Living organic soil from start through recycling

[rrog]

I hadn't put the ACT into the context of this big planned food feast once the herds of predator and prey have been amplified. Once in the soil the massacre starts, releasing the stored nutes in the bacterial prey. I had always thought of ACT as simply a colonization effort.

So maybe this carnage & release of nutrients happens quickly or doesn't really doesn't disrupt the natural order. I dunno.

 

[Neo 420]

1 cup EWC
1/2 cup of compost
1 tsp Alfalfa
1 tsp neem meal
1 tsp fish bone meal
1 tsp liquid karma

to

5 gallons of water

I just let it sit for 24-36 hours and use it. I often leave the fish bone meal out. I used to bubble like crazy but like I said just feel it is much more of an inconvenience than a benefit especially when you are already going above and beyond nature by applying the tea and using gascanastans soil mix.

What are you trying to achieve with the mix above?
I think a simple basic AACT tea in veg for you would be:

1/2 cup EWC
1/2 cup of compost
1 tsp Alfalfa
1/3 molasses
Lots an lots of aeration

But again this depends on what you are trying to achieve..

 

[ClackamasCootz]

I think a simple basic AACT tea in veg for you would be:

1/2 cup EWC
1/2 cup of compost
1 tsp Alfalfa
1/3 molasses
Lots an lots of aeration

But again this depends on what you are trying to achieve...

That's what I do...

 

[E.C. Organics]

I use it for soil dunk and foliar spray. Will switch to your formula.

 

[MileHighGuy]

I hadn't put the ACT into the context of this big planned food feast once the herds of predator and prey have been amplified. Once in the soil the massacre starts, releasing the stored nutes in the bacterial prey. I had always thought of ACT as simply a colonization effort.

So maybe this carnage & release of nutrients happens quickly or doesn't really doesn't disrupt the natural order. I dunno.

From "Teaming With microbes"

Besides using Compost and Mulch....

"They take a while to reach the rhizosphere. And neither mulch nor compost sticks to leaves. Plants generate exudates from their leaves, attracting bacteria and fungi to the phyllosphere, the area immediately around the leaf surfaces. As in the rizosphere, these microbes compete with pathogens for space and food and in some cases can protect the leaf surfaces from attack. You cannot immediately introduce this microbiology into the rizosphere, or into the phyllosphere at all, with compost or mulch."

Compost tea is Freaking Awesome. I never knew why it helped so much.... and I'm still grasping to understand it.... But I love it!

I know one thing, it doesn't negatively affect any sort of "natural order" if anything, growing annuals in small containers, it makes sense that we are very short of the ideal "natural order" and as time goes on with no till runs and topdress applications... the need for tea might decline.... but then again, why stop? I'm going to recycle and tea like it was the fist batch everytime!

 

[MileHighGuy]

I use it for soil dunk and foliar spray. Will switch to your formula.

What type of airpump will you be using?

 

[Microbeman]

rrog & Yosemite,

I admit here to a minor frustration, having written this information over and over again since first joining this forum, several years ago. I have to realize that, just like myself, not everyone will assimilate what I have said or may not comprehend the way I have expressed it. Not agreeing is another matter not addressed.

Many times I asked for my posts to be stickied. Now that having a sticky is a possibility, I feel a little silly going back and piecing everything I've previously written. I do have a sticky on ACT in another forum written a while back which you could look at.

what kind of ions get sequestered in bacteria that become available when protazoa eat them? I honestly was not aware of that at all.

To answer your question, many (all?) types. In natural growing, this is the predominant way which (according to recent studies) nutrients are uptaken by plants in the soil. Secondary or equal (?) to this 'may' be mycorrhizal fungi.

This type of cycle can take place very rapidly in the soil. Bacteria/archaea can multiply in under 20 minutes and many protozoa in 2 hours.

There will always be replacement of fresh organic matter required but yes it is very surprising the volume of nutrient available from the microbial nutrient loop. Look at how much mass a forest puts on in one growing season, compared to the amount of mass which falls onto the forest floor.

Within this very thread, I have countered the statement at least twice, that ACT is used only for building up a microbial population or for disease suppression.

True, one can reach the point where its use is redundantly ineffective because the soil has become so richly alive. I've only witnessed this once and after about 8 years of use.

As far as the microbial/enzyme inoculants go, I'll read the link. Those products can be very useful but they have been around for at least 20 years (AFAIK) and I would use the cheapest per spore or g.

 

[E.C. Organics]

What type of airpump will you be using?

