Soil Food Web Gardening with Compost Teas

Organicgrow42

Well-Known Member
I don't bottle feed either. I only do teas if need be. I recycle but don't do no til until this first jedi kush. Came out super harsh. Figured I needed a flush. How would I go about doing something about this..

Also how do you keep a no til alive without reamending with out using teas?
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
You'd build the soil properly to start. Then ammend with various things. Occasional tea, worm castings, compost.

Tea isn't a primary nutrient source and in my opinion they're used more than needed, because they're fun. But that's me

No flushing in any event. If you have a harsh flavor, no idea. Unless it's genetic, it sounds like chem ferts
 

Organicgrow42

Well-Known Member
I take a base and amend w only organics. I have done this for years. Now I'm trying no til.

My first run is harsh. My Jedi is harsher than some but not like this. I have only given teas. I use fish, ewc, few drops of calmg (occasionally ), molasses

When I used synthetics years ago, I would get the same type of flavor so figured I had amended my soil with too much.

Side question: when you use teas with say ewc or compost ect are you screening them after they brew. I have heard both ways
 

DonTesla

Well-Known Member
I take a base and amend w only organics. I have done this for years. Now I'm trying no til.

My first run is harsh. My Jedi is harsher than some but not like this. I have only given teas. I use fish, ewc, few drops of calmg (occasionally ), molasses

When I used synthetics years ago, I would get the same type of flavor so figured I had amended my soil with too much.

Side question: when you use teas with say ewc or compost ect are you screening them after they brew. I have heard both ways
Rrog knows the power of an inoculated soil..once thriving no need for teas if it doesn't dry out.

If you do do a tea, try microbe mans recipe and keep it "weak".. Less is more when you're already dealing with a well amended soil

Jus unlock what's in their with a few billion microbes..

Also, in a no till, with more than one plant per notill, water logging is a easy thing to do, and moisture meters often read higher than they should...
Humid but not wet is they key. As well as one plant per pot imo.


Also, some strains burn real clean in the same bed,others will burn darker and hotter the first couple times.. just cure for an extra few weeks and it should improve weekly brotha.
Depends on their needs and metabolism a bit too, but overall that's what's good.
What's the ppm of your water btw bra?
 

Organicgrow42

Well-Known Member
I do only 1 to 2 teas while in flower. That's when I see fading around week 4 or 5. I generally only do fish and ewc or something like that. I don't do guano teas if that's what you meant.

I havnt ph'd my water in awhile. Last time I did it was around 7 to 7.5 out the tap. I let sit for a few days and then use.

Can I get a link to the tea you mentioned? I have read the revs book and have been using a lot of his methods except i domt do his spikes or layers.

Anyone know of a better source or does he know his ish?

* about the flavor...I'm thinking first run is just hot, maybe it will get better with time.
How many runs you guys do with yours or do you go indefinitely?
Thanks!
 

DonTesla

Well-Known Member
I do only 1 to 2 teas while in flower. That's when I see fading around week 4 or 5. I generally only do fish and ewc or something like that. I don't do guano teas if that's what you meant.

I havnt ph'd my water in awhile. Last time I did it was around 7 to 7.5 out the tap. I let sit for a few days and then use.

Can I get a link to the tea you mentioned? I have read the revs book and have been using a lot of his methods except i domt do his spikes or layers.

Anyone know of a better source or does he know his ish?

* about the flavor...I'm thinking first run is just hot, maybe it will get better with time.
How many runs you guys do with yours or do you go indefinitely?
Thanks!
I meant any guanos, even in your soil..
But they're supposed to be fairly soluble .. So if you increased aeration you could water more..
As for tea..
Google Microbe Man, bro.

His recipe boils down to 0.05% molasses (tsp/litre)
And .38% EWC (1.5Tbsp/Litre)
Bubble well for 36-42 hours at room temp for peak populations
Then apply gently as possible to almost-humid soil

Soft spatula to scrape the sides
Wash pail quickly after

Watch for foul smells is all.
Should be earthy rich and sweet

All one really needs to know, bud.
 

