[compost_tea] Re: Small Home Brewers versus Commercial Ones

From: Kirk Leonard <kirk_at_oregonatural.com>
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 14:48:12 -0700
Jeff -- Thanks for the CSM article. One of the best lines I've found to
introduce people to the prospects of ACT is this:  "If you want a manicured
lawn, ACT can enable you to do that organically."  Nice to see the article's
compost tea reference, too.

There's other contexts and practices underneath here, too, of course - if
people appreciate ACT, they'll learn something about composts and mulches
and soil biology, too, and least possible chemicals... maybe even start
making/using compost, grasscycling, using tea, etc... Lawn use of 'cides
(conventional farming is the biggest problem everywhere, hmm?) where I live
is a real problem because of rainfall, but simply overwatering can result in
same problems.  And water-wise, ACT is KNOWN to reduce water use.  Don't
recall that was mentioned but it's a major additional benefit.

> Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 21:40:14 -0800
> From: "Jeff Lowenfels" <jeff_at_gardener.com>
> Subject: For those who compost tea lawns.....

> from the May 20, 2004 edition -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0520/p15s02-liga.html

Organic lawns: it's easy being green
By Mark Clayton | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor <

Reply to Rosie & Bob & Question for Jeff:

> Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 08:51:04 -0500
> From: "Sonshine" <sonshine_at_houston.rr.com>
> Subject: Small Home Brewers versus Commercial Ones

>  Hi everyone.  I've given up waiting for Gardens Alive $24.95 brewer.
Been on backorder for months and finally cancelled so I'm still trying to
figure out what to do.  Am reading all the posts and getting rather
frustrated since this seems to be a science having to test soils and the tea
and making sure the actual brewer is correct [...] Could I just purchase an
air pump with perhaps dual outlets, add a couple of air stones, get a food
grade 5 gallon bucket, and just try it or will this be too simple and I'll
make a huge mess? <

Rosie - yes you can.  But as has been suggested - get a good, sufficient
pump. www's aquacave.com, aquaticeco.com and hiblow-usa.com have good ones
at good values.  If you want to replicate the little KIS air flow, an Alita
40 or equivalent should do... and if you get a good linear pump (almost all
aquarium pumps are linear pumps) it will serve 25,000 or so hours.  If you
stop making tea (or want to upgrade:) you can sell it - they are worth it.

AIR OPINION - I don't think you need that much air (5 gals - Alita 40 -
~2.5cfm in 5gals - air/water ~ 3.75). An Alita 30 oughta be plenty - a/w
~1.5.  Five gallons is .67cf water, so I'd think .5cfm (a/w .75) would be
fine, too.  I use .5 and see a lot of success at .25.  Minimal? ~ .07cfm?  -
At which point you might not want to use much nutrients - definitely not
molasses, imo:).  (Note Mike H's comment today about using a HUGE amount of
molasses: Seems clear you need "massive air capacity" for that much.)

Jeff - how many times have you used the little KIS?  Is the air flow the
same as when you started?  My understanding is the blower's reliable life is
in the <400-hour vicinity, and that flow falls from day one.

Back to Rosie -- interesting you couldn't get the Garden's Alive kit.  Has
anyone got one?  And I forget who said it but if it doesn't smell bad it
most likely isn't.  (maybe because so many have said it...:-)  Matthew has a
good comfrey story that makes me wonder if there aren't exceptions, though.
Your herbs should be fine if you're ok with your tea.

Bob corrected me, thanks Bob - It's Alaska Giant, not Bounty (can't help but
think of Alaska as bountiful, I guess) - and if he recommends it, do
consider it.  Bob's bitti is a real good machine, too.  And the KIS is a
good machine - if you can stand the noise and accept there are better pumps
out there which you eventually may need to buy...  It may be worth it for
the aerator and the introduction.  (I have to say, though, it's discomfiting
to me to think people will associate ACT with that much whiney noise -- my
vacuum cleaner is quieter.  My hangup, obviously, but I use the vac only a
few hours a month...)

Making a mess with compost tea is inevitable until you figure out how to do
it, at which point it becomes an easy mess to manage and a beneficial
convenience which plants and soil love...:-)

> Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 22:40:12 -0700 (PDT)
> From: charles gregory <dxchaz420_at_yahoo.com>
> Subject: New to group

> My name is Woodchuck an I'm new to the group, I have
made compost tea in the past just by putting some
compost into some cheese cloth and thrown into a 5
gallon bucket and letting it sit for a couple days...
After reading my first digest I'm confused, you make
it sound very difficult... <

Welcome Woody!  Good handle -- Woodchuck, that is.  What you describe is the
oldest form of tea, which can be dangerous if made with raw manure or bad
compost, and more potentially dangerous if you add nutrients.  Doesn't sound
like you do.  Good practice.  Stirring it occasionally (I recommend a big
fat fork) helps keep the air up.  For aficionados, there has been no report
ever of this form of tea causing any problems either, hmm?

Do you use the tea by spraying?  Why use cheese cloth if you're only
watering with?  Chunky stuff in compost is good with soil drenches.  (I
figure a "soil drench" is watering with tea, basically...)  Sounds like
you're making good compost, which is a big leg up for good compost teas.  If
so, you're well more than half the way there...

And for both you and Rosie... Aaagh!  Tea is not difficult, not neaarly as
tough as "shifting your paradigm" from "the green revolution" (legendary
1950-60's chemical company campaign for you younger ones -- predecessor of
genetically engineered junk today*) to natural, organic practices, in my
experience.  Simple systems can work well.  This list has some of the most
informed and technically deep folks focused on compost tea.  Do not despair.
Trust your own instincts. Understand what you understand.  Believe what
makes sense.  It's hard to go wrong with compost tea.  Not to worry too
much.  Pay attention, ask questions.  Go forth!

ACT is not difficult, and the range of benefit and safety is large with all
teas, it seems to me.  There's a biologically sound bottom line here that we
have been trained not to trust by our chem-head economy: Our Noses.  When
things smell bad, as biological creatures, they probably are!  If the
compost smells good and the tea smells good it most likely is good.
...Chemical concoctions don't smell good and we increasingly learn they
aren't, weren't, and never will be in the quantities chem-heads want us to
use!

For your bacterial/fungal questions, there's a great little book and
introduction on the subject:  "Soil Biology Primer" - written mostly by our
own Doc E.  I think it's absolutely the best book to start getting a handle
on what's happening with soil and compost and fungi and bacteria and other
soil critters - super pics, tables and info.  It's not expensive, was
published by USDA/NRCS (!) in 2000, I think, and is probably available from
another web site regarded highly on these subjects:  www.soilfoodweb.com, as
well as USDA, somewhere.  Visit that site and www.intlctc.org as Jeff
suggests for other valuable information if you haven't already.

-- Kirk

*Did you all notice the excellent news this week?  Monsanto has suspended GE
wheat marketing for at least four years - only three more of their nefarious
GE crops to bash into history... and stop them again in 2008, eh?  (This is
a deliberate national reference -- Canadians had much more to do with this
than us wimpy Americans.)











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Received on Thu May 20 2004 - 22:31:25 EDT

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