What do you like to use to feed beneficial microbes and fungi???

Goog Morning RIU.

I have been making AACT(actively aerated compost tea) lately and i have wondering about types of organic foods that will feed my beneficial fungi and microbes for lets say a continuous brew. I would just be topping off the rez with RO water and cleaning air stones every few days.

A few things that i like to use to feed my micro herd are high fructose corn syrup, molasses, sugar, and soy sauce.

• I would like to start using other things but i dont know quite what else to use. The problem that i run into with using all these sugar products is i dont want to overdose my plants on sugar substances.
• Since i do a continuos brew i'm worried about all the sugar( although i am aware that in humans most of the stuff we eat turns to sugar anyway, and im sure a plants metabolism is kinda similiar then again i am not a botanist, i don't think or am I
• When i bre my tea i like to include foods so my bacteria and fungi molecules have something to stick to.

What do all of you fellow growers out there use to feed your fungi and microbes??

Also If you happen to know The NPK of these foods it will be very helpful because i am trying to figure out a completly organic way to feed my very very hungry plants..

Right now i supplement my tea with Hi mag and gypsum for a boost in Ca, Mg S, and Fe

Also anybody know of organic substances that are high in Ca, Mg, Fe and S They don't have to contain all of them. But if you happen to know of something that contains alot of calcium or mag could u let me know.. i don't care about dolomite lime because i dont like the anti microbial properties of it!!

Hey beartrap, I don't have an answer to your question because I am just starting to do teas myself. Although I have seen a general consensus that 1 tbs/gal of blackstrap molasses is enough sugar for you microherd. I was wondering if you would clarify how much Hi mag and gypsum you are putting into your teas per gallon.

i Put in a few teaspoons of each not too much..

Molasses feeds bacteria mainly, they like the sucrose/simple sugars. Plants can also absorb minute amounts of sucrose but chances are that the bacteria in the tea/soil will consume the majority of the sugar before the plant even has a chance to.

Also, just FYI bacteria and fungi are much much bigger than molecules. Fungi typically prefer something more along the lines of complex carbohydrates (cellulose), and simple proteins which most bacteria just cannot metabolize. Kelp meal is good for fungi and fish emulsion\hydrolysate as well. Bacteria have a tendency to out-grow and out-multiply fungi in a tea, especially when provided with excess amounts of a food source like sucrose. In order to give fungi the chance to dominate you really have to give it a head start by activating fungal growth in the compost/humus you're using. This is done by mixing compost/humus with a good fungi food source such as oat bran, oat meal, soybean or flax meal. After several days the fungi will have completely colonized the compost and this can be added to a tea along with more fungi-friendly ingredients to create a tea which is dominated by fungi instead of bacteria.

You don't really have to worry about providing substantial amounts of each and every plant nutrient in a tea. I would recommend putting all of that stuff in the soil instead and using the teas primarily to ensure microbial activity is at maximum potential. As for dolomite lime not sure what you mean by anti-microbial properties. Dolomite is different than calcium hydroxide; it's a very common organic liming agent, although it is definitely more of a soil thing... I wouldn't use it in a tea.

I have had explosive growth with teas. Of course the food needs to be in the soil first for the teas to work. I use subcools supersoil so there is already plenty for the plants to eat. So to get that stuff ready for the plant to use get those microbes multiplied in your tea. What works good for me....and I am no expert or even a experianced grower although I have a few grows.....heres what Ive been doing as of late.

5 gallon bucket full of water that has been bubbling for 24 hours
2 heaping cups fresh worm castings. Get them local....nice and wet...dont get the hydro store ones as they suck balls
Normal to light dose of Earthjuice Catalist as per the instructions. You dont want to much
1/2 teaspoon Blackstrap Molasses......that is 1/2 teaspoon total in the bucket not per gallon
1 tablespoon Happyfrog High P bat guano
1.5- 2 tablespoons kelp meal total in the bucket....not per gallon
1 normal dose of humic acid....now I dont recall the brand this minute but it has a dinosour on the bottle and was make in Portland but the company has folded but any good humic acid will do. Dont over do....less is better in my opinion. I think I used like 15ml in the 5 gallon bucket. I also did not add this until just before the soil drench.

