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[compost_tea] CT quantities



There has not been a good flaming on the list for a while so I let me 
provoke one, by revisiting the question of how much CT to apply.

Some time ago I asked this question, and also should CT be diluted.  I 
received a number of answers, which going from memory were:  - not 
necessary to dilute, apply around 5 gallons per acre, and about 25 
gallons per tree as a soil drench.    There was a dissenter who said 
these numbers were not fixed, and also there was the comment that it did 
not hurt to apply more.

I have 5 acres, with a lot of holly and fruit trees.

I thought about buying a commercial brewer versus building one.  I 
thought about the size of the brewer and quantities to apply.    I 
thought about how to apply the CT - some listers use backpack sprayers, 
others have motorized sprayers on wheels.   I thought about the brewing 
time, and that it takes the same time to make a large brew as it does to 
make 5 gallons.

So, being an expatriate Kiwi living in Canada  (Kiwis can do anything 
anyhow), I decided "to heck with this, I'm going for broke".  So I built 
a 400 gallon brewer and a 100 gallon sprayer that mounts on the 3 point 
hitch of my small tractor.   With this setup I can brew in 24 hours 
(don't know what I have brewed yet because I'm still fine tuning - 
that'll come soon - PS Elaine the CT Manual would be nice to have 
<grin>) and I can apply all 400 gallons in about 1 1/2 hours - probably 
less time than if I sprayed 25 gallons with a backpack sprayer.    

The result is I figure at the rate I'm going, I am spraying 
(irrigating?)  about 100-200 gallons per acre per week  and unless I 
hear from someone that this is harmful, I see no reason not to continue 
this throughout the spring and summer.    I also figure, that if my tea 
making abilities are not up to snuff at first, that so long as the CT 
does not go anearobic, that a smaller concentration of bacteria and 
fungi in a higher quantity of liquid should still give good results.

I also figure that by having this capacity and ease of spraying, that I 
can experiment with supplementry brews to give diversity and other 
nutrients - like the alfalfa tea I reported on a while back.  (I won't 
comment on my fresh seaweed tea - whew!!)  

I am making the final switch this year to being completely organic so I 
will be mulching a lot around the holly and fruit trees.   I am hoping 
that between this and the (ample) CT  that by next year the farm and I 
will be in great shape.

What do you think - am I safe in large quantities?

Jason




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