Noydb wrote:


That was two days ago and the tea is a very rich brown color this evening.

I have four questions:
1) What spraying schedule do you use?

How long does the spray need to be on the plant prior to a rain and does it
need to be re-applied immediately following a rain?

I am hoping to be able to hit a twice-weekly schedule of drenching with a
pressure sprayer. Is this overkill?

2) What do you do with 'spent' compost and the leftover tea? Back in the
compost pile? Mulch / watering can?

I just learned an important lesson: there is no such thing as 'leftover tea'
.... just keep spraying until it's all gone. What runs off the plant, helps
the ground.

3) what results do you get / what changes do you notice?
4) what lessons have you learned about the mechanics of making good
compost tea?

I use the legs from my wife's old pantyhose to tie up my tomatoes. Yesterday
I found that the panty part makes a good filter for the compost tea. I went
through 5 gallons and never had a clog. I just laid it over the opening of
the sprayer tank and poured the tea through it. It caught a lot of small
particles.

Is it really necessary to let the chlorine off-gas from city tap water?

Did adding the molasses help or hinder the process?


My beans and cucurbits got wiped out last year by powdery mildew. I am
hoping to avoid that this year by spraying with compost tea. What say you?

Bill
I know that copper compounds are permitted in an organic garden for control
of mildews but I'd rather not use them if I can avoid doing so. It bothers
me that Bordeaux mixture would be an approved organic control. IIRC it
forms copper arsenate and thus I don't think it qualifies.

I am surprised that the original posting sat unresponded to for 38 hours. I
know there are other organic gardeners on this list.

--
Zone 5b (Detroit, MI)
I do not post my address to news groups.