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Ontario, Canada.

Question can mycorrhizal fungi be added to compost brews to make a potent aerobic tea? Could you add a teaspoon of fungi to a 5 gallon bucket then simply bubble it away four 24 hours?

2/29/2004 1:01:50 PM

Kenyon, Mn.

Kahuna, I need to find out more about these "bubblers"??

2/29/2004 5:22:47 PM

New Hampshire

good ?, i would love the answer to this ? too.

2/29/2004 8:08:52 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

You can use a fish tank aerator as a bubbler. Whole setup costs about $25. I can't find the link right now, but it was a on a recent thread about compost tea that talks about how you can piece together your own system for very little money.

2/29/2004 8:31:27 PM

Ontario, Canada.

I have finally this afternoon got around to reading the handbook from the soil food web that Steve pointed us to a few weeks ago. It suggests adding the mycoorhizal fungi just before you are ready to use the tea.

2/29/2004 8:35:53 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Bumby you will need a good air pump and very fine air diffusers they work best. The smaller the bubble the better the air entrainment.

2/29/2004 8:38:14 PM

Wichita, KS

Matt

Doc posted the directions for setting up your own brewer cheap at this link...
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=10&p=33750

His post is at the end of the thread. He has mentioned that he purchased a Biti Bobulator for something like $300, but if he was using the homemade version for 40 years, I'll go with a homemade one and spend the $25 instead!

Toby

3/1/2004 12:22:35 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Ya'll know about this already so's not like I'm giving away the farm.


"HOW TO" link from the good Doctor herself:

http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00030.asp

3/1/2004 2:21:30 AM

Montoursville, PA

Toby.........I have determined that my knowledge was way behind the present day aerobic compost and the resultant tea taken from the compost to make aerobic tea.

The chances that I or anyone else made good aerobic teas using methods such as the past practices may have provided, were very slim indeed. It was possible but not likely to have been taken from aerobic compost so therefore it could not be compost or compost tea by today's standards.

This is not to say that anaerobic teas and composts were bad. It is to call attention to the fact that better methods and use practices have been discovered, tested and recommended, to us, by the leaders, in the field.

If anyone is interested to see why I purchased the Biti Bobulator please go to North Country Organics and read deeply and completely. This tea machine is well tested and proven as is the compost from which one makes the tea. It is only a matter of time until the use and practice will become the tea use standard by which all systems, compost and use are measured. This system and the CEO of North Country Organics are both among the leaders, in the business, at this time.

The exciting discovery is now being practiced where-in following proper use, of quaility aerobic tea, it has eliminated or grossly reduced the need, for other fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides. Would'nt it be exciting if the crop dusters could be converted, to tea applicatiors and begin the process, of improving soil, for the fields, of waving grain?

3/2/2004 3:39:08 PM

Hi Doc, Good info as always. One follow up question...what is the link to to NCO. I tried NorthCountyOrganics.com and get the followng:

"Hello Everyone,
We are sorry to say that we are no longer in the worm business. We thank everyone for considering us and visiting our site. Please accept our apologies and have a great day!
Sincerely,
North Country Organics"

Thanks.

3/2/2004 6:39:42 PM

I found it... thanks.

http://www.norganics.com/index.html

3/2/2004 6:43:28 PM

Wichita, KS

You've got me sold, Doc. But right now I am a little on the jobless side, so I am doing everything I can in my garden without spending money. Once cash starts flowing in again, I'll definitely be budgeting for a Biti Bobulator.

I have read the article that CEIS linked us to (http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00030.asp) which has directions on how to build a tea machine yourself, and how to keep things aerobic. If you were forced to do it yourself, as I curently am, would you consider the directions in the article decent enough to help your garden?

I ask you because I highly respect your input... and I want to do everything I can this year to break the California squash record. :-D
Toby

3/3/2004 3:32:06 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

This is interesting. I see more and more are becoming interested in Compost Tea.I did a lot of searching last year on making tea. I was into it pretty heavy last growing season. I was very pleased with everything I did. This year i'm going to give a good try at making my own fish fertilizer also.

3/3/2004 5:31:15 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Brewing good quality tea with the *best* available ingredients is a topic that Doc and I totally agree on.

The link that I provided was written by the Lady who litterally WROTE "THE" BOOK on Compost tea. Follow her instructions carefully and your tea can be of the highest quality available.

I am somewhat leery about high priced gardening gadgets. (ie. DR trimmer products, compost tumblers etc) Maybe because I am thrifty.....

If I had an extra $300 to blow would I do so on the specific machine that Doc bought? I dunno.
There are certainly some good products out there that do the exact same job some for more and some for less. Check out the SoilSoup brewer. I think that the quality of this product is just as good.

Toby - if brewed correctly the compost tea recipe is the same wether you you have the 300 dollar machine or a $10.00 fish pump and bucket. In a side by side comparison (with same ingredients) I bet one could get the same biological results.

Also look at the second page of the N.O. PDF you could make one of the "tumblers" yourself out of PVC. The only specialty component is the filter fabric. Everything else you can find at the local Home Depot and pet store.
The only major difference is that the compost "tumbles" in the machine. A free stick to ocassionaly stir your bucket and air pump is the same thing.

3/3/2004 8:15:16 PM

Deer Park WA

We just put the (secret) compost in an old panty hose, hang it off the side of the plastic garbage can and fill with warm water and (additives) turn on the air bubble for 3 to 5 days and spray on the patch. Were probably doing it wrong, but it sure smells good and I cant keep the dang cats from drinking it!

3/3/2004 11:08:23 PM

Deer Park WA

Oh, yes I have innoculated some brews with bacteria.

3/3/2004 11:10:05 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Just received my new Gardens Alive catalog today. They have a compost tea kit for $24.95.

3/5/2004 1:16:04 AM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Gad's,

What kind of pump/aerator do you use for a plastic garbage can?

Thanks,

Matt

3/8/2004 5:17:31 AM

Midway City, California

Question to you that have great knowledge and understanding and too all others that Know. I have started to clean my patch of all weeds and debris. The temperature is starting to go up and has been in the 80's daytime and high 50's at night. When would be a good time to start spraying the tilled Patch? Can I spray the compost tea before my plants are in the ground? Thanks John --- water

3/8/2004 4:31:26 PM

Montoursville, PA

John.........You can start feeding your soil even before you begin the first tilling in the spring. You can hardly overdo the use of compost tea when it is placed in the soil.

Placing tea on the plant can be tricky. Anaerobic teas must be diluted to a point they will not burn the plants. If in any doubt whatever dilute it a lot and apply it more often.

Aerobic teas will not burn plants. Aerobic tea can not be made from compost that was not originally aerobic.

My Biti Bobulator and enough materials to feed my whole half acre of backyard gardening for a whole year cost $300.00 including shipping. I have learned, I think, that using the right tools and materials the first time is usually the least expensive way to get correct results. If I can make good aerobic compost in the volume of about two bags I will have no material expense next year. The cost of my quality tea is estimted at .15 cents a gallon using purchased composts supplimental bacteria , fungi and trace minerals to add.

Anyone with the time and money to tinker things like this to excellence and pay for their own results testing have my admiration.

As I said in my incorrectly quoted post...above, I know that most if not all my previous teas were anaerobic. Good but not the best by a long shot. My methods were outclassed and proven less than desirable by the modern pracice of delivering aerobic teas from aerobic composts.

3/16/2004 11:13:21 AM