Organic DWC questions

Hey guys,

A few questions, is organic DWC an option? (Im assuming it is). If one wasnt to use store brought ferts and made tea, I would like to keep a big bucket of it, with a bubbler, and work on getting good bacteria living in there. Can anyone advise on a method like this? As it got lower would I just add more water and top up with whatever organics? Also is organic tea suitable to use in all growth stages? I grow perpetual and am trying to avoid having to mix four sets of feed every week.

Cheers!

You shouldn't let tea sit unrefrigerated for more than a few days. Yes, teas can be used in all stages of growth except cloning. Different mixes will of course be better or worse for certain stages. While it can be done and can be helpful, only growers experienced with it should use teas on seedlings.


The whole benefitial microbe theory is really getting out of hand. Many people don't realize that the only difference between old, stagnant, unhealthy ferts or soils and healthy ones can be germs.

Well if I was to make a tea to use for flowering, would the one brew be suitable for week 1 thru 8 of flowering? It wouldnt need to be concerntrated diffrently for weeks 1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8?

Also by the benificial bacteria Im thinking more of something like a michorizia (really bad spelling) population in the tea, or is it strictly for addition when initially setting up medium? Im doing a coco handwatered system and would like to make the most of simple, organics

It depends on the base fertilizers, but most teas need to either be used or refrigerated in the first day after you finish making them. They can last a day or two longer but by then I wouldn't even try refrigerating, they'd just be done. Teas can last at least two weeks in the refrigerator so you should be able to make and use them, wait for the soil to dry again, water with plain water, wait for the soil to dry again and then get one more use out of your teas. They can be frozen for pretty much indefinately.

The concentration of the tea you brew isn't that important as long as you know what it is. You just make the tea too strong to use and then dilute it to the right concentration just before feeding the plants. But yes, the plants will need increasing levels of nutrients the bigger they get. A plant with 2 growing shoots uses less food than a plant with 10.

We haven't used the Mycorrhizae in many years, so can't talk intelligibly about it, sorry. When we tried it, it did not have any noticeable impact on the plants when used with our soil mixes. Good organic ferts and substrates can support a very strong microorganism population on their own, without additives designed to promote microbe growth. Mycorrhizae and similar products really have a greater effect on chemical and/or soilless grows, where the medium doesn't naturally support microbes very well.

lazaah said:

Well if I was to make a tea to use for flowering, would the one brew be suitable for week 1 thru 8 of flowering? It wouldnt need to be concerntrated diffrently for weeks 1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8?

Also by the benificial bacteria Im thinking more of something like a michorizia (really bad spelling) population in the tea, or is it strictly for addition when initially setting up medium? Im doing a coco handwatered system and would like to make the most of simple, organics

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I find that the only time that the mich make a noticeable difference is when inoculate my rapid rooters before cloning. The root systems go crazy "in a good way" Thicker healthier more numerous roots in a shorter time. I also sprinkle a little mich when i transplant , i think its most effective when its applied directly to the roots but thats just my experience.

lazaah said:

Hey guys,

A few questions, is organic DWC an option? (Im assuming it is). If one wasnt to use store brought ferts and made tea, I would like to keep a big bucket of it, with a bubbler, and work on getting good bacteria living in there. Can anyone advise on a method like this? As it got lower would I just add more water and top up with whatever organics? Also is organic tea suitable to use in all growth stages? I grow perpetual and am trying to avoid having to mix four sets of feed every week.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

I've use compost tea from start to finish, full strength without any adverse affect. I alternate H2O every other week. I don't believe you can overdose with compost tea unless you are supplementing with large amounts of soil amendments. You should use all your tea within 24 hrs as the lack of oxygen will kill off most, if not all of the aerobic beneficial microbes in short order. So as far as compost tea having a shelf life in a fridge or any other storage device is just wishful thinking. As far as keeping your tea brewing on a perpetual basis by adding water to it and aerating, I believe this can be done, but you will have to use it again after 36 hrs of brewing.