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Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Anyone care to share their compost tea recipes.

1 cup worm castings
1 cub of soil soup nutrient solution

This year I will be adding some seaweed powder.

Thanks...Ray

1/22/2008 9:23:13 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

I also use the soil soup system...Ray

1/22/2008 9:23:41 PM

Mt Vernon Ky

I use the soil soup system ray but I thought I was doing something wrong with the other post vic

1/22/2008 11:05:03 PM

Seattle, WA

I just dug this info. up from an organic lawn care group that Dr. Ingham is a part of.

"Keep the ACT recipe simple.

100 gallon brewer
7 pounds of good compost (or 15 pounds of not-so-wonderful compost)
1 gal humic acid (Turf Pro for example)
1 pound kelp (please make sure it is organic approved)
MAYBE half gallon of non-sulfured blackstrap molasses (again organic please!)

No molasses once temperatures are above 85 F, increase the molasses if brewing in cold weather

If you brew in a 5 gal container, then,

5 gal brewer
1 pound compost
A half cup of humic acid
1 to 3 tablespoons of kelp
a teaspoon of non-sulfured, blackstrap molasses

check biology when you are done. If fungi are too low, up the humic acid, or lower the molasses

Bacteria and fungi compete for food. High bacteria mean low fungi, unless you get the right balance of foods for them to both do well.

Hope this helps!

Elaine"


One note though....we measure our compost by volume rather than by weight because moisture can fluctuate quite a bit in compost depending on the season. I would change the 1 lb. of compost to 1.5-2 cups, and try to incorporate a couple of sources of compost into that mix.

1/23/2008 2:55:10 PM

Sheridan . NY

THERE IS ->SYMBREW --Info on- www.candjfert.com -hit our products--hit GP FERT PROGRAM -Scroll down hit Symbrew

1/23/2008 3:25:23 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Thanks guys....

Vic, I agree, not a lot of growers want to share their recipes. I find it quite hilarious.

1/23/2008 4:13:02 PM

Minnesota

I'm new to this, so far my compost tea has been, some molasses, fish emulsion, miracle grow, compost, worm castings (anything else that I can find)put into a 3 gallon container, shaken, then poured on the plants, tuh dah.

1/23/2008 4:17:50 PM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

Question
What affect would there be if you were to add Calcium to the mix, These plants require high Calcium, so would this slow down or kill the organisms.

Or secondly sulfer, for the high PH people out there, could you introduce trace amounts to the mix and in turn keep the ph level in check, or in my case the water I use has a PH level of 7.8.

Thanks Eddy

1/23/2008 5:50:59 PM

Sheridan . NY

HI EDDY -- The Symbrew has Vigor CAL in it--craig

1/23/2008 10:12:19 PM

Eddy,,,calcium is one of the things I add "post" brew and apply at the same time, not sure about your pH question.

1/23/2008 10:59:07 PM

2007 I used the 5 gal. soil soup kit and followed their recipe with their products. Later in the season I replaced the 5 gal. bucket with a 25 gal. "muck bucket" to brew 25 gal. Before application I mixed in 1.5 cups fish emulsion per 5 gal. Late season I replaced fish emulsion with seaweed. Tad, any negative effects by the addition of seaweed or fish to finished product?

1/24/2008 8:39:57 AM

Minnesota

Tad12, a question for you,, Have you ever used Azomite (crushed rock) or Sea-90 (sea water minerals) in compost tea. Do you know much about the two. I have been sent free samples and plan on mixing them up with my potting soil. Thanks

1/24/2008 11:04:21 AM

Seattle, WA

Richard,

I have never tried those ingredients in compost tea. Does the sea water minerals have a very high salt content? If so, I would probably not use it in the tea.

The only way to know for sure is to make a batch with the ingredient you want to test (make sure it's only 1 variable) and then one control and look at the difference in biology between the two.

I believe some people have tried the rock dust or rock powder in teas before, but I'm not sure what success they had.

