Michigan Compost Tea Brewers Thread

[CashCrops]

I searched and found somewhat related material but nothing direct on the subject of compost teas in the Michigan threads. Just wondering if and what you are all using? I'm looking to get more into it and wanted to hear some success stories from any of you. I have read a lot from the organics threads from several sites but just wanted to see some pics of your finished products or hear how it benefitted you versus not using it?
Also products to avoid?

Thanks

 

[Rrog]

I don't do compost teas, personally. I have compost in the soil already, I figure.

Seed teas like barley, corn or coconut are a different story for me, as these produce compounds that are not already in my soil.

But that's just my 0.02

 

[CashCrops]

I have compost in my soil, well pretty much is my soil but I'm reading that the teas are really beneficial for the root system and other parts of the plant such as Fulvic and Humic acid are beneficial to terpene production.

 

[CashCrops]

I'm getting ready to flower a strain I got as a freeby called "Punky Lion" it's all ready real strong skunky in veg and I might do a side by side with a tea on one but not the other to see for myself.

 

[Rrog]

I have compost in my soil, well pretty much is my soil but I'm reading that the teas are really beneficial for the root system and other parts of the plant such as Fulvic and Humic acid are beneficial to terpene production.

Yes... but the compost already has all this.

 

[CashCrops]

I don't do compost teas, personally. I have compost in the soil already, I figure.

Seed teas like barley, corn or coconut are a different story for me, as these produce compounds that are not already in my soil.

But that's just my 0.02

The tea is great all throughout the life of the plant. Coot uses it every other week, for example.

The hormones, enzymes and secondary metabolites really help all stages of a plant's growth.

Mashed tater- do you have a worm bin?

How come you don't use then?

 

[Rrog]

Whatever is in the compost tea is already in my soil. So it's redundant.

Whatever is in the Seed Teas is NOT in my soil, so I add.

 

[CashCrops]

Gotcha, makes sense

 

[st0wandgrow]

Cash Crops, a compost tea is really doing one thing ..... inoculating your soil. You are taking compost/vermicompost, and adding a food stock (blackstrap molasses) and bubbling that for apx 48 hours, which will multiply the microbes present in your compost by up to 20,000x. By pouring this in to your soil, you are adding a substantial amount of new critters to your medium which will get to work breaking down and storing whatever organic amendments you originally added to your soil. These critters will eat other microbes, and be eaten by larger predators in the soil food web which in turn will feed your plant.

I use compost teas maybe 2-3 times during a grow. I like to wet my soil down with a compost tea while it's sitting. My thinking here is that I'm giving my medium a jump-start in making my organic inputs bio-available. I will add a tea in veg, and one more early on in flower. Some people like to use them much more frequently. I don't know what the optimal amount of teas would be, but I do know that you're certainly not going to hurt anything by using AACt's frequently. Just make sure that you're supplying a sufficient amount of oxygen to your brew so that you are not dumping an anaerobic mess in to your containers.

 

[CashCrops]

Sounds great Stow, I'm definitely jumping on this bandwagon. I've been lazy but I also had someone living with me and couldn't grow in my house. I had to move everything temporarily but my house will all mine again soon and that's when I can do all this comfortably. Thanks for the responses fellas

 

[randomhero1]

Ive used compost teas quite successfully in the past. I dont have the organics knowledge that RROG and some of the other guys do but I have a basic recipe I use and its quite successful. I have a 5 gal. bucket I use and I add 2 heaping handfuls of ancient forest alaskan peat humus, 4 tsp humic acid, a handful of earthworm castings and 3 tbsp blackstrap molasses....sometimes I add guano depending on which phase of my grow im in. I bubble all my water for a full 24 hours before I use it too..

 

[CashCrops]

Thanks for the info Random, That's more of what I'm looking for. Being that's winter I can't do compost as I don't have the room indoors (I should have mentioned that earlier) So I was thinking that brewing a tea could be done more easily and yea a 5 gallon bucket was my choice as well. I want to experiment with different recipes and strains because I learn best by doing. I also don't like re-inventing the wheel so the more info the better!

