tutorial Beginner's guide to AACT/Compost Tea

[solid7]

Ive been wanting to try a tea that isn't a bacterial boost per se. Just some alfalfa meal and molasses (maybe some kelp too). It would be more of a food source for existing soil bacteria and plant nutrients/growth hormones. Toss all the dregs after filtering into the ground plot or compost pile.

 
If that's the case, then your best bet would probably be a manure tea.  Like rabbit, for example.  Kelp is going to be more for traces, and that's just as easily purchased in a bottle.  It's used in very small quantities, anyhow. 
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Molasses is going to be food for microbes, so if you just want supplemental nutrition, or homemade organics, skip that, and just soak.  And yes, recycle the dross afterwards.

 

[ShowMeDaSauce]

I just happen to have molasses, food grade kelp (dried wakame/kombu) and alfalfa pellets. I did more of a kelp extract "smoothy" last year. The results from two plants side by side were very noticeable in pots. Less so once transferred to ground. I will need to wait a bit longer to try it. We are getting too much rain atm and the pots are soaked.
 
Im fairly sure many of my pots have a good "living" soil atm. I just want to keep it that way.

 

[solid7]

I just happen to have molasses, food grade kelp (dried wakame/kombu) and alfalfa pellets. I did more of a kelp extract "smoothy" last year. The results from two plants side by side were very noticeable in pots. Less so once transferred to ground. I will need to wait a bit longer to try it. We are getting too much rain atm and the pots are soaked.
 
Im fairly sure many of my pots have a good "living" soil atm. I just want to keep it that way.

 
Why not just apply the dry ingredients to the pots, and inoculate with AACT, then?  That's a valid use of AACT.

 

[Ghaleon]

Speaking of compost...
 
How well would WE make peppers?
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnvnBwP9sTo

 

[Powned]

Hi Guys,
 
I've been looking into Korean natural farming lately and I'd like to make a plant fermented juice.
Usual recipes are made out of Comfrey, but I'm not sure I can get some of that where I live. I have little knowledge of plants.
 
I noticed some plants near my house that seemed to be very healthy and big.
 
I was wondering if I could use these plants to make FPJ?
 
Here are pictures of the plant I'm talking about :
 
https://i.imgur.com/17I209E.jpg
 
https://i.imgur.com/yBotIo9.jpg
 

 

[solid7]

Hi Guys,
 
I've been looking into Korean natural farming lately and I'd like to make a plant fermented juice.
Usual recipes are made out of Comfrey, but I'm not sure I can get some of that where I live. I have little knowledge of plants.
 
I noticed some plants near my house that seemed to be very healthy and big.
 
I was wondering if I could use these plants to make FPJ?
 
Here are pictures of the plant I'm talking about :
 
https://i.imgur.com/17I209E.jpg
 
https://i.imgur.com/yBotIo9.jpg
 

 
Check out Baker Creek Heirloom seeds, at rareseeds.com.  They have comfrey.  That's great stuff.  If you don't already have them wild near you, I'd also suggest some stinging nettle.  You have a perfect climate for both.

 

[Powned]

 
Check out Baker Creek Heirloom seeds, at rareseeds.com.  They have comfrey.  That's great stuff.  If you don't already have them wild near you, I'd also suggest some stinging nettle.  You have a perfect climate for both.

Hi,
 
I ordered seeds from Baker Creek in the past.
 
Altough this time, I'd like to do ''natural'' farming; by harvesting what's available and growing well naturally in my area.
Also, my plants are already growing (peppers, tomatoes, veggies, etc). Ordreing comfrey seeds, growing it, make a fermented juice, half of the season will have passed by then...
That's why I'm looking for plants that grow near me.
 
Did you take a look at the pictures provided?
These greens seem very big and healthy, wouldn't they possibly carry growth hormones beneficial for a FPJ?
 
Thanks!!
 
-Seb

 

[solid7]

Hi,
 
I ordered seeds from Baker Creek in the past.
 
Altough this time, I'd like to do ''natural'' farming; by harvesting what's available and growing well naturally in my area.
Also, my plants are already growing (peppers, tomatoes, veggies, etc). Ordreing comfrey seeds, growing it, make a fermented juice, half of the season will have passed by then...
That's why I'm looking for plants that grow near me.
 
Did you take a look at the pictures provided?
These greens seem very big and healthy, wouldn't they possibly carry growth hormones beneficial for a FPJ?
 
Thanks!!
 
-Seb

 
I didn't look at the pictures, because I'm not familiar with the plants in your area.  Sorry.
.
Most plants do have beneficial hormones.  That's why we do AACT.  I'd do a Google search to find out what type of plants those are, or ask your local agricultural extension office.  Then, when you have the names, look up their nutrient values.
.
As for the timeline...  all good gardeners are constantly thinking a year ahead.
.
Good luck!

