Compost Tea Extract

Compost extract is the ticket. Faster and no brewing needed.

Time to wake up and smell the compost, fish and seaweed.

Compost extract can be made in a few minutes anytime on the fly. No need for expensive air pumps, compost tea brewers, and tanks.
Increase the odds of growing the “correct microorganisms” for your plant by allowing the reproduction of the organisms to occur in the soil and on plant surfaces rather than in a compost tea brewer. Also extended brewing periods will select for organisms that can grow in water, which may or may not be the correct biology for your specific plant. With a compost extract you have much less risk of it culturing anaerobic pathogenic organisms.

You can just use compost and extract it.

If you pretreat the compost with food source and let it sit before extracting helps move things along.

I pre-treat the compost blend used for the extract 48-72 hours before I make an extract. It will grow a fungal beard like this:


Recipe:
Take 1 cup ewc and 1 cup fungal compost or a composted forest product. (ca humus works well) Then add 4 tbsp insect frass.
Mix together. This is enough "compost blend" for a 5 gallon drench of undiliuted compost extract.

I then take 30 ml of fish hydrolysate (or sea shield or pacific gro) and then add about 200-300ml of water to a seedling flat. Add just enough to moisten it down.

Cover and let sit a 48-72 hours.


I then put 5 gallons of water into a 10 gallon bucket.

Get a compost extract bag. If you are in a remote area where they do not have compost bags, you can use a paint strainer.
Put 2 cups of this mix into the bag.


I twist the opening of the the bag to keep it shut. Then put in the water and smash and mead the bag with your hands. Keep doing this for a few minutes until the water is a dark brown.



Then I immediately add 1tbsp kelp powder and 4tbsp fish hydrolysate.
or if you got the AEA stuff. 10ml sea stim and 60ml sea shield. (alternative is pacific gro oceanic fertilizer, can be had from DTE distributors)
Take both and add to your compost extract. Mix well and drench your plants with it.
Can be used full strength or can be diluted as needed to ensure complete soil coverage.

Recipe is for 5 gallons can multiple up or down for larger or smaller batches.

Here is a foliar extract recipe for 1 gallon.

Lower rates are used for a foliar vs a drench.
California Humus = 12ml a gallon - 3 tsp
Worm Castings = 12ml a gallon - 3 tsp
Insect Frass = 5ml a gallon - 1 tsp
Kelp Powder = 3ml - 1/2tsp
Fish Hydrolysate = 5ml - 1tsp

Can be applied weekly if you got the time. Usually see the plants praying for the sky after applying.

Please note:
This is not living biological extract a compost extract not to be confused with putting a tea bag in water.

If you got the proper tools and techniques to do it right, aact is excellent. But if someone does not have a do meter and microscope here is way to do things for less money and time and still get excellent results.

Bad aact. Not a myth at all. Bad compost not a myth either. Does not solely mean ecoli in the aact.

If you really want to make sure the aact is good use a microscope. Going off smell alone does not mean you brewed a good tea.
There is not the same air in the medium the microbes then do not take hold in the medium.

Hope that helps.

I would be interested in what your microbial count with this process? The point of compost tea is to extract, and replicate. You "may" be extracting, but not sure about any replication.

Have you scoped these "teas"?

What microbes, and what numbers are you getting?

I know someone that has a $15,000 compost "tea" extraction machine. It works very well. The end product is shelf stable for about a month or so.

Interesting post.

I read an article somewhere in which the person used Black Strap Molasses as the main food for his microscopic bugs.

MileHighGlass said:

I would be interested in what your microbial count with this process? The point of compost tea is to extract, and replicate. You "may" be extracting, but not sure about any replication.

Have you scoped these "teas"?

What microbes, and what numbers are you getting?

I know someone that has a $15,000 compost "tea" extraction machine. It works very well. The end product is shelf stable for about a month or so.

Interesting post.

Click to expand...

This was developed using a microscope.
I am just sharing and passing along what I have learned.
With AACT. You can also multiply the bad instead of the good. you lose air, or temps go up. important to scope each batch.

If you do not scope your aact and know it is has enough DO the entire brew it can go bad.
If you brew a tea you have a greater chance of it going bad.

Yes, I have scoped the extracts and also have had a pro look at the extract. With high quality compost inputs, This a proven method to work.

What have we seen: Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa (flagellates, amoebae, ciliates) nematodes. All in high range.
here is an example of one assay.
all above range or high.
746 active bacteria, 1846 total, 85.6 active fungi, 3685 total fungi. 2.85 fungal diameter.
1458444 flagellates, 4250875 amoebae, 6842 ciliates, 124 total nematodes. 300+ lb/ac nutrient cycling.

You do not need any machines to do this. Do not have to wait for a brew and much easier to clean up.

paint strainer bags from home depot work fine.......yeehaw

Hey lead, thanks! I'm going to try his out. How far can you dilute? I'm wondering how much to use to water a yard of soil.

What does each component do? The fish hydrolysate for example? And have you tested whether emulsion works just as well? I have kelp extrAct but what does that do for it?

