[compost_tea] Help with a recipe please

From: compostteaguy <strider_gts_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:24:24 -0000

I just got my first 2 tea tests back today. (Yay!)

Our situation: We are brewing using 1500 gallon brewers to make tea for ap=
plication on alfalfa. We are looking for a bacterial dominated tea.

Our first two batches were kind of our "control" tests to see how everythin=
g was working and to get our first two tea tests back. Our first batch was=
 only compost (25lbs), and the 2nd batch was 25lbs of compost with half a g=
allon of molasses.

Both tests showed really good total bacteria, and both tests had rather low=
 active bacteria. The molasses gained us 38% more total bacteria than the =
test with no molasses. The molasses also gained us 4.6 times the amount of=
 active bacteria (keep in mind the amount was already rather low for active=
 bacteria).

(for some reason, total fungal was a bit lower on the test with molasses th=
an the test without molasses)

For our next batch, do you think we would benefit more from adding 1-2 gall=
ons of molasses, or perhaps doubling the amount of compost we use? Maybe p=
ulling the bag and 4 hours and adding a new bag?

I think we are leaning to using 1 gallon of molasses, prei-noculating with =
a bit of kelp.

Any and all opinions are welcome!
Thanks!



Received on Fri Apr 22 2011 - 20:08:53 EDT

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