Soil Food Web Gardening with Compost Teas

What you've learned from stoner forums, you mean. No offense, but there's a lot unusual growing info on these forums. And make no mistake- AACT is a valid delivery system if you need to correct something awful or get something wonderful started. Or do it daily if you enjoy it.

Soil is an active breeding ground of microbes. It's nature. Been evolving for millions of years. You don't need to dump microbes because the microbe population is dwindling. The soil's bursting already

The soil microbes are busy storing all the nutrients and as they get depleted, I am also adding back as top dressing. So simple it's boring. I'm not in a hurry.

Think of it this way- An AACT starts with X nutrients from the compost or whatever. The microbes in the tea take it in. Before you pour in the soil your tea has... X nutrients. The microbes are not creating nutrients. They are helping deliver them.

So if I don't need to replenish microbes and am not in a hurry, I choose to not bother with anything more than a bubbler in a Barley Sprout tea.

Don't underestimate a stranger bro. I share with probably 40 different books regarding the law, organic gardening, and cannabis cultivation in a few clicks.
My mindset wasn't built by any forum.
But I'll agree to disagree with the fact that you think AACTs are unnecessary beyond one use, and I'll site Grasscity as just one reference for that alone.
But hey best wishes and a prosperous 2013

Sincerely - if you want some insight as to where Rrog and I are coming from on this, here you go: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=241964

start readin....LOL

took me a few weeks...well worth your time. It might not seem like it's about AACT's at first, but it'll come up. the documentation of a learning process...

Why does no one else use this technique? I find that compelling in and of itself.

The more I learn, the simpler the answer is.

I'm not looking to talk down to you. My apologies if you took it that way.

Cann said:

Sincerely - if you want some insight as to where Rrog and I are coming from on this, here you go: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=241964

start readin....LOL

took me a few weeks...well worth your time. It might not seem like it's about AACT's at first, but it'll come up. the documentation of a learning process...

Click to expand...

Gonna have at it tonight boss. I'm an open mind so well see where it goes

Rrog said:

Why does no one else use this technique? I find that compelling in and of itself.

The more I learn, the simpler the answer is.

I'm not looking to talk down to you. My apologies if you took it that way.

Click to expand...

If by no one you mean all of Grasscity's organic community pretty much then I guess no one does.
I'm having awesome results doing things this way. And I find that more compelling.
But I have a lot to learn so a year from now maybe I'll feel different that I do hey?!
I appreciate your apology so thanks for that. I'm not here to argue with emotion, but rather with logic.
So my apologies for my tone as well. I reach as much as I can tho. And not just forums..I'm everywhere about everything related to the art.
I can just credit Grasscity for my gardening style.

But you did say that there isn't one road to Rome right?!

Sincerely420 said:

Gonna have at it tonight boss. I'm an open mind so well see where it goes

Click to expand...

Yerooo I just saw someone on the link you provided citing MM in their making of an AACT today.
And that's where I start learning about AACTs w/ MM and the Grasscity gang.

I guess I have to keep looking??

One thing I would like to add, based off what I know, and logically can think through.

Compost teas are GREAT, but especially so, if you don't have enough compost to spread around.

And it seems that, what is missing from most of this talk, is the actual compost. Not worm castings, compost.

Because, based on my 6 or so years of intensely studying organics and growing a TON of varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers and cannabis,

It seems that if one has enough high quality compost and organic matter in the soil, teas are unessisary. Albeit fun to make...

And all this simplicity we talk about is right under our noses,

Because properly made, diversified compost, should contain everything nessisary for plants to grow.

And this is what all these teas are trying to mimic, in a liquid form.

Cann said:

Sincerely - if you want some insight as to where Rrog and I are coming from on this, here you go: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=241964

start readin....LOL

took me a few weeks...well worth your time. It might not seem like it's about AACT's at first, but it'll come up. the documentation of a learning process...

Click to expand...

And this all goes back to Microbeman bro. http://microbeorganics.com/
I started reading his stuff at Grasscity which brought my to my ways. Was there anything specific you meant for me to see?

There are a MILLION ways to grow plants.

But, ONE is indisputable, and that is the worldwide practice of making and using compost (a million ways to do this too)

And this is how we are all united.

Rot on everybody.

I've had some stragglers germinate and grow in my compost. Talk about easy growing. Perk to throwing your duds in your bin.

Rising Moon said:

One thing I would like to add, based off what I know, and logically can think through.

Compost teas are GREAT, but especially so, if you don't have enough compost to spread around.

And it seems that, what is missing from most of this talk, is the actual compost. Not worm castings, compost.

Because, based on my 6 or so years of intensely studying organics and growing a TON of varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers and cannabis,

It seems that if one has enough high quality compost and organic matter in the soil, teas are unessisary. Albeit fun to make...

And all this simplicity we talk about is right under our noses,

Because properly made, diversified compost, should contain everything nessisary for plants to grow.

And this is what all these teas are trying to mimic, in a liquid form.

Click to expand...

"It seems that if one has enough high quality compost and organic matter in the soil, teas are unessisary. Albeit fun to make..."

So you think AACTs are unnecessary if you have high quality compost and organic matter why?? You think they do nothing for the soil or the plants?

Because the compost (humus) is the medium for the life of the soil, and the fuel is organic matter.

Teas are great, and have benificial effects, but like I said, they are really great for people like me who have difficulty making enough compost for all my plants. (I try!)

Ive got about 1 acre in intensive production (mostly vegetables and blueberries), and would need to make about 5-10 tons of compost per year if I wanted to spread it over my whole garden.

Insted, I have devised a complicated series of crop rotations, green manures, teas and mineral applications.