Get the water up to 70 - 75 degrees to begin with and get a good airstone with a good strong pump. You want that stuff really rolling and after 30 hours you will have a thick 1 - 2 inch brown froth on top. I actually fed the tea half way through with 1/4 tea blackstrap to make sure they did not run out of food.

I applied this to my veg cabinet and they really responded good. I put this on my flowering girls that were just approaching 2.5 weeks. really really workes great.

Happy farming

Most ewc i've seen are exactly the same as this brand, but this was the only one i could copy paste at the moment.

Greensense Earthworm Castings have a guaranteed analysis of 1-0-0- with 1% Calcium and .2% Iron.

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Nettle tea is pretty good too. Here is a product by GHE, but you could grow nettle yourself and brew it yourself as well.

Urtica ®
Nettle liquid manure
Urtica is one of carefully selected nettles fertilizer. It is a simple fermentation of nettles in water. The water is so rich in nutritive and protective elements. The stinging nettle is a plant that is exceptionally rich in silicon and iron. It is also rich in nitrate, potassium, magnesium, trace elements, trace elements and enzymes.

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https://www.rollitup.org/organics/429352-general-organics-new-bioworm-urtica.html#post5684203

[FONT=&quot]MOLASSES[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Molasses is used for a lot of things, including animal food and as a food additive for human consumption. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But in this article, discussion of this product (mainly from sugar cane and beets) is limited to food for MICROBES. Yes, molasses can feed microbes in lots of different environments, but the only environments discussed herein, are for composting and in an organic garden. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Two Types[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In this context, there are two basic types of molasses available: sulfured and unsulfured. Basically treating molasses with sulfur results in fortification of iron, calcium and magnesium.
So the question is, do microbes and/or plants need supplemental iron, calcium and magnesium from molasses, to prosper in soil or dirt? In this author's opinion, no. But some organic gardeners use sulphured molasses in their drenches because they feel plants will appreciate the fortification. However, I think there are better ways to accomplish such fortification than spending the extra money for the sulphured type. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Cane or Beet[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Is cane molasses any better than beet molasses? Based on research I've studied, and considering its use to feed microbes, I think the best price should rule that decision. Both types have about the same number of calories as sugar - about 16 calories per teaspoon (5 ml). [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Recent Studies [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Molasses to boost soil microbial activity has been talked about for many decades and the theory has been that it provides an energy source for microbes that can be utilized equally well by all soil organisms. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, field applications that I have studied have not tended to produce many convincing responses. For instance, Recent research by SWEP laboratories, has begun to shed light on this issue by looking at soil biology from a balance perspective (according to the principles of the Mikhail System) that has shown some significant effects on soil biology, but are now finding that the soilfoodweb is much more complex than expected - something Dr. Elaine Ingham (www.soilfoodweb.com) could have told them many years ago. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Results of these studies appear to indicate that the lowest application rates work best for fungi and cellulose utilizers, while some bacteria showed the opposite response, with activity increasing as the application rate increased. So my 'take' on this is that BALANCE is the prerequisite to consider, involving the type of microbes you want to supply, based on what you are attempting to accomplish. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]With regard to feeding compost tea microbe population (liquid environment, not solids), in my opinion there is no equal in the field, to Dr. Ingham. However, tea must be aerated and fed more than just molasses to accomplish such objective effectively. [11] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Reheating a 1st Turn[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So regarding practical application to compost piles, my advice is to restrict application of molasses to feedstock that you want to REHEAT - basically limited to a first-turn aeration, using a screening technique and applying the mixture to each 6" layer, at no more than one QUARTER cup per 25 square feet of surface area, in sufficient water to thoroughly moisten the entire layer. And yes, the layering technique does mean the more water accumulates in the lower portion of the pile, particularly if extracting the excess moisture as tea. If that is the case, I recommend collecting and reapplying 1st turn tea back onto the pile to concentrate it, and strengthen the leachate, which will contain a molasses constitute, ready for aeration to multiply the microbes present in the tea. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Consider Molasses into the C:N Ratio[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If you apply molasses to an initial pile build, remember to factor-in that constituent to the C:N ratio. For collection of tea from an initial pile build, and from subsequent (2nd turn; 3rd turn, etc.) collections, I recommend only adding molasses INTO the tea brewer (with the leachate or compost-mix, and only at the rate recommended by the manufacturer of the brewer - unless you already have extensive experience in brewing compost tea with your machine. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Molasses is CARBON[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Molasses is an effective, quick source of carbon energy for various forms of microbial life in a compost pile or gardening dirt. In fact molasses has long been a part of the common products used by organic gardeners to bring greater health to their soils and plants, because it's a great source of carbohydrates that stimulates the growth of beneficial microorganisms. