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FYI: "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"
"Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"
We've published articles on the benefits of using compost tea (also known as "compost watery extract") and on commercially available kits for making compost tea. Here are instructions for making compost tea with a brewing system you can make from readily available materials. The instructions are adapted from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection web pages devoted to home composting (which also include directions for making compost bins out of recycled pallets, a backyard compost screen to sort out sticks and stones, and a bin for worm composting) at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/. [NOTE! Compost tea webpage can be found at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deput...e/Tea/tea1.htm Compost tea is easily made by soaking or steeping compost in water. The resulting compost tea is used for either a foliar application (sprayed on the leaves) or applied to the soil.... Compost tea increases plant growth, provides nutrients to plants and soil, provides beneficial organisms, helps to suppress diseases, and replaces toxic garden chemicals. Supplies needed: two- to five-gallon plastic buckets, one gallon of mature compost, aquarium pump and gang valve (to divide the air supply into several streams), four gallons of water, approximately three feet of aquarium hose, unsulfured molasses, and cheesecloth. 1. Attach three separate pieces of hose each at least 12" long to the gang valve. [One piece of hose at the inlet, attached to the pump, and two pieces at outlets.] 2. Place the gang valve on the rim of a bucket and make sure the hoses reach the bottom of the bucket. 3. Add your finished compost and make sure that it covers the ends of the hoses. 4. Add the water, filling the bucket to within six inches of the top. (If you are using water from a public water source, run the pump and bubble air through the water for at least an hour before adding the water to the compost. This allows any chlorine to escape. Chlorine can kill beneficial organisms in the tea.) 5. Add one ounce of unsulfured molasses to provide a food source for beneficial microorganisms. 6. Turn on the aquarium pump and let the mixture brew for two to three days. Stir the brew occasionally to help mix the compost and to separate the microorganisms from the solid compost particles. 7. After brewing the mixture, you need to strain the tea. Use cheesecloth and strain into another bucket. (You can put the compost solids back into the compost pile or in the garden.) The tea should smell sweet and earthy. If it smells bad, do not use it on your plants, but dump the mixture back into your compost pile. 8. Apply the compost tea to your flower and vegetable plants immediately. The beneficial microbes will begin to die shortly after the air source is removed. You can sprinkle the compost tea onto the foliage and the soil around each plant. The tea will provide nutrients and an energy boost to your garden plants. You can apply compost tea every two weeks to your garden. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Reprinted with permission from the May 2003 _HortIdeas_. Copyright 2003 by Greg and Pat Williams. HORTIDEAS (ISSN 0742-8219) is published monthly by Gregory and Patricia Y. Williams, 750 Black Lick Road, Gravel Switch, KY 40328 U.S.A. Annual subscription rates: U.S., $25.00 periodicals or $27.00 first class; Canada and Mexico, $32.00; Overseas, $30.00 surface mail or $42.00 air mail. Single issues: North America, $2.50 each; Overseas, $3.00 each, surface mail, or $4.00 each, air mail. The email address for HORTIDEAS is: . _HortIdeas_ is now on the world wide web at http://www.users.mis.net/~gwill/hi-index.htm |
#3
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FYI: "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"
Thanks for the article. But where does one find unsulfured molasses?
-Fleemo |
#4
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FYI: "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"
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#5
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FYI: "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"
Rather outdated information based on work by Dr. Ingham that is
several years old. Anyone interested may email for updated info (remove "my pants" for correct address On 29 May 2003 02:29:28 GMT, (TakeThisOut) wrote: In article , (Bob Batson) writes: From: (Bob Batson) Date: 27 May 2003 09:50:12 -0700 "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3" We've published articles on the benefits of using compost tea (also known as "compost watery extract") and on commercially available kits for making compost tea. Here are instructions for making compost tea with a brewing system you can make from readily available materials. The instructions are adapted from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection web pages devoted to home composting (which also include directions for making compost bins out of recycled pallets, a backyard compost screen to sort out sticks and stones, and a bin for worm composting) at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/. [NOTE! Compost tea webpage can be found at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deput...e/Tea/tea1.htm Compost tea is easily made by soaking or steeping compost in water. The resulting compost tea is used for either a foliar application (sprayed on the leaves) or applied to the soil.... Compost tea increases plant growth, provides nutrients to plants and soil, provides beneficial organisms, helps to suppress diseases, and replaces toxic garden chemicals. Supplies needed: two- to five-gallon plastic buckets, one gallon of mature compost, aquarium pump and gang valve (to divide the air supply into several streams), four gallons of water, approximately three feet of aquarium hose, unsulfured molasses, and cheesecloth. 1. Attach three separate pieces of hose each at least 12" long to the gang valve. [One piece of hose at the inlet, attached to the pump, and two pieces at outlets.] 2. Place the gang valve on the rim of a bucket and make sure the hoses reach the bottom of the bucket. 3. Add your finished compost and make sure that it covers the ends of the hoses. 