I've never used compost tea before, but I now have a compost pile, and I'd
like to use compost tea on my vegetables, roses, and others. I'll probably
make it in five gallon buckets. Anyone have experience "growin' their own?"

"Noman" wrote in message
...
I've never used compost tea before, but I now have a compost pile, and I'd
like to use compost tea on my vegetables, roses, and others. I'll probably
make it in five gallon buckets. Anyone have experience "growin' their
own?"

I put an airstone (a Profile 1500 from Petco) in a 5 gallon bucket and
run it to vent off the chlorine for a few hours. I just throw in about three
handfuls of sifted compost and a glug or two of unsulfured molasses, and
stir occasionally. I fill up a large tub with water and in a couple of days,
I pour the tea in the tub and use it as a drench.
Last year, I would put the compost and a handful of Lady Bug brand
potting soil in a pair of pantyhose, but I got tired of squeezing the
pantyhose. The solution got quite syrupy and would make big bubbles when I
thought it was done. I left it for four days once, but the bacteria may have
eaten all the molasses, so I decided on two days for more volume, and no
hose........

On 5/22/04 1:04 PM, in article , "Noman"
wrote:

I've never used compost tea before, but I now have a compost pile, and I'd
like to use compost tea on my vegetables, roses, and others. I'll probably
make it in five gallon buckets. Anyone have experience "growin' their own?"

There must be many ways to make 'tea' for a garden. My way is to get
some fresh manure or aged (chicken, horse, pig, rabbit etc). Put it in a
porous bag tied closed with string (I use the string from hay bales. It is
cheap and tough...). Insert this bag in a garbage pail and fill with
water...you will want a tight lid as it could/will have a 'farm fresh'
scent...(smell). Leave the end of the string, tying the bag closed, sticking
out of the can so you can lift it out should you want to.
This tea will be very strong so you will want to dilute it before using.
Fill up a watering can about 3/4 full and top up with the tea. Be careful
not to make it too strong as it could burn some plants. Then pour away...
The reason for the bag is to keep the tea a consommé...so small
particles don't clog your watering can.
Source of porous bag??? Polyester, usually white. Burlap sacks rot in a
short time so they are out. Try your local farmer. Horse feed and some pet
feeds come in these bags. Also, I have seen rice in them and maybe other dry
goods at some grocery stores. Also you could check out some local
restaurants, they may receive 'stuff' in this kind of bag.
I live in horse country so I have lots available. Don't know where you
live but gave a few ideas for sourcing. Good luck.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

To reply please remove...yoursocks...

With all due respect, this is an old way of making compost tea, and is
anaerobic. Aerobic tea can do some level of damage to healthy soils. The
latest way of brewing compost tea is to use the same method as before, but the
addition of air being pumped into the water to make what's now known as aerobic
tea. The biota which is found in aerobic tea is superior to those found in
anaerobic teas.


On Sun, 30 May 2004 20:49:19 GMT, gary davis opined:

On 5/22/04 1:04 PM, in article , "Noman"
wrote:

I've never used compost tea before, but I now have a compost pile, and I'd
like to use compost tea on my vegetables, roses, and others. I'll probably
make it in five gallon buckets. Anyone have experience "growin' their own?"

There must be many ways to make 'tea' for a garden. My way is to get
some fresh manure or aged (chicken, horse, pig, rabbit etc). Put it in a
porous bag tied closed with string (I use the string from hay bales. It is
cheap and tough...). Insert this bag in a garbage pail and fill with
water...you will want a tight lid as it could/will have a 'farm fresh'
scent...(smell). Leave the end of the string, tying the bag closed, sticking
out of the can so you can lift it out should you want to.
This tea will be very strong so you will want to dilute it before using.
Fill up a watering can about 3/4 full and top up with the tea. Be careful
not to make it too strong as it could burn some plants. Then pour away...
The reason for the bag is to keep the tea a consommé...so small
particles don't clog your watering can.
Source of porous bag??? Polyester, usually white. Burlap sacks rot in a
short time so they are out. Try your local farmer. Horse feed and some pet
feeds come in these bags. Also, I have seen rice in them and maybe other dry
goods at some grocery stores. Also you could check out some local
restaurants, they may receive 'stuff' in this kind of bag.
I live in horse country so I have lots available. Don't know where you
live but gave a few ideas for sourcing. Good luck.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

To reply please remove...yoursocks...





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

e.g., using a fish-tank pump and stone and a looong air hose? Guess
you'd have to leave it running until you used up that batch?

John

"escapee" wrote in message
...
With all due respect, this is an old way of making compost tea, and
is
anaerobic. Aerobic tea can do some level of damage to healthy
soils. The
latest way of brewing compost tea is to use the same method as
before, but the
addition of air being pumped into the water to make what's now known
as aerobic
tea. The biota which is found in aerobic tea is superior to those
found in
anaerobic teas.