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Types of Molasses[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There are many grades and types of molasses, depending upon the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet, and the method of extraction that they undergo. The different types are: first molasses, second molasses, unsulfured molasses, sulfured molasses, and blackstrap molasses. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You should also know about DRY molasses which is something different altogether, and is not discussed in this article (see: Dry Molasses). But just so you know, dry molasses is molasses that has been sprayed onto grain residue which acts as a "carrier, and is used by many composters because it is easy to broadcast onto to a feedstock layer without mixing in water, so a square footage/depth of application is then simply watered-in as needed, for appropriate feedstock moistening. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Best Type for Boosting Fertilizer[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For organic gardeners, I recommend unsulfured cane blackstrap molasses as the best choice because it is the most nutritionally (trace elements) valuable of the various types of molasses. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I do not recommend using synthetic chemical fertilizers, but I would be remiss not to mention that molasses is also a chelating agent, which means that it can 'help' convert 'some' chemical nutrients into a form that’s 'more' easily available for organisms and plants to use. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Molasses can be an important addition to an organic fertilizing program (drench or foliar), depending on whether your garden dirt is in need of such. Most organic garden beds worked by folks who actively compost - and use their compost on their garden - do not need molasses, but then, it can be (in minor amounts) added to compost tea when used as a foliar spray directly on plants - a highly recommended practice, especially if the tea is direct leachate and not brewed tea. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Basic Drench Mixture:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 to 3 tablespoons (15 to 45 ml) blackstrap molasses (unsulfured) per 1 gallon (3.8 liter) of liquid fertilizer mix (this can be any liquid fertilizer, compost tea, kelp, or alfalfa meal tea) [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Molasses and Alfalfa Tea Mixture:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4 gallons (15.2 liter) of water 1 cup (225 ml) of fine ground alfalfa meal 1 tablespoon (15 ml) blackstrap or sugar beet molasses
Allow this to sit for 24 hours, and then it is ready for application as a soil drench.
As a foliar feed, recommend straining the mixture so there is nothing to clog the spray head. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]© Robert C. Moore ~ [/FONT][FONT=&quot]All Rights Reserved[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Text from Dr. Elaine Ingham[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]:
Bacteria grow well and rapidly on simple sugars to exclusion of any fungus, until sugar concentration becomes extremely high. The simple preservative effect with molasses is the high concentration of sugar. Most organisms cannot grow in the high concentration of sugar. Once a container of molasses is sealed, however, condensate can form on the under-side of the lid if the container suffers heating cooling cycles. As the water drips into the top layer of the molasses concentrate, the sugar content can be diluted enough to allow fungal or actinobacterial growth as a surface scum. Just skim off the surface scum before use in soil, compost, or tea. Do not feed to animals or humans after a surface scum has formed unless you can recognise the organism as non-harmful. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Addition of foods that cause rapid bacterial growth can tie-up nitrate nitrogen so fast, and so effectively that plant growth can be harmed, and even stopped. Bacteria win in competition with plants for N in soil, and thus plants can be killed as the result of lack of N. Of course, the solution to this problem is NOT to kill the bacteria, but rather to establish normal nutrient cycling processes once again. How? Get the protozoa and bacterial-feeding nematodes back to work! [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Non-sulphured, Black-strap Molasses: Contains no preservative other than the high concentration of sugar. Black-strap molasses contains about 150 different kinds of sugars, from simple to somewhat complex to humics. During the extraction of sugar, heating results in condensation of the sugars into humic-like substances. The majority of foods in molasses are bacterial foods, but a few are fungal foods. Fungi tolerate high concentrations of sugar better than bacteria, so extremely high concentrations of molasses favour fungi. Testing must be performed to assess what concentration is needed to select for fungi and against bacteria in any particular set of conditions. Testing is also needed when using as a nitrate-to-bacterial biomass converter. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Weed control is often STARTED with addition of molasses to tie-up the excess nitrate helping to set the stage in the soil to grow weeds, and not the plants you want to grow. Assess the calcium situation as well, however, because if you add molasses to grow lots of bacteria, and your soil has poor structure, you may just drive the soil into reduced oxygen conditions, which can result in plant death as well. As Arden Anderson says, "No number is right until all numbers are right". Or as Elaine Ingham says, "What's the most important organ in your body? And you can stay alive with just that one, most important item? You need all your organs, right? Soil needs all the organisms, in the right numbers and right balance and right function". [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Organic Molasses: No strong acids or bases, nor extremely high heat are allowed in the production of organic molasses. No preservatives can be used. Because of the lower temperatures used, less condensation of the sugars occur, so fewer condensed, humic materials are present compared to non-sulphured, black-strap molasses [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Feed Grade Molasses: Commercial grade molasses has sulphur and possibly other preservatives and antibiotics added to reduce fungal growth. Sulphur in most inorganic forms make excellent fungal inhibitors. Antibiotics will inhibit, kill and prevent the growth a wide range, but not all bacteria and fungi. Thus feed grade molasses is not a good choice for a biological stimulant. Care must be taken to read about the ingredients so no ugly little surprises confront you and you don't get the response you want to see. [/FONT]

