There's this too, written by the same guy... http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1110985-act-aerated-compost-tea.html Most relevant info is contained in the first few pages, but questions poised by others are also very helpful from time to time.
Ok people I just got my order of EWC and the products below and I read over this post ACT - Aerated Compost Tea -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So if you have 5 gallons you multiply that by 2.38% to get the amount of [vermi]compost to use. Then you can go to; Online Conversion - Volume Conversion and convert it into any unit of measure which is convenient. In my opinion measuring [vermi]compost by weight is inaccurate because of varying moisture content. Anyway to proceed we have; 5 x 2.38% = 0.119 of a gallon = 0.476 of a quart = 0.450 of a liter = 450.5 milliliters [450 rounded] = 1.904 cups [2 cups rounded] - Your choice so if I understand right I think for 1 gal of water I should use: EWC - 1/4 cup Molasses - 1 tbs Fish Hydrolysate - 1 tsp Kelp - 1 tsp Alfalfa Meal - 1 tsp ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $10.00 free shipping http://www.neptunesh...samplepack.html NH Liquid Fish Hydrolysate(4oz) NH Liquid Fish and Seaweed Blend(4oz) NH Liquid Seaweed(4oz) NH Dry Crab Shell(2~3oz) NH Kelp Meal(dry/granulate)(~3oz)
Great dude! And honestly.... you don't need the alfalfa for the tea (though if you have it, it's a fine ingredient). I hope you have a high quality EWC component, because that is honestly the most important ingredient. If you follow Tim Wilson's recommendations, you'll be in great shape!
less bsm is better. too much depletes the dissolved o2 and the tea goes anaerobic on ya. less is often best, organically speaking. Ewc and bsm is all you need for an effective tea. imho. Twas Ever Thus!
good info thx also do u have an easy veg tea and flower tea? I already got these products here what else would I need? NH Liquid Fish Hydrolysate(4oz) 2-4-1 NH Liquid Fish and Seaweed Blend(4oz) 2-3-1 NH Liquid Seaweed(4oz) 0-0-1 NH Dry Crab Shell(2~3oz) 2-3-0 NH Kelp Meal(dry/granulate)(~3oz) 1-0-2
You have to realize that ACT's are NOT about supplying nutrients, they are about supplying high concentrations of soil microbes. Soil microbes break down the organic materials in your soil, which in turn cycle nutrients and make them available for plant uptake. Taken from http://www.microbeorganics.com/... Why use compost tea? The main reasons for using compost tea are; 1/ to provide a quick nutrient kick to the rhizosphere. This works mainly because as the flagellates (protozoa) consume the *bacteria/archaea they utilize only 10 to 40% of the energy intake for their sustenance and the remaining 60 to 90% is expelled as ionic form nutrient which is directly bio-available to the roots of the plants. This is known as ‘the microbial nutrient loop (cycle)'. 2/ to begin or continue an inoculation of the soil with a microbial population. Many of these microorganisms will go dormant until called upon later to fulfill their purpose but many of them will grow and flourish, finding their station in the hierarchical positioning of microbes in a living soil. Some, like the fungi will grow out through the soil binding aggregates together, assisting with air and moisture retention, providing pathways for bacteria/archaea, providing a food source for various microorganisms and degrading organic matter to a point where it is available for other organisms. Within a very diverse ACT there will be free living nitrogen fixers, anti-pathogens and yes a few of the anaerobic and facultative anaerobes which serve their positive role in a living soil. 3/ to potentially provide the microorganisms which may assist in protecting plants from pathogens. 4/ because it allows the use of less [vermi]compost over a given area. There is nothing wrong with using only [vermi]compost instead of ACT if you have that much. ACT just allows you to use less [vermi]compost and it accelerates the microbial process. *Note; I use the term bacteria/archaea because without complex testing it is not possible to visually tell the two apart. Recent research has revealed that archaea are commonly found in soil worldwide and have just as an important function in the microbial nutrient cycle as bacteria. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There are no ACT's for "flower" or "veg'". If you're looking to supply nutrients, you'll need to look into "botanical teas", which are basically just plant materials soaked in water for various amounts of time. And they smell like shit, FYI.
here is a post with (veg and flowering tea's) I know there not ACT's but that wat I was more asking for veg and flowering tea's cuz a lot of people use like 20 different things so I just wanted a well rounded easy tea for both and then I will use my ACT seprate. http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/333940-post-your-organic-tea-recipe.html
IMO, you'd be better off top dressing with any of those "20 different things" and watering them in with an ACT. Too much solid material in a "tea" will only serve to decrease the dissolved oxygen concentration in the solution (tea), leading to an environment more suited for the proliferation of anaerobic microbes. Especially in a 5 gallon bucket aerated with air stones. NOT what you're looking for... I'm not saying that the teas in the thread that you posted WON'T work, I'm just saying that the nutrient content and availability of said nutrients contained within are not liberated in a 24-48 hour soak in water. Water soluble nutrients will be liberated, but the vast majority of the rest of what's available will only be made such my microbial action, in the soil, over time. I will venture that the major benefit from these "teas" is realized from top dressing with the sludge that's left over after brewing.