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Has anyone had experience with home made lawn tonics or compost tea? The tonic I've read about the most is soda/beer/soap/ammonia/mouthwash sprayed with a 10gallon hose end mix sprayer.

Redtenchu said:

As anyone had experience with home made lawn tonics or compost tea?

The tonic I've read about the most is soda/beer/soap/ammonia/mouthwash sprayed with a 10gallon hose end mix sprayer.

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Yep compost tea I would leave the ammonia out though it might kill the good grass. I have heard of the soap/ dish liquid, and mouthwash for getting rid of bugs. I have a gardening book with alot of this kind of stuff in it.

The ammonia makes me nervous... Dish soap is great for nacrotic ring spots. And the rest is just fertilizer

The articles I've seen explain the ammonia as a nitrogen source, the beer/coke as food for microbes in the dirt, the mouthwash as a bug repellent and the soap (non antibacterial) as a softener for compacted soil and a holding agent for the other ingredients. I'll probably try the compost tea first and maybe the "tonic" on a small spot in my back yard before I spray everything.

Redtenchu said:

The articles I've seen explain the ammonia as a nitrogen source, the beer/coke as food for microbes in the dirt, the mouthwash as a bug repellent and the soap (non antibacterial) as a softener for compacted soil and a holding agent for the other ingredients. I'll probably try the compost tea first and maybe the "tonic" on a small spot in my back yard before I spray everything.

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Yep but its a nitrogen overdose like dog urin.

Thanks for the advice!

I don't know the ammonia content of your recipe. However using some amount of ammonia, maybe a half cup per 1,000 sqft, is no different from putting on some folar application of fertilizer. It is nitrogen diluted in the liquid ammonia mix, them diluted again as it goes through the hose end sprayer. Added for quick effect, no longer benefit obtained. Pouring straight nitrogen in a spot on the lawn will kill the grass. As will any fertilizer. It is all in the dose.

The most common I've found is as follows:

One full can of regular pop (any kind-no diet soda)
One full can of beer (no light beer) 12oz
1/2 Cup of Liquid dishwashing soap (do NOT use anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid)
1/2 Cup of household ammonia
1/2 Cup of mouthwash (any brand)

Pour in 10 gallon hose end sprayer and apply.


I've tried it once on my yard (2500sqf) and didn't notice any change, I'm currently brewing up some compost tea to try it a few times.