A Basic Compost Tea Guide

[PointofNoReturn]

Thanks for the Answer. I used Vinegar cause it was advised in an Organic Tea Article found in Maximum Yield. Quote: "After adding all of the ingredients, give the solution a gentle stir with a clean instrument. Check that the final pH is not greater than 7.0; adjust with vinegar if necessary to lower the pH." Guess that guy who wrote the Article has no clue^^

So should i pay attention to the ph of the tea at all?

I guess my tea is a little heavy on the bacterial side, cause i read that Bacteria raise ph where fungi lower it.

Should i add more fungi food and lower the amounts of bacterial food then?

I used BioBizz EWC, are there allright or should i look for a different one?

Thx again

 

[jaykush]

So should i pay attention to the ph of the tea at all?

NO!

I used BioBizz EWC, are there allright or should i look for a different one?

nothing beats homemade EWC, might be worth setting one up. reducing your household waste and creating some black gold for yourself for free or very cheap.

 

[Microbeman]

jay - your so smart

 

[who dat is]

I've been slowly reading through this entire thread, on page 17 now. I've also tried several searches but I haven't found an answer. I was wondering if I couldn't just add a regular feeding of bio bizz nutes along with some earth worm castings and bubble that for a day or two to make a good tea? All the bio bizz nutes are organic and contain alot of the same stuff people are using for teas anyhow. Could this work as an aerated tea with enough food AND micro critters? Thanks.

 

[Microbeman]

I've been slowly reading through this entire thread, on page 17 now. I've also tried several searches but I haven't found an answer. I was wondering if I couldn't just add a regular feeding of bio bizz nutes along with some earth worm castings and bubble that for a day or two to make a good tea? All the bio bizz nutes are organic and contain alot of the same stuff people are using for teas anyhow. Could this work as an aerated tea with enough food AND micro critters? Thanks.

See other thread.

 

[FlipFlops]

interesting thread, I am going to have to try and incorporate something like this into my growing.

 

[Gunnlæif]

well, there's lots of interesting info on teas in here for sure, and i enjoyed reading most of it. i have been playing with teas for some time now and i have been happy with the results i have created on my own. massive root systems and epic finished product, with the addition of my teas throughout my grow.
the brew i've been using is definately contributing to my success and i want to figure out what exactly i am creating because i'm no biologist.

first i bubble 5 gals of my well water 6.4 ph for 24hrs.
next morning i add the ingredients i am useing.
ewc, pirahna, tarantula, nitrozime, humbolt honey and carboload.
brew for 24 to 48hrs, set my ph and feed to my plants 4 times on a schedual from first day, to last day, before flushing for 10 to 21 days depending on strain.

some feedback from the biology majors around here would be great because i don't know if i can improve in my level of tea brewing from a mixologist(bartender) throwing stuff together with good results, to truly getting a grip on the biology of teas and their full benifits to organic growing.

 

[who dat is]

The only reason to bubble just your water is to offgas chlorine. If you have well water then you shouldn't have any chlorine to offgas. Also, is the humboldt honey you are using the humboldt honey hydro or ES?

 

[Gunnlæif]

The only reason to bubble just your water is to offgas chlorine. If you have well water then you shouldn't have any chlorine to offgas. Also, is the humboldt honey you are using the humboldt honey hydro or ES?

It is the ES i'm useing. i bubble the water because i figure it would be best to start with oxygenated water.

 

[who dat is]

I would say add a teaspoon of molasses per gallon but the honey might already have that base covered. I would wait for someone more knowledgeable to chime in though. Also, bubbling your water certainly won't hurt anything but I think that you could just skip that step and save yourself a day when you are trying to make teas.

 

[SeaMaiden]

well, there's lots of interesting info on teas in here for sure, and i enjoyed reading most of it. i have been playing with teas for some time now and i have been happy with the results i have created on my own. massive root systems and epic finished product, with the addition of my teas throughout my grow.
the brew i've been using is definately contributing to my success and i want to figure out what exactly i am creating because i'm no biologist.

first i bubble 5 gals of my well water 6.4 ph for 24hrs.
next morning i add the ingredients i am useing.
ewc, pirahna, tarantula, nitrozime, humbolt honey and carboload.
brew for 24 to 48hrs, set my ph and feed to my plants 4 times on a schedual from first day, to last day, before flushing for 10 to 21 days depending on strain.

some feedback from the biology majors around here would be great because i don't know if i can improve in my level of tea brewing from a mixologist(bartender) throwing stuff together with good results, to truly getting a grip on the biology of teas and their full benifits to organic growing.

