Compost Tea vs. Plant-tone Showdown

First of all, I am only a recent fan of houseplants. I was scarred at a young age by the basement of our local Woolworth's - filled with variegated, plastic houseplants that collected dust and faded under the fluorescents.

Made me die little deaths.

My interest was peaked in recent years by an article I read on houseplants that actually clean your air. Lordy, sign me up!

Here's a quick article on plants and the toxins they clean from the air.

And a book I've had on My List for a while . . . "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office" by B.C. Wolverton.

I have since bought a snake plant, pothos, peace lilies, spider plants, ferns, English ivy . . . and have learned that simple watering doesn't suffice. Which led me to the showdown - half of my houseplants received a side dressing of Plant-tone - the other half had high-tea with Merrill's Compost Tea.

Plant-tone boasts that it contains "all 15 essential nutrients" - nitrogen, phosphate, potash and others through organic materials - manure, crab meal, bone meal, dried blood (eeek!) and other stinky treats that our dogs go CRAZY over.

VS.

Merrill's Compost Tea is Rodale Certified Organic - compost, sea kelp, plant soluable humates and a mixture of plant essential nutrients. Hmmmm. And a note - "Not for human consumption" - well, I'm glad THAT has been cleared up. (Note: Compost Tea is just that - compost in little tea bags. Very clever. One tea bag per gallon of warm water. Steep for 10-15 minutes.)

I'll be curious to report the results - although I think at this point, the plants will take anything I throw their way . . .