tutorial Beginner's guide to AACT/Compost Tea

My recipe is pretty basic:
 
5 gallon bucket, de-chlorinated water (let it aerate overnight with the bubblers going)
2-3 handfuls of organic worm castings
1-2 handfuls of Black Kow composted manure
3-4 handfuls of grass clippings yanked from the corners of the yard (fresh)
1 Tbsp of Plant Success myco starter
3 Tbsp of unsulphured molasses
double-bubbler 10" airstones via Tetra Whisper 100-gallon (2 output)
 
I always get "the foam" and the colloidal colonies; typically brew for 36-48 hours.
 
Cayennemist said:
 
You piss me off all the time, but you put effort in to it... I like that! :rofl:
 
 
@ColdSmoke  You sir are doing good stuff and I am happy to have you in our little pseudo organic club. Dont feel like we are dissing you, Truth is we are glad to have you! But you should learn the difference between aerobic and anaerobic, and then you will understand why good tea cant be bottled and put on a shelf.
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I appreciate the sentiment; I'm not one to just fall in line with others "just because". I want to know the hows, whys, whens...etc. It's just how I'm geared. Plus, you learn sooo much faster and retain it better when you actively pursue a topic. 
 
Question: do you guys dilute your tea when it's finished, or just turn off the air and apply?
 
Pepper-Guru said:
If its beading and falling off, then that just means more inhabitants for the soil, along with nutrients. If you want more surface contact...spray more! I seem to get plenty enough coverage and stickyness for that bio film to remain for days. Maybe try a different recipe? 
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I went from an application where I added some coco-wet to my sprayer to hot-processing some soap myself and going that route ...
 
Can't think of anything about that process that would be a problem in terms of "organic or not" ... It's food grade oil or lard and some carefully prepared lye water, and hot-process soap factors out the lye at the time of cooking, so I mean ...
 
Any good reason NOT to? ... because it definitely improves the 'application' and coconut oil is pretty
 
ColdSmoke said:
 
I appreciate the sentiment; I'm not one to just fall in line with others "just because". I want to know the hows, whys, whens...etc. It's just how I'm geared. Plus, you learn sooo much faster and retain it better when you actively pursue a topic. 
 
Question: do you guys dilute your tea when it's finished, or just turn off the air and apply?
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I use it straight up. 
 
grantmichaels said:
 
I went from an application where I added some coco-wet to my sprayer to hot-processing some soap myself and going that route ...
 
Can't think of anything about that process that would be a problem in terms of "organic or not" ... It's food grade oil or lard and some carefully prepared lye water, and hot-process soap factors out the lye at the time of cooking, so I mean ...
 
Any good reason NOT to? ... because it definitely improves the 'application' and coconut oil is pretty
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The only reason I could think of NOT using an additive is how it would affect my inhabitants. I'm unfamiliar with the affects of many oils or soaps on AACT. Only "oil" I ever recall using in a tea would be the results of my dank tank fish hydrolysate. There's an oil slick for miles in the stuff. All the pretty colors! 
 
Pepper-Guru said:
I use it straight up. 
 
The only reason I could think of NOT using an additive is how it would affect my inhabitants. I'm unfamiliar with the affects of many oils or soaps on AACT. Only "oil" I ever recall using in a tea would be the results of my dank tank fish hydrolysate. There's an oil slick for miles in the stuff. All the pretty colors! 
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I don't know if neem is safe for pepper plants, but I can't see there being too much trouble with coconut, and all of those oils are the same set we use to make soap ... we do it because the process is kind of fun, but that's primarily cold-process soap ... for my surfactant, i used hot-process coconut oil or lard in a crock pot ... actually, i think i posted that when i did it, now that i think of it ... surfactants are your friend for foliar feeding though, imo ...
 
Now, I mean, you don't want to put tea tree oil in there, probably, but ...
 
Cheers, dude ...
 
FYI, I've hit my pepper plants with neem oil mixes several times (combined with insect soap it will put some major hurt on aphids) and I've never had a problem.  The main thing is not applying it when the plants are in full sun, thus I always do this kind of treatment after sundown - or in the middle of the night because I'm a night owl.
 
