Are ACT's really worth the effort?

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by GaryGardens, Jul 10, 2017.

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  1. According to this guy they don't add anything beyond what simply top dressing would do.


     
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  2. Nonsense

    ACT's work on the bugs in the soil and fungi

    by supercharging them bugs and molds that then feed the plant

    see it as re-wiring the soil to benefit the plant

    Don't mess with a 'fish tank' pump but use pure grunt

    to get them bugs singing

    good luck
     
  3. what? re-wiring? what?



    top dress is all you need, forget the teas. i completely agree with the guy in the video.
     
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  4. I used to waste time making teas. Not anymore, top dressing all the way from now on. Less time, less mess, less effort.....Same outcome
     
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  5. There was a time when aact or act was the big deal. Quality worm castings were hard to come by, and /or expensive. Then we all got smart and started worm farms. We all had plenty of castings to mix in the soil and top dress with. No reason to stretch out 2 cups of castings to several containers via a tea. We figured out we could just use the other ingredients as top dress / soil mix, or discard them entirely (like molasses).
    There are microbiological reasons that its not the most efficient way to go as well, but I won't go there.
    I am just pointing out the trends that I noticed and participated in over the years. That is basically how we got to where we are at now. Now our no-tills are stand alone worm bins.
    os
     
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  6. I am not an expert by any means, but from my research and background in soil and environmental sciences, I'd have to agree that they seem pretty useless. If compost has all of the bacteria and fungi needed for a healthy soil, why do we think we need to accelerate growth? Plants have been growing without teas for millions of years. Also, to even attempt to make a tea, you should have a good knowledge of which bacteria are present in your compost, and which will respond favorably to aerobic conditions. Many bacteria prefer anaerobic conditions, and you will be killing those off. By using teas, there is a possibility that you are exposing yourself to higher concentrations of harmful bacteria than would be found in the compost alone. Let mother nature do her thing, she's the most successful gardener in the history of the planet.
     
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  7. Not to mention that by throwing out the "sludge" at the bottom, you are essentially throwing away 99% of the nutrient contents of the compost.
     
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  8. This is so so true. After about 20 AACT brews I came to the realization that the best part of the AACT was the sludge at the bottom.
     
  9. Anyone want to buy a REALLY nice brewer?

    PLEASE??

    Lol

    J
     
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  10. Hi guys, (i hope im not highjacking)I just started my first organic grow, I use a swick watering system, I would like to top dress, but, should I even bother if I don't top water? And if I do, top dress how often to water on top, after top dressing?


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  11. And if you ever see this guy doing something, pay attention. Anybody who browses the organic section will surely have noticed that this guy knows what the hell he's doing.
     
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  12. [​IMG]

    I luv J', too. :weed:
     
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  13. I use a wicking watering system and a garden sprayer to moisten the top. Pick up a garden sprayer.
     
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  14. Just think how fast bacteria multiply. If your soil is good environment for them they'll explode. if its not the ones you add arent going to last very long.
     
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  15. lol. Just like to recognize the people who know what they're doing and help the newer growers. I've seen many good growers on here and other forums that are downright rude and nasty to new growers. Like, if you're going to take time out of your day to respond to someone, why not just help them instead of criticizing or telling them to read a book. Yes, reading is good, but if you know the answer and have the time to respond, just help. I've always seen Jerry being both knowledgeable and willing to help, and it's people like that who make me love the cannabis community so much.
     
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  16. Thanks, @killset, I grow indoors! But, I guess I can use a sprinkler watering can to moisten the top of soil? Thanks for the idea!
    So, basically, I don't need to water a lot when I top dress just wet it? So, I don't have runoff and drip into Res.?

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  17. I grow indoors too man. I also grow oitdoors. Gardens sprayers arent just for outdoors. Yep just wet it. I moisten the top of my soil daily when I'm home.
     
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  18. @jerry11165
    My neighbor uses my airlift for some portion of his beer brewing process now. It looks quite diabolical with all the big stainless steel vats. I'm not hip to the lingo for beer brewing but he says it saves a ton of time and makes really strong, dark stuff.
    cheers
    os
     
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