4. Add the water, filling the bucket to within six inches of the top. (If you are using water from a public water source, run the pump and bubble air through the water for at least an hour before adding the water to the compost. This allows any chlorine to escape. Chlorine can kill beneficial organisms in the tea.) 5. Add one ounce of unsulfured molasses to provide a food source for beneficial microorganisms. 6. Turn on the aquarium pump and let the mixture brew for two to three days. Stir the brew occasionally to help mix the compost and to separate the microorganisms from the solid compost particles. 7. After brewing the mixture, you need to strain the tea. Use cheesecloth and strain into another bucket. (You can put the compost solids back into the compost pile or in the garden.) The tea should smell sweet and earthy. If it smells bad, do not use it on your plants, but dump the mixture back into your compost pile. 8. Apply the compost tea to your flower and vegetable plants immediately. The beneficial microbes will begin to die shortly after the air source is removed. You can sprinkle the compost tea onto the foliage and the soil around each plant. The tea will provide nutrients and an energy boost to your garden plants. You can apply compost tea every two weeks to your garden. Excellent article, but how far will 4 gallons go? Seems like an awful lot of work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TAKETHISOUT budysbackagain(@)THAT TOO a-oh-ell dot com "Nature, left alone, is in perfect balance. Harmful insects and plant diseases are always present, but do not occur in nature to an extent which requires the use of poisonous chemicals. The sensible approach to disease and insect control is to grow sturdy crops in a healthy environment." Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution--1978 |
#6
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FYI: "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3"
Thanks to your description, I am in full brew! I started it yesterday in a 10
gallon, galvanized trash can. I wanted it going for the filming this morning. The television crew will be shortly and I wanted to promote brewing compost tea, or leachate (sp?) as you lovingly call it. I'm probably going to be as addicted as you! I don't have any diseases so far this season, but I will use the leachate on the same plant, leaving one without the tea. I'm interested to see if it makes a difference. V On Fri, 30 May 2003 01:16:59 GMT, Tom Jaszewski wrote: Rather outdated information based on work by Dr. Ingham that is several years old. Anyone interested may email for updated info (remove "my pants" for correct address On 29 May 2003 02:29:28 GMT, (TakeThisOut) wrote: In article , (Bob Batson) writes: From: (Bob Batson) Date: 27 May 2003 09:50:12 -0700 "Compost Tea as Easy as 1-2-3" We've published articles on the benefits of using compost tea (also known as "compost watery extract") and on commercially available kits for making compost tea. Here are instructions for making compost tea with a brewing system you can make from readily available materials. The instructions are adapted from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection web pages devoted to home composting (which also include directions for making compost bins out of recycled pallets, a backyard compost screen to sort out sticks and stones, and a bin for worm composting) at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/. [NOTE! Compost tea webpage can be found at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deput...e/Tea/tea1.htm Compost tea is easily made by soaking or steeping compost in water. The resulting compost tea is used for either a foliar application (sprayed on the leaves) or applied to the soil.... Compost tea increases plant growth, provides nutrients to plants and soil, provides beneficial organisms, helps to suppress diseases, and replaces toxic garden chemicals. Supplies needed: two- to five-gallon plastic buckets, one gallon of mature compost, aquarium pump and gang valve (to divide the air supply into several streams), four gallons of water, approximately three feet of aquarium hose, unsulfured molasses, and cheesecloth. 1. Attach three separate pieces of hose each at least 12" long to the gang valve. [One piece of hose at the inlet, attached to the pump, and two pieces at outlets.] 2. Place the gang valve on the rim of a bucket and make sure the hoses reach the bottom of the bucket. 3. Add your finished compost and make sure that it covers the ends of the hoses. 4. Add the water, filling the bucket to within six inches of the top. (If you are using water from a public water source, run the pump and bubble air through the water for at least an hour before adding the water to the compost. This allows any chlorine to escape. Chlorine can kill beneficial organisms in the tea.) 5. Add one ounce of unsulfured molasses to provide a food source for beneficial microorganisms. 6. Turn on the aquarium pump and let the mixture brew for two to three days. Stir the brew occasionally to help mix the compost and to separate the microorganisms from the solid compost particles. 7. After brewing the mixture, you need to strain the tea. Use cheesecloth and strain into another bucket. (You can put the compost solids back into the compost pile or in the garden.) The tea should smell sweet and earthy. If it smells bad, do not use it on your plants, but dump the mixture back into your compost pile. 8. Apply the compost tea to your flower and vegetable plants immediately. The beneficial microbes will begin to die shortly after the air source is removed. You can sprinkle the compost tea onto the foliage and the soil around each plant. The tea will provide nutrients and an energy boost to your garden plants. You can apply compost tea every two weeks to your garden. Excellent article, but how far will 4 gallons go? Seems like an awful lot of work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TAKETHISOUT budysbackagain(@)THAT TOO a-oh-ell dot com "Nature, left alone, is in perfect balance. Harmful insects and plant diseases are always present, but do not occur in nature to an extent which requires the use of poisonous chemicals. The sensible approach to disease and insect control is to grow sturdy crops in a healthy environment." Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution--1978 |
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