I have been using this:

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/ecoplus-air-24w-8outlet-variable-control-air-pump-p-1518.html

but I am very tempted to order one of these tonight:

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/ecoplus-commercial-air-pumps-c-421_468.html

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

When you grew your corn MM how often did you use your compost tea?

Did you make it any stronger (use more inputs) once they were really established and growing fast?

Cheers, love your work!

 

[gregor_mendel]

A question for ClackamasCootz:

...After the plant is in the final container I top-dress with my worm castings at 2" or so and then I hit it with Aloe vera juice and Comfrey extract. Or Borage. Or Stinging Nettle. Or Horsetail ferns. Whatever is ready.

What I have ready is alfalfa (actual hay). Would this be advisable? (I followed your exact soil recipe)

Thanks

gregor_mendel

 

[Neo 420]

I have been using this:

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics...8outlet-variable-control-air-pump-p-1518.html

but I am very tempted to order one of these tonight:

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/ecoplus-commercial-air-pumps-c-421_468.html

When I brewed my 5 gallon teas with air-stones, I used the ecoplus 5 (80watt) with 3 or 4 stones. Performed well but cleaning air stones was a bore and very tedious so I went the DIY route and built a airlift brewer.
Will never go back to airstones... lol

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

When I brewed my 5 gallon teas with air-stones, I used the ecoplus 5 (80watt) with 3 or 4 stones. Performed well but cleaning air stones was a bore and very tedious so I went the DIY route and built a airlift brewer.
Will never go back to airstones... lol
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=40140&pictureid=951887&thumb=1]View Image[/URL][/QUOTE

That is my plan for the rest of today. Its 2.18pm here and full on hot and sunny weather. With a sprinkling of bush fires for extra excitement...

I have various pvc elbows and pipes laying around after making an aquaponics setup.

 

[Neo 420]

Easy to build, easy to clean and provides plenty of aeration with those thunderous splashes. Built a removable top cover to keep it all inside.. You'll enjoy it Silver.. But those splashes do get loud...
Off to make a tea now. Got the no till containers up and their due for their bathe of microbe-ness goodies!!

 

[bajangreen]

Thanks Microbeman that info help me understand a little better whats going on. This tread help a lot with my 1200gall aquaponic systems.

 

[Microbeman]

When you grew your corn MM how often did you use your compost tea?

Did you make it any stronger (use more inputs) once they were really established and growing fast?

Cheers, love your work!

The ACT was applied irregularly but I guess on average every 10 days. I always make ACT with the same level of ingredients. It is not dependent on nutrients but on volume and ratios of bacteria/archaea, flagellates/naked amoebae and fungal hyphae. I check this with a microscope to determine when the 'extractopolation' [sic] is ready to apply.

 

[Gascanastan]

No-till ROLS 3 gallon 'The One x BMR Bx1' 36 days 12/12.......oh yeah...and no ph adjustments to water or teas.

 

[Gardens Keeper]

Looks beautiful how is the smell on that girl?

 

[Gascanastan]

Looks beautiful how is the smell on that girl?

Sinister...

Between all TO x BMR's and TO x BMR Bx1's....the first thing that most people smell is citrus which quickly fades into far more complex sweet and heavy aroma which remains unique.

Descriptions of fermenting sweet exotic fruit..as well as a chemical sweet smell as described in the BMR.
Fruit loops,Trix,Pez,Smarties..cotton candy,some really intense candy type aroma's couple with those old indica and Thai traits.....
Most people immediately ask "what's that" after smoking it.
Gas

 

[Gardens Keeper]

Haha, yea always a good thing when you are turnin heads walkin by or people immediately ask, "what is that" with a most serious tone. Sounds like a really great cross.

 

[Weyenot]

Weyenot

Do you plan on building compost piles at the end of next summer?

CC

Hey CC, I definitely plan on building as many compost piles as I can this year as well as at least several 100g smartpots filled with manure and worm cocoons ( or I might possibly not use the pots and instead make sides out of square hay bales). For the compost piles I plan on using manure and plant matter mostly with some rock dust in between the layers as well as some dead leaves added in and whatever else sparks my fancy and the worm beds will get the same I think. The compost piles will be around 3ft high but I wont let the worm beds get over a ft probably and I am toying with the idea of building a roof over the sites too. What do you think of that plan?

I had originally planned on starting these projects in the late spring; Im curious as to why you mention late summer. Off the top of my head Im thinking if piles were started in late summer the heat would allow the microlife to break the bulk of the pile down and when colder weather hits the decomposition process would slow way down and continue into the fall/winter, leaving a finished product by spring. What do you think?