i have recently been research compost teas(very new to this type of growing). i understand it is about feeding the soil bacteria and fungi(if done right the good ones); however, i am confused on if this in-turn gives you npk values or those are something you have to add to the compost or feed separately. should compost teas change through out the cycle to gives the best values for certain stages?
compost tea am i understanding
- Thread starter neb22
- Start date
May11th
Well-Known Member
You can add nutes but I wouldn't . With aacts your goal is to bring life into soil, there are things you can add to help breed fungal or bacterial. I love brewing a fungal for veg, I add earthworm castings, a couple filets of aloe vera, brewers yeast and molasses. Brew for 36-48hrs. It's not hard and the more you do it the more comfortable you will feel. I would suggest adding nutes separate and when nutes are need build them a tea for that.
SpicySativa
Well-Known Member
Welcome aboard! I highly recommend reading this:
http://www.nofanj.org/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=104151
You'll be a better gardener if you do.
http://www.nofanj.org/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=104151
You'll be a better gardener if you do.
Bugeye
Well-Known Member
I've been skimming through this for the past hour, very nice link! Do you do any AACT foliar feeding? I've never done it but am curious after reading about how it can help make plants more resilient to disease.
st0wandgrow
Well-Known Member
The nutrients are in the soil. When you build an organic soil you load it up with amendments such as kelp meal, alfalfa meal, etc. The microbes that you multiplied in your compost tea then go to work ingesting those organic amendments which in turn become bio available (the plant can uptake them) when those microbes poop, or are eaten by other larger predators.
SpicySativa
Well-Known Member
I have sprayed vegging plants with AACT from time to time. They like it. I don't do it very often because it makes a mess... If I were growing herb outdoors I would likely spray AACT periodically. Also, when I apply AACT out in the veggie garden, I just put it in a watering can and slosh it all over everything.
are you saying you suggest some like put nutes in tea before giving it to the plants or switch between nutes and tea every other watering?
so you are saying use a super soil from the beginning and then only tea feed every watering?
than you for this, going to start read will get back to you if i have questions... any more information will be helpful(the more the betteR)
just skimmed through more of this, and i understand much better where nutrients should come from; dead bacteria and fungi and bacteria and fungi waste)
the paper showed that Nitrate is active in the organisms, and phosphorus--"Properly made, aerobic
compost contains an amazing amount of nitrogen (16,000 ug N per gram of compost), phosphorus (23,000
ug/g), sulfur, calcium, and micronutrients." but what about the k-potassium. While i understand the paper says that the "medical" definition of npk is different then a healthy soil's nutrient value, not once did she mention where potassium comes from, should this be added in manually or is it not necessary is you make a tea with good amounts of organisms?
SpaaaceCowboy
Well-Known Member
Stowandgrow.....I'd like to know just one thing....Is that monkey high or straight when he plays hockey ? Thanks, SC