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Taber, Alberta

I heard on a radio show that one way to make compost tea was to fill a garbage can full of water, then fill an old pillow case full of compost, then put the case in the water and let it steep for a while, just like regular tea. Then just dilute it so it looks a little yellow, then I'm good to go. Would this work?
Alan

5/24/2004 10:29:43 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Without an aerator or air-stone you could end up with an anaerobic tea. I am no expert as to how long the tea can steep without air before this becomes an issue. I have seen commercially available brewing units that don't use air. Instead they use an articulated arm driven by a low speed electric motor with an eliptical wheel that raises & lowers the "tea bag" & is purported to increase aeration. But again, this isn't really my area of expertise as I lack access to test facilities. My area of expertise is more the bacterial aspect of soils & teas & not the fungal one.

Let's hear what Dwaine & Gads have to say.

5/24/2004 11:46:58 PM

Montoursville, PA

I made tea this way....big tea bags, even with fishing tank air stones and small compressors. To the best of my knowledge I never produced the best quality aerobic tea. I never felt from experience that the tea I produced was negative or bad tea. It was most often manure tea because I was seldom able to achieve enough oxygen and even so if I had enough oxygen if my compost was not proven aerobic compost I still had anaerobic teas.

5/25/2004 7:04:36 PM

Montoursville, PA

MORE....
Time marches on and testing continues. There are now compost sources that sell proven tested aerobic compost. There are places now that sell tested properly engineered tea machines. One which I purchased is the Bitti Bobolator designed and sold by North Country organics. This tea machine or brewer will consistantly produce high quality tea from aerobic proven compost. The ballance of living things extracted will be from amoeba to nematodes. The existing good fungi come along to support the tea. Most pathegons and weed seeds have been cooked in the process of making proven aerobic compost.

Only when using tea of this quality can foliar placed living bacteria on the leaves with enough food for them to occupy and live there. When this is achieved perfectly whole patch ballance has been achieved. All along the way life is being supported and expanded in the absence of any element or product that would harm the biological or the good fungi. It is a proven fact that the good fungi and the good liveing biological critters can out eat and out occupy the bad bacteria, living crtters and bad fungi.

5/25/2004 7:05:34 PM

Montoursville, PA

MORE...

Tea making is a learning experience. Excellent tea can be made from worm casts also. The better ideas I have seen include the use of aerobic compost, suplimental bacteria, suplimental fungi added trace of horticulure oil, fish extract, kelp, worm castings and food in the form of molasses. Considering all of the above professionally used from a proven source ends up producing for about .15 cents a gallon. This has to be done on location and used within a few hours like about one. In four hours it loses half it's value returns to anaerobic with a value as good as simple manure tea but not the really good stuff by any means. It is interesting to note that even professional makers of teas and liquers said to be magic tea can be no better even if preservatives are used. They can not produce the liveing side of life and maintain the quality of a well made home brew. They can't even get close.

5/25/2004 7:06:06 PM

Deer Park WA

Saxomophone, a simple manure/compost tea is a great way to help feed your plants organically, I use the very method you describe for my trees and flowers and they absolutly love it. We use aerobic "compost tea" for our competion pumpkins/squash because it is to time consuming to make "compost tea" for all the plants on our property. Here is another trick to use when making simple manure tea, add some cheep Alaska fish emulsion and a dash of concentrated sea weed (as per the directions I.E 1-tablespoon per gallon)directly to the garbage can with your manure or compost bag (we use old panty hose)stir well, cover, and let it sit for a few days, stir it really well before you use it and either drench or foiler spray the plant. Good luck!

5/26/2004 11:15:59 AM

Snoqualmie, Wash.

This is my second year using manure tea. My first year was made with goat poop placed in a 5 gal. paint strainer. I used a garbage can with rain water and hand stired every day. I used this at the end of the season. Great results. No air added. This year, I am using the same system, except that I have a fish tank air pump with 2 airlines going into bubble bars. I also add fish fertilzer and liquid sea weed. All vegtables love this. I diluter 1/2 with rain water. They get a drink everyday.

6/2/2004 9:37:05 AM