henry1984kk
Member
i have a tea that has been brewing for about 2 day will this less the effect of the nutes or will it increase the potent icy
Can I Let My Compost Tea Brew Long Than 24 Hour
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potsticker
Active Member
It should be fine as long as you keep it aerated. Be sure to dilute it with water before you add it to your soil.
livinthadream
Well-Known Member
hmm..so what you guys are saying is if I were to mix a gallon of bat quano tea in a jug of water....I shouldn't let it sit in there for like a week or 2 or maybe even 3....cause Ill mix it up and let it sit for dayz feeding my plants the cup of water they need every other day or so and the tea will last a while does that effect the nutes in it?!??!
robert 14617
Well-Known Member
compost tea is meant to be used right away not weeks later
livinthadream
Well-Known Member
really?!?!? never knew that
livinthadream
Well-Known Member
so I mix up a gal of water and use not even half i should just toss the rest cause it dont work as good or whaaa?!
Schotzky
Well-Known Member
from what i uderstand it doesnt affect the nute content but the microorganism colonies die off without the o2, unless you keep it airated every couple days or so, but after a while it starts to smell really bad doesnt it? if i was you id make it in smaller batches. or use the rest or your lawn or somthing
Within four hours is the general rule of thumb.
Has nothing to do with nutrients. With aeration the mix is developing microbes that break down nutrients for plant intake. You use that diluted mixture in a drench and foliar spray that kick starts existing microbe colonies in the grow medium. In food or decorative plant production five gallons of an AACT brew is diluted to cover an acre of land. 500 to 2500 gallon AACT brewers are used in agricultural endeavors.
If you're not aerating it at a proper agitation level and temperature, you're simply creating liquid fertilizer that existing microbe colonies still have to process before making them available to plants. Which is the same as buying very pricey name brand 'nutes' on which companies spend big marketing bucks to make consumers believe only the nutrients matter.
Again, read Teaming with Microbes to understand what's actually happening in your grow medium and how nutrients are made available for plant requirements. It's the best $16 any organic grower can ever spend.
ganjalibera
Active Member
I just (a couple of days ago) watered my plants with my own compost tea brew but I didn't dilute it. The plants seem fine but i'll try to remember that tip next time
mrbasketball
Member
the problem is, is that if it sits to long especially if its not aerated it is a perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria like e. coli or something. ill find the link and post it here soon, but there was a case where someone got sick because of smoking pot containing e. coli.
But ya 2 even 3 days is a-ok.
But ya 2 even 3 days is a-ok.
I beg to differ, the microbes developed by an AACT process will die from lack of oxygen ~four hours after aeration ceases. Using it within that time period allows the microbes access to oxygen in root and foliar systems.
To add to the discussion, a compost tea, often titled an ACT (aerated compost tea), is primarily used to add fertilizer (NPK) to plants. In tests it has been determined that aeration actually transfers very little fertilizer to the water carrier and using the solid fertilizer as a top dressing is just as effective as it is subjected to repeated irrigation.
AACT (actively aerated compost teas) produce living microbes from raw materials included with the compost that add to the microherd which break down the fertilizers for plant uptake. Many organic growers suggest that if plants do need a fertilizer boost, the most effective manner to do so is a top dressing with fertilizer predominate in the desired nutrient range (N,P or K) and an ACCT tea to boost microbe ability in breaking down the fertilizer.
Either way, microbes, not the fertilizer(s) do the work.
AACT (actively aerated compost teas) produce living microbes from raw materials included with the compost that add to the microherd which break down the fertilizers for plant uptake. Many organic growers suggest that if plants do need a fertilizer boost, the most effective manner to do so is a top dressing with fertilizer predominate in the desired nutrient range (N,P or K) and an ACCT tea to boost microbe ability in breaking down the fertilizer.
Either way, microbes, not the fertilizer(s) do the work.
potsticker
Active Member
As long as you give the organisms food they will continue to multiply. Molasses works. Keep it aerated. If it starts smelling funky you dump out about half, refill it with fresh water and aerate the hell out of it. I've kept tea going for weeks this way.
livinthadream
Well-Known Member
even if i leave the cover open...isnt that airating it and shit...gonna have to purchase that book.
Northernlights4
Well-Known Member
No just leaving the cover off does not help, can u breath underwater with the lid off a bucket, no neither can micro-organisms. If your useing tap water you need to let it sit out for atleast 24 hrs to let the chlorine evaporate other wise it instantly kills all the organisms from the guano. You also want to at 1-2 tables spoon per gal. of unsulphered molasses to feed the organisms so the reproduce and make millions more. if you cant get a air pump for 10 bucks at walmart stirring it daily making some bubbles kind of helps. But if you to get the $10 pump let it all brew for 2 days and dilute it half strength. oh yea use 1-2 tablespoons guano per gal. The molasses is a must otherwise ur just waisting ur time.
The air pump can be used to aerate tap water in the brew bucket before adding components and, with a decent air pump, the chlorine content will evaporate in an hour. Also, better to use vented PVC or multiple bubblers off a manifold rather than air stones as some air stones emit bubbles so tiny they actually cut and destroy microbes.
potsticker
Active Member
I can't say I've ever heard that one before.... not saying it isn't true, just never heard that.
An airstone will still make a fine tea and is a better alternative to just stirring every few hours.
Best chump change formal education investment any organic grower can make. Until you know what's happening in the soil and how that services the plant, you're going to be at the mercy of aggressive marketing techniques directed at the general public and inferior tasting weed.