Tea Article

[CT Guy]

CT Guy,

I am a bit confused as to the role of Humic Acids in the brewing of ACT. I know that what I have read leads me to the conclusion that Humic Acids help with the chelation of micronutrients that tend to form salts, but have not been able to find any information as to their benefit to aerobic bacterial growth. The only source study I can find would lead me to believe that they are only helpful to anaerobic bacteria:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC106677/

Any ideas on where to get info on this?

Xebeche,

Humic acids are generally touted as a fungal food, in addition to their chelation properties. Not a lot of good information on the web from what I've seen. Did you check out www.teravita.com? There's some info. available there.

We use small amounts in our brewing process, but I think the chelation properties are it's biggest contributor to plant health and growth.

My favorite humic acid product is LC-10+7 because it's already chelated with the essential minerals that your plant needs and in the proper amounts. I've gotten excellent feedback from people who have used it. I think because it corrects any micro mineral deficiencies.

I've seen the 1st hand benefit in that I got my mother using seaweed extract powder and the LC-10+7 on her houseplants every other week (no ACT at all). She had a plant from my great grandmother that had never flowered in the 2 years she had owned it, and within a month of using those 2 products it was blooming!

There needs to be a lot more scientific study done on humates and ACT (or if it's out there I haven't seen it), but I think there's a lot of potential for both in the organic industry.

 

[CT Guy]

CT,

You mentioned hydroponic wheat grass. What type of set up and nutes do you use for that. I love wheat grass and need to start growing it. Any advice on where to look to get started with an organic hydro system, or should I just use dirt?

Xebeche,

No reason you can't use soil, I know JayKush on here has a soil method using small containers that keeps him perpetually supplied with wheatgrass.

I used a biodynamic wheatgrass kit (www.biodynamicwheatgrass.com) in my kitchen under a T9 (I think) light with a timer on an 18 hour light cycle. Makes it look like someone's home as a security light as well at night!

It's a very simple kit, just 2 flats (one sits inside the other) and then some coco coir and biodynamic seeds (oh, and Thalassa tonic which is comprised of water from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and Himalayan Sea Salt). All you do is germinate the seeds in a bowl for 24 hours and then scatter them on the coir. Watering is simple, just fill the bottom flat every day or so. I like it because you can literally watch it grow! You'll leave in the morning and come home at night and see a visible difference in growth. You can harvest within 7-10 days of planting.

The juice is disgusting in my opinion, but mixing it with grape juice or grapefruit juice helps a lot. Invest in a good juicer that's easy to clean, as that can be a time consuming process.

I have yet to get on a consistent schedule of juicing to where I've noticed any benefits, but many people, including JayKush, comment on how much they enjoy it.

Let me know if I can be of any help!

 

[Cool Moe]

CT, thanks for your input on the BTN link. You make some very good points. Any chance you could look over my tax forms before I send them in, you don't miss much!

One more hypothetical question if you don't mind--if I brew a quality compost tea w/ homemade worm castings, blackstrap and kelp that achieves a good bacterial/fungal balance, and if my soil mix is organic, healthy, and teeming with microbes, then how often should compost teas be applied (foliar and soil drench) for maximum results without overkill?

Thanks again.

 

[jaykush]

Xebeche if you want i can give you a low down on wheatgrass, its far easier in soil. not much related to teas so PM me if you do.

 

[CT Guy]

CT, thanks for your input on the BTN link. You make some very good points. Any chance you could look over my tax forms before I send them in, you don't miss much!

One more hypothetical question if you don't mind--if I brew a quality compost tea w/ homemade worm castings, blackstrap and kelp that achieves a good bacterial/fungal balance, and if my soil mix is organic, healthy, and teeming with microbes, then how often should compost teas be applied (foliar and soil drench) for maximum results without overkill?

Thanks again.

