The correct way to make an actively aerated compost tea AACT

I had a feeling that'd be the answer... i'll just have to make sure I use it all T-6 hours til tea time. I'm excited to see how they react.

ReefBongwell said:

I had a feeling that'd be the answer... i'll just have to make sure I use it all T-6 hours til tea time. I'm excited to see how they react.

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You'll need a microscope and soil sample I have to ask 1 lump or two?!

Do you guys feed aact all the way to harvest or is there a point you cut off at? I think you can go all the way to harvest right?

I wish the gang on total noob using teas would put together a quick study thread. There's a lot of information to go through. Hamish has talked about a book. I'm good for a copy. One of these days I'll sit down and take notes. I better get on it as it's only going to get deeper and deeper.

A FAQ would be an excellent idea

I did it... everybody in veg and half of the girls in flower got tea tonight, some more than others... veg girls got well foliared as well.

ReefBongwell said:

A FAQ would be an excellent idea

I did it... everybody in veg and half of the girls in flower got tea tonight, some more than others... veg girls got well foliared as well.

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Here's my botonical veg tea per gal (bubbled or just 'agitated' for a day or 2). Bubbling isn't necessary. Longer = stronger...I call it gogo juice:

1T kelp, or alfalfa, or 1/2T each (can use this strained as foliar non diluted with ProTekt and aloe)
5mL fish hydrolysate...optional
2.5mL DynaGrow Protekt...I'll swith to Agsil 16 or horsetail when my bottle's gone.

There's many ways to do it, and you can't go wrong with organic...as long as you don't overdo it IME.

ReefBongwell said:

Do you guys feed aact all the way to harvest or is there a point you cut off at? I think you can go all the way to harvest right?

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You can do as many as you want...doesn't harm anything, but can waste time and money. I only use a little to moisten my 'cooking' soil, on a new worm bin, as a needed foliar, transplants, and the beginning of 12/12...5 gallons total a run with my own vermicompost and unsulfered molasses for 7$ a gal from feed sore. Pretty cheap for at least a years worth. All you need is a quality air pump $40-60.

IMO get the soil right and start a worm bin first...great words from Rrog. Teas and topdress are a nice supplement. SSTs are yet another wonderful brew. Check out this long, boring, yet somewhat informative video on SST from my fellow mentor hyroot ...
[video=youtube;gBY0ou2cyJQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBY0ou2cyJQ[/video]

Great info Red.

• You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to RedCarpetMatches again.
  
  
  
  

Here's my little ghetto Lipton airlift! Free after drinking contents! Making a gal of kelp tea for foliar. Cool how the kelp collects under handle at first.

Brew station..

Sorta playing around with some DIY brewers. My 5 gal airlift/vortex is in testing...looks promising. ITM here's an airlift made from that Lipton bottle. Look at that EWC and BSM go!!!

Just to make sure your measurement of "t" does refer to teaspoon correct?

T or tbs=tablespoon
t or tsp=teaspoon
3tsp=1T

I added some more air stones into my 5 gallon yesterday... my tea today is breathing... froth slowly wells up then collapses over and over like it's breathing.

Plants are loving the tea... and I'm loving the fact that I haven't had to check pH recently Just finished trimming the first plant from this harvest... it only got one drink of the aact tea before it had to get cut down... excited to see what a full round using AACT will produce... in veg 3 or 4 of my larger plants have outgrown their 3 gallon pots and already need to move up to bigger pots with a week or two veg still to go... debating whether to put'em into 5 gallons now and transplant'em 3 weeks into flower or just stick'em straight into an 8 gallon...

ReefBongwell said:

I added some more air stones into my 5 gallon yesterday... my tea today is breathing... froth slowly wells up then collapses over and over like it's breathing.

Plants are loving the tea... and I'm loving the fact that I haven't had to check pH recently Just finished trimming the first plant from this harvest... it only got one drink of the aact tea before it had to get cut down... excited to see what a full round using AACT will produce... in veg 3 or 4 of my larger plants have outgrown their 3 gallon pots and already need to move up to bigger pots with a week or two veg still to go... debating whether to put'em into 5 gallons now and transplant'em 3 weeks into flower or just stick'em straight into an 8 gallon...

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Sounds great RB! Transplant a week before switching to allow recovery time. That's when I like to use my second and last CT. I have to ask...you're not using bottled nutes are you?

No at the moment using amended soils (super soil) and simple aact (just castings + molasses). No bottled nutes unless they run out of nutes and I forgot/don't have time to topdress... had that happen on a few at the end of last run right before starting aacts. So far happy with the results it's only been less than 2 weeks though and most of my flower girls are at the end so I won't really see full results til the current very happy batch in veg flowers out.

