Compost Tea Recipe(s) and Usage

[EarlyBird]

Hi all,

My young plants are very robust so far, with thick main stems and branches, luxurious foliage, growing very stout and wide. They seem to be thriving.

I've got a couple of 5 gallon buckets of good compost made of kitchen scraps (veggie peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, onion skin, etc.) and wanted to make a compost tea of it to feed the plants once every couple of weeks.

But I want to make sure I understand the right recipe for compost tea so that I give the plants what they need during this early foliage/root development stage, vs. the blooming/fruiting stage. I know you want to cut down on the nitrogen in the latter stage.

Any proven home made compost tea methods? Also, how often should I use it?

Thank you!

Yours in tomatoes,

[Gerardo]

Aeration, compost (highest quality possible), sugar source (molasses likely the bèst) + 24-36 hrs. Dilute 1:5 or all the way to 1:10, apply via drench or foliar.

Lots of ways to complicate it, no need.

How much compost per 5 gal bucket? About two handfulls.

Amount of carbohydrates? 30-50mL will suffice

Hours for culture? 24 min, 30-36 hrs ideal, 36-48 starts getting funky.

Temp? Southern California, non-issue

Add-ons: alfalfa meal, crab meal, peat, mycos, etc etc (you can throw the kitchen sink in there too). Experiment with a few add-ons, you might like the result.

Same tea for all phases of plant growth. Every two weeks is my schedule.

It's sort of like cooking fish, less is more.

[EarlyBird]

Thanks, Gerardo. Does it matter what the basis for the compost is? Mine is 2/3rds kitchen scraps and 1/3rd brown leaf matter. Does the compost need to be fully completed? What if I don't have a bubbler to aerate it? Does that matter?

Thanks!

[Gerardo]

The compost microbe population will vary a bit with different inputs,your percentages sound solid. I haven't tried brewing with young compost, nor without the bubbler. From what I read you can steep with few issues, other than odors.

Best of luck

[Cole_Robbie]

Blackstrap molasses has a higher nutrient content, if you can get it.

I think some sort of aeration is the way to go, if you can swing it at all. If you can scavenge an old water pump out of a fish tank or fountain, aeration can also be accomplished by moving water instead of air.

[Salsacharley]

I got a pump for about $10 at a hydroponics store.

[PureHarvest]

I bought a home brewing kit from this company 15 years ago. We had their commercial kit and were brewing it it large batches and selling it to our garden center customers by the gallon. I was able to get the home kit at wholesale cost.
Anyway, seeing this thread reminded me that I want to use it again this year. It's been over a decade since I used it. Shame on me.
I wanted to revisit their formulas etc, and found it on their FAQ. Thought you might find some of it helpful. The temperature part was especially interesting to me, and reminded me that the commercial brewer we had contained a heating element to maintain the temperature of the brew:

What are the input ratios when brewing SoilSoup Compost Tea?

No matter what size brewer (7G, 25G, 500G), the ratios remain constant and are listed below:

1 Gallon of water
1 ounce of SoilSoup Nutrient Solution
1/4 cup of worm compost

What is the shelf life of freshly brewed SoilSoup Compost Tea?

It is best to apply SoilSoup within 24/hrs after the end of a brewing cycle.

How does temperature effect the time needed to complete the SoilSoup Compost Tea brewing cycle?

A little extra heat will accelerate the SoilSoup brewing process. Soil microbes grow at a rate determined by temperature. For optimum growth the temperature should be 86 degrees F., at this temperature the initial brew will take 24 hours and population doubling will occur every 30 minutes. For every 10 degrees F. below 86 degrees the time required will double.

86 degrees F. = 24/hrs
76 degrees F. = 48/hrs
66 degrees F. = 96/hrs
50 degrees F. or less = will not work
How do I know when the SoilSoup Compost Tea is ready?

There is a ring of “bio-slime” around the inside of the container
There is brownish foam on top of the SoilSoup
There is an “earthy” aroma from the SoilSoup
Prior to being fully brewed, it will have a slightly sweet odor from the nutrient solution not yet being fully consumed by the growing microbial population

Do I need to remove the chlorine from my water before I brew SoilSoup Compost Tea?

If you are on a municipal water supply, it is important that you “deplete” any added chlorine or chlorimine prior to starting your SoilSoup brew. Listed below are a few options for getting chlorine out of your water:

After filling up your pail or tub with water, run the BioBlender for a minimum of 2 hours in the water without any nutrient or compost mixed in
After filling up your pail or tub of water, let it sit uncovered for 2 to 3 days, to let the chlorine gas off
If you want to speed up the process, purchase a water filter that removes chlorine

[Cole_Robbie]

Chlorine is still used in places, but many munipalities have switched over to chloramine, because it stays in water much longer, up to 30 days when left standing. The fastest way to remove chloramine is simply to give it an organic compound with which to react. Vitamin C will do the trick; there are countless others. Even if there is a little chloramine left in your water, it will react with the compost tea starter and thus be removed that way.

[EarlyBird]

This is all excellent information. Much appreciated.