Compost Tea/Brewing

[amideutch]

Kelleyville, looks like you got a handle on your compost tea brewing. Cornmeal and molasses are also good ingredients to use. How long do you aerate your tea before using? Ami

[kelleyville]

Ami,
Depends on what it smells and looks like but I usually aerate anywhere from 12-24 hours. I read somewhere that after that time frame the molasses no longer feeds the live things growing and you have to add more. Right now I am using some terrible compost! I will probably run it for two days at least just to try to get something out of it, and will add fish emulsion to it before drenching the soil with it. This will be a major weak tea!Heading to Home depot to get a bag of whatever it was I got there last week that smelled so ripe as it made much better tea!

Another thing I throw in if i am thinking about it is real tea bags! That depends on what I have on hand but usually just plain tea for iced tea and green tea bags. I have also been known to throw a hand full of the goldfish pond food ( as well as some of the water) in there as it seems to have an awful lot of good stuff in the ingredients list It has soybean meal, ground corn, fish meal, ground wheat, fish oil, alfalfa meal, limestone and on and on and on ....Kelley

[Tomstrees]

After 2+ weeks of brewing my seaweed tea I HAD to use it ...
I mean ... the air was soooo thick you could cut it ~ lol

This batch (for me) looked like the best brew I've ever made:
a deep rich green and looked like only particles
and not pieces of seaweed were left in the bottom of the bucket.
Within 24 hours, the plants were "jumping" out of their pots -
I mean WOW talk about seeing a difference.

I was also able to back-fill my pots & mulch with seaweed & straw.

So far all is well ~

Tom

[kelleyville]

Tom,
Was this just seaweed tea or other things incoporated too? Can you tell me how to make seaweed tea? Of course I don't have a clue where to actually get some fresh seaweed but I can always hope I find some!

Sounds heavenly! I want to see my plants jump out of thier pots

Kelley

[Tomstrees]

(no additives needed)

Recipe for seaweed tea is super easy:

1. Collect seaweed
2. Place seaweed in bucket
3. Add water
4. Let ferment for 2 weeks+
5. Either strain out the seaweed or just water plants ...

Watch em "booooom" ... Oh and enjoy tastey maters !

~ Tom

[amideutch]

Tom, Watch em "booooom"!!! You been drinkin that Crete hooch again or your seaweed tea. Ami

[kelleyville]

Tom how much seaweed? Fresh seaweed? My hubby is going to Daytona next week for a job maybe he can find a place where there is some on the beach? otherwise is there someplace that sells fresh seaweed online?

[Tomstrees]

Tom, Watch em "booooom"!!! You been drinkin that Crete hooch again or your seaweed tea. Ami

I'm on my second bottle ! Friends from Crete came to the states and hooked me up with a "second stash" ~ Good times. good times ~
Also, they "MIGHT" serve some at our wedding ~ lol

Tom how much seaweed? Fresh seaweed? My hubby is going to Daytona next week for a job maybe he can find a place where there is some on the beach? otherwise is there someplace that sells fresh seaweed online?

I collected 2 large black garbages bags full. Yes it was fresh (well from the most recent tide). I'm not sure of a place online that would sell it - and did DH drive to FL or fly? I doubt they would allow you to "check in" seaweed onto a plane ~ lol

~ Tom

[kelleyville]

Tom,
DH has to drive his truck to take his equipment so it is feasible, whether he will remember or know what seaweed is once he finds a beach is the catchy part How long will it keep in the big black garbage bags?

Kelley

[the999bbq]

I've read here that you should be careful when adding molasses to the compost tea http://www.acornorganic.org/cgi-bin/organopedia/itemdisplay?128


because you can encourage the regeneration of pathogens that were initially eliminated in the composting process.

So it might be better to keep the two fine products on separate applications maybe ?

[Tomstrees]

I do not leave seaweed in black plastic bags; I just use the bags to collect it from the beach. I let the seaweed stand in water in 5-gallon buckets for about 2 weeks - then either sive out rotted seaweed or just pour all contents near the base of the plants (trying for no splash-up)...

~ Tom

Recipe for seaweed tea is super easy:

1. Collect seaweed
2. Place seaweed in bucket
3. Add water
4. Let ferment for 2 weeks+
5. Either strain out the seaweed or just water plants ...

[amideutch]

the999bbq, That is correct and thats why you need to be careful of the ingredients you use and have to use it within 12 hours after brewing. Adding molasses will extend the brew time and as long as the brew doesn't go anaerobic it should be OK. T&J's microbe tea is made up of ingredients that won't go anaerobic so you don't have to worry about it. Ami

[Amigatec]

Here is what I use to make Tea.
1. A plastic 55 gal drum
2. Soaker-hose for the aerator held down with PVC pipe
3. Hooked to a 1/2 garden hose
4. A 110 LPH air pump.
5. Looks like a Root-Beer Float
6. Let it pump for 24 hours
7. 5 Gal paint strainer bag for the Tea bag
8. A 360 GPH pump to pump it to the overhead watering system.


I use it full strength.

20 cups Worm Compost
20 cups Alfalfa pellets
6 cups Molasses
1 cup liquid Fish/Kelp
1 cup Humic Acid
2 quarts Worm Juice


I will let you know how it works.

[hasshoes]

Really stupid question that I've been wondering for a while. :0)

What does compost tea do?

Is it just like fertilizer or does it do more than that?

[Amigatec]

It's some of the best fertilizer you can get. But more importantly it is full of good microbes for the soil.

There are 2 basic types aerated and non-aerated. Aerated is really the only way to go, it will build good microbes.