Search
Latest topics
» Ads are backby markqz Today at 10:40 am
» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by markqz Today at 10:13 am
» Soaking Seeds for Better Germination
by OhioGardener Today at 8:30 am
» How do I source Mels Mix for 190 cu ft????
by OhioGardener Today at 8:02 am
» Should I buy this compost tumbler??
by sanderson Today at 3:38 am
» Garden Tools
by Soose Yesterday at 6:07 pm
» Back In The Saddle I Suppose
by AtlantaMarie Yesterday at 5:15 am
» Happy Birthday!!
by AtlantaMarie Yesterday at 5:12 am
» Seed Exchange - January 2023
by sanderson Yesterday at 3:08 am
» Phosphate
by bigtoad 2/2/2023, 5:41 pm
» Organic compost without peat in Alberta
by OhioGardener 2/2/2023, 8:05 am
» worms and compost tumbler
by Soose 2/1/2023, 11:46 pm
» trying to Think Spring in cold Chicago
by sanderson 2/1/2023, 4:43 pm
» New Lifetime Compost Tumbler..
by sanderson 2/1/2023, 4:41 pm
» What are you eating from your garden today?
by OhioGardener 2/1/2023, 10:44 am
» Aero Garden for starting seeds?
by OhioGardener 2/1/2023, 8:23 am
» Starbucks for coffee grounds!
by sanderson 1/30/2023, 1:37 am
» N&C Midwest: January & February 2023
by OhioGardener 1/29/2023, 7:33 pm
» Placing Box on Cement
by OhioGardener 1/29/2023, 2:57 pm
» How I compost using a Tumbler
by Soose 1/29/2023, 2:45 pm
» Garlic Chives in SFG?
by OhioGardener 1/29/2023, 8:56 am
» Microgreens Gardening
by sanderson 1/28/2023, 11:42 pm
» Johnson Su composting Bioreactor instructions for home, not the farm.
by has55 1/28/2023, 10:57 am
» homemade vermicomposting/Worm Casting Compost Sifters
by has55 1/28/2023, 10:45 am
» Famous Gardening Quotes
by OhioGardener 1/28/2023, 8:29 am
» The SFG Journey-Johnson Su Bioreactor for composting, No turning
by has55 1/28/2023, 12:09 am
» seed starting Mel's way
by plantoid 1/27/2023, 7:09 am
» Home Made Compost
by plantoid 1/27/2023, 6:18 am
» New but Old
by lovey 1/25/2023, 1:49 am
» Dani's Brand New SFG For 2023
by danieggert 1/24/2023, 6:24 pm
Google
Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
+3
has55
sanderson
OhioGardener
7 posters
Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
This evening I started the first batch of Compost Tea for this season. Put 30 gallons of water in the brewer, and added 6 cups of compost, 2 cups of worm castings, and 2 cups of blackstrap molasses. It will brew for 24 hours, and tomorrow evening I will do both foliar spray and soil drench of all 7 raised beds. I have found that foliar spraying of compost tea greatly reduces pest problems, while soil drenches speeds the breakdown of organic matter to plant-available nutrients.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
goodtogrow and Hip2B like this post
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
sanderson wrote:I assume it is your homemade compost.
Yes, I use homemade compost and worm castings. At the 24-hour point of the brewing cycle I check the microbial life with the microscope. At the end of the cycle, just before applying the tea to the gardens, I usually add some EM-1 to the brewer to get the compost tea an extra boost.
Do you have an air pump?
Yes, I built a airlift tea brewer from a water softener brine tank, using Tim Wilson's "Microbulator" plans.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
sanderson likes this post
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
I used to brew compost tea when I made my own compost. Kind of miss it.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
what are you seeing in the microscope?OhioGardener wrote:sanderson wrote:I assume it is your homemade compost.
Yes, I use homemade compost and worm castings. At the 24-hour point of the brewing cycle I check the microbial life with the microscope.
has55- Posts : 2370
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
sanderson and Hip2B like this post
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
do fungi grow in compost tea or is it to slow to do it?
has55- Posts : 2370
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
has55 wrote:do fungi grow in compost tea or is it to slow to do it?
Occasionally I'll find a small image of Fungal Hyphae in the compost tea, but most of the time there isn't any obvious. The short brewing time of 24 hours, and the constant agitation of the air infusion does not lend itself to development of fungi.
When I look at a sample of the compost I make, though, there is almost always Fungal Hyphae present. This image was of a sample of some of the compost. The fungai is well developed.

Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
Foliage spraying leaves give nutrients leaves take up immediately. Also helps to keep many pests off because microbes take up residency, not allowing competition.OhioGardener wrote:This evening I started the first batch of Compost Tea for this season. Put 30 gallons of water in the brewer, and added 6 cups of compost, 2 cups of worm castings, and 2 cups of blackstrap molasses. It will brew for 24 hours, and tomorrow evening I will do both foliar spray and soil drench of all 7 raised beds. I have found that foliar spraying of compost tea greatly reduces pest problems, while soil drenches speeds the breakdown of organic matter to plant-available nutrients.
jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor-
Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 87
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
jimmy cee wrote:Foliage spraying leaves give nutrients leaves take up immediately. Also helps to keep many pests off because microbes take up residency, not allowing competition.
One of the biggest benefits I have seen from the foliar spraying is the prevention of powdery mildew. The microbes don't leave room on the leaves for the mildew spores to get started.
Last year I started a routine of spraying compost tea every other week, and alternate weeks I sprayed EM-1. It was very successful, and I am going to try to repeat it this year.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Hip2B likes this post
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
My last year of SFG I was making compost tea. I had 32 red bell pepper plants in a 4 X 10 bed. 2 weeks after planting I sprayed 16 of these plants with compost tea. In only 4 days the 16 plants that I sprayed almost doubled in size compared to those I did not spray.OhioGardener wrote:One of the biggest benefits I have seen from the foliar spraying is the prevention of powdery mildew. The microbes don't leave room on the leaves for the mildew spores to get started.
Last year I started a routine of spraying compost tea every other week, and alternate weeks I sprayed EM-1. It was very successful, and I am going to try to repeat it this year.
I have a small garden bed now and trying my hand at vermicompost. When I get enough castings I will attempt making tea from castings. I started this worm farm March 16th and it is a really slow process. Enjoyable nevertheless.
jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor-
Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 87
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
OhioGardener and Hip2B like this post
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
jimmy cee wrote:I have a small garden bed now and trying my hand at vermicompost. When I get enough castings I will attempt making tea from castings. I started this worm farm March 16th and it is a really slow process. Enjoyable nevertheless.
It does take a while for the worms to start multiplying, doesn't it. But, once they start growing and multiplying they expand rapidly. One of the worm bins favorite treats is a couple handfuls of coffee grounds. I've read that the worms can use the coffee grounds as grid in their gizzard to help grind food, so maybe that is why they love them so much.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
Will a Red Worm Population Double in 3 Months?OhioGardener wrote:jimmy cee wrote:I have a small garden bed now and trying my hand at vermicompost. When I get enough castings I will attempt making tea from castings. I started this worm farm March 16th and it is a really slow process. Enjoyable nevertheless.
It does take a while for the worms to start multiplying, doesn't it. But, once they start growing and multiplying they expand rapidly.
has55- Posts : 2370
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
has55 wrote:Will a Red Worm Population Double in 3 Months?OhioGardener wrote:jimmy cee wrote:I have a small garden bed now and trying my hand at vermicompost. When I get enough castings I will attempt making tea from castings. I started this worm farm March 16th and it is a really slow process. Enjoyable nevertheless.
It does take a while for the worms to start multiplying, doesn't it. But, once they start growing and multiplying they expand rapidly.
The breeding cycle for Red Wigglers is 27 days, so theoretically their population could double every 60 days.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
I felt guilty, as well as a little mad this evening about how I did the foliar spray of compost tea on Monday evening. I went out to pull some Rhubarb stalks to make another Rhubarb Crisp, and discovered the plants were all totally covered with black aphids. It occurred to me that when I did the foliar spray of the compost tea that I did not spray the Rhubarb plants. Typically plants that I keep sprayed with compost tea never have an outbreak of aphids. The underside of the Rhubarb leaves had so many black aphids on them that there was very little of the leaf visible. So, after I harvested the stalks I needed and composted the cut off leaves, I mixed some Neem Oil & Soap and sprayed all of the Rhubarb leaves to kill the remaining aphids. When I do the next compost tea spray at the two-week interval, I won't be missing the Rhubarb.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
interesting. tell me your recipe again. Enquirer wants to know. 

has55- Posts : 2370
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
has55 wrote:interesting. tell me your recipe again. Enquirer wants to know.
