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Midway City, California

Can compost starter be used to start Compost Tea? Saw some compost starter in three pound boxes in the garden store.

1/29/2007 11:24:38 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Not of the sort we usually speak of here. I might provide more information that you're seeking but such is the subject.

Aerobic Compost Tea (ACT) is high in fungal strands & nematodes, etc. A compost starter would be laden with bacteria that has been chosen for it's ability to consume fresh organic materials. We would use the RESULT of a composting operation to grow the beneficials we seek in ACT. These will exist in compost only after it has gotten near it's climax. This is often referred to as the composts "Maturity Index".

The maturity index is often "read" with a kit like the Solvita Respiration Test Kit. This reads the carbon dioxide emission & ammonia release of the compost to gauge it's maturity.

A pile of fresh organic material that was treated with a "compost starter" would not make a good candidate for brewing ACT & would test "immature" in a Solvita test.

http://solvita.com/compost.html

1/29/2007 9:19:59 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I suppose a person could grow this bacteria on (in a brewer). However since it is so readily available as a packaged low-cost inoculant there is no real reason to.

1/30/2007 6:08:54 AM

Montoursville, PA

The best inoculant would by many be considered one's own finished compost, ones own worm casts and even one's own soil as a small part of the base material being brewed. Those of us who wish to use proven tested compost have it available as tea quality available for ten bucks a bag plus shipping from North Country Organics. (last price I had)!The small amount needed drops the cost to pennies per gallon of finished aerobic tea...........even when including the boosters available from the same source. There certainly must be other sources for proven tea compost and boosters as well as worm casts for worm cast tea.

I was impressed by the owner of that firm when he told me to use my local compost as soon as I got the handle on the process. I did and I have. I am much impressed with the quality of finished aerobic tea I have been able to achieve. My one test which I now think is not necessary at all proved my tea to be of a very high quality not to dis-similar to the test results you can see on that sight. I ended up in the high average but not quite as high as the maker's tea quality. I feel I need no further testing for my growing needs. Frankly it is just to expensive for the purpose I use tea and the level of growing success I enjoy at this time.

1/31/2007 11:50:51 PM