How would you apply unsulfured blackstrap molasses to a DWC with top feed drip and waterfall for delivery manifolds) 2- 5 gallon bucket with 3 gallon reservoir and no control bucket? Since i am using a top feed drip onto my net pot of hydrotons from the middle to the edge of the net pot, can the molasses mix go bad or attract pests or pathogens? Sorry these questions its my second round in vege after experiencing root rot in my first vege. Also, has anyone used YEAST in their mix? I saw it is an ingredient in AN's microbial munch. Would like to see some pics of rootballs at various stages in DWC 5 gal buckets 8 inch net pots if anyone has any to share.

I don't know the science...but have had good results with all sorts of molasses. I've had 5 gallon buckets from the local feed store, dried molasses from Kelp4less.com and expensive boutique molasses from Eden Solutions. All seem to work, but I don't have the time or energy to compare them. I also used to be a home brewer, and have found that using liquid malt concentrate gives the tea an extra boost.

beartrapgeorge said:

Goog Morning RIU.

I have been making AACT(actively aerated compost tea) lately and i have wondering about types of organic foods that will feed my beneficial fungi and microbes for lets say a continuous brew. I would just be topping off the rez with RO water and cleaning air stones every few days.

A few things that i like to use to feed my micro herd are high fructose corn syrup, molasses, sugar, and soy sauce.

• I would like to start using other things but i dont know quite what else to use. The problem that i run into with using all these sugar products is i dont want to overdose my plants on sugar substances.
• Since i do a continuos brew i'm worried about all the sugar( although i am aware that in humans most of the stuff we eat turns to sugar anyway, and im sure a plants metabolism is kinda similiar then again i am not a botanist, i don't think or am I
• When i bre my tea i like to include foods so my bacteria and fungi molecules have something to stick to.

What do all of you fellow growers out there use to feed your fungi and microbes??

Also If you happen to know The NPK of these foods it will be very helpful because i am trying to figure out a completly organic way to feed my very very hungry plants..

Right now i supplement my tea with Hi mag and gypsum for a boost in Ca, Mg S, and Fe

Also anybody know of organic substances that are high in Ca, Mg, Fe and S They don't have to contain all of them. But if you happen to know of something that contains alot of calcium or mag could u let me know.. i don't care about dolomite lime because i dont like the anti microbial properties of it!!

