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

["Frank Teuton" <fteuton AT sympatico.ca>]

Jeff wrote:----->Frank, dont  you find that often the clogging comes from
buildup, so it is important to have an "automatic" way to clear the intake
filter. I attached a rubber band to the hose on mine and can "snap" it
without opening the system. This clears the filter.

Frank replies: That sounds OK, but cobbled....;-) Ideally, a big enough
intake screen would last the whole spraying without buildup problems, nor
any need to 'thwack' it. We tried spraying a basalt suspension the other
day, worked ok as long as the basalt could be kept suspended, but again the
very small screen kept clogging. I would rather clean out once between
sprayings than add to the things I need to keep track of while driving the
tractor, watching the mist tower, and turning between rows....

Jeff wrote:  By the way, I  suggest being careful if you "filter" by pouring
your tea into a bucket covered with a filter. Gentle. Gentle. Gentle all the
way home.....

We take a bucket that fits over the 25 gallon Agri-Fab sprayer opening, that
itself has a hole in it with a sprayer strainer (from a Solo backpack
sprayer), and we line this bucket with a paint strainer, which is like a
giant sock or a big sack that fits inside the bucket and can be held in
place with a big elastic or bungee cord. So it is a pretty stable set up,
compared to a piece of screening material held tight over a bucket.

We have been scooping out the tea with buckets but will be using a siphoning
method tomorrow morning, and again, I think the screening bag in the bucket
will get the job done.\

All part of the Goldilocks thing, getting the bugs out of the system while
putting the bugs out on the plants....:-)

Inoculatively cogitating,

Frank