The correct way to make an actively aerated compost tea AACT

tikitoker

tikitoker

Active Member
SupraSPL said:
Nice brewer you could inoculate a big garden with that bad boy. If you need ingredients check out kelp4less. I have ordered from them a few times because they have free shipping and found a working coupon code 10% off GREENTHUMB.
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Excellent supplier. I buy lots from them. You r the only other person I have seen on here that openly uses them aside from me.
 
Mad Hamish

Mad Hamish

Well-Known Member
RedCarpetMatches said:
Fish emulsion or any other ingredients that weren't listed won't help your cause of multiplying microbes. Use the nutes for a separate tea. You might as well throw in some outdoor soil from woods or under grass...if your not in snow lol. Any humus, compost, or bagged red wiggler castings will do. Next time just humus and BSM. Make sure you have the proper air flow.
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I have been messing around with this a bit. Seeing as MM encourages experimentation I borrowed this old 2000x microscope and got stuck into it the last two weeks. To cut a long story pretty short, extra time and adequate DO2 and it ends up being equally microbe rich both ways. Just if you do a nute tea and microbe multiplication too, 48 hours bubbling MINIMUM. I bubble mine for 60 to 72 hours now, and if there is left over I keep that bubbling.

OK so I still have no idea what I am looking at EXACTLY when I check out the slides, and like I said this thing is old so no usb cameras etc. But they look similar enough in types floating about and you can kinda see how 'alive' it is, there's a few, or TONS or somewhere in between etc.

Works best to get nutes in the water and bubble for 4 hours or so then add EWC. I started adding some Lacto B serum right at the start too. This sped things up one helluva lot. And I am getting insane results on the ladies after replacing kelp meal in all recipes with 2 tbs of sprouts, I just chuck them right in the brewer when I add the EWC. I also add a handful of local leaf mold.

But like I said needs a little more air, I have quite an assortment of pumps I am playing with. I have to give the microscope back this week. I almost want to cry. It is like the baby I never knew I had.
 
RedCarpetMatches

RedCarpetMatches

Well-Known Member
Mad Hamish said:
I have been messing around with this a bit. Seeing as MM encourages experimentation I borrowed this old 2000x microscope and got stuck into it the last two weeks. To cut a long story pretty short, extra time and adequate DO2 and it ends up being equally microbe rich both ways. Just if you do a nute tea and microbe multiplication too, 48 hours bubbling MINIMUM. I bubble mine for 60 to 72 hours now, and if there is left over I keep that bubbling.

OK so I still have no idea what I am looking at EXACTLY when I check out the slides, and like I said this thing is old so no usb cameras etc. But they look similar enough in types floating about and you can kinda see how 'alive' it is, there's a few, or TONS or somewhere in between etc.

Works best to get nutes in the water and bubble for 4 hours or so then add EWC. I started adding some Lacto B serum right at the start too. This sped things up one helluva lot. And I am getting insane results on the ladies after replacing kelp meal in all recipes with 2 tbs of sprouts, I just chuck them right in the brewer when I add the EWC. I also add a handful of local leaf mold.

But like I said needs a little more air, I have quite an assortment of pumps I am playing with. I have to give the microscope back this week. I almost want to cry. It is like the baby I never knew I had.
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You sure you weren't looking in your underpants? "I can finally see it!!! I'm a real boy!!!" says Hamish with 200x scope. My local university wouldn't let me borrow one. I'd love to see for myself, and not go by what one person says. I used to bubble kelp and alfalfa with my compost with perky results. I've kept my teas seperate now for months, and notice same results?!?! I think if you have extra DO2, then you shouldn't have a prob with getting enough microbes with other ingredients.
 
RedCarpetMatches

RedCarpetMatches

Well-Known Member
Can't edit thread for an extra zero on compost math under recipe. It's G x .024 not . 0024!!! That could mess some things up a little.
 
Steelheader3430

Steelheader3430

Well-Known Member
I tried to do business with kis. They're local and I like that but they have to actually put your order together and weigh everything before they can even get you a quote on shipping. She said they are revamping they're website to avoid this issue. Despite a failed attempt, I think they're a good company. I had a great experience with the gal on the phone, they just need to figure out their logistics. I went with Eureka Springs.
 