Organicgrow42

Well-Known Member
I will try that some time. This weekend perhaps. I'll also take a picture of my soil mix w the amendments I did that I usent in flower. Maybe there is an ingredient that's just now breaking down and releasing now that it has been awhile
 

natureboygrower

Well-Known Member
Hey guys,just found this thread, looks awesome.I'm growing in 45 gallon bags and would like a simple soil mix?definitely not going to use bagged soil(707)but looking for something cost efficient and clean.I do brew my own teas and use no bottled nutes.I'm sure this question has been asked,my apologies.I have not had time to read whole thread.alsi, I'm looking to build a 15 gallon aerator. Was thinking vortex. Any suggestions? Thank you all
 

Midwest Weedist

Well-Known Member
Hey guys,just found this thread, looks awesome.I'm growing in 45 gallon bags and would like a simple soil mix?definitely not going to use bagged soil(707)but looking for something cost efficient and clean.I do brew my own teas and use no bottled nutes.I'm sure this question has been asked,my apologies.I have not had time to read whole thread.alsi, I'm looking to build a 15 gallon aerator. Was thinking vortex. Any suggestions? Thank you all
For your soil mix just look up clackamas coots recipe essentially its 1\3 compost 1/3 aeration 1/3 peat or leaf mold if available amended with kelp meal neem meal and oyster shell flour at 1/2 - 1 cup per cbf of your basemix (the compost, aeration, and peat/leaf mold). You can substitute the kelp for alfalfa, the oyster shell with ground shrimp skelotens etc, aeration at best would be half black lava rock half ricehulls, pure perlite works but even pure rice hulls would be better. Compost quality is key, don't settle for this bit. Buildasoil is a good source, theres a pnw worm vendor thats even better. Name slips my mind. Bus compost would be killer.

Brewer someone else will have to chime in. Hope I could help!
 
Hey guys,just found this thread, looks awesome.I'm growing in 45 gallon bags and would like a simple soil mix?definitely not going to use bagged soil(707)but looking for something cost efficient and clean.I do brew my own teas and use no bottled nutes.I'm sure this question has been asked,my apologies.I have not had time to read whole thread.alsi, I'm looking to build a 15 gallon aerator. Was thinking vortex. Any suggestions? Thank you all
There's a million ways to build brewer's. I use to have a line of commercially available brewer's. I spent 2 years designing them. The one thing I learned is you don't know how good a brew is without a microscope. That being said Tim Wilson(aka microbeman) has great info on his page. I would consider him the world leader in compost tea research and knowledge. I learned so much from him it's unreal. Being that you won't scope every brew, going with a proven design is key. I don't want to spam the same pic I just posted in another thread, but it is a good example of a brew that was just starting to take off. It shows flagellates consuming bacteria. the arrows point towards the flagellates. This is a brew in one of the brewer's I designed a few years back. I still have about 1000 of the containers stacked in my warehouse just taking up space. My brewer design directly injects air into the compost.
 

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greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
I take a base and amend w only organics. I have done this for years. Now I'm trying no til.

My first run is harsh. My Jedi is harsher than some but not like this. I have only given teas. I use fish, ewc, few drops of calmg (occasionally ), molasses

When I used synthetics years ago, I would get the same type of flavor so figured I had amended my soil with too much.

Side question: when you use teas with say ewc or compost ect are you screening them after they brew. I have heard both ways
my bet is on that molasses causing the harshness..
Not sure what it is exactly, but something in BSM can cause the ash to be blacker, smoke more harsh.
 
Some people over due it with molasses for a sweet "taste". Never heard of it being the cause of a harsh smoke though. What is the logic in this? Why do you think it would make it harsh?
 

Midwest Weedist

Well-Known Member
my bet is on that molasses causing the harshness..
Not sure what it is exactly, but something in BSM can cause the ash to be blacker, smoke more harsh.
I can attest to this. Grabbed the wrong jug once and watered with my undiluted lacto/masses before I realized it wasn't the tea I just finished brewing. Almost end of bloom, like 6th week. Smoke was amazing, but harsh and mostly black. One of my best dry/cures on a harvest I've had to date on that run too. Definitely the molasses imo.
 

natureboygrower

Well-Known Member
I can attest to this. Grabbed the wrong jug once and watered with my undiluted lacto/masses before I realized it wasn't the tea I just finished brewing. Almost end of bloom, like 6th week. Smoke was amazing, but harsh and mostly black. One of my best dry/cures on a harvest I've had to date on that run too. Definitely the molasses imo.
So how far out from harvest would you give the plants it's last aact watering?
 
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