 

[Powned]

 
I didn't look at the pictures, because I'm not familiar with the plants in your area.  Sorry.
.
Most plants do have beneficial hormones.  That's why we do AACT.  I'd do a Google search to find out what type of plants those are, or ask your local agricultural extension office.  Then, when you have the names, look up their nutrient values.
.
As for the timeline...  all good gardeners are constantly thinking a year ahead.
.
Good luck!

I'm a new gardener with no experience.
I'm learning through the internet and so far it's been a nice experience.
I am currently planning for next year, but I wasn't prepared for this year.
 
I'm learning new things all the time, and so, since these are new, it's difficult for me to ''think a year ahead''.
 
I think I will go ahead and make an fpj with the plants I found, since they are all the same.
I will test on the same plants (one pot I will give FPJ and the other pot I won't).
If there is an interest I can keep you up to date with this.
 
If someone thinks that this is a bad idea, and that would somehow kill my plants, please let me know.
 
Edit : I've been doing aerated compost teas, and I'm not seeing any ''real'' results: -> Fresh homemade worm castings / store bought -> -> high nitrogen bat guano -> local forest humus for bacterias -> 2 rows malted barley -> kelp meal -> alfalfa meal -> (some with molasses, some without).
 
Some of my teas foamed up and some didn't.
All of the teas I made look good, but I do not see ANY difference on my plants when I give them so this is why I want to try to ferment anaerobically to see if I could get noticeable results this way.
 
I'm always trying to give the best of the best to my plants, but it seems like they aren't growing as fast and as big as I want them to.
My soil mix : 1/3 peat moss 1/3 compost 1/3 perlite. Amendments: alfalfa, neem cake, karanja cake, kelp meal, worm castings, rock dusts (azomite, and other ones as well), shrimp meal, dolomite lime, basalt.
 
Tips to improve my soil are greatly appreciated.. Do I really need fulvic acids, humic acids, fish hydrolysate? These are pretty expensive and I haven't tested them in my AACT's.

 

[solid7]

No worries, the lessons that you learn this year, are what take you forward.  That's all I meant.  We all go through it.  I'm sure that you'll do fine.
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Now as for your teas...  If they didn't foam up, all isn't lost.  Some ingredients build a head like Guinness, others, not so much.  No need to go anaerobic.  But there's nothing wrong with it, either.  Different strategies to accomplish the same goal.
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There's really nothing wrong with your amendments, but for next year, lighten your compost.  You need <5% compost by volume, or you're just impacting (negatively) the structure of your potting mix.  Also, you haven't mentioned your pot size.  Volume makes a huge difference in effectiveness of beneficials. hint: bigger is better.
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Now the major point - AACT is not a miracle tonic, and it's not meant to be a fertilizer.  The point is to build a healthy colony in the root zone.  If anyone tells you that you're going to see instant results everytime you apply, they might as well tell you that you'll be speaking in tongues after you emerge from the baptismal.  It's not like that.  AACT is part of a comprehensive strategy for building good plant health.  Be patient.  Trust that if you do your part, nature will do its part.   The problem that too many people have, is that they want instant results and they want to make nature to conform to their will.  But it never will...
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Do you need humic, fulvic?  Do you have compost?  If so, the answer is no.
Do you need hydrolosates?  That depends.  Are your plants lacking nutrition? (that's fertilizer)

 

[Powned]

No worries, the lessons that you learn this year, are what take you forward.  That's all I meant.  We all go through it.  I'm sure that you'll do fine.
.
Now as for your teas...  If they didn't foam up, all isn't lost.  Some ingredients build a head like Guinness, others, not so much.  No need to go anaerobic.  But there's nothing wrong with it, either.  Different strategies to accomplish the same goal.
.
There's really nothing wrong with your amendments, but for next year, lighten your compost.  You need <5% compost by volume, or you're just impacting (negatively) the structure of your potting mix.  Also, you haven't mentioned your pot size.  Volume makes a huge difference in effectiveness of beneficials. hint: bigger is better.
.
Now the major point - AACT is not a miracle tonic, and it's not meant to be a fertilizer.  The point is to build a healthy colony in the root zone.  If anyone tells you that you're going to see instant results everytime you apply, they might as well tell you that you'll be speaking in tongues after you emerge from the baptismal.  It's not like that.  AACT is part of a comprehensive strategy for building good plant health.  Be patient.  Trust that if you do your part, nature will do its part.   The problem that too many people have, is that they want instant results and they want to make nature to conform to their will.  But it never will...
.
Do you need humic, fulvic?  Do you have compost?  If so, the answer is no.
Do you need hydrolosates?  That depends.  Are your plants lacking nutrition? (that's fertilizer)

Thanks a lot for your reply, it really gives me hope.
 
