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Subject: Compost Teas: 24 hour, EM, IM, BD & fermented plant extracts

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  • From: Essie Hull <seedhead AT essenceofthings.com>
  • To: Compost Tea List <Compostteas AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Compostteas] First Two Teas
  • Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2002 10:44:28 -0400

Well, Folks - I'm new to the list and to compost tea making.  I just finished up my second batch and intend in a month or so to send samples (of a fresh batch, of course) to Elaine, but for now I'm just trying to get the hang of managing things.

Using a 50 gallon plastic wide tub that had originally contained fruit syrup, I put in the following ingredients:
1. Approximately 7 lb. mature compost that is largely leaf-based.
2. Approx. 3-4 lb. worm castings (and I tried to pick out every single worm).  I put the compost and the castings into a nylon mesh laundry bag.  The mesh was fairly large and the bag was much bigger than the supply of compost and castings.
3. Water from a mix of azomite, granite meal, colloidal rock phosphate, and greensand in water. I mixed the water and minerals in a 5-gallon bucket and let the minerals settle to the bottom. I poured the cloudy water into the tea tub.
4. Approx. 1/4 c. unsulphured molasses.
5. Approx. 1/16th/cup maximum wettable kelp powder.
6. Approx. 1/16/cup maximum humic acid
7. Approx. 20-25 gallons (total) water from the well and from the rain barrel.

Using a Tetratec DW96-2 pump and 10 bubblers (2 fairly coarse, 2 fairly medium, 6 fine), I invoked the presence of microorganisms and plugged in the pump.

Looks like a good bubble mix.  Foam starts after 24 hrs and increases a little.  I let the process continue for around 48 hours, then apply it.  I'm working on the application method.  I'm trying to become comfortable with a backpack sprayer (as a home gardener, I don't need a big rig) but in the meantime I'm just applying it with watering cans.  I do realize that's not ideal and gives me a soil drench and a top-of-leaf application, but one does what one does and I'll become more competent with time.

So, my questions are:  What do you-all think of my ingredient list?  How does one know that one's tea is ready?  Those are my basic questions.  I'm assuming that the tea will have a robust fungal content because of the leaf content of the compost, and that it will also have a robust bacteria content because of the worm castings.  Testing, of course, will confirm that.  Also, I was considering adding aragonite to the mineral mix, but decided to hold off on that.

As said earlier; I do plan to have the tea tested, but I think it's too early in the game for that and I want to become more proficient at making the tea before I spend the money for the testing.

Thanks for your feedback.
Essie Hull

Long-Term Organic and Early Stage Biodynamic Gardener in central NH
(warm end of Zone 4) USA

We trust in the Great Presence that surrounds, guides and supports us. 
We also trust in microbes, worms, intention, unseen forces, compost,
love and diligent care.



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