I don't think you need to be quite so (expensively) redundant as to add the Piranha, Tarantula, and Nitrozyme along with good quality worm castings. Worm castings + molasses (I personally am always willing to play around with other sugars and have seen excellent results with them, but it's not marching with the band to discuss it) should be all you need for a good ACT. I also don't think you need to muck around with 'setting' pH, unless the brew is coming out with super high or low pH values.

 

[DuckDuckGoose]

well, there's lots of interesting info on teas in here for sure, and i enjoyed reading most of it. i have been playing with teas for some time now and i have been happy with the results i have created on my own. massive root systems and epic finished product, with the addition of my teas throughout my grow.
the brew i've been using is definately contributing to my success and i want to figure out what exactly i am creating because i'm no biologist.

first i bubble 5 gals of my well water 6.4 ph for 24hrs.
next morning i add the ingredients i am useing.
ewc, pirahna, tarantula, nitrozime, humbolt honey and carboload.
brew for 24 to 48hrs, set my ph and feed to my plants 4 times on a schedual from first day, to last day, before flushing for 10 to 21 days depending on strain.

some feedback from the biology majors around here would be great because i don't know if i can improve in my level of tea brewing from a mixologist(bartender) throwing stuff together with good results, to truly getting a grip on the biology of teas and their full benifits to organic growing.

Piranha by Advanced Nutrients is a mycorrhizae fungi additive for the most part if i'm not mistaken.
i don't think the mycorrhizae fungi can live without the symbiosis of the plants roots... so you may be able to apply the spores directly to the rhizosphere and leave that out of the brew. check out...

microbeorganics.com

this is from the website...

There are also other types of fungi which do not grow (to my knowledge) in compost or Compost Tea which form a direct symbiotic nutrient exchange relationship with roots. This sort of fungi is called mycorrhizal fungi and there are many different species. The major microorganisms at work in Compost Tea are bacteria, protozoa (flagellates, ciliates and amoebae) and fungal hyphae if present in your compost.

maybe save some money and use quality ewc/compost, it's much cheaper and should have the variety that you are after. that piranha and tarantula stuff is very expensive in comparison.

DDG

 

[Gunnlæif]

i got the two small(250ml) bottles of piranha and tarantula for free to try. the results have been a 10% increase in harvest(finished product) with the simple addition of 2 tbs of each to my original brew of ewc, humbolt honry ES, nitrozyme and carboload. it is the only thing i've added in the last 6 runs with the last 2 runs getting the piranha,tarantula.
with that being said i don't think i can stop useing them with the results i'm getting which is why i asked if anyone had biological reasons for the excellent results of this brew.

i am now useing the tarantula and pirahna in small amounts after the first week of sprouting seeds with a very noticeable increase in root health and explosive growth, they max out in solos 5 days quicker than before the addition.

 

[SeaMaiden]

The biological reasons have to do with the microbes, more than just mycorrhizae should be at work here. Learn what mineralization is, then you'll understand.

 

[They]

....before flushing for 10 to 21 days depending on strain.

What are you trying to flush out of your soil?

 

[Gunnlæif]

What are you trying to flush out of your soil?

nothing, i just give them ph'd water to keep them healthy so they use up everything they have stored, until they are finished.

 

[Gunnlæif]

The biological reasons have to do with the microbes, more than just mycorrhizae should be at work here. Learn what mineralization is, then you'll understand.

mineralization, that is where i'm headed!

thanks

 

[xmobotx]

as mentioned; compost or CT may not be an optimal way to build mychorrizhae population

likely; the organisms present in your tea are feeding on the media and possibly dead mychorrizhae from adding these products

 

[Gunnlæif]

the organisms present in your tea are feeding on the media and possibly dead mychorrizhae from adding these products

where did you get this from? there's no dead mychorrizhae issues with my rootzone. are you just guessing or do you know specifics?

 

[xmobotx]

you are applying the myc product direct to soil?

what i am saying is if you use it in your compost tea it wont get to the soil alive