On Sun, 30 May 2004 20:49:19 GMT, gary davis
opined:

On 5/22/04 1:04 PM, in article ,
"Noman"
wrote:

I've never used compost tea before, but I now have a compost
pile, and I'd
like to use compost tea on my vegetables, roses, and others. I'll
probably
make it in five gallon buckets. Anyone have experience "growin'
their own?"

There must be many ways to make 'tea' for a garden. My way is
to get
some fresh manure or aged (chicken, horse, pig, rabbit etc). Put it
in a
porous bag tied closed with string (I use the string from hay
bales. It is
cheap and tough...). Insert this bag in a garbage pail and fill
with
water...you will want a tight lid as it could/will have a 'farm
fresh'
scent...(smell). Leave the end of the string, tying the bag closed,
sticking
out of the can so you can lift it out should you want to.
This tea will be very strong so you will want to dilute it
before using.
Fill up a watering can about 3/4 full and top up with the tea. Be
careful
not to make it too strong as it could burn some plants. Then pour
away...
The reason for the bag is to keep the tea a consommé...so small
particles don't clog your watering can.
Source of porous bag??? Polyester, usually white. Burlap sacks
rot in a
short time so they are out. Try your local farmer. Horse feed and
some pet
feeds come in these bags. Also, I have seen rice in them and maybe
other dry
goods at some grocery stores. Also you could check out some local
restaurants, they may receive 'stuff' in this kind of bag.
I live in horse country so I have lots available. Don't know
where you
live but gave a few ideas for sourcing. Good luck.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

To reply please remove...yoursocks...





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

The way I made my brewer was with a cheap air aquarium pump and I bought a
dollar package of clear tubing at Walmart. At Lowes I bought the smallest
package of 1/4 inch drip irrigation tubing (the kind which weeps like a soaker
hose) and in another aisle I bought a package of small plastic T connectors. I
rigged it all onto the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket so that the small clips I
glued (with Marine glue) held the drip tubing in place in concentric circles. I
ran a clear tube from the end of that (the other end I plugged up) to the air
pump and voila. For about 8 dollars I had a great, five gallon brewer. It
takes about 36 hours of brewing and you need to use it within 36 hours of
brewing. It has no foul smell. If it smells foul, it has already become
anaerobic. I hope I explained that well. At the worst, I can take a photo of
what I did and put it up somewhere for you to see.

Victoria



On Mon, 31 May 2004 13:41:11 GMT, "John T. Jarrett"
opined:

e.g., using a fish-tank pump and stone and a looong air hose? Guess
you'd have to leave it running until you used up that batch?

John

"escapee" wrote in message
.. .
With all due respect, this is an old way of making compost tea, and
is
anaerobic. Aerobic tea can do some level of damage to healthy
soils. The
latest way of brewing compost tea is to use the same method as
before, but the
addition of air being pumped into the water to make what's now known
as aerobic
tea. The biota which is found in aerobic tea is superior to those
found in
anaerobic teas.


On Sun, 30 May 2004 20:49:19 GMT, gary davis
opined:

On 5/22/04 1:04 PM, in article ,
"Noman"
wrote:

I've never used compost tea before, but I now have a compost
pile, and I'd
like to use compost tea on my vegetables, roses, and others. I'll
probably
make it in five gallon buckets. Anyone have experience "growin'
their own?"

There must be many ways to make 'tea' for a garden. My way is
to get
some fresh manure or aged (chicken, horse, pig, rabbit etc). Put it
in a
porous bag tied closed with string (I use the string from hay
bales. It is
cheap and tough...). Insert this bag in a garbage pail and fill
with
water...you will want a tight lid as it could/will have a 'farm
fresh'
scent...(smell). Leave the end of the string, tying the bag closed,
sticking
out of the can so you can lift it out should you want to.
This tea will be very strong so you will want to dilute it
before using.
Fill up a watering can about 3/4 full and top up with the tea. Be
careful
not to make it too strong as it could burn some plants. Then pour
away...
The reason for the bag is to keep the tea a consommé...so small
particles don't clog your watering can.
Source of porous bag??? Polyester, usually white. Burlap sacks
rot in a
short time so they are out. Try your local farmer. Horse feed and
some pet
feeds come in these bags. Also, I have seen rice in them and maybe
other dry
goods at some grocery stores. Also you could check out some local
restaurants, they may receive 'stuff' in this kind of bag.
I live in horse country so I have lots available. Don't know
where you
live but gave a few ideas for sourcing. Good luck.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

To reply please remove...yoursocks...





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html




Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html