Compost Tea questions

[GaryVSmith]

New tomato grower (small 5 plants) in raised bed. I have read a lot about benefits of compost tea instead of chemicals. I found a site that describe how to make a very simple tea with 2 or 3 double handfuls of compost/compost manure added to water in a 5 gallon bucket. I made it as described and have been adding 12 oz to each plant once a week. Sprayed leaves once with it after several attempts of filtering. I made it about 3 weeks ago and have just topped up water in bucket a couple times and stirred it frequently. Now the surface of the tea is covered with green algae like substance. Questions;
1) am I using the tea correctly? (amount and frequency)
2) is the green surface scum normal or should I discard tea and make new batch?

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by GaryVSmith

New tomato grower (small 5 plants) in raised bed. I have read a lot about benefits of compost tea instead of chemicals. I found a site that describe how to make a very simple tea with 2 or 3 double handfuls of compost/compost manure added to water in a 5 gallon bucket. I made it as described and have been adding 12 oz to each plant once a week. Sprayed leaves once with it after several attempts of filtering. I made it about 3 weeks ago and have just topped up water in bucket a couple times and stirred it frequently. Now the surface of the tea is covered with green algae like substance. Questions;
1) am I using the tea correctly? (amount and frequency)
2) is the green surface scum normal or should I discard tea and make new batch?

First off there is compost tea and AACT (actively aerated compost tea).

Regular compost tea should be used up entirely same day every batch. AACT can last a couple days if you keep it aerated. In fact, most people aerate it 8 hours or more before using it. Most people use a simple and cheap aquarium air stone and pump to keep it aerated. The main reason is that stagnant water can potentially grow pathogens. The green scum is fine, won't hurt a thing. BUT there may be other things like botulism hidden from view that are very toxic to people. Potentially could be plant pathogens too. So don't let your tea get stagnant.

Hope that answers your question.

[Master_Gardener]

Originally Posted by GaryVSmith

New tomato grower (small 5 plants) in raised bed. I have read a lot about benefits of compost tea instead of chemicals. I found a site that describe how to make a very simple tea with 2 or 3 double handfuls of compost/compost manure added to water in a 5 gallon bucket. I made it as described and have been adding 12 oz to each plant once a week. Sprayed leaves once with it after several attempts of filtering. I made it about 3 weeks ago and have just topped up water in bucket a couple times and stirred it frequently. Now the surface of the tea is covered with green algae like substance. Questions;
1) am I using the tea correctly? (amount and frequency)
2) is the green surface scum normal or should I discard tea and make new batch?

What is the purpose of letting your compost sit in the water for so long? What you are making is an extract. Since you are using compost, the material is already decomposed. What is the benefit of letting it age? Why is this different from just applying the compost as a top dressing and watering it?

I would be especially careful to ensure that the manure is fully composted. Using fresh manure in a vegetable garden is a formula for disaster. Fresh manure needs to be applied 180 days prior to harvest.

I could understand cutting comfrey and or nettle and letting fresh plant material age for a time. You want the material to decompose in the water to make the accumulated nutrients more readily available to the plant. With finished compost, I would expect that an hour or two gets you as much as you are going to get out of it. Unless the algae adds something to the mix.

Russel

[beeman]

Be very careful of Compost tea or AACT, I didn't know I had disease pathogens in my compost, brewed and sprayed it over a 4 year period. Now my whole garden has a problem with "Corky Root Rot".
Be warned I thought that both Compost tea and AACT were the bees knees, now I know differently.

[Master_Gardener]

Originally Posted by beeman

Be very careful of Compost tea or AACT, I didn't know I had disease pathogens in my compost, brewed and sprayed it over a 4 year period. Now my whole garden has a problem with "Corky Root Rot".
Be warned I thought that both Compost tea and AACT were the bees knees, now I know differently.

I don't think that there is a Silver Bullet when it comes to gardening. Everything you do affects everything else.

[GaryVSmith]

So am I better off just to use MiracleGro sprayed on leaves once a week (so much rain since I planted I'm afraid to add any more moisture to the soil)?

[beeman]

Originally Posted by GaryVSmith

So am I better off just to use MiracleGro sprayed on leaves once a week (so much rain since I planted I'm afraid to add any more moisture to the soil)?

A better idea, spray using Biotamax. I use it instead of Compost (suspect pathogens) but this stuff still adds all the bacteria associated with AACT, without the hassle.
I brew in a 5 gallon pail with 1/2 cup of molasses for 24/36 hours. My microscope tells me it's good stuff.
Biotamax http://www.biotamax.com/BiotaMax.html