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

[Essie Hull <seedhead AT essenceofthings.com>]

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.