"....amount of compost per volume of water is non-linear. The more
water, the less compost is needed........."
I do not really understand why the amounts of
compost added to the brewer should reduce as CT volume increases. I
understood that we are extracting fungi etc from the compost and the total
fungal biomass relates to the amount extracted from the compost (as well as what
grows). Thus less compost, less fungi extracted?? Also if we
reduce the amount of compost (per gallon CT)used in the brew won't
this result in lower amounts of nutrients extracted
since there is less compost? I would have thought that
these nutrients are the important ones as they should be the most complex and
diverse in nature and thus will support a diverse range of fungi
etc.
I also do not understand why there is a
need to emphasize alternative food sources for the tea when all these
complex/diverse food sources are in the compost ( good quality stuff that is)
already . To my way of thinking shouldn't we just make sure we extract
these food sources from the compost?
If we are relying on a relatively small number of
food sources (say 5 or 10) then won't this result in a relatively less diverse
range of fungi bacteria etc in the CT? If we are growing 1000s of different
species of fungi in CT I would have thought we would require 100s or 1000s of
different nutrients in the CT? This surely can only be done by extracting most
of the nutrients from the compost/s?
It occurs to me that Compost Tea is called that
because the principle ingredient is COMPOST not molasses, Humic
acid kelp etc.
Anyway thanks again for your contributions Elaine,
it definitely does help!!!
Regards Mike Harvey.
The amount of compost per
volume of water is non-linear. The more water, the less compost is
needed.
So, there's a bacterial tea machine maker that has told people
that their 100 gal machine needs 100 lbs of compost. Phew!
They must be selling compost! There should be no reason, at all, that
much compost is required.
The relationship between amount of compost
and volume of water does have alot to do with the machine design. A
really poorly designed machine is going to take a great deal more compost than
a well-designed machine. Which maybe says something about the machine in
the above example - it is a really poor design.
So, weight of
compost per volume of water in decent COMPOST tea machines -
About a
pound of compost for 5 gal of water, 7 lbs for 25 gal, 10 lbs for 50 gal, 12
lbs for 100 gal, 15 - 20 lbs for 500 gal
Now, the amount of molasses,
kelp etc needs to relate to the needs of your plants.
Kelp is put in to
provide surface area for the fungi, AND for nutrients for the plant. So,
what amount of nutrient does the plant need? Amount added to the tea
ought to be relative to that need. Fungi just need a small amount of
surface area - an ounce in 5 gal, for example. So, the nutrient needs of
the plant should be assessed to figure out the kelp amount.
Molasses
amount relates more to the machine - how good is the machine at keeping things
aerated? In the Growing Solutions machine, for example, NO MOLASSES at
all should be used. Or it grows E. coli. Well, maybe it grows E.
coli with the addition of just about anything.
But most tea
machine makers have done TESTING to determine what recipe results in good
tea. If they have the numbers, then they have the recipe worked
out. Ask your machine maker for the recipe. Or do a little testing
yourself.
Make a tea - goes smelly? Too much food for the
organisms. Tea seems good? Put it in a sealed plastic container
1/2 full for 24 hours in a warm place. Smell ok? then send a
sample in to see if you have the bacteria and fungi, maybe
protozoa.
Then you know your recipe is right. Or you get
to try some more....
Hope this helps -
Elaine President,
Soil Foodweb Inc. www.soilfoodweb.com
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