ReefBongwell said:

I added some more air stones into my 5 gallon yesterday... my tea today is breathing... froth slowly wells up then collapses over and over like it's breathing.

Plants are loving the tea... and I'm loving the fact that I haven't had to check pH recently Just finished trimming the first plant from this harvest... it only got one drink of the aact tea before it had to get cut down... excited to see what a full round using AACT will produce... in veg 3 or 4 of my larger plants have outgrown their 3 gallon pots and already need to move up to bigger pots with a week or two veg still to go... debating whether to put'em into 5 gallons now and transplant'em 3 weeks into flower or just stick'em straight into an 8 gallon...

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Reef, I'd go right in to those 8 gallon pots. Maybe leave a little room at the top for an ewc top-dress and a nice mulch. I think you'd be further ahead of the game this way and avoid one more transplant that could cause the plant to tap the brakes for a few days.

st0wandgrow said:

Reef, I'd go right in to those 8 gallon pots. Maybe leave a little room at the top for an ewc top-dress and a nice mulch. I think you'd be further ahead of the game this way and avoid one more transplant that could cause the plant to tap the brakes for a few days.

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I'm a big believer in up potting. I like to continually get that fresh oxygenated water or tea in there often. I've also transplanted the day of switch, right after switch, after stretch, weeks before, and don't visually notice a diff. I also like to drop some goods in the hole, and give a good tea refreshment.

I'd like to know kelp/alfalfa ratios people use for teas and recipes. I personally like to foliar with each, and occasional soil drench.

RedCarpetMatches said:

I'd like to know kelp/alfalfa ratios people use for teas and recipes. I personally like to foliar with each, and occasional soil drench.

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for soil drench 1/4 cup of each for 5 gal Sometimes add aloe vera and/or epsom salt.

For foliar I would aerate for a day, 1/8 cup per gal of kelp meal. I never really use alfalfa in a foliar. I try to be sparing with it.

hyroot said:

for soil drench 1/4 cup of each for 5 gal Sometimes add aloe vera and/or epsom salt.

For foliar I would aerate for a day, 1/8 cup per gal of kelp meal. I never really use alfalfa in a foliar. I try to be sparing with it.

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I've always used 1T (1/16) cup kelp bubbled for a day or two due to saving $$$, longer gets stronger with botanicals, and effectiveness. I've always went 50-75% kelp/ rest alfafa...if not straight kelp (for feed and foliar). I'm currently aerating 5 gal of a Coot kelp/alfalfa tea. 1 cup alfalfa to 1/3 cup (think I put half) kelp.

Interesting ingredient with the epsom. Does that kill microbes, or were you talking foliar? I know the rose guys love the stuff.

RedCarpetMatches said:

I'm a big believer in up potting. I like to continually get that fresh oxygenated water or tea in there often. I've also transplanted the day of switch, right after switch, after stretch, weeks before, and don't visually notice a diff. I also like to drop some goods in the hole, and give a good tea refreshment.

I'd like to know kelp/alfalfa ratios people use for teas and recipes. I personally like to foliar with each, and occasional soil drench.

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I hate taking the time to up pot... but a couple flowers back I tossed 2 SMALL clones I didn't really have room for into flower in 1.5 gallon pots... they ran out of nutes completely between week 2 and 3 of flower, so I uppotted them at that point to 3g with a bunch of amended soil... suckers took off and yielded a bit over and a bit under 1.5z... so it does seem adding fresh fuel right after the stretch provides a big bump. Maybe no bigger than if they'd just been put in big pots before flower though it seems to me they always run out of juice around week 5 or 6 when I up pot before flower... these went all the way on water transplanting at week 3. Definitely something I want to expiriment more with in the future when I have clones from the same plant to compare like that time.

ReefBongwell said:

I hate taking the time to up pot... but a couple flowers back I tossed 2 SMALL clones I didn't really have room for into flower in 1.5 gallon pots... they ran out of nutes completely between week 2 and 3 of flower, so I uppotted them at that point to 3g with a bunch of amended soil... suckers took off and yielded a bit over and a bit under 1.5z... so it does seem adding fresh fuel right after the stretch provides a big bump. Maybe no bigger than if they'd just been put in big pots before flower though it seems to me they always run out of juice around week 5 or 6 when I up pot before flower... these went all the way on water transplanting at week 3. Definitely something I want to expiriment more with in the future when I have clones from the same plant to compare like that time.

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You can always just top dress when you see deficiencies...better yet before. I top dress fish bone and potash after stretch. I have a hot mix going now that I hope will make it through. I'll just use CT when transplanting and mulch to keep top moist.