Compost tea

[Andy Bittner]

I've decided to start using compost tea but I'm not sure what to do about brewing it. I've see everything from commercial systems to do it yourself instructions out of Harvard. What works what does not?

[Sara Tambascio]

Here's an article we wrote on compost tea a few years ago. Alison Kutz-Troutman of Sound Horticulture is the expert I think of on this topic.

http://www.greenhousegrower.com/article/20909/biologicals-and-compo...

[Paul Westervelt]

Andy, you might check out the Garden Professors blog. It's four university professors from across the country providing science based info that's useful (most of the time) and horticulturally related. Lots of myth busting going on over there.

 

https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/archive/2010/06/1... 

[Andy Bittner]

Thanks to both of you I'll check these out

[Paul Cross]

I did a 3 day workshop with Elaine Ingham on compost teas. She is the chief scientist at the Rodale institute. She's been working on assessing the quality of compost teas prior to application to better achieve the desired results.

We spent a lot of time looking at compost teas under microscopes and learning to identify the microorganisms. By doing direct plate counts of the microorganisms in the tea, you know what you're really applying. The microscope for this work runs about $300.

As for brewers she claimed a properly constructed DIY system was fine. But it needs to be cleaned thoroughly between batches so that bio films do not establish. 

The main issue with tea is sourcing or making a compost that is suitable. If you don't have the right biodiversity in the compost, then you can't achieve it in the tea. 

Before I took the workshop I bought a 10 gallon commercial brewer. It was a lot of money for what is essentially a tapped barrel with a blower and a rigid screened cage for the compost. After the workshop I realized I really didn't have the right compost source and didn't have a microscope to assess and experiment. But I found that the compost tea brewer was great for applying nematodes. So we make a batch of nematode tea and use that for suppressing of fungus grants, thrips, shore flies, etc.

It would help the discussion if we knew what you grew, what you want to achieve with the tea, and how and where you are going to apply it.

[Andy Bittner]

Hi Paul

 

I grow mainly perennials and roses and I wish to use the tea for fertalization of these crops. Some of the youtube videos I've come across make bold claims for the use of compost teas in this way. I guess I'll start with the 5 gallon bucket and bubbler method and make my way up. Thats good information. Ill have to look into sources for some good compost.
 
Paul Cross said:

I did a 3 day workshop with Elaine Ingham on compost teas. She is the chief scientist at the Rodale institute. She's been working on assessing the quality of compost teas prior to application to better achieve the desired results.

We spent a lot of time looking at compost teas under microscopes and learning to identify the microorganisms. By doing direct plate counts of the microorganisms in the tea, you know what you're really applying. The microscope for this work runs about $300.

As for brewers she claimed a properly constructed DIY system was fine. But it needs to be cleaned thoroughly between batches so that bio films do not establish. 

The main issue with tea is sourcing or making a compost that is suitable. If you don't have the right biodiversity in the compost, then you can't achieve it in the tea. 

Before I took the workshop I bought a 10 gallon commercial brewer. It was a lot of money for what is essentially a tapped barrel with a blower and a rigid screened cage for the compost. After the workshop I realized I really didn't have the right compost source and didn't have a microscope to assess and experiment. But I found that the compost tea brewer was great for applying nematodes. So we make a batch of nematode tea and use that for suppressing of fungus grants, thrips, shore flies, etc.

It would help the discussion if we knew what you grew, what you want to achieve with the tea, and how and where you are going to apply it.

[Paul Cross]

Most of the 5 gallon bubbler setups I've seen don't look like they would actually be able to make a good actively aerated compost tea (AACT). It takes a lot of air, much more than you would get from a basic aquarium pump and an air stone.

Or if they could, it would make maybe 2 or 3 gallons, which would be fine for testing purposes but wouldn't be enough on your scale. Thinking of it as a fertilizer, you would tend to use it undiluted. That's why a 55 gallon drum setup might be a better start.

I don't approach AACT as a fertilizer but rather as a preventive microbial inocculant for disease suppression. You could just incorporate compost into your potting mix and get a lot more nutrients into the pots than via a water based extraction, and it saves all the labor of creating and applying the tea. What the tea brings is diverse microorganisms.

For perennials the thought is a more fungally dominated compost source for the tea is better. Once you've extracted the hyphae and other microorganisms from the tea, you add oatmeal as a food source and run the tea for longer. 

I will try to dig up my notes from Elaine Ingham's workshop and give you more info.