Cool Moe,

If your soil mix is top notch, the compost tea may not be needed for frequent applications. Since the growing cycle is so short on these plants, most people are applying 1x/week to 1x/every 2 weeks. However, there's no tried and true rule, as there are too many variables for a standard rate. The health of your plant, quality of soil, disease pressures in your area, plant genetics, water quality, etc...can all have an impact on your plant and therefore effect your application rate of beneficial microbes.

I'd be more inclined to use your homemade worm castings over the cotton burr compost. Sounds like you're on the right track with your ingredient list. Remember to go light on the molasses and kelp!

 

[xebeche]

CT,

The URL I cited only mentioned anaerobic bacteria "consuming" Humic Acid which lead me to the conclusion that they would be the only bacteria benefiting from it. I was wondering if you had tried a brew without HA and if so what you saw (not only do I not have a microscope, but I have now standard to know what I am looking at).

So the wheatgrass lives in the coir with no nutes at all? That rocks. I actually love the taste of it and the energy it gives (not to mention it is great for diabetics (me)).

Thanks for the info.

X

 

[Nice Guy]

Worm Tea/Vermicompost Tea

Worm Tea/Vermicompost Tea

I've got a worm bin with about 5lbs of vermicast in each of the 4 bins. This material has done incredible things to my plants in the past through direct root zone applications. I'm interested in brewing up some worm tea, and was wondering if anyone has any experience with this? I was planning on using about 2lbs of vermicast in a mesh bag, a 5 gallon bucket of non chlorinated water, and an aquarium oxygen pump to help create an aerobic environment. I know that it's beneficial to add molasses to this brew, but at what point in the process? If anyone out there has any insight it would be much appreciated.

Happy growing

 

[Microbeman]

I've got a worm bin with about 5lbs of vermicast in each of the 4 bins. This material has done incredible things to my plants in the past through direct root zone applications. I'm interested in brewing up some worm tea, and was wondering if anyone has any experience with this? I was planning on using about 2lbs of vermicast in a mesh bag, a 5 gallon bucket of non chlorinated water, and an aquarium oxygen pump to help create an aerobic environment. I know that it's beneficial to add molasses to this brew, but at what point in the process? If anyone out there has any insight it would be much appreciated.

Happy growing

http://www.microbeorganics.com/#Compost_Tea_Recipes

 

[xebeche]

Has anyone tried adding bottled oxygen and testing (scoping) regularly to see if the aerobic growth goes more quickly. My pump has a line inlet as well as an output it seems that it must be designed to pull air from other than the room it is in. Also, I was discussing other theories with CC and we got on the tangent that the salt water reef tank crowd argues that the total surface area changes the dissolved oxygen level in the tank. Perhaps it may be worthwhile to test a tank that is only a few inches deep with a large surface area. Any ideas where to look for info on this without a scope or DO meter?

 

[xebeche]

It is easy to make an O2 generator to test the theory, but what do you do with the Hydrogen

 

[grapeman]

I have been brewing teas following the directions of MM and CT guy for about 5 months. Everything seems to love it and it's easy to make.

My question is what is the difference between EWC Tea made in my aerated bucket and Vermi-tea? Is it beneficial to use Vermi-tea in conjunction with EWC tea?

 

[vonforne]

They are the same grapeman. Vermi-tea is Vermicompost which is EWC.

 

[grapeman]

They are the same grapeman. Vermi-tea is Vermicompost which is EWC.

LOL. Thank God. I have enough to do already.

 

[grapeman]

I have a question for one of the Tea experts. I get my castings from the worm farm shown in the picture. The owner of this farm supplies Teas to the Ag industry and has 15 years making teas and seems to make good products.

I sat with him the other day for a couple of hours just listening and learning. He has a new product that he says he has been working on for several years that give shelf life to a concentrated tea product called Vermisterra Tea.

I have a gallon to try along with my bucket of EWC that I usually pick up.

