Soil Food Web Gardening with Compost Teas
- Thread starter trichome fiend
- Start date
mikeharold
Member
I have a question about water and watering in my veggie garden using tea. Out in the garden we just use the city tap water for watering. When I brew my tea I aerate the water for a while, usually a few hours, to remove the chlorine before brewing. My question is, is it alright to be watering the garden with straight tap water or is the chlorine killing off the micro life as I water? With my MJ plants I use RO water so it's a non issue there, but I was just thinking about this today. I was thinking I could get a water barrel and fill it up, aerate it with a pump and stone, and use a sump pump to water if it's an issue. Maybe I'm thinking a little too deep into it, but am curious. Also if dilluting the tea, I'm assuming the water should be dechlorinated as well, yes? I would love to here your thoughts on this. Thanks.
Oh, BTW, that broccoli looks fantastic!
Oh, BTW, that broccoli looks fantastic!
PakaloloHui
Active Member
They make special filters to filter out the chloramine, also vitamin c works.
Yeah, you were right on the soil dominance Rrog, I always get it mixed up.
I do concentrate on building my fungi population though in the begining.
Yeah, you were right on the soil dominance Rrog, I always get it mixed up.
I do concentrate on building my fungi population though in the begining.
mikeharold
Member
I use molasses in the tea, but obviously no from the tap...
Does chloramine evaporate out like chlorine as well or does it need to be physically removed from the water if not treat with say molasses? Looks like I may start looking for a water barrel.
Does chloramine evaporate out like chlorine as well or does it need to be physically removed from the water if not treat with say molasses? Looks like I may start looking for a water barrel.
PakaloloHui
Active Member
Chloramine does not evaporate quickly enough for our use. It may take months. Never heard how molasses works to rid of it.
From wikipedia:
Removing chloramine from water Chloramine can be removed from tap water by treatment with superchlorination (10 ppm or more of free chlorine, such as from a dose of sodium hypochlorite bleach or pool sanitizer) while maintaining a pH of about 7 (such as from a dose of hydrochloric acid). Hypochlorous acid from the free chlorine strips the ammonia from the chloramine, and the ammonia outgasses from the surface of the bulk water. This process takes about 24 hours for normal tap water concentrations of a few ppm of chloramine. Residual free chlorine can then be removed by exposure to bright sunlight for about 4 hours.
Boiling the water for 20 minutes will remove chloramine and ammonia. Additionally, many foods and drinks rapidly neutralize chloramine without the necessity of boiling (e.g., tea, coffee, chicken stock, orange juice, etc.). SFPUC determined that 1000 mg of Vitamin C (tablets purchased in a grocery store, crushed and mixed in with the bath water) remove chloramine completely in a medium size bathtub without significantly depressing pH. Shower attachments containing Vitamin C can be purchased on the Internet, as well as effervescent Vitamin C bath tablets. [SUP][12][/SUP]
From wikipedia:
Removing chloramine from water Chloramine can be removed from tap water by treatment with superchlorination (10 ppm or more of free chlorine, such as from a dose of sodium hypochlorite bleach or pool sanitizer) while maintaining a pH of about 7 (such as from a dose of hydrochloric acid). Hypochlorous acid from the free chlorine strips the ammonia from the chloramine, and the ammonia outgasses from the surface of the bulk water. This process takes about 24 hours for normal tap water concentrations of a few ppm of chloramine. Residual free chlorine can then be removed by exposure to bright sunlight for about 4 hours.
Boiling the water for 20 minutes will remove chloramine and ammonia. Additionally, many foods and drinks rapidly neutralize chloramine without the necessity of boiling (e.g., tea, coffee, chicken stock, orange juice, etc.). SFPUC determined that 1000 mg of Vitamin C (tablets purchased in a grocery store, crushed and mixed in with the bath water) remove chloramine completely in a medium size bathtub without significantly depressing pH. Shower attachments containing Vitamin C can be purchased on the Internet, as well as effervescent Vitamin C bath tablets. [SUP][12][/SUP]
trichome fiend
Well-Known Member
...thankx man! ...all no-till bro...I have noticed a HUGE difference!!! ...my brother bought like 100 broccoli plants for $20 locally, gave me the smallest 50...we planted at the same time but he done the traditional tilling and planting on hills......I've had heads on my broccoli for over 2/3 weeks now and he has just started to see dime sized heads on his.... we're already eating the broccoli from the no-till garden while his are still babbies
...thankx...bro, do NOT use tap water straight from the tap....you are correct, you are killing off the soil food web when you expose the web to chlorine, salts, or perservatives (rule # 12-13)
Redbird1223
Active Member
Just brewed my first tea.
Handful of worm gold plus EWC
Handful of living Alaska humisoil
Handful of alfalfa meal 2-0-0
Handful of kelp meal 0-0-1.5
Handful of plant only homemade compost
and roughly 1/2 tbs of blackstrap molasses
Added to 4.5 gal of previously de-chlorinated tap water and brewed for 36-48 hours and diluted with another 4.5 gal of unchlorinated tap water
Handful of worm gold plus EWC
Handful of living Alaska humisoil
Handful of alfalfa meal 2-0-0
Handful of kelp meal 0-0-1.5
Handful of plant only homemade compost
and roughly 1/2 tbs of blackstrap molasses
Added to 4.5 gal of previously de-chlorinated tap water and brewed for 36-48 hours and diluted with another 4.5 gal of unchlorinated tap water
Redbird1223
Active Member
I was just guessing between what I've read and what I have. Would you guys consider this a good tea? Veg tea, flower tea, whole cycle tea? Every feeding, once a week? Just fed it to some jilly bean transplants, 1 inside(3 gal), 1 out (10 gal), I'm exited to see the results throughout the grow
puppasmurf
Member
Im guessing most people on here doing Oganics for their MJ plants, why are we adding in fungal food I.e Kelp meal? Or am i wrong missing something?
