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Santa Rosa, CA.

Do any of you use a compost inoculate? It seems like an easy way to make sure your compose has a diverse range of bacterial and fungal cultures. What brand do you use? I want quality compost for my tea.

2/18/2008 10:27:33 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Packaged innoculants re usually bacterial & added after the brewing & right before spraying. Fungal innoculants (mycorrhyza) don't survive in a brewer as far as I know.

Other good stuff (protozoa, amoeba, flagellates, ciliates, etc) will come from the compost.

2/18/2008 12:59:50 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

I was actually talking about inoculating my compost pile.

2/18/2008 8:59:08 PM

Seattle, WA

You could add humic acids, alfalfa meal, or baby oatmeal to your pile to increase your fungal growth.

Bacteria prefers simpler sources like molasses.

Soluble seaweed would be another good addition as it provides micronutrients and growth hormones.

2/18/2008 11:14:03 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Corn meal & coffee grounds get the worms going in a compost pile. Molasses gets the bacteria cooking.

2/19/2008 1:00:55 AM

Seattle, WA

I realized I put alfalfa meal under fungal foods, switch that to bacterial....oops!

If you decide to use molasses, remember to use unsulfured blackstrap molasses.

Of course you could just regulate the organisms based on your inputs. "Green" materials will favor bacteria, while "Brown" materials will favor fungi.

2/19/2008 1:34:08 PM

I think it important not to confuse the issue here,,Russ innoculants may or may not help with the quality of your compost. It will mainly come from your inputs to the pile and your diligence in turning and maintaining it. Once again there really is no "silver bullet" other than doing the research and practicing what you have learned.

The basic "geeen" is nitro and "brown" is carbon are still the rule. To get the bacterial versis fungal thing, all that really is required is aging the finished pile.

just my 2 cents

2/19/2008 4:31:25 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Unkadan...coffee grounds...brown(carbon)???? Peace, Wayne

2/19/2008 8:12:23 PM

umm,,sorta kinda Wayne,,,but here ya go

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost.asp

2/19/2008 9:19:24 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

Thanks everyone for the help. I think the compost I make is of good quality. Just was thinking something like this would be a cheep insurance of a wide range of micros. Maybe I'm just over thinking things.

https://www.mclendons.com/item.asp?sku=10150800&from=cart

2/19/2008 9:51:40 PM

Westford, MA

After turning,watering and/or adding a CT drench to a pile
would covering with dark plastic, help with the composting?

2/21/2008 10:51:48 AM

Seattle, WA

Just to offer....if anyone wants me to look at their compost under the microscope and tell you what I see, you're more than welcome to send me a sample. It only takes me 2 min. to prep and view a compost sample. The thing with compost though is that you don't always see the organisms, even if they are present. It's not as easy as the tea to view. The other thing that I can do is put it in a small container with some molasses and let it sit for 12-24 hours. Any present biology then becomes apparent when you go back and look at what's in the container.

You can contact me at tadhussey@yahoo.com if you're interested.

~Tad

2/22/2008 12:38:31 PM

Seattle, WA

One other thing I forgot to post.

In regards to mycorrhizal fungi, they need to form a symbiotic relationship with roots in order to grow. What you buy when you buy it in the store is in spore form. When it comes into contact with the plants roots it will then grow. However, this means that you aren't able to grow it in a compost tea. It should survive, but your best bet would be to add it to the tea after you're done making it and then dunk your seed/plant roots into the material and soil drench the hole when planting. Mycorrhizal fungi does not move through the soil so it won't be effective to just pour on the surface of your soil.

~Tad

PS: Good websites are www.fungi.com and www.mycorrhizae.com

2/22/2008 12:41:23 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Hmmmm, so drenching a water soluable myco product over the vines after burying them is not a workable idea...drench the soil b/4 burying?? Peace, Wayne
PS...thanks Tad!!!

2/22/2008 2:34:34 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

That is correct Wayne. We beat that subject nearly to death in another thread by Brooks a few weeks ago. LOL

2/22/2008 10:46:30 PM