This product became the topic of discussion when we were discussing the cost of spreading EWC on a 450 acre parcel here in So. Cal. At $300/acre, he suggested we try this new product of his instead through the drip system.

Now everything I've read on this and other threads flys in the face of bottled teas being as useful as fresh teas.

What do you experts think of putting a concentrated tea in a container and claiming a 6 month shelf life?

I'll bet some CTGuy or MM may know this fellow. Or is this just a flavor of "Put to Sleep Tea"?

Salton Sea Farms.

 

[CT Guy]

I have a question for one of the Tea experts. I get my castings from the worm farm shown in the picture. The owner of this farm supplies Teas to the Ag industry and has 15 years making teas and seems to make good products.

I sat with him the other day for a couple of hours just listening and learning. He has a new product that he says he has been working on for several years that give shelf life to a concentrated tea product called Vermisterra Tea.

I have a gallon to try along with my bucket of EWC that I usually pick up.

This product became the topic of discussion when we were discussing the cost of spreading EWC on a 450 acre parcel here in So. Cal. At $300/acre, he suggested we try this new product of his instead through the drip system.

Now everything I've read on this and other threads flys in the face of bottled teas being as useful as fresh teas.

What do you experts think of putting a concentrated tea in a container and claiming a 6 month shelf life?

I'll bet some CTGuy or MM may know this fellow. Or is this just a flavor of "Put to Sleep Tea"?

Salton Sea Farms.

Sounds like a "Put to Sleep" tea to me. How else do you keep the bottle from exploding? Didn't recognize the guy's name, but there are so many people in this industry (most of whom never bother testing their product, yet make miraculous claims). I'm not saying this guy is one of those people though, I really have no idea or experience with his product.

I have yet to test one of these that could hold a candle to a freshly made batch of tea. Additionally, I'd be cautious of bio-film buildup in your drip system or if filtering it down to make it fit removed many of the larger beneficial microbes.

 

[grapeman]

Sounds like a "Put to Sleep" tea to me. How else do you keep the bottle from exploding? Didn't recognize the guy's name, but there are so many people in this industry (most of whom never bother testing their product, yet make miraculous claims). I'm not saying this guy is one of those people though, I really have no idea or experience with his product.

I have yet to test one of these that could hold a candle to a freshly made batch of tea. Additionally, I'd be cautious of bio-film buildup in your drip system or if filtering it down to make it fit removed many of the larger beneficial microbes.

How do I arrange for a test of this product?

 

[xebeche]

If he is a worm person, he probably is suggesting a lecheate (the run off from the worms). I don't have a microscope or know what to look for with one, but I did a "test" with the lecheate from my worms. I simply dumped it out straight onto the lawn. I did notice that the patch of lawn I dumped it on grew considerably faster this spring. This is obviously not the most scientific method as I had no controls and did not know if that section of grass normally grew faster. In any event, I would be willing to bet that the lecheate is what this person is calling tea.

 

[C21H30O2]

It is easy to make an O2 generator to test the theory, but what do you do with the Hydrogen

dont worry about it just use some kitty litter to remove nitrogen and the O2 concentration will go up.

 

[nvthis]

Good thread

 

[CT Guy]

If he is a worm person, he probably is suggesting a lecheate (the run off from the worms). I don't have a microscope or know what to look for with one, but I did a "test" with the lecheate from my worms. I simply dumped it out straight onto the lawn. I did notice that the patch of lawn I dumped it on grew considerably faster this spring. This is obviously not the most scientific method as I had no controls and did not know if that section of grass normally grew faster. In any event, I would be willing to bet that the lecheate is what this person is calling tea.

Good point, it could very well be a leachate. Not to say that's not a bad thing, leachate can be a wonderful addition to your soil. It's not the same as adding a concentrated BIOLOGICAL concoction like aerated compost tea though. I'd consider the leachate more of a food source for existing microbes, as it won't contain the same diversity, concentration, microbial activity, or functioning nutrient cycling that you get with ACT.