Dank Raptor
Active Member
Because AM fungi are responsible for up to 80% of a plants phosphorus uptake. Kelp meal is also good because of the many micronutrients it has. You are right though. Mj prefers bacterially dominated soil and tea. However it is very benefecial to make some fungal dominant brews during flower, just make sure you balance out your microbes with a bacterial tea soon after. The one u posted looks like a good recipe.
puppasmurf
Member
Im just trying to wrap my head around diff teas at diff times ...learning slowly... plus the foods we got over here in aus i dont know if theyre the same as ull have over there
puppasmurf
Member
Ok tell me str8 if im being lazy and needa do more reading.
Well now i know MJ are bacteria dom and also do like some fungal brews but what grow periods do u add these brews. Are people watering these plants like top fed coco hydro - every day nearly? or do people use there brews once a week then use just plain O'l water?
Should I make two compost one being Bacteria and One for fungi?
Ive got a worm farm atm is going well bit over wet atm but anohter month or two it will be solid vermicost. Does my worm farm need to be either fungal or bacteria dominated? Or are they what they are high in nutrients?
If anyone here is from Aus mind sharing some recipes so i can get an idea and research hwy ur doing it with what uve got.
Thanks puppa
Well now i know MJ are bacteria dom and also do like some fungal brews but what grow periods do u add these brews. Are people watering these plants like top fed coco hydro - every day nearly? or do people use there brews once a week then use just plain O'l water?
Should I make two compost one being Bacteria and One for fungi?
Ive got a worm farm atm is going well bit over wet atm but anohter month or two it will be solid vermicost. Does my worm farm need to be either fungal or bacteria dominated? Or are they what they are high in nutrients?
If anyone here is from Aus mind sharing some recipes so i can get an idea and research hwy ur doing it with what uve got.
Thanks puppa
I wouldn't say lazy necesarily lol, but some reading would definitely help out in understanding what is going on in the soil/teas & why we use them. Your worm bin for example, there is no fungi in earth worm castings as it is all bacteria in the worm that does the work and come out in the castings. Fungi tea you'd make with our regular compost, store bought compost, or some forest soil (ideally you'd grow some fungi too like with moist oats in a tupperware for a week). Start with a book like Teaming With Microbes, and i'm sure there's plenty of links in here to websites to do some research in.
Your tea recipe could be as simple as:
5 gal water with:
handfull of EWC or compost
20 to 30ml molasses
small scoop of kelp meal or 30ml liquid kelp
I mix all my biocanna nutes into my teas and let them bubble with it all
Your tea recipe could be as simple as:
5 gal water with:
handfull of EWC or compost
20 to 30ml molasses
small scoop of kelp meal or 30ml liquid kelp
I mix all my biocanna nutes into my teas and let them bubble with it all
Rrog
Well-Known Member
Gasp! This is a Soil Web thread!
Ooops!!!
I'm working towards no bottle nutes, but damnit the ladies love it!That brings up a question though! Those that are strictly soil food web - no bottled products, what's your soil mix and whats your tea schedule? I'm definitely headed in that direction but it's like kicking hard liquor! And i've been doing the plant based thing, which started out revolving around biocanna
Rrog
Well-Known Member
blueJ (like the name, btw), this is great news! There are many good soil recipes. I'm doing SuperSoil right now, and will be re-planting in it without tilling, pulling up root balls, etc. No soil disturbance.
Teas are definitely a good thing, but an occasional dose is all that is required We have to keep in mind that the inoculated microbes will continue to propagate, often under the direct control of the plant. The plant will be choosy as to what it feeds and keeps around and what it doesn't feed.
You will find that the weed is better and MUCH cheaper doing amended soil vs. bottled ferts (organic or otherwise). If you'd like other soil options, just holler. We'd love to help you
Teas are definitely a good thing, but an occasional dose is all that is required We have to keep in mind that the inoculated microbes will continue to propagate, often under the direct control of the plant. The plant will be choosy as to what it feeds and keeps around and what it doesn't feed.
You will find that the weed is better and MUCH cheaper doing amended soil vs. bottled ferts (organic or otherwise). If you'd like other soil options, just holler. We'd love to help you
trichome fiend
Well-Known Member
...growing indoors, I prefer to have all the goodies already in the soil....only water is needed.
...I typically veg clones in small pots of quility soil, giving water only, then transplant into an adequate sized pot with quility soil to flower in....water only throughout the life of the plant....it's really that simple.
...however, your plants will do great with a steady soil drench of ewc and molasses if you do not want to transplant, from my experience...it's hard to over do it with teas but it isn't necessary to go crazy with it.
Dank Raptor
Active Member
Great advice. I love that book.