No foam on my compost tea. What's the deal?
- Thread starter Derick32
- Start date
Craig1969SS
Well-Known Member
I get foam sometimes but not all of the time. It's my understanding ( from phase contrast microscopy) that foam is not an indicator of the herd growing in the areated container, I put mulch pile soil, a bunch of different organic add on's like guano, worm castings dirt, apples, old pot leaves and root balls. Keep it up your growing the number of organisms to keep the soil healthy
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Hmm, I agree with docter and Craig and mouse.......BUT, the voice inside wants to know a cpl of things.
What do you brew in?
How many "stones" and pumps or pump outlets do you use?
Pump output in volume?
I feel EWC might help but, wonder if the air is lacking in volume to be really effective in bio replication..
If your using a 5g pail.....you could have some anaerobic zones (not enough air present). This actually inhibits bio replication and can be bad for your teas....
3 stones min. with high flow air pump or several air pumps if need be....Best yet - a ring stone or a flexible air line and bend it into a ring.
I like this for a "flex" diffuser -
https://4hydroponics.com/aquafuse-flexible-air-diffuser
There is a round one in a great bucket "size".....be damned if I can find it right now....I KNOW the guys above have it.....It's just not on the website....Give them a call (#'s at the home page of the link I gave you) and tell them what you want and that Dr Who sent you....They'll take care of you - If you need or want it...
But I suspect you need more air.
Doc
What do you brew in?
How many "stones" and pumps or pump outlets do you use?
Pump output in volume?
I feel EWC might help but, wonder if the air is lacking in volume to be really effective in bio replication..
If your using a 5g pail.....you could have some anaerobic zones (not enough air present). This actually inhibits bio replication and can be bad for your teas....
3 stones min. with high flow air pump or several air pumps if need be....Best yet - a ring stone or a flexible air line and bend it into a ring.
I like this for a "flex" diffuser -
https://4hydroponics.com/aquafuse-flexible-air-diffuser
There is a round one in a great bucket "size".....be damned if I can find it right now....I KNOW the guys above have it.....It's just not on the website....Give them a call (#'s at the home page of the link I gave you) and tell them what you want and that Dr Who sent you....They'll take care of you - If you need or want it...
But I suspect you need more air.
Doc
Derick32
Member
There are quite a few worms in my compost but I might grab a bag. Thanks for the tip.
Derick32
Member
That's a cool idea. I've never thought of adding apples, or old root balls other than what remains of them in my compost. Cheers!
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Derick32
Member
Thanks. I'm gonna look into that. I think you might be right. I use a 5g bucket, a small aquarium pump and a few big chunks of pumice wired to the end of the air tube. Pretty home made. ha ha.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
That has a problem that I see right off...... square - anaerobic zones! Sure it makes tea. It works. But for what you spend on it. You could do way better in a bucket with a flex diffuser bent to a circle......A high volume air pump is all you need to go with it....
I use home made "vortex" style brewers for our "on topic" plants.......
Doc
UPDATE: I found those hard bucket tea brewing diffusers! Build a soil has them - here's a link.
http://buildasoil.com/products/bubblesnake-compost-tea-aerator
Bubble on tea brewers
Doc
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Craig1969SS
Well-Known Member
er
Yeah but it will work. Even aerating for a few hours will cause the population to blow up especially if the have some molasses as a energy source. I have a phase contrast scope at work so I'm telling you what I see, lots of activity and higher order organisms. When !!!u see those then you know your water is working,
CBDbudMan
Member
Hey there Craig,
I'm wanting to "see for myself" just how prolific (or not) the microbes are in my ACT. Will a hand held scope, 60x to 120x, work? Another way of asking this... what's the minimum power of magnification needed to see these critters?
Thanx
Nutty sKunK
Well-Known Member
Probably 1200x ought to do it lol
MichiganGrows44
Active Member
Almost 10 years old and THIS is the most true statement ever posted regarding compost tea or worm tea.
"if your plants like it, who cares if it foams".
I've found if I use liquid fish fertilizer (Neptune Organic 2-4-1) if won't foam no matter how high I turn up my buddler.
No fishy fert? Overflows with bubbles.
My plants like the fishy fertilizer. No foam, f*** it ".
Oh and also Alfalfa makes it foam like me looking at Carmen Electra naked.