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Seattle, WA

So now that the growing season is wrapping up, I was hoping to get some feedback as to how it went.

How many people incorporated compost tea this season for the first time?

Did you use it in combination with other bio-amendments?

Did you notice a difference in your pumpkin?

Will you continue next year with a similar treatment?

10/8/2008 12:44:29 PM

Lexington, Ky

First time user and used in combination, noticed no difference in my pumpkin patch. Will not use next year.

I do like what it did for some flowers and a small bald spot in my yard.

10/8/2008 2:37:14 PM

Upstate S.C.

Tad, I havent use any tea as of yet. My season was already over when I decided to mess with compost tea. I did make a 32 gal tea brewer. WORKS GREAT, I have three worm bin's going with 2 pounds in each. So I can't wait.....

10/8/2008 8:16:38 PM

Colorado

Tad-

I used compost, humic acid, and "food" purchased from you, in a brewer that I made myself. I changed a lot of things this year, and the combination of changes led to excellent results... I'll be ordering more compost come spring time.

10/8/2008 9:02:23 PM

Columbus,ohio

sctrooper how are you worms? I see some pictures on the garden forums. How are those newer ones compared to the uncle jims?

10/8/2008 9:06:37 PM

Williamsburg,KY

My first time using it. It was fun to watch it work. Not sure of the results but I did achieve a very large pumpkin but not sure if it was the compost tea or other stuff. I used worm compost, molassas and Neptunes Harvest. I do want to try it on a bad patch in our hay field when the hay starts to grow in the spring.

10/8/2008 9:08:36 PM

Seattle, WA

1320,
I'm surprised you would get results on your flowers and in your yard, but not your pumpkin. I would think that it would be the same across the board in regards to plant growth and health.

It's really hard to determine what the beneficial variables are in terms of nutrient applications and such, as growers tend to use many in combination during the season.

Did anyone do trials, as in one with tea and one without?

On another note, if you plan on adding compost or mulch to your patch this Fall, it's a good idea to put one final application of compost tea down to increase your decomposition rates during the Winter months.

10/9/2008 1:15:38 PM

Upstate S.C.

Peep, Yep. I learned so much about worms and vermicomposting. Now I'm still no expert but do feel much better. Yes they are new. well about 3 weeks old. One of the things I've learned is that a couple or even a hundred or so worms are just not going to produce any result's. You have got to have several pounds, that is unless your not on a time table. Which I am. So with that being said, with my new worms I am already seeing compost and sould have enough to make tee or "put up" in a couple of months.

10/9/2008 9:50:15 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Tad, last fall I applied manure and grass clippings and leaves. Part of the patch got a cover crop of dwarf essex rape, the rest got an extra shot of grass and leaves. No chemicals on the grass clippings, and theyu had a lot of clover in them. The part that got the cover crop did the best by far. I wanted to use compost tea, but with all of the rain I couldn't get into the patch all the time and didn't want to add too much water. I did eventually make 3 or 4 batches and applied most of it to my best plant. I ended up with a personal best, 841#. I am sure that if the weather had cooperated it would have gone over 1000#. I will definitely use tea next year. Just please slow down the rain.

10/9/2008 9:56:36 PM

Midway, UT

Can't say how it effected the pumpkin but did use it on a bad patch on the lawn and saw instant results when nothing else had worked previously. From all of the reading I have done and from the quick results on the lawn I believe it helped the pumpkin. I plan on using it again next year.

10/23/2008 1:40:18 PM

Seattle, WA

One thing that I'm curious about in regards to the tea is how many applications are necessary to maximize your benefit in regards to growth.

The tea should help improve nutrient cycling in the soil, which should help with growth, but when used for that purpose, I would think that every 2 weeks would be more than sufficient (that's still a fairly aggressive rate)

In regards to disease suppression on the leaf surface, you may need to apply more frequently if you're having severe problems.

I wonder though if 5-10 applications, spaced throughout the year, would provide close to the same benefit as weekly applications, provided the soil and leaf surface were at a maximum saturation in regards to beneficial microbes.

11/12/2008 1:29:03 PM