Re: [compost_tea] Jeff Lowenfels's Best Practices

From: Jeff Lowenfels <jeff_at_gardener.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 10:35:11 -0800

<<<<<<2. Start with activated compost. There seems to little question that
starting the fungi growing using a handful of oatmeal flakes of one sort of
another increases the fungi available to be extracted into the tea.
Activation in a container with a loose lid for three to five days at 80 in
the dark is ideal.
QUESTION: could you please further describe? You once mentioned baby
oatmeal. Specifically, are you activating all the compost that will be used
in your next batch of tea? How much oatmeal would you add per cup or other
unit of compost? Do you moisten? How much? Do you consider the fungi
activated once you see strands -- are you going for a certain amount of
stranding to consider the compost well activated? Detail: I am assuming
chlorinated water is not recommended for this process!>>>><>

Activating compost/humus was an idea that developed to see if there was act=
ually good fungi in it before it was used to make tea. It turned out that o=
nce activated, compost/humus makes more fungal teas. This is because the fu=
ngi in a normal tea brew don't multiply, only grow. So if you have them sta=
rted, they continue to grow...a gross oversimplification, but you get the i=
dea

To activate, use the normal amount of compost/humus you would for any tea b=
rew. Use either Gerber's Baby Oatmeal or Organic Oat Bran or even ground up=
 Organic oatmeal. For every four cups of compost/humus add one cup oatmeal.=
 Mix it in thoroughly. Then add four tablespoons of dechlorinated water and=
 mix in thoroughly. Put the mix in a plastic sewing box, Tupperware, salad =
container...whatever, as long as you can lightly cover.

Put this box in the dark, on a seed germination heat mat if you cannot put=
 it where the temp is 80 degrees. Check daily to make sure there isn't too =
much condensation i.e. big drops on the lid and dry it off the lid if there=
 is.

In three days you should have the start of a net work of visible mycelium--=
thousands of fungal hyphae, long white ones like the hairs in a good Santa'=
s beard. You do not want small, round colonies of all sorts of colors.
In five days you should have a solid mass of compost/humus held together by=
 fungal hyphae...a perfect demonstration of why rototilling ruins the struc=
ture of garden soil by destroying fungi.


3. Make sure your machine is spotless. It doesn't take much slime to do in =
a
good tea.

QUESTION: What materials and techniques do you use to get your machine
spotless? For example, I poured some peroxide into the clear tube carrying
air from pump to tea and swished it around. A toothbrush would probably
work on the threaded screws. I use dish detergent on the trash can, rinsed
well. (NOTE: This is not an insignificant process time-wise. Thus,
brewers that are easy to clean translate into money savers for people who
make tea and use it as part of their business. Inventors, take note!)

I use a sponge so I don't create scratches on the plastic and create
crevices for organisms to lodge.

Cleaning is really an essential part of the whole experience. You have to g=
et very religious about it. Yeah, sponging is a good suggestion, though the=
y can be microscopically rough so don't sponge too hard! I clean my machine=
s off as soon as I stop brewing. A hard blast of water gets all the grime o=
ff, a spray or soak with Oxy clean helps. Hydrogen Peroxide is great. And =
don't forget exposure to sun and some fresh air!
You have to be clean.

4. If you have an air machine, throw in a handful of bark (orchid bark?) o=
r
large sticks to help break up compost while you brew.

QUESTION: What do you mean, break it up? Do you mean, dislodge
microorganisms? The compost I use is not lumpy, for example. Just want to
understand.

Yes, provide some grit to dislodge microorganisms via turbidity and actual =
contact. This is especially important if you keep your compost/humus in a c=
onfined area while you brew. I use old orchid bark. It is easy to get out o=
nce you stop brewing as it floats to the top.

5. Use only Kelp and Humic Acids as your ingredients to start.

QUESTION: Do you have a recipe recommendation? For example, how much kelp
and humic acid per 5 gallons of tea, with how much compost? Also, kelp
comes as kelp meal, kelp extract, and I think liquid foods with a percentag=
e
as kelp. Specifics will help people new to these ingredients.

One teaspoon powdered humic acid product per 5 gallons. Not sure what the l=
iquid equivalent is...
One to two tablespoons powdered (1/2 ounce), water soluable Kelp extract.

This is a starter recipe. Each machine is different. See how you do with th=
is and then, based upon SFI recommendations, alter it. You will note it do=
es not include any sugars. I use Alaska Humus and you don't need sugars. Ho=
wever, if your compost doesn't have high bacterial numbers, you may want to=
 add a tablespoon of molasses per five gallons.

O.K.? I don't have the latest CT manual and lent my old one out this spring=
 and haven't seen it since! So, if any of this is in dispute with the manua=
l, let me know.

The key thing, however, is to spend the bucks and do some testing. Yes, you=
 should be able to rely on the manufacturers and the SFI tests that have al=
ready been done. However, you really need to do one or two tests to make s=
ure YOU are not an important variable!

Cheers,

Jeff L








Received on Mon Sep 01 2003 - 15:54:48 EDT

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