Hi everyone, i just discovered a white webby fungus on the roots on the outside of my 2.5 gallon net pot in a water-only dwc. The roots are sususpended high close to the top of the bucket, could this be micorrihizzae?? My ewc's are from my worms that i have been feeding for over a year.
Okay so I made something j hope is doing the job maybe I could get some input on it. I took a milk jug filled with collected rain water, one gallon. Well slightly less so the agitation doesn't bubble over. Anyways into this gallon if rain water I added a handful of local EWC bout three tablespoons of USBSM it is aerated with my sons old nebulizer pump. That thing boils the water lol. Am I at least doing something right?
According to the Toolbox for Sustainable Living, actively aerated compost tea is a “water-based oxygen rich culture containing large populations of beneficial aerobic bacteria, nematodes, fungi, and protozoa, which can be used to bio remediate toxins.†Good compost tea should contain thousands of beneficial microorganisms; this increases the chances that some of them will be able to bind and break down the range of contaminants on your site.
Is alfalfa used as a source of nitrogen for the ACTs? If yes, can I not just use my aged horse manure in its stead? My plants pray to the ganja gods just a few hours after I hit them with a tea made of kelp, horseshit, and bsm. We have alfalfa, among other grasses, planted in our pasture so maybe that helps increase the nitrogen content of the composted manure.
when I used ewc's and horse manure together I had some crazy active slides on the scope. Molasses and water were the only other ingredients.
ive gotten all the way to page 6 so far and will continue to read, but in essence...an ACT is basically the way to add "nutrients" to your soil? as in, a replacement for having to fertilize every 2-3 waterings when using chem ferts (i use organic soil now, this is just an analogy) I know its not directly adding nutrients, but this is how soil keeps enough nutrients to continue to feed the plants? by nourishing the ecosystem in the soil? I have tomato tone and i can top dress with that if ACT's arnt what i think they are.
ACT's are NOT for providing nutrients to the soil. They are about providing high concentrations of living microbes to the soil. Once in the soil, the microbes break down the organic matter contained within, liberating nutrients for plants to use. Cyllas, did you build your own soil or are you using bagged? If you're using bagged, you most likely will need to top dress with more "nutrients" (like your tomato tone) in order to get the plant through flowering. Bagged soils are designed to run out of juice so that you have to buy fertilizer. If you built your own soil based on ITG's mix (or one that's similar), then you're good to go for a whole grow, and then some. While I do think that ACT's are a VERY useful tool in the organic gardeners arsenal, it's also my opinion that they are overused. A proper microbial balance is established and controlled in the rhizosphere (root zone) by the plant through the exudates that it secretes from its roots. Plant root exudates in the form of carbohydrates and proteins attract and feed the specific types of microbes that the plant needs in order to cycle the particular nutrients that it requires at any given time during its growth. Overuse of ACT's during the plants life cycle disturbs this balance, possibly overloading the rhizosphere with microbial types that the plant doesn't necessarily need at that particular point in its life cycle. In short, I use ACT when I build compost piles, build/amend a batch of soil, and once when my plants have been transplanted into the pots that they will finish in. ACT is good for "kick starting" things, but once a plant is involved, I let nature take it's course. Unless you're trying to battle some sort of invasive type of microbe, but that's a whole different ball game... Just remember that all you have to do is inoculate the soil. Really only once, IMO. Get the microbes in there to start the nutrient cycling, and the plant will drive the process from there on. Make sure you bubble your tea for at least 36 (to 48) hours. Protozoan species are necessary for FULL nutrient cycling, and don't show up in teas until this point.
So, i should top dress my FFOF and Happy frog mix, But use an ACT initially on my home mixed? (my home mixed is virtually the exact one in ITG's sticky.) Its been cooking for almost a month now, although its been semi-dry for the past week or 2, but the microbes just go dormant, correct? as opposed to outright dieing. Thanks for the information, I think i understand the use of ACT's now.
It's not about providing nutrition in regards to alfalfa, at least not entirely. It's loaded with protozoa and a growth compound called triacontrol; I don't add anything other than [vermi]compost, BSM and water to any and all ACT's I make. That's all you need - viable compost, black strap molasses and clean, non chloride riddled water. waktoo just posted a fairly detailed explanation about the intention behind ACT's; use them to help inoculate a healthy microorganism profile into your soil, not as a source of nutrition. As to your second question, yes and no. I suggest reading up on the soil food web and browse through this site here - http://microbeorganics.com/
@[member="waktoo"] (or anyone) i remixed a batch of soil that's been cycling for about 14 weeks (added a couple of new amendments as well as more aeration) if i decide to add an ACT to the mix, how long would it need to cycle before i'm able to plant in it? thanks
right away. I usually only apply an ACT for dried out mixes and either right after the initial TP or sometime in that first week. Most of the time I don't even bother though I've been making the switch to no till; it already has an established, proficient and diverse soil organism profile so no need to change the balance, imo.
ok cool man.. then i'll wait till closer to planting time. i let it dry out a bit, so i'm just concerned about the mix. I'll probably just wait till this harvest and mix the used soil into the mix as well, i think no till is my next step, just wanna get my mix down first before i commit. thanks for the reply man... always appreciated.
also.. http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-Commercial-Air-Single-Outlet/dp/B002JLCDHQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1399983625&sr=1-1&keywords=ecoplus+commercial good for 5 gallons? overkill?
That'll work well. I use the 60 watt ecoplus model and it's a bit too much action in a 5 gallon bucket, imo. I also wouldn't fear using ACT's regularly, while cycling at least. It's just something I would do once or twice then leave alone. If you're concerned then brew one up and apply it, won't do you any harm. I prefer to not use them while a plant is established because it could interrupt the balance the plant dictates is necessary at that point in time.
Don't forget to remove that brass nipple that is screwed into the air outlet. All it does is restrict air flow, something like 20%. Then you'll need to find the right sized air line that has an inside diameter that will fit perfectly over the o.d. of the air outlet. Slip it over the air outlet and secure with a pipe clamp.