i see many threads saying to use 5 gallons of water? do you guys have that many plants or can you just make it and let it sit til you get done using it? ( if you oxgenate it right before you use it) can you guys tell me some good recipes thats like that? Sent from my SCH-R740C using Grasscity Forum mobile app
i mean some that only require 1 gal of water? i want stuff that i can use every bit right after i make it recipes are appreciated! Sent from my SCH-R740C using Grasscity Forum mobile app
It does need to be used right away. (Compost teas anyway.) Just take a 5 gallon recipe and do the math. Sent from somewhere over there. No, not there...over THERE.
I do it up 1 or 2 gal at a time. http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1269823-This-old-Hippies-Organic-Garden. This old Hippies Organic Garden.
Compost teas absolutely need to be used right away to really harness their benefits. After 48 hours, the protozoa will begin their domination, eating all your beneficial bacteria. The AACT will cease to be a balanced blend of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, and become a protozoa bomb. That can have its uses.... for instance if anaerobic bacteria are hurting your plant. But it really isn't a traditional AACT anymore- it certainly won't provide beneficial bacteria to your soil anymore. And if you ceased to aerate it, it would become an anaerobic bacteria tea.... definitely not what we want. This is why you cannot buy an AACT in a bottle at a grow store.... it is impossible to store these beneficial bacteria and keep them alive. Botanical teas (where you put the plant matter in a bucket of water and let it sit behind your barn for a few weeks) can be stored and used. These are like mini-FPEs, since they will be fermented by lactobacilli strains in the air. And since they are anaerobic, you don't need to bubble air through them before use. Once it is ready for use, you'll want to strain out the remaining plant material to prevent alcohol fermentation from occurring. I would also hit it with 1 tbsp of citric acid per gallon of liquid, in order to ensure fermentation had been arrested where I want it. If store properly in a cool, dark place, these can last up to 3 months. What I call nutrient teas (where you put plant matter in water and aerate it for 18-36 hours) can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks. Strain the plant matter. And aerating before use sounds like a decent idea... don't think it's necessary, but can't hurt. But Ziggy is right that all you need to do is divide all the ingredients by 5 to make a 1 gallon tea. I don't have a lot of room to store shit, so I make 1 gallon (or smaller) teas. Edit: Think I responded to the wrong person.... sorry Ziggs