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

[The Grahams <grahams AT open.org>]

I realize this pales in relation to other postings, BUT I have a significant
head of foam on this Batch of compost tea.  This is a first time thing for
me.  What's the deal?  Is it good, bad or indifferent?

The longer story is...I have a small (4-5) acre perennial nursery of mostly
natives.  Last year (after hearing Elaine a couple of times, fortuitously)
while awaiting an affordable small brewer to appear in the market (still
waiting) I made tea in a plastic barrel using an aquarium air pump with air
stones. (Along the way I upset a 5 gallon bucket of molasses in the trunk of
the car BUT that is another story.) I used the tea indiscriminately without
any controls and; stopped mildew on phlox, stopped black spot on roses, had
the absolute best TOMATOE crop in the 25+ years we have tried here.  But
never had any foam of any consequence.

I decides that I was too cheap last year and did not have enough aeration
and maybe too much molasses (especially in the car trunk) based on my
experience and recent posting and am a bit concerned that the nylon hose
compost bag may not allow best fungal increase.  So, I bought a second
aquarium pump (both rated for 30+ gallon tanks, decreased the volume of my
batch reduced the molasses and put some compost and alfalfa meal loose in
the tank along with my bag of compost (which is a blend of worm compost and
local commercial compost)

It is still quite cool here, 55F.last night and this batch has just been
going about 36 hours at this point.

I will appreciate any comments on the foam, or other observations. I may
even overcome my cheapness and send a sample to the lab this year.

Best Regards,
Russ


-- 
Russell Graham - Purveyor of Plants - grahams AT open.org - Zone 7 - Salem,
Oregon