[john wrenn]

Paul Cross said:

I did a 3 day workshop with Elaine Ingham on compost teas. She is the chief scientist at the Rodale institute. She's been working on assessing the quality of compost teas prior to application to better achieve the desired results.

We spent a lot of time looking at compost teas under microscopes and learning to identify the microorganisms. By doing direct plate counts of the microorganisms in the tea, you know what you're really applying. The microscope for this work runs about $300.

As for brewers she claimed a properly constructed DIY system was fine. But it needs to be cleaned thoroughly between batches so that bio films do not establish. 

The main issue with tea is sourcing or making a compost that is suitable. If you don't have the right biodiversity in the compost, then you can't achieve it in the tea. 

Before I took the workshop I bought a 10 gallon commercial brewer. It was a lot of money for what is essentially a tapped barrel with a blower and a rigid screened cage for the compost. After the workshop I realized I really didn't have the right compost source and didn't have a microscope to assess and experiment. But I found that the compost tea brewer was great for applying nematodes. So we make a batch of nematode tea and use that for suppressing of fungus grants, thrips, shore flies, etc.

It would help the discussion if we knew what you grew, what you want to achieve with the tea, and how and where you are going to apply it.

[john wrenn]

HelloAndy, we have been using compost tea since we recieved our organic certification in 2007. It has taken us about two years to develop a recipe that we are really happy with.I have a great source for compost from Maryland, this stuff is black gold. I would be happy to inform you of our two years worth of tea trials and components. And last but not least, how to build a brewer from a 55 gal. plastic drum. We currently have 4 of these brewers on site. We built each brewer for around  $50.00 each. I would recommend Elaine Ingham's book, it helped us out a great deal. I can be contacted  by e-mail at [e-mail]  compost tea has become a big part our fertility program, I strongly recommend it. John at J&B Farms

[Andy Bittner]

 John

You will be hearing from me soon! Trying to integrate for next season. Thanks to everyone.

[john wrenn]

Andy, just shout out whenever you're ready, John

Andy Bittner said:

 John

You will be hearing from me soon! Trying to integrate for next season. Thanks to everyone.

[john wrenn]

Hey Paul, could you send me some info on that microscope? Sounds like a good tool to have, thanks John at J&B

Andy Bittner said:

Hi Paul

 

I grow mainly perennials and roses and I wish to use the tea for fertalization of these crops. Some of the youtube videos I've come across make bold claims for the use of compost teas in this way. I guess I'll start with the 5 gallon bucket and bubbler method and make my way up. Thats good information. Ill have to look into sources for some good compost.
 
Paul Cross said:

I did a 3 day workshop with Elaine Ingham on compost teas. She is the chief scientist at the Rodale institute. She's been working on assessing the quality of compost teas prior to application to better achieve the desired results.

We spent a lot of time looking at compost teas under microscopes and learning to identify the microorganisms. By doing direct plate counts of the microorganisms in the tea, you know what you're really applying. The microscope for this work runs about $300.

As for brewers she claimed a properly constructed DIY system was fine. But it needs to be cleaned thoroughly between batches so that bio films do not establish. 

The main issue with tea is sourcing or making a compost that is suitable. If you don't have the right biodiversity in the compost, then you can't achieve it in the tea. 

Before I took the workshop I bought a 10 gallon commercial brewer. It was a lot of money for what is essentially a tapped barrel with a blower and a rigid screened cage for the compost. After the workshop I realized I really didn't have the right compost source and didn't have a microscope to assess and experiment. But I found that the compost tea brewer was great for applying nematodes. So we make a batch of nematode tea and use that for suppressing of fungus grants, thrips, shore flies, etc.

It would help the discussion if we knew what you grew, what you want to achieve with the tea, and how and where you are going to apply it.

[Paul Cross]

Hey John and Andy and all,

I saved this message from Elaine from about a year ago:

The microscope is a trinocular, #M8311 and was purchased from www.microscopenet.com for $279 (no tax, no shipping). Ask for Raoul 888-227-2009, and he will switch-out the 100x objective that is never used for a 20x objective which is more useful. 

http://www.microscopenet.com/40x2000x-trinocular-compound-microscop...

 

There is a metal travel case for this scope which is beautifully built for $119 also through microscopenet-http://www.microscopenet.com/aluminum-carrying-case-microscope-p-19...

 

The microscope camera I am using with the scope is Celestron #44421 and was about $50.00, (just looked and it is now $40. on amazon) 

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Digital-Microscope-Imager/dp/B003DV...

 

Elaine R. Ingham

Chief Scientist

Rodale Institute