~Tad

1/24/2008 12:07:59 PM

Seattle, WA

Skip,

When we go out to spray with our big trailer, we typically add fish emulsion and kelp to the tea right before application. We don't add it before then, because the micro nutrients will effect the organisms in the tea and which changes the recipe that we've already tested to be effective. I would go with the seaweed over the fish if I were to choose, as the seaweed also contains growth hormones for your plants.

One thing to consider on your soil soup kit. Did you take their 5 gallon (actually 6.5 I think...) unit and then put the "bio blender" into a 25 gallon bucket to brew your tea? What we've found with our 5 gallon brewer is that you can make it in a 5 gallon bucket and then add up to 25 gallons of water to it AFTER you're done brewing, but if you were to take our 5 gallon motor and apparatus and stick it in 30 gallons of water to brew the tea, you would get a very poor tea that would contain little to no benefit for your plants. The issue is the dissolved oxygen levels in the water while the organisms are growing. Taking a small motor and putting it into a larger vessel of water does not give you the levels of aeration that you would have had in a 5 or 6.5 gallon container.

~Tad

1/24/2008 12:13:46 PM

Seattle, WA

Eddy,

I believe that Shaefer's Fish has a high calcium content so you could try adding that to the tea. Otherwise, I would probably add it after you're done brewing also.

1/24/2008 12:14:58 PM

Tad.They claim the bio blender works for up to 30 Gal. Using the larger container I still see the same amount of foam and bubbles. Are you saying you add and brew the ingredients for 25 gal. in 5 gal. of water and when finished and 20 gal. of water?

1/24/2008 3:01:07 PM

Seattle, WA

Oh, I didn't realize. What I've found with our brewer is that it doesn't work that way. If they have tests for their brewer that show otherwise, then by all means follow their instructions. My experience has been that you need to adjust the aeration quite significantly when switching your quantity of water that you're brewing in.

1/24/2008 6:10:33 PM

Iowa

No molasses once temperatures are above 85 F, increase the molasses if brewing in cold weather??? Air temp or water temp,and could you explain why?? Thanks

1/24/2008 6:50:26 PM

President - GPC

SOme of the compost I got from KIS even had live worms in it last year, so this year for my brew I am adding fresh worm compost right out my new Wiz projuect.....vermicomposter, cant get much fresher or more abundant biology to start breeding with..... I feal it SHould enhance what comes out
as CT for spraying......

1/25/2008 9:36:25 AM

President - GPC

Last year I did add some extra alfalfa meal to the brew bag too. Prior to laying down the CT once brewed, I sprayed the CT above and below the leaf canopy. Before I lay it down I sprayed a 2 OZ per Gallon Molasses/Water mixture to the dirt only, then the spray the brewed CT on top the soil 1/2 hour later......I figured lets give them some food then populate.....Thoughts? Its around the day before I spray the fish all over..part of my weekly Agro-K feeding schedule.......one day fish, one day seaweed, one day molasses then CT on top, then the other days of Craigs program..do it again every 7 days......someday.....Ill grow like JOE.....

1/25/2008 9:50:58 AM

President - GPC

Had no PM last year at home, and nice beautiful large leaves, lots of females and flowers on JOe Joe JO.......

1/25/2008 9:52:41 AM

Seattle, WA

S.Krug,

I believe the reason Dr. Ingham says the part about molasses is because in warmer temps, the molasses will cause the bacteria to reproduce too quickly. In cooler temps., they need the added sugars because they will be more reluctant to reproduce. That's water temps. too by the way.

Make sure you're brewing at ambient temps. at which you'll be applying the tea. It does little good to select for organisms that prefer 85 degree water and then spray them on 65 degree soil. Better to adjust the recipe and brew in the conditions the organisms will need to survive in. You'll also want to extend your brewing time in colder temps.

1/25/2008 12:39:50 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I know that some folks are using yard litter/kitchen wast compost in the recipes. Can you use well composted manure?

1/25/2008 12:51:56 PM

Seattle, WA

As long as the manure has been fully composted properly, then it should contain no pathogens.

We use only woody materials in our composts for that very issue. However, you're not spraying on any vegetables you plan on eating, so it should be fine.

Typically, I'd recommend using the composted manure as a top dressing instead.

1/25/2008 1:06:01 PM