 

[randomhero1]

Compost teas are only as good as the compost you use. The Ancient forest peat humus has such a diverse mixture in it and works well for general use. Its not as good as good ol' homemade compost but its comercially available and a good alternative. I have a 65L air pump i use to aerate my teas and let them brew for at least 48 hours, make sure you use dechlorinated water or aerate the water for a day before you use it otherwise the chlorine in the water will kill any beneficial bacteria. Brew it til you get a good froth on the top of your tea. It should have a sweet earthy smell.

 

[CashCrops]

Compost teas are only as good as the compost you use. The Ancient forest peat humus has such a diverse mixture in it and works well for general use. Its not as good as good ol' homemade compost but its comercially available and a good alternative. I have a 65L air pump i use to aerate my teas and let them brew for at least 48 hours, make sure you use dechlorinated water or aerate the water for a day before you use it otherwise the chlorine in the water will kill any beneficial bacteria. Brew it til you get a good froth on the top of your tea. It should have a sweet earthy smell.

Thanks, I have RO filtration system for my home which removes at the least 90% of Chlorine and Fluoride and all other nastiness in our city water. My father gave me this after winning it: http://www.aquasana.com/product_detail_c.php?product_id=27 I only use it for drinking water and feeding my plants. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Rrog]

If you need Chlorine or chloramine levels to go to zero, you'll need a special filter. Standard carbon and RO doesn't remove Cl very well.

 

[CashCrops]

Well true I can't test it at home to know exactly how much is in it. I don't smell or taste it after running it through the filter so yea I'm not sure how much is in it.

 

[Organix420]

I've started using compost tea's on my latest grow because I wanted to do a 'pure' organic grow. In my previous grows I was using Fox Farms grow big during veg and Mother Of All Bloom (MOAB) during flower. My problem was mostly with the MOAB because it is so strong and flowering is when all the good stuff is produced so I didn't want to have extra chemicals from the MOAB in the buds. I guess I should also mention that I'm using a super soil mix (sunshine#10, greensand, rose and flower mix, etc.). I was wondering if anybody had a good flowering compost tea that they use?

My Veg Compost tea (per gallon)
2-3 Tbsp of high N bat guano
1 Tbsp Blackstrap molasses (unsulfured)
1 Tbsp water soluble mycorrhizae

My planned Flower Compost tea (per gallon)
2-3 Tbsp 0-7-0 bat guano
1 Tbsp Blackstrap molasses (unsulfured)
1 Tbsp water soluble mycorrhizae

I also want to use 2-3 Tbsp of sea-bird guano (but am worried that it will be too much)

 

[st0wandgrow]

I've started using compost tea's on my latest grow because I wanted to do a 'pure' organic grow. In my previous grows I was using Fox Farms grow big during veg and Mother Of All Bloom (MOAB) during flower. My problem was mostly with the MOAB because it is so strong and flowering is when all the good stuff is produced so I didn't want to have extra chemicals from the MOAB in the buds. I guess I should also mention that I'm using a super soil mix (sunshine#10, greensand, rose and flower mix, etc.). I was wondering if anybody had a good flowering compost tea that they use?

My Veg Compost tea (per gallon)
2-3 Tbsp of high N bat guano
1 Tbsp Blackstrap molasses (unsulfured)
1 Tbsp water soluble mycorrhizae

My planned Flower Compost tea (per gallon)
2-3 Tbsp 0-7-0 bat guano
1 Tbsp Blackstrap molasses (unsulfured)
1 Tbsp water soluble mycorrhizae

I also want to use 2-3 Tbsp of sea-bird guano (but am worried that it will be too much)

What you're brewing is more of a nutrient tea than a compost tea. A compost tea needs a source of compost/vermicompost.

Also, the mycorrhizae should be applied directly to the root zone when you transplant instead of putting it in a tea.

 

[CashCrops]

Thanks for the info Stow, I need to read up on Mycorrhizae. I was wondering how they get applied and when.

 

[Organix420]

Thanks Stow, I think this thread is more what I was looking for - https://www.rollitup.org/organics/510995-organic-feeding-101-a.html