I'm also of the opinion that an AACT-safe surfactant would increase the effective application area of a brew, so the question is picking one that has no negative impact on the AACT itself.  I'd looked at Coco Wet before, a tad expensive but I suppose a little goes a long way.
 
grantmichaels said:
 
I don't know if neem is safe for pepper plants, but I can't see there being too much trouble with coconut, and all of those oils are the same set we use to make soap ... we do it because the process is kind of fun, but that's primarily cold-process soap ... for my surfactant, i used hot-process coconut oil or lard in a crock pot ... actually, i think i posted that when i did it, now that i think of it ... surfactants are your friend for foliar feeding though, imo ...
 
Now, I mean, you don't want to put tea tree oil in there, probably, but ...
 
Cheers, dude ...
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I tested Oils last year with terrible results. The plants don't absorb it through their stomata and it chokes them out.
Plants use leaves to not only create food via photosynthesis but for respiration. Thick oils can clog up the pores used for respiration.
 
KingLeerUK said:
So, I've been doing foliar feeds with my AACT brews and I know that there is a benefit derived, but now I'm ready to take it to the next level.  By their nature, chile plant leaves are hydrophobic and I only get limited adhesive of the foliar feed because of this.  What is the "best" wetting agent or natural surfactant that I can use to make an AACT stick to the target foliage better and with more even coverage BUT also not harm the living component of of the brew?  If I was just putting herbicide on the grass in the yard I'd probably throw in a teaspoon of dish soap and call it a day, but with AACT I think that soap would end up negating the benefits of having living bacteria and fungi applied and possibly even damaging the target plants.
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Leer, what kind of sprayer are you using? I have found a pump sprayer that can spray a very fine mist works better than small bottle type sprayers. 
 
Hot Head said:
Oh well. Thanks.
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It doesn't have to be AACT, you can steep compost in dechlorinated water over a couple of days, making sure to agitate it occasionally and still end up with a decent tea.
 
filmost said:
 
Leer, what kind of sprayer are you using? I have found a pump sprayer that can spray a very fine mist works better than small bottle type sprayers. 
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Basically the older version of this: 2-Gallon Garden Sprayer with 3 tip options
 
And before I get the Monsanto witch burners down on me; I needed a sprayer and this one was on sale at the time.
 
The sprayer with the fine mist tip gives very even coverage.
 
KingLeerUK said:
 
Basically the older version of this: 2-Gallon Garden Sprayer with 3 tip options
 
And before I get the Monsanto witch burners down on me; I needed a sprayer and this one was on sale at the time.
 
The sprayer with the fine mist tip gives very even coverage.
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:hell: HEATHEN!
 
Hehe just pulling your leg :D
 
Yucca (Earthjuice Assist), soapnut powder and horse chestnut powder, although I can't find much on their interactions with tea. Saponins in general are anti-microbial/fungal, not sure at what concentration that becomes an issue with tea.
 
There's liquid aloe, I've tried it as a sole AACT surfactant with little improvement on tea alone. Maybe my concentration/source is off, I know CC and a few others use the 200x dry powder. I went 5-10ml a litre as compared to the "max" dose of 15ml, but it still doesn't give the even surface coverage I can get from non-AACT sprays emulsified with potassium silicate or Bonners. At one point the acidity of aloe must have a negative effect on the microbes.
 
I would be leary of mixing oils with AACT, many have a anti-microbial/fungal effect (neem, canola, essential oils).
 
Cocowet is labeled organic, but the 10% mysterious ingredients and carcinogenic effect of the main ingredient is enough to keep me away.
 
In the end I think a good head on your tea (saponins), starting with a bit of alfalfa meal or fish hydrolysate, and using a fine mist would be sufficient with out fiddlefarting the microbes to death.
 
That was a long rambling way of agreeing tea is good on its own :rofl: Though I keep falling back on trying to find a good safe surfactant for tea, if only to boost it's insecticidal abilities.
 
I just picked this guy up for 40ish at HD. It feels solid. I'll say more once I have thoroughly tested it.
It has a life time warranty.
 
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Cayennemist said:
I just picked this guy up for 40ish at HD. It feels solid. I'll say more once I have thoroughly tested it.
It has a life time warranty.
 
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For another $40 you could have had a Chapin 1949 with all brass wand, siphon tube and pump assembly in a metal bottle.  ;)
 
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