Giving compost and minerals directly to the heaviest feeders, and teas for everybody else, slowly rotating everything through with legumes being planted every 3 crops.

This way, I can take a bed by bed approach to maintaining my soil fertility.

(most of what I say is in reference to growing outside in the earth)

My indoor techniques are very similar, without cover crops. (although I am going to be experimenting with under sowing micro clover with indoor cannabis)

An organic farmer in Austria has developed permanent fertility, through crop rotations and regular additions of fresh grass clippings as mulch. No compost, no teas, NO TILL.

Microbes + Organic matter = success

You can top dress with dry compost, or make a quick compost slurry with water, or a full blown aerated tea. All will have the same nutrients.

I was suggesting you look outside the MJ growing business to see uses this method. Rest assured, we weed growers have no unique insight into plants that the rest of the horticultural community doesn't have so why are weedies the only ones to use this aerated tea? Because it's redundant.

You can feed a plant daily on AACT. No problem. You'd get the same thing from top dressing and watering in, it's just not as immediate. Same thing.

Again, no one is saying AACT is bad. At least I'm certainly not. What some of us are saying is that there's no compelling reason to do this, when there are several other teas that in fact bring something new to the party. Hormones, plant enzymes and secondary metabolites all come from a botanical tea with Alfalfa, Barley, Aloe, Coconut, Corn, nettles, etc.

Rising Moon said:

An organic farmer in Austria has developed permanent fertility, through crop rotations and regular additions of fresh grass clippings as mulch. No compost, no teas, NO TILL.

Microbes + Organic matter = success

Click to expand...

I can find you 10 organic farmers who use no till organics and have developed permanent soil fertility by using AACTs.
One of those would be Microbeman.

Rrog said:

You can top dress with dry compost, or make a quick compost slurry with water, or a full blown aerated tea. All will have the same nutrients.

I was suggesting you look outside the MJ growing business to see uses this method. Rest assured, we weed growers have no unique insight into plants that the rest of the horticultural community doesn't have so why are weedies the only ones to use this aerated tea? Because it's redundant.

You can feed a plant daily on AACT. No problem. You'd get the same thing from top dressing and watering in, it's just not as immediate. Same thing.

Again, no one is saying AACT is bad. At least I'm certainly not. What some of us are saying is that there's no compelling reason to do this, when there are several other teas that in fact bring something new to the party. Hormones, plant enzymes and secondary metabolites all come from a botanical tea with Alfalfa, Barley, Aloe, Coconut, Corn, nettles, etc.

Click to expand...

I got ya. Well I guess there's nothing else to be said that hasn't been said, so with that said, best of luck in your future endeavors sir! Maybe I'll learn something here on using AACTs in the next year that might move me away from them. Maybe I'll never understand what you guys means since I learned so different. I mean its literally a different world over at grasscity and the convo couldn't have been had peacefully.

I guess I'll take this over there and what I comeback with. Until then il be using AACTs 3 out of 4 waterings.
I guess I'm with few from this crowd on my road to Rome lol! But hey, I see all things green from working the way that I do. No ill effects Only a deep lush green, so something's working out for me! I just don't think it's fair to say that they're unnecessary. Just doesn't feel right after everything..

Look at the title of this thread!

I was actually thinking the title should be changed.

Soil food web: gardening with microbes


Now my question for you !

How long do the microbes in AACT live for once in the soil? What do they live on?

Without continuous additions of sugar, most of the action in my tea stops, and bad smells start to form.

Without a food sorce in the soil, wouldn't those sugar loving organisms die off rather fast ?

If I'm making a tea, I'm introducing something new like enzymes, hormones and secondary metabolites. It's not like we're saying teas are bad.

There isn't a single thing that comes from AACT that I can't get by simply topdressing with the same compost. Speed of delivery is the only difference. So you could use ACT for 100% of your waterings. Apply it daily. No one said that would hurt the plants. Me- I'll just add that same compost and get the same nutrient payload and save the hassle.

Grass City is simply another stoner forum. I would expect every stoner forum to talk about AACT, as well as many other grow techniques unique to Weedville. If AACT was great in and of itself, then commercial growers would use it for produce and ornamental plants... and they don't. Is this because the world horticulture industry is behind the times? No. Why has AACT never been discussed at the global plant shows? Where is all the peer-reviewed data that shows AACT brings something truly unique to the table? There is none after all these years. Google it and see. See how many scientific papers you find on the topic.

Why? Because top dressing with compost gives you the same long-term payload delivery. AACT does not create any nutrients that were not already in the compost.

Rising Moon said:

I was actually thinking the title should be changed.

Soil food web: gardening with microbes


Now my question for you !

How long do the microbes in AACT live for once in the soil? What do they live on?

Without continuous additions of sugar, most of the action in my tea stops, and bad smells start to form.

Without a food sorce in the soil, wouldn't those sugar loving organisms die off rather fast ?

Click to expand...

Read thru the OP again and tell me why should the name change? Where you at Trichome Fiend?! Show yourself haha!

And if you've got Teaming With Microbes on hand look thru it and get all the answers you want.

But you only add a small amount of molasses to the AACTs to feed the multiplying bennies and they multiply faster bcuz of this.
Your AACTs will smell earthy if you used the right ratios of everything and WILL NOT start to smell. Anaerobic OP dead microbes stink. Not aerobic living microbes. Your keep the AACTs aerobic by oxygenating the water and adding a dash of molasses.
even when you use liquid fish in a tea, the earth smell over takes the fishy odor.

And I amended my soil before I mixed it so that there would be enough food to go around. And microbes die and or go dormant all that time. They're microbes. There's billions of billions of them beneath our plants, yet adding to that ecosystem somehow is unnecessary?