Re: [compost_tea] Compost tea brewers

From: Jeff Lowenfels (jeff@gardener.com)
Date: Sun Mar 09 2003 - 11:41:38 EST


<<<<1. I live in Canada and these machines are very expensive (it seems!)=
 
My local feed store says they are not complicated and they can sell me
the components to make a 100 gallon model for about half the price. Is
that feasible or is some special technology or design required?>>>>

Wow, 100 gallon machine. Sure you can make your own machine. Many of us hav=
e done so. When you do so, however, don't forget to add in the cost of test=
ing your results....you will have to include two or three tests....now, all=
 of a sudden, the commercial machines make more sense. The good ones supply=
 tests so you don't have to do much testing. The least expensive machine =
is the Alaska Bounty...www.alaskagiant.com followed by the KIS brewer and =
the Bitty-bob-0-lator.


<<<<<2. I have been reading as much as I can on the net. Some sites talk=
 
of diluting the CT by 1:10, others speak of using it undiluted. Is
there a right answer?

You need to get 5 gallons of good tea per acre as a spray. You can dilute i=
t as much as you want, as long as you get the 5 gallons per acre. You can =
apply it full strength or diluted.....doesn't matter. And, as a soil drenc=
h you can apply full strength or diluted as well.



3. How important are additives if one has a rich compost or access to a fo=
rest floor?

You need GOOD compost. This means it has to have fungal and bacterial compo=
nents that can be teased out of the compost by the energy in the machine. =
The additives help the organism teased out to survive and in some cases mul=
tiply. That is why you need them.

Hope this helps. I am sure others have comments to add.

Cheers,

Jeff
www.alaskahumus.com for the greatest fungal and bacterial teas around! It =
is EASY to get high fungal numbers if you use Alaska Humus in your teas.








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