RedCarpetMatches

RedCarpetMatches

Well-Known Member
Steelheader3430 said:
I tried to do business with kis. They're local and I like that but they have to actually put your order together and weigh everything before they can even get you a quote on shipping. She said they are revamping they're website to avoid this issue. Despite a failed attempt, I think they're a good company. I had a great experience with the gal on the phone, they just need to figure out their logistics. I went with Eureka Springs.
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I've bought and talked to KIS, Euereka, and kelp4less. All good products and people. When it came to price,shipping, and knowledge KIS won hands down. They weighed, packaged, and quoted my order while on the phone. They even mixed n matched some things for me. That extra effort went a long way with me.
 
Steelheader3430

Steelheader3430

Well-Known Member
I should have also said the shipping guy at kis was out that day. He was suppose to get back to me but never did so I went elsewhere that time. By no means a deal breaker for the future.
 
RedCarpetMatches

RedCarpetMatches

Well-Known Member
My worm population just went waaaay up. Have to go get a bigger tote now. Best stuff to put in your compost tea and soil. I gave a big handful of castings to a friend to top dress with. They said their plants looked better than after within days. Black gold that is. In the MM link he says he 'activates' some of his vermicompost to add diversity. Think I'm going to try this with some wheat bran or baby oatmeal. I gotta post a pic of my frugal airlift.
 
Steelheader3430

Steelheader3430

Well-Known Member
The worms are going to be fun I think. For years even before growing I'd think about it every morning when I'd trash the coffee grounds. I just wonder about the acidity from the grounds. They do twice the work when they're all hopped up on caffeine i guess. Just like termites in hessian homes where people listen to speed metal.
 
RedCarpetMatches

RedCarpetMatches

Well-Known Member
Steelheader3430 said:
The worms are going to be fun I think. For years even before growing I'd think about it every morning when I'd trash the coffee grounds. I just wonder about the acidity from the grounds. They do twice the work when they're all hopped up on caffeine i guess. Just like termites in hessian homes where people listen to speed metal.
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LMFAO!!! My worms love coffee grounds, bananas, apples, dried out plants (especially leaves), cucumbers, raisins, and beer. My worms absolutely hate dried and crushed aloe leaf, but go 'secretingly hot bothered' over clover or canna leaves. I'm sowing some lavender, peppermint, and lemon basil too. I think I need another room just for comfrey, horsetail, nettle, yarrow, aloe, etc.
 
ReefBongwell

ReefBongwell

Well-Known Member
He said you only need to prep the EWC that way if the castings aren't fresh and have gotten dried out... sounds like you have fresh castings so you shouldn't need to do that?

Making my first batch of AACT according to the microbeorganics.com recipe... should be ready tomorrow night :) Do you guys foliar with it and if so how much do you dilute it for foliar feeding? Those of you that foliar with it how often do you do so?

Also, if I have extra tea left over after I'm done watering the plants, is it use it or lose it or is there a good way to store it for later (and how long would it stay good)?

Thanks in advance. I'm an aact newb but have read so many good results decided I couldn't put it off any longer :)
 
RedCarpetMatches

RedCarpetMatches

Well-Known Member
ReefBongwell said:
He said you only need to prep the EWC that way if the castings aren't fresh and have gotten dried out... sounds like you have fresh castings so you shouldn't need to do that?

Making my first batch of AACT according to the microbeorganics.com recipe... should be ready tomorrow night :) Do you guys foliar with it and if so how much do you dilute it for foliar feeding? Those of you that foliar with it how often do you do so?

Also, if I have extra tea left over after I'm done watering the plants, is it use it or lose it or is there a good way to store it for later (and how long would it stay good)?

Thanks in advance. I'm an aact newb but have read so many good results decided I couldn't put it off any longer :)
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Good post RB! You can straight foliar with it, but can't save it as it'll go anaerobic. If you have left overs just drench, moisten worm bin, etc. Don't waste the goodies.
 
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