I included it in the first post of this thread:
This evening I started the first batch of Compost Tea for this season. Put 30 gallons of water in the brewer, and added 6 cups of compost, 2 cups of worm castings, and 2 cups of blackstrap molasses. It will brew for 24 hours, and tomorrow evening I will do both foliar spray and soil drench of all 7 raised beds.
It is not an exact science, though. As a rough estimate, I typically use 1 cup of compost and 1/2 cup of unsulphured molasses per 5 gallons of water. If I have worm castings available, I use some of them for good measure. If I add more compost, I increase the molasses as well to ensure the microbes get fed.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
Did the monthly foliar spray and soil drench of Compost Tea. The benefits I have seen this year of doing monthly applications of compost tea have been incredible. Lush bug free vegetables, and no powdery mildew so far this year. Not to mention more vegetables than we can use.
Made a compilation video of the finished compost tea under the microscope.
Made a compilation video of the finished compost tea under the microscope.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
Thank you.
Are you at the level where you can put the names with an arrow or maybe a posted time stamp note of what we are looking at in the video? Great pictures.
Are you at the level where you can put the names with an arrow or maybe a posted time stamp note of what we are looking at in the video? Great pictures.
has55- Posts : 2370
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
has55 wrote:Thank you.
Are you at the level where you can put the names with an arrow or maybe a posted time stamp note of what we are looking at in the video? Great pictures.
I am approaching that ability, but not quite there yet. First I have to learn to take good notes when capturing a screen shot. I have a friend that I periodically send screen shots to for confirmation of what I am looking at, and he either confirms my thoughts or corrects them. That info with the notes I should be taking would allow me to include names and pointers to them. I'm getting there....
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
awesome, thanks for sharing
has55- Posts : 2370
Join date : 2012-05-10
Location : Denton, tx
Spraying em-1
Just wondering how you are mixing the em-1 to spray on you plants. Are you activating the em-1 then deluding it before spraying?OhioGardener wrote:
Last year I started a routine of spraying compost tea every other week, and alternate weeks I sprayed EM-1. It was very successful, and I am going to try to repeat it this year.
I have a quart of em-1 I'm activating now to use for some of my evergreen plants and flowers.
Scottie
Hawgwild-
Posts : 101
Join date : 2022-01-12
Age : 74
Location : Northwest Louisiana
Re: Tea Time -- Compost Tea, that is
Hawgwild wrote:Just wondering how you are mixing the em-1 to spray on you plants. Are you activating the em-1 then deluding it before spraying?OhioGardener wrote:
Last year I started a routine of spraying compost tea every other week, and alternate weeks I sprayed EM-1. It was very successful, and I am going to try to repeat it this year.
Yes, you must use the activated EM-1, not the Mother. I mix a 1% EM-1 solution -- that is 2.5 Tbsp EM-1 per 1 Gallon water.
Only do the foliar spraying in very early morning, or in the evening after the sunshine has weakened. The sun's UV will kill the microbes if sprayed during high sun times.
Never plant without a bucket of compost at your side.
Thanks OhioGardener
Just the info I needed... I am learning so much on the awesome forum..
Scottie
Scottie
Hawgwild-
Posts : 101
Join date : 2022-01-12
Age : 74
Location : Northwest Louisiana
sanderson likes this post
Worm casting tea in cold weather...
I've started a new batch of worm castings tea but not sure how effective it may be with our current temperature range in northwest Louisiana...Low to upper 30's night time and near 70's days.
I added 3 cups worm castings and 3 tablespoons molasses in a 5 gallon bucket outside.
Just checked water temp in the bucket and was 56 degrees. Will probably drop more tonight.
Do you believe the microbes with grow with these current temps? I will move the bucket out in the sun as the day warms..
Scottie
I added 3 cups worm castings and 3 tablespoons molasses in a 5 gallon bucket outside.
Just checked water temp in the bucket and was 56 degrees. Will probably drop more tonight.
Do you believe the microbes with grow with these current temps? I will move the bucket out in the sun as the day warms..
Scottie
Hawgwild-
Posts : 101
Join date : 2022-01-12
Age : 74
Location : Northwest Louisiana
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2

» Compost for 1st time SFG
» time to start my own compost?
» Does Old MM or Compost Lose Nutrients over time
» When is the best time to add compost? Fall or Spring?
» Having a hard time finding 5 different compost varieties
» time to start my own compost?
» Does Old MM or Compost Lose Nutrients over time
» When is the best time to add compost? Fall or Spring?
» Having a hard time finding 5 different compost varieties
Page 1 of 2
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|