Compost Tea experiment. Is it worth it?

Django66

Django66

Well-Known Member
Fallguy111 said:
As an organic dry amendments guy compost/nutrient teas work wonders for a quick fix. In my experiments I find that its better to use less molasses then alot of online recipes ask for if any. Your plants seem to small IMO for a tea yet, I'd let the roots fill out first. I believe if you keep up on top feeding (I include ewc, kelp, alfalfa tea, fulvic/humic acid as part of top feed routine) teas aren't necessary, although I like to be lazy and making tea then cleaning up seems like work.
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Almost killed my tomatoes when I didn't measure out the molasses.
I just transplanted 8 plants a little earlier than usual. Almost like direct sowing.
I use a soil mix that all of you will say "you can't grow in peat" I use 33% Dark Reed Sedge Peat, 33% builders all-purpose sand. (course grains not rounded like beach or river sand or even perlite.) 33% promix hp. to that I add 16 qts. vermiculite tossed in 2 lbs. wollastonite. and 6 pounds of earthworm castings. Te sand makes things way too heavy to move around so I lightened it up with vermiculite.
The lady in the store said to (at) me "were all out and that stuff causes cancer anyway". I suppose it's like asbestos, where it has to be the precise particle size to do harm. She must have read that on a forum somewhere.:)
Good luck finding Dark reed sedge peat. It's not sold retail. I have HIGH friends in GOOD places. They want me to do the best job possible.
Go ahead tear me appart, and tell me why my mix doesn't work even though you never tried it.
 
Fallguy111

Fallguy111

Well-Known Member
Django66 said:
Almost killed my tomatoes when I didn't measure out the molasses.
I just transplanted 8 plants a little earlier than usual. Almost like direct sowing.
I use a soil mix that all of you will say "you can't grow in peat" I use 33% Dark Reed Sedge Peat, 33% builders all-purpose sand. (course grains not rounded like beach or river sand or even perlite.) 33% promix hp. to that I add 16 qts. vermiculite tossed in 2 lbs. wollastonite. and 6 pounds of earthworm castings. Te sand makes things way too heavy to move around so I lightened it up with vermiculite.
The lady in the store said to (at) me "were all out and that stuff causes cancer anyway". I suppose it's like asbestos, where it has to be the precise particle size to do harm. She must have read that on a forum somewhere.:)
Good luck finding Dark reed sedge peat. It's not sold retail. I have HIGH friends in GOOD places. They want me to do the best job possible.
Go ahead tear me appart, and tell me why my mix doesn't work even though you never tried it.
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Looks good. I'd add worm castings by volume in an equal amount of peat sand. I suppose sand is loaded with silica and silica seems to be something people are talking about lately so maybe you're on to something. You don't have to cook the promix and your peat/sand/ewc mix doesn't really need to cook so good on you figuring away around waiting. Good luck
 
Django66

Django66

Well-Known Member
Fallguy111 said:
Looks good. I'd add worm castings by volume in an equal amount of peat sand. I suppose sand is loaded with silica and silica seems to be something people are talking about lately so maybe you're on to something. You don't have to cook the promix and your peat/sand/ewc mix doesn't really need to cook so good on you figuring away around waiting. Good luck
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We use the drsp for night crawlers. It's the black dirt you get in a cup of worms. It keeps the worms alive for at least 90 days before you would need to change it. It holds moisture a little too well so I lightened it up.
I use "worm dirt" in the outside garden which is the castings of thousands of worms and the soil they came in. Not always peat. I potted an indoor plant with it and the next day 50 roadkill size flies were trying to escape out the window. And you think fungus gnats suck.
My last run is almost done. Frosty buds but no amber yet. Mostly white and clear trichomes. Patience and fortitude.
 
raggyb

raggyb

Well-Known Member
Yeah someone help this brother out! man I dont have much practice with teas and gave up on them out of laziness. I think you don't need much for 1 little plant. So I say bubble in 1G water the ewc, a bit compost, and bit kelp. Maybe no molasses or just 1/4 tsp unsulfered. Bubble for not more 18-24 hours, and water immediately. Bubble at same temperature as plants. Give left over extra tea to houselplants. A riser pump works better than bubbles but that's more effort.
 
M

MichiganGrows44

Active Member
raggyb said:
Yeah someone help this brother out! man I dont have much practice with teas and gave up on them out of laziness. I think you don't need much for 1 little plant. So I say bubble in 1G water the ewc, a bit compost, and bit kelp. Maybe no molasses or just 1/4 tsp unsulfered. Bubble for not more 18-24 hours, and water immediately. Bubble at same temperature as plants. Give left over extra tea to houselplants. A riser pump works better than bubbles but that's more effort.
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I like your style. I do EWC, 1 Tablespoon Molasses per gallon water and Liquid Kelp.
Ohhhh, and how long after your seeds pop will you start feeding the tea?
 
raggyb

raggyb

Well-Known Member
MichiganGrows44 said:
I like your style. I do EWC, 1 Tablespoon Molasses per gallon water and Liquid Kelp.
Ohhhh, and how long after your seeds pop will you start feeding the tea?
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So I'm not sure. Baby plants don't need much nutrients. But teas are more for feeding microbes than nutes, so you might want to get them in early to get them established, but I might be giving teas a try again later in flower since I'm organic and have had issues down the stretch. I think it's my envirnonment more than the soil but everything is worth a try.
 
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