Compost Tea-- Grows Larger Veggies??

Melissa569 · April 28, 2010

I was just goofing around on YouTube, researching ways to grow larger and more bountiful veggies... I came across a video about some guy up in Alaska named John Evans, who grows world record giant veggies, and he sells the compost tea (which contains lava ash nutrients) that he says is his big secret. Not the alaskan sun.

Although I think you can easily make your OWN compost tea for cheaper, I have to say, I agree that a very good compost, or at least compost tea, and lava ash nutrients is a big key in growing very large vegetables.

Before I moved to the city, I lived up by Mount Shasta in northern California. That whole area is just swimming in lava ash! I had a huge vegetable garden on our family property. So did the man who lived next door to us. I never used compost tea, but he kept trying to convince me to... I was lazy, I admit. And I didn't listen. But he was really gung-ho about it.

Well, my veggies came out hm-hm, so-so, kinda average, or even a bit small. HIS vegetables were pretty big though! He grew huge pumpkins, FAT tomatoes, and zuchinnis about as big as a man's arm! Big carrots too.

I'm thinking of brewing a good compost tea for myself, and using HUGE pots on my back patio (I live in an apartment). Any ideas for what to mix in the tea? If I could get John Evan's stuff for free, I would, hahaha. But I jsut don't have the money.

My nieghbor made his compost tea by growing half of his plants in the ground, and the other half in those giant plastic garbage bins, raised up off the ground, and filled with local lava-ashy soil, and aged manure from local farms. The farmers gave it away for free, all they asked was that you show up there and shovel it away yourself, guess that was payment enough for them, haha. Then he saved the drippings from the big bins after watering in a huge tray below, and used it to water all his plants.

Any other ideas?

April 28, 2010	#1
Melissa569 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Northern CA mountains Posts: 25	Compost Tea-- Grows Larger Veggies?? I was just goofing around on YouTube, researching ways to grow larger and more bountiful veggies... I came across a video about some guy up in Alaska named John Evans, who grows world record giant veggies, and he sells the compost tea (which contains lava ash nutrients) that he says is his big secret. Not the alaskan sun. Although I think you can easily make your OWN compost tea for cheaper, I have to say, I agree that a very good compost, or at least compost tea, and lava ash nutrients is a big key in growing very large vegetables. Before I moved to the city, I lived up by Mount Shasta in northern California. That whole area is just swimming in lava ash! I had a huge vegetable garden on our family property. So did the man who lived next door to us. I never used compost tea, but he kept trying to convince me to... I was lazy, I admit. And I didn't listen. But he was really gung-ho about it. Well, my veggies came out hm-hm, so-so, kinda average, or even a bit small. HIS vegetables were pretty big though! He grew huge pumpkins, FAT tomatoes, and zuchinnis about as big as a man's arm! Big carrots too. I'm thinking of brewing a good compost tea for myself, and using HUGE pots on my back patio (I live in an apartment). Any ideas for what to mix in the tea? If I could get John Evan's stuff for free, I would, hahaha. But I jsut don't have the money. My nieghbor made his compost tea by growing half of his plants in the ground, and the other half in those giant plastic garbage bins, raised up off the ground, and filled with local lava-ashy soil, and aged manure from local farms. The farmers gave it away for free, all they asked was that you show up there and shovel it away yourself, guess that was payment enough for them, haha. Then he saved the drippings from the big bins after watering in a huge tray below, and used it to water all his plants. Any other ideas? Last edited by Melissa569; April 28, 2010 at 08:56 PM.