How does humus tea fertigation benefit aloe vera?

At ATALAYA BIO, we are firmly committed to the internal production of bio-inputs, fostering the agrarian sovereignty of our crops. This approach allows us to apply the principles of the circular economy and upcycling directly to the farm.

This philosophy is in full coherence with our Demeter certification, which places soil fertility as the central axis and conceives the farm as a single, self-sustaining living organism.

Benefits of worm humus in agriculture

Worm humus is a 100% natural product, rich in organic matter. It is the result of the digestion of organic material (manure and/or vegetable remains) by the California red worm. This process results in a product with a high load of beneficial microorganisms.

Furthermore, it contains humic and fulvic acids, as well as auxins, which naturally stimulate the biology of the plant. Consequently, its application provides a significant physical, chemical, and biological improvement to the soil.

Why convert it into tea?

You might wonder why we process this solid humus into a liquid "tea". The benefits of humus tea are remarkable for the cultivation of premium aloe vera:

• Rapid multiplication: It facilitates the rapid multiplication of beneficial microorganisms.
• Nutrient bioavailability: It ensures greater bioavailability of nutrients such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), and Magnesium (Mg), making them quickly assimilable by the plant.
• Natural rooting agent: It acts as a natural rooting agent, improving soil structure and increasing water retention.
• Plant health: It results in more balanced, vigorous, and resistant plants.

Ultimately, this process improves both the production and the quality of our aloe vera.

How we do it at ATALAYA BIO

The elaboration of our humus tea is another practical expression of the circular economy we practice. Here is our step-by-step process:

1. Elaboration of the Humus

We create a pile of vegetable remains and sheep manure, to which we add sludge and algae from our pure spring water pond. Once the pile is prepared, we introduce the worms.

Crucially, we introduce the compost preparations specific to biodynamic agriculture: P502 (yarrow), P503 (chamomile), P504 (nettle), P505 (oak bark), P506 (dandelion), and P507 (valerian). We control humidity via drip irrigation and add "food" to the worms as they consume the organic matter. At the end of the process, we obtain a dark organic matter: solid humus.

2. Collection

To collect it, we dry part of the pile so that the worms migrate to the wetter part or move to a new pile where they find food. The dry humus, now free of worms, is sieved and moved to the barrel.

3. Preparation of the Tea

We mix 60 kg of solid humus in a 200-liter barrel filled with pure spring water. To this mixture, we add the biodynamic preparations P500 (Horn Manure) and the Maria Thun Preparation.

The mixture undergoes dynamization three times a day for 10 minutes. This process provides oxygenation and triggers microbial activation.

4. Filtering and Ferti-irrigation

Before application, the tea passes through a 130-micron mesh to prevent obstructions in the irrigation system. The filtered tea is then taken to the irrigation heads and distributed by drip to each plant.

This results in an application that is 100% natural, rich in microbiology, and produced entirely on our own farm.

Conclusion

At ATALAYA BIO, we bet on a regenerative, sovereign, and coherent agricultural model, aligned with the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture. The in-house production of humus tea is a clear example of our commitment to upcycling.

By betting on the most natural processes, we achieve the most natural and active aloe vera products for you.