MM runoff = compost tea?

hruten 5/10/2012, 11:37 am

I have a lot of beds and pots. I moved a tomato planter to a sunnier location and had to empty some of the water in the bottom. The stuff looked and smelled like compost tea. Should I be keeping the runoff water in the bottom of my pots as compost tea? Is it possible to store?

I was just curious and didn't want to waste anything that could have a multitude of uses later. Thanks!

**llama momma** 5/10/2012, 11:46 am

I have a similar situation with runoff from pots that were rained on. Brown colored water. I put the excess liquid in a container to re-water the same plants. That was 2 days ago and they look fine. I am going to continue using it till it's used up or smells bad.

quiltbea 5/10/2012, 11:57 am

In many cases, the runoff in the saucers can just be left there to be re-absorbed as the days get sunnier and its wicked up quicker. Saves having to water your pots as often. Unless there's been a deluge for a few days, I leave it in the saucers. Pots need watering more often than garden beds since they dry out much faster so this saves on watering.

If you feel you must empty the saucers, save the water for the next watering. As it warms up you'll have to water daily anyway.

y2jeffr 5/10/2012, 12:09 pm

if you are using fertilizer i would not use the run-off water as a tea. if just mels mix it is prob similar to a tea and usable. personally i would not put run-off back into a pot but i have no experience with mels mix in a pot

hruten 5/10/2012, 1:59 pm

I've been saving milk jugs and will repurpose some as savers. My pots have wicking fabric in them so do a bit better than the regular ones. I just didn't want to see that compost water go sto waste if it was still nutrient rich. Thanks everyone!

javaaddict 5/10/2012, 9:00 pm

I put my boxes in the back of my yard, where it's not the greatest grass conditions. After just a month out there, everything around the boxes is growing like CRAZY, so it must be beneficial. I've got SFG boxes surrounded by great grass and the rest of my yard still looks like heck. :/

littlesapphire 5/10/2012, 9:04 pm

javaaddict wrote:I put my boxes in the back of my yard, where it's not the greatest grass conditions. After just a month out there, everything around the boxes is growing like CRAZY, so it must be beneficial. I've got SFG boxes surrounded by great grass and the rest of my yard still looks like heck. :/

I know exactly what you mean! It's kind of annoying because it's such a painto mow around my boxes... Also, the trees love putting their roots up in my boxes MM runoff = compost tea? 671790

cheyannarach 5/10/2012, 9:10 pm

littlesapphire wrote:
javaaddict wrote:I put my boxes in the back of my yard, where it's not the greatest grass conditions. After just a month out there, everything around the boxes is growing like CRAZY, so it must be beneficial. I've got SFG boxes surrounded by great grass and the rest of my yard still looks like heck. :/

I know exactly what you mean! It's kind of annoying because it's such a painto mow around my boxes... Also, the trees love putting their roots up in my boxes

That's crazy, Mel warned about trees doing that in the book but it was one of those things I thought wouldn't really happen. How do you fix it? MM runoff = compost tea? 601593

littlesapphire 5/10/2012, 9:19 pm

Wellllll...... I've been going in every year and pulling out the roots, but they were pretty thick this year (and seemed to come back really fast!). So I think next spring Im going to need to dig out all my MM, put it In a wheelbarrow, and replace my old weed cloth. I'll probably put down some cardboard first because I hear that really helps. I did it with my new boxes this year so hopefully I won't need to pull roots out of them next year.

And I know the roots are from the trees because the boxes I have next to my house, where it's tree free completely, the MM was soft and friable when I went to fluff it earlier this spring. Not a root insight, despite housing eight foot tomatoes last year.

cheyannarach 5/10/2012, 9:45 pm

Wow, that's crazy, I live in a forrest so now I wonder if they will eventually get me, hmmmmm. Might have to get the chainsaw out MM runoff = compost tea? 950477

Unmutual 5/11/2012, 8:21 am

The only issue with reusing that water in the saucer is salt. You have to let the mix flush at some point, even if you are losing nutrients. If the pots with the saucers receive rain every now and again(enough to have the water flush through the pot and out of the saucer), then it should be fine though. If you're watering by hand and they never get any rain, then you might run into problems later.

**llama momma** 5/11/2012, 9:02 am

javaaddict wrote:I put my boxes in the back of my yard, where it's not the greatest grass conditions. After just a month out there, everything around the boxes is growing like CRAZY, so it must be beneficial. I've got SFG boxes surrounded by great grass and the rest of my yard still looks like heck. :/

Javaaddict and littlesaphire: if you don't mind the look, the best thing I have used around the boxes for a perfect mowing edge is roof shingles. Nothing grows through it and it allows the riding mower to get a close cut without banging the boxes too. Also keeps your feet dry when the grass is wet. I wish I had more shingles to put around all the boxes.

Had loads of old straw and hay, more than what the compost heaps could use. Put a lot around the boxes and it is good for keeping down the grass but not as good as the shingles because it can stay very soggy after it rains which = wet sneakers.

javaaddict 5/11/2012, 12:34 pm

llama momma wrote:
javaaddict wrote:I put my boxes in the back of my yard, where it's not the greatest grass conditions. After just a month out there, everything around the boxes is growing like CRAZY, so it must be beneficial. I've got SFG boxes surrounded by great grass and the rest of my yard still looks like heck. :/

Javaaddict and littlesaphire: if you don't mind the look, the best thing I have used around the boxes for a perfect mowing edge is roof shingles. Nothing grows through it and it allows the riding mower to get a close cut without banging the boxes too. Also keeps your feet dry when the grass is wet. I wish I had more shingles to put around all the boxes.

Had loads of old straw and hay, more than what the compost heaps could use. Put a lot around the boxes and it is good for keeping down the grass but not as good as the shingles because it can stay very soggy after it rains which = wet sneakers.

Of course! Thanks for the tip. I was looking at pavers but I knew I was still going to have to deal with the grass shooting up in between.

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thanks for the posts

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