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what would be the advantage of re-applying a AACT over and over?
I would be apprehensive of feeding that too much.
I would be apprehensive about using BSM that often, as i'm not sure the microbial population consumes the potassium in it, and potassium you can overdo on and lock out many nutrients.
I use maybe one or two applications of an AACT during my grow, I feel the microbes in my media are sufficient, and it's hard for me to see the advantage of re-applying.
Not tryin to shot your idea down, just not sure if allllll that is worth it man.
Your BSM has calcium, and magnesium already

Totally agree with GMM here, but have pretty much quit using teas at all. I MIGHT do one application on my raised beds in very early spring to wake them up from winter dormancy, but I didn't this year and it didn't make a bit of difference.

With a well constructured mix and using homemade VC, there just seemed no need for AACT's or any other teas. Quality humus and especially quality (read homemade), VC takes care of just about everything. Especially in the microbe dept.

The most game changing thing you can do for your grow is to start a worm bin.

Wet

Wetdog said:

Totally agree with GMM here, but have pretty much quit using teas at all. I MIGHT do one application on my raised beds in very early spring to wake them up from winter dormancy, but I didn't this year and it didn't make a bit of difference.

With a well constructured mix and using homemade VC, there just seemed no need for AACT's or any other teas. Quality humus and especially quality (read homemade), VC takes care of just about everything. Especially in the microbe dept.

The most game changing thing you can do for your grow is to start a worm bin.

Wet

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For me, the biggest, simplest and most effective thing I ever did was making an amended leaf-based compost pile.
That used with the wormbin and you can teach a monkey to grow.
A greasy one too

Can i feed my teas the maple syrup that i make in the spring??? i wonder what the mineral/element profile of maple syrup is....

Maple syrup??? Shits more valuable than the weed your growing and will only continue to rise in price due to lack of mature forests. My family used to own a farm with mature maples, a guy still taps them and makes syrup. Hard to beat blackstrap mollases for feeding the bennies.

Banana444 said:

Maple syrup??? Shits more valuable than the weed your growing and will only continue to rise in price due to lack of mature forests. My family used to own a farm with mature maples, a guy still taps them and makes syrup. Hard to beat blackstrap mollases for feeding the bennies.

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i make it for next to nothin' so it's cheap for me. i mean shit, whats a quarter cup for 4 gal of tea?

ShLUbY said:

i make it for next to nothin' so it's cheap for me. i mean shit, whats a quarter cup for 4 gal of tea?

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iwas thinking of tapping my maple tree for just this reason.

green_machine_two9er said:

iwas thinking of tapping my maple tree for just this reason.

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you'll be hooked if you like maple syrup. this spring i want to run around 50 taps or maybe a little more if i can. i made almost 6gal of syrup last spring on 18 taps or something. i'm hoping to sell 10 gal or more next year to pay for the equipment i'm going to upgrade to. 27 gallon boiler, a nice finishing pan that hold like 7 gal or something, and a few other things. gonna run about 800$-1000$. selling pints for 12$ a pop is 96$ a gallon. i can easily make more than a gallon a day on that equip so it should be a good venture. It's a lot of freakin work though let me tell you. days that I boil are usually 10-14 hrs, and the finishing process is delicate. if you're not precise, it will give you unclear, cloudy syrup! and everybody wants the clear stuff!

I live in the BEST SUGARBUSHES ON THE PLANET! grade A vermont amber will take the pepsi challenge with any other in the world, Yeah man, i would give er a go with a small doses rising until you feel comfortable or notice change.

green_machine_two9er said:

iwas thinking of tapping my maple tree for just this reason.

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tap that bitch...

ShLUbY said:

you'll be hooked if you like maple syrup. this spring i want to run around 50 taps or maybe a little more if i can. i made almost 6gal of syrup last spring on 18 taps or something. i'm hoping to sell 10 gal or more next year to pay for the equipment i'm going to upgrade to. 27 gallon boiler, a nice finishing pan that hold like 7 gal or something, and a few other things. gonna run about 800$-1000$. selling pints for 12$ a pop is 96$ a gallon. i can easily make more than a gallon a day on that equip so it should be a good venture. It's a lot of freakin work though let me tell you. days that I boil are usually 10-14 hrs, and the finishing process is delicate. if you're not precise, it will give you unclear, cloudy syrup! and everybody wants the clear stuff!

Click to expand...

damn im jelous as hell! i only have 2 maples on my property. which is not much at all, sounds like you got the setup!