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Tea Article

G

Guest

I was asking because I plan on adding some dissolved epsom and biomin liquid calcium to the final product as part of the drench right before I apply it. Not a lot. Half rate of recommend amounts per gallon.
 
G

Guest

One more question I cant find info on in this thread. Does Molasses go bad or have a shelf life? I have a partial bottle left of Wholesome unsulpherd blackstrap molasses with a best by date of last December. Its stored in a cool dry dark location and smells and seems fine. Will the sugars in it break down or become unusable ??
 

Hookahhead

Active member
I wouldn’t eat it, but Molasses shouldn’t go bad, at least not in a way that would be detrimental to microorganisms. More likely it might become “contaminated” like mine is, but all I mean is that it already contains some microorganisms. If I add straight molasses to clean water it will start fermenting. I don’t worry about this as nothing is sterile in nature.
 

mexcurandero420

See the world through a puff of smoke
Veteran
One more question I cant find info on in this thread. Does Molasses go bad or have a shelf life? I have a partial bottle left of Wholesome unsulpherd blackstrap molasses with a best by date of last December. Its stored in a cool dry dark location and smells and seems fine. Will the sugars in it break down or become unusable ??

Sealed, unopened bottles of molasses will keep for 10 years in the pantry and maybe more if kept in the refrigerator. Opened bottles of molasses should keep for 1 to 5 years if stored properly and kept sealed after every use.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I was asking because I plan on adding some dissolved epsom and biomin liquid calcium to the final product as part of the drench right before I apply it. Not a lot. Half rate of recommend amounts per gallon.

Listen to Hooka. Do not add things to a finished ACT. This depletes O2 and kills microbes.
 

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
I wouldn’t eat it, but Molasses shouldn’t go bad, at least not in a way that would be detrimental to microorganisms. More likely it might become “contaminated” like mine is, but all I mean is that it already contains some microorganisms. If I add straight molasses to clean water it will start fermenting. I don’t worry about this as nothing is sterile in nature.

You probably have a lot of stray yeast.


Aside from any obvious mold, it should be fine.
 

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
Listen to Hooka. Do not add things to a finished ACT. This depletes O2 and kills microbes.

I never add things to ACT. However, I do add ACT to things.


Most often I add things to non aerated microbially active fermentations. Basically weak vinegars.
 
G

Guest

So does anybody use products like Azos or Great White in conjunction with teas ? I inquired with planet natural the makers of Azos and they replied it’s fine to use with teas but not to bubble it, just add some at time of application. And to only use Azos in veg and not to use in flower which makes sense.
 
I'm wondering about what the differences are between the various ways a "tea" can be made? In regards to what is available/beneficial to the plant & the composition of the tea.


Using nettles as an example....

What is going to be difference between....

Simmering nettles in water for 20 minutes or so, just as if making a tea to drink.

Soaking nettles in cold water overnight or for a few days.

Aerating nettles in oxygen rich water for a day. Or for a week.

Anaerobic fermentation of nettles in water for a week or two.

Letting nettles sit in anaerobic water for several months.

Letting nettles soak in molasses and lactic acid bacteria.



Just wondering about the basics of what each of these different preparations/"teas" has to offer plants/soil? Why would one want to use one over the other?

Why would one want to do an aerated plant tea versus letting the plants soak in anaerobic water versus fermenting with molasses & LAB?

Many things say to always keep oxygen levels high or else "bad" pathogenic organisms will be in high concentration...but then there are many guides & folks that say they create their teas by just letting plants sit in stagnant water with low/no oxygen for several week or several months.




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G

Guest

I have no idea but after listening to folks here I’m just doing basics. EWC high n or p guano and some molasses using RO water bubble for 24ish hours. Other things like Epsom or Biomin get added on 2 different days early and mid flower . Other than fish fert that’s all I use.
 

Bud Green

I dig dirt
Veteran
Does Molasses go bad or have a shelf life? I have a partial bottle left of Wholesome unsulpherd blackstrap molasses with a best by date of last December.

Molasses will not go bad...It is too thick for any organism to live in, other than on it's surface.

I have more than 30 gal. left of sorghum molasses that is at least 25 years old.
I use it to distill rum...
I have opened buckets of it and found mold growing on the surface of it, but nothing can penetrate more than a quarter inch deep in it..

I've even dipped a spoon a couple inched down and brought it out to eat it..
It tastes exactly the same as it did when it was made more than 25 years ago...

..
 
G

Guest

Molasses will not go bad...It is too thick for any organism to live in, other than on it's surface.

I have more than 30 gal. left of sorghum molasses that is at least 25 years old.
I use it to distill rum...
I have opened buckets of it and found mold growing on the surface of it, but nothing can penetrate more than a quarter inch deep in it..

I've even dipped a spoon a couple inched down and brought it out to eat it..
It tastes exactly the same as it did when it was made more than 25 years ago...

..

Sounds like in the apocalypse I’m gonna have twinkies with molasses :jump::jump::jump:
 

KIS

Active member
Listen to Hooka. Do not add things to a finished ACT. This depletes O2 and kills microbes.

Much better to just do 2 separate applications. If you want to get nutrients to your plants that is best done separately from your compost tea (microbes).
 

mexweed

Well-known member
Veteran
my current flowering recipe per 1 gallon water aerated for 24-48 hours; 1 large banana, 2 tbsp insect frass, 1 tbsp seabird guano
 
my current flowering recipe per 1 gallon water aerated for 24-48 hours; 1 large banana, 2 tbsp insect frass, 1 tbsp seabird guano



Do you think the banana provides much potassium in that little of time? Or is it for sugars? Or what do you feel it provides to the tea?

How do you aerate it? With bubbles/air stone, or with a water pump circulating/spouting the water back into the container?


I'm just a curious fella lol. Definitely seems like a simple & effective recipe.

I've been considering getting some insect frass soon to use on my outdoor plants through early/mid flowering. I haven't used it before.





.
 

mexweed

Well-known member
Veteran
it definitely does something, I tried it at first just for shits when it looked like I was having some K deficiency and maybe some mag and it cleared it up, it also adds sugars, I just bubble it in a bucket with an air pump, I was using just the banana and frass and it's working but it also looks like it could use some P

I use good soil and mix in an organic 5-4-2 at 1 tbsp/gal, first two weeks are plain water then 4 weeks of the flowering brew
 
it definitely does something, I tried it at first just for shits when it looked like I was having some K deficiency and maybe some mag and it cleared it up, it also adds sugars, I just bubble it in a bucket with an air pump, I was using just the banana and frass and it's working but it also looks like it could use some P

I use good soil and mix in an organic 5-4-2 at 1 tbsp/gal, first two weeks are plain water then 4 weeks of the flowering brew


Cool!

Thanks for the reply & info.


I'll likely give it a try sometime soon here during early to mid flowering.




.
 

[k2]

New member
I went for a walk for ingredients for mushroom tea.
Without looking far, I found an interesting place
many old oaks


I think this layer is perfect



the tea is brewing.
 

[k2]

New member
I put some compost in the cardboard egg tray. I sprinkle the surface with oat bran and a pinch of alfalfa.




two days later
can i add this to my tea ?
can this type of fungus harm or benefit?
 

mexweed

Well-known member
Veteran
so I tried upping the seabird guano to 1.5 tbsp and it looks like it was a bit hot based on leaf tips, I've been adding 3 medium bananas per 2.25 gallons I do the extra quarter gallon since there's always sediment at the bottom I try to avoid pouring out

and that looks like clean fungus k2
 
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