compost Tea

Compost Tea

Similar to brewing tea you would drink, compost tea is brewed to create a more concentrated, nutrient rich organic material that can be applied to your plants. 

On the west side of the Sustainability Demonstration House, we have created a compost tea pilot plot. Both have been seeded with Western Xeriscape Mix and Western Trails Grass Seed Mix (see below for a full list of plants in these mixes.) We'll provide updates here that include photos, soil test results, and DIY applications for your own yard. 

Western Xeriscape Mix

  • Baileya multiradiata (Desert Marigold)
  • Clarkia pulchella (Deerhorn Clarkia )
  • Eriophyllum lanatum (Oregon Sunshine)
  • Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy)
  • Gaillardia aristata (Blanket Flower)
  • Gilia tricolor (Bird's Eye)
  • Layia platyglossa (Tidy Tips)
  • Linum perenne (Blue Flax)
  • Lupinus succulentus (Arroyo Lupine)
  • Machaeranthera tanacetifolia (Prairie Aster)
  • Mentzelia lindleyi (Blazing Star)
  • Oenothera pallida (Pale Evening Primrose)
  • Penstemon palmeri (Palmer Penstemon)
  • Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain Penstemon)
  • Phacelia campanularia (California Bluebell)
  • Ratibida columifera (Prairie Coneflower)
  • Sphaeralcea grossularifolia (Gooseberry leaf Globemallow)
  • Thelesperma filifolium (Greenthread)

Western Trails Grass Seed Mix

  • Blue grama, Hachita (Bouteloua gracilis)
  • Little bluestem, (Schizachyrium scoparium)
  • Indian Ricegrass, (Achnatherum hymenoides)
  • Sideoats grama, El Reno (Bouteloua curtipendula)
  • Galleta, Viva (Pleuraphis jamesii)
  • Alkali sacaton, VNS (Sporobolus airoides)
  • Western wheatgrass, Arriba (Pascopyrum smithii)
  • Sand dropseed, VNS (Sporobolus cryptandrus)
  • Buffalo grass, Texoka (Buchloe dactyloides)
  • Sheep fescue, Covar (Festuca ovina)
  • Green needlegrass, Lodorm (Nassella viridula)
  • Perennial ryegrass, Linn (Lolium perenne) Nurse crop

Here is what your wildlife garden should include:

  1. Food

    Native plants provide food eaten by a variety of wildlife. Feeders can supplement natural food sources.

  2. Water

    All animals need water to survive, and some need it for bathing or breeding as well. 

  3. Cover

    Wildlife need places to take shelter from bad weather and places to hide from predators or hunt for prey. 

  4. Places to Raise Young

    Wildlife need resources to reproduce, and to protect and nourish their young.

  5. Sustainable Practices

    Maintain your yard or garden in natural ways to ensure soil, air, and water stay healthy and clean.