When I see a product like 'California humus' it makes me suspicious. It looks like a rebranded and overpriced commercial product. I can't seem to find any other source of what they call orchard compost. Have you tested the results with other cheaper compost products?

I posted this in another thread after Lead was talking about compost extracts. Thought I should post it here also.

FoothillFarming said:

I think its a myth that people are making bad teas........ If it smells bad, it's anaerobic. If it smells good, then it's aerobic. Pretty simple.

Here is what Teaming with Microbes has to say about Compost Extract:

Page 148-149

"Compost extract is what you get when you soak compost in water.....The end result is an anaerobic soup with perhaps a bit of aerobic activity on the surface. The loss of aerobic microbial diversity alone (not to mention the risk of it's containing anaerobic pathogens and alcohols) suggest that compost extracts are not worth the effort. We don't consider it safe or advisable to use them."

Teaming with Microbes on AACT's:

Continued from page 149

"Modern compost tea, on the other hand, are aerobic mixtures. If the tea is properly made, it is a concentrate of beneficial, aerobic microbes. The bacterial population, for example, grows from 1 billion in a teaspoon of compost to 4 billion in a teaspoon of actively aerated compost tea.

THen from the same chapter, page 161

"If you are still worried about E. coli

We find it hard to believe that e coli, an anaerobic organism, can be found in a properly aerated tea......Still, some folks remain concerned about the possibility of e coli growing in their teas.


An ACT is far superior to a compost extract for many reasons. Making a bad AACT is hard to do, keep the dissolved oxygen above 6 part per million and having a pump that supplies at least .05 cubic feet of air per minute, per gallon of water. Easy peasy.

Click to expand...

plantingplants said:

Hey lead, thanks! I'm going to try his out. How far can you dilute? I'm wondering how much to use to water a yard of soil.

What does each component do? The fish hydrolysate for example? And have you tested whether emulsion works just as well? I have kelp extrAct but what does that do for it?

When I see a product like 'California humus' it makes me suspicious. It looks like a rebranded and overpriced commercial product. I can't seem to find any other source of what they call orchard compost. Have you tested the results with other cheaper compost products?

Click to expand...

You can also make a larger batch.

You can dilute down enough to make sure you cover the medium.
The fish and kelp is food for the microbes/fungi.

Ideal to use hydrolysate not fish emulsion: some info on emulsion. http://www.neptunesharvest.com/emulsions.html

Thanks for mentioning the ca humus. It is not the only option and did not mean to make it sound that way.
I mentioned it because it is proven to give results under the microscope and it is what was used in this example.

If you are in a urban area and have a smaller farm this may work well because you do not have access to the same resources as someone in a remote area.

What if you are not in california or have a larger farm. The ca humus is not that feasible due to the cost.

Do not have to use ca humus. Only used that as an example that is proven to work well.
Basically is composted wood from the forest.
Biologic systems and earthfort also have a similar product. biologic humus and cascade blend compost.

Yes, we have tested other bagged stuff at dro shop. mostly not all that hot. If you look around for composted wood or a composted forest product, you probably get a good source for much cheaper.

Please share if you find something worth checking out. Like to find something that is most cost effective.

Ideally the best bet is to your own compost and ewc.

^ It sounds like "teaming with microbes" is talking about a different method of compost extraction... It seems to me hes talking about just throwing compost into a barrel of water and letting it sit. Leadsleds method is growing the stuff in a soil mix, and than a quick water extraction.

My choice on adding extra microbes this season is just going to be tainio, pepzyme, rejuvenate etc. Its much cheaper this way, much easier, and i know exactly what microbes are going into my plants.

I dont have the time or money to make a commercial 1000g tea brew, than scope for microbes, than spend hours cleaning up the tank every time.

TheOutlawTree said:

^ It sounds like "teaming with microbes" is talking about a different method of compost extraction... It seems to me hes talking about just throwing compost into a barrel of water and letting it sit. Leadsleds method is growing the stuff in a soil mix, and than a quick water extraction.

My choice on adding extra microbes this season is just going to be tainio, pepzyme, rejuvenate etc. Its much cheaper this way, much easier, and i know exactly what microbes are going into my plants.

I dont have the time or money to make a commercial 1000g tea brew, than scope for microbes, than spend hours cleaning up the tank every time.

Click to expand...

You are correct. Thanks for sharing.

leadsled said:

This was developed using a microscope.
I am just sharing and passing along what I have learned.
With AACT. You can also multiply the bad instead of the good. you lose air, or temps go up. important to scope each batch.

If you do not scope your aact and know it is has enough DO the entire brew it can go bad.
If you brew a tea you have a greater chance of it going bad.

Yes, I have scoped the extracts and also have had a pro look at the extract. With high quality compost inputs, This a proven method to work.

What have we seen: Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa (flagellates, amoebae, ciliates) nematodes. All in high range.
here is an example of one assay.
all above range or high.
746 active bacteria, 1846 total, 85.6 active fungi, 3685 total fungi. 2.85 fungal diameter.
1458444 flagellates, 4250875 amoebae, 6842 ciliates, 124 total nematodes. 300+ lb/ac nutrient cycling.

You do not need any machines to do this. Do not have to wait for a brew and much easier to clean up.

