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Medford OR.

Dillute the tea or full strength?

8/2/2011 10:36:50 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Drench, or foliar? ...to spread around more than a couple of plants. I would think dillute is the way to grow!!! Try very light (10%) dillution w/foliar spray, and drench what's left at heavier rate (25%) around base & around awl buried vines. Not a pro, but that's how I do it!!! Peace, Wayne

8/3/2011 12:08:39 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

The term dilution can be misleading. Think of water as the carrier, a five gallon batch can be added to fifteen gallons of water and still be an effective drench or spray. Some people use full strength which is harmless.

8/3/2011 10:53:00 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Andy, just curious as to why "dilution"(the term) could be misleading? Peace, Wayne

8/4/2011 11:43:49 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

When you think of diluting something, like a watered down drink, the perception is that it will be less effective. With CT, especially as a drench, you can apply it full strength or add it to 10-15 gallons of water to cover a larger area and still be effective.

Biotamax is a different product but like CT, one tablet can be used to treat a very large area or you could use one tablet to treat a small area. Either way can be effective but you may get a bigger bang for your buck by using additional water ( the carrier ) to apply the product over a larger area.

I have done full strength and "diluted" for different reasons depending on what the goal is.

8/5/2011 9:49:27 AM

Seattle, WA

Well explained Andy, water is merely a carrier (a way to get an even application over a given area). It's not like a chemical application, where you have the potential for burning the plant. ACT can be applied at "full strength" or with differing amounts of water. The key is to stick to the proper application rates, which means 20 gallons/acre for soil drenches (what you would want to use for pumpkins). Hit the entire plant and soil around the plant. You can use no extra water or 20 gallons of water, it makes no difference when applied to the same area, you're still applying the same amount of tea to that plant. I do like to use extra water when clogging is an issue or if it's really hot out (soak the microbes down into the soil). Lastly, make sure to use dechlorinated or dechloramined water to avoid damaging any microbes upon application!

~Tad

8/5/2011 1:26:21 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Andy & Tad...my original ?, I guess was that I thought that full strength foliar would be a lil too much? I mix 10% to spray, and 25% or a lil more to drench...depending on how much I have, and how much I have to cover!!! Thanks for awl of the responses!!! Peace, Wayne

8/9/2011 3:31:40 AM

Seattle, WA

Wayne,

I like to do 50% tea when I spray, what you'll want to figure out is what the highest % of tea is that you can spray without clogging.

8/9/2011 4:02:54 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Tad,if I let city water sit in a 50 gallon drum,how long would it take to dechlorinate?

Or will it?

1/13/2012 7:34:32 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I read through some older post and I'm all set.

1/13/2012 9:54:07 PM

Seattle, WA

You can also add humic acid, ascorbic acid, or vita d chlor if you're in a hurry to dechlorinate. Aeration will speed up the dechlorination process. Make sure you're dealing with chlorine and NOT chloramines.

1/14/2012 5:24:55 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Thank you,Thank you Tad!

1/14/2012 6:52:08 PM