Click to expand...

To be fare the machine pumps out about 500 gallon in an hour.

Should the ciliate count be that high? When brewing compost tea if you get a high count of ciliates then I would consider that do not worthy of being used.

Cool method. Glad you have showed it.

MileHighGlass said:

To be fare the machine pumps out about 500 gallon in an hour.

Should the ciliate count be that high? When brewing compost tea if you get a high count of ciliates then I would consider that do not worthy of being used.

Cool method. Glad you have showed it.

Click to expand...

No, you are correct the ciliates should ideally be lower.
Biologist said he suspects that the numbers increased between the time the sample was made and then sent in the mail. but the time the assay was done ciliates multiplied.

When the sample made and was scoped was told it is good. Did not have high numbers of ciliate.

Have gotten higher numbers with aact during a hot day.
Then I tossed it and did not use on plants. After working with a biologist for about a year. Was getting frustrating to make aact and keep having to toss it. Once I started making compost extracts and getting them scoped the results were superior.
YMMV.
Thanks for sharing! You don't miss a thing. Hope all is growing well.

Thanx for sharing, love that beard!!

Lead, I'm not really familiar with compost tea or extract-- how many microbes is the minimum you want to apply? Can I dilute 5 gal into 195 gallons? That would be 12 nematodes per 20 gal for example. Probably less than ideal huh?

What you are describing here is liquid compost extract (LCE) which was primarily developed and promoted by Betsy Ross of Texas.

It uses about 10% of compost or vermicompost by volume of water rather than the 2 to 3% used for ACT (no such thing as AACT )

Properly made LCE should actually show very low numbers of active microorganisms because you are extracting them in dormant form, cysts and spores.

As you say you want them to come to life in the soil rather than in the liquid. The advantage besides this to LCE is that it can be stored for several days before being applied and microbial feedstock can be added as it is applied.

LCE is really not applicable as a foliar as the spores will just dry up before they can become active.

The test results you posted appear to be from SFI and they use plate culturing for the protozoa which accounts for your high numbers. I explain the problems involved with testing a liquid extract/multiplication using this method on my webpage. It is virtually impossible to get accurate numbers unless the lab is next door.

Both LCE and ACT have their place and advantages. I have used both and both can be made with an airlift design. Using my 55 gallon unit we make 50 gallons of LCE in 5 minutes.

If I might, another method for making LCE which I post on my webpage is to just swirl/stir [v]compost in water in a bucket for 5 minutes with a stick or big spoon or..... Then strain it with a paint strainer or whathaveyou. We place a 5 gallon paint strainer into the bucket, add the water and compost, stir, then gather and raise the strainer out giving it a squeeze at the end.

I also prefeed [v]compost sometimes but you want to be sure the fungus/mold you get is not like aspergillus fumigatus or some other bread mold. I look to see the lines (mycelia) rather than fuzz.

I prefeed vermicompost with bran and black strap molasses to reduce ACT time from 36 to 24 hours.

If you don't want to spring for the Alaskan Humus type stuff use Canadian Sphagnum peatmoss (Premier or Alaska Peat) which is basically the same thing.

leadsled said:

No, you are correct the ciliates should ideally be lower.
Biologist said he suspects that the numbers increased between the time the sample was made and then sent in the mail. but the time the assay was done ciliates multiplied.

When the sample made and was scoped was told it is good. Did not have high numbers of ciliate.

Have gotten higher numbers with aact during a hot day.
Then I tossed it and did not use on plants. After working with a biologist for about a year. Was getting frustrating to make aact and keep having to toss it. Once I started making compost extracts and getting them scoped the results were superior.
YMMV.
Thanks for sharing! You don't miss a thing. Hope all is growing well.

Click to expand...

You do not need to toss tea just because it has a high ciliate count. Ciliates are not anaerobic. They are just indicators that there may be some anaerobic bacteria present. If it does not stink, it is not anaerobic. It is almost impossible to make bad CT but it is easy to make optimum CT.

I was making an excellent act using just a 5g bucket and a cpl 30g aquarium pumps with air stones. I never mic 'd them but the proof was in the plants for sure. I used a mix of homemade compost, chicken manure, ewc, and alfalfa meal, and also molasses. That season with that ACT grew the healthiest plants ive ever seen. Had no issues with bugs that season, no bug natks, very minimal mold issues in just 2 plants. I had my doubts after reading some dialogue about microbial activity being minimal w this type of system, but like I said, I be never witnessed healthier plants in over 15 years. I got great results using it as a foliar. Huge over sized leaves that afforded some explosive growth in veg.. And some of the tastiest, aromatic flowers at harvest. I would like to tinker with a flowering tea to see what additional effects I can have on the final fruits.

Glad to see you back around MM. Thanks for adding to an already informative thread.

I like this idea a lot but have no idea where to get any of the stuff listed in the recipe. I will poke around today see what I find.

Tess, you can get frass, kelp, fish hydrolysate, ewc, etc from Appleseed in Placerville. As for composted forest product, it's pretty common. Just check compost bag ingredients and call nurseries. Try front yard nursery in placerville.