I have various pot sizes depending on the plant I'm growing. 2 Gal up to 15 Gal (peppers are in 2-3 gal pots, tomatoes 5-7 gal)
 
As for the compost amount, are you sure it's really only 5%? The compost I'm using is 0.6-0.4-0.4 composted manures

 

[solid7]

As for the compost amount, are you sure it's really only 5%? The compost I'm using is 0.6-0.4-0.4 composted manures

 
I am absolutely certain.  You don't need tons of compost to get the benefits of compost.  The point of your compost isn't to fertilize, so the NPK values are really quite pointless.  When you add too much compost, you destroy the structure of your potting mix, by closing off the available air space.  Oxygen in the root zone is life.  Compost compacts, and/or turns to mud.
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Just because something is good, doesn't meant that more of it is gooder.

 

[solid7]

I'd also like to point out that even if your compost was a fertilizer, so-called "organic" fertilizers have lower NPK values, anyway, as they are typically not in a readily available form.  It doesn't make them any less effective.

 

[CAPCOM]

Started potting up plants tonight. should finish tomorrow and wanted to get the first batch of tea going. I have been gleaning tidbits of info and recipe examples from various sources and in that mix also comes some concerns and warnings. I intend to use worm castings, molasses, SLF-100, RAW kelp , RAW yucca, MYKOS, and seabird guano*. The seabird guano therein lies my concern whether manufactured or real. I understand I am creating a huge fertile petrie dish of bacteria, microbes and fungi of which not all may be good and some could even be deadly ie salmonella and E coli. These bacteria of course would originate from the guano be it seabird, bat or other. Is this concern valid enough to forego the addition of guanos to the brew?
 
Among the ingredients listed above, I also have a package of recharge that is intended as a soil amendment but I feel would be a great addition to the tea. Any one have any previous experience with it?

 

[solid7]

Started potting up plants tonight. should finish tomorrow and wanted to get the first batch of tea going. I have been gleaning tidbits of info and recipe examples from various sources and in that mix also comes some concerns and warnings. I intend to use worm castings, molasses, SLF-100, RAW kelp , RAW yucca, MYKOS, and seabird guano*. The seabird guano therein lies my concern whether manufactured or real. I understand I am creating a huge fertile petrie dish of bacteria, microbes and fungi of which not all may be good and some could even be deadly ie salmonella and E coli. These bacteria of course would originate from the guano be it seabird, bat or other. Is this concern valid enough to forego the addition of guanos to the brew?

Not to bypass your question... but why not keep the AACT simple, and use it to inoculate the other ingredients?
.
That's quite a concoction...

 

[CAPCOM]

Not to bypass your question... but why not keep the AACT simple, and use it to inoculate the other ingredients?
.
That's quite a concoction...

 
As I stated, this is my 1st attempt and as such, subject to errors, faults, over dos,mis haps, ooopsies, and well you get the idea. Suggestions? I guess that my intention was to utilize small amounts of each of some of these components and increase the bio load through the brewing process and spread it over a larger application.

 

[solid7]

As I stated, this is my 1st attempt and as such, subject to errors, faults, over dos,mis haps, ooopsies, and well you get the idea. Suggestions? I guess that my intention was to utilize small amounts of each of some of these components and increase the bio load through the brewing process and spread it over a larger application.

OK, I see.
.
My humble suggestion would be to treat the guanos as supplemental feed - i.e., organic fertilizer. Top dress your plants with a small amount of it, and brew your tea as simply as possible. Then, with a 20-30 hour brew of AACT in optimal temperature conditions (preferably in under air conditioning), spray the tea over the top dress. If you have animal concerns in your garden, cover the top dress with a layer of potting mix.
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I typically only make AACT with homemade worm castings and compost. Do you have that available to you? If not, is it possible for you to find some old leaf litter in your yard or surroundings?
 

 

[CAPCOM]

OK, I see.
.
My humble suggestion would be to treat the guanos as supplemental feed - i.e., organic fertilizer. Top dress your plants with a small amount of it, and brew your tea as simply as possible. Then, with a 20-30 hour brew of AACT in optimal temperature conditions (preferably in under air conditioning), spray the tea over the top dress. If you have animal concerns in your garden, cover the top dress with a layer of potting mix.
.
I typically only make AACT with homemade worm castings and compost. Do you have that available to you? If not, is it possible for you to find some old leaf litter in your yard or surroundings?
 

I have access to tons of worm castings and at a what I consider a pretty good price. something like 18.00 for a 40lb bag. leaf litter is all but gone from last fall. my trash cans are in the grow room soon to be shut down. at that point the temps will drop a bit as they are in the basement. Only animal concerns I have are with squirrels for which armageddon is about to consume them.
 
So I might try worm castings, molasses, yucca (acts as a wetting agent), recharge* see below.
 
View attachment 62705

 

[CAPCOM]

Double post

 

[solid7]

So, just so you know...  There is some debate about the effectiveness of "packaged" mycos.  If you've got them, of course, you use them.  But this is where your good homemade compost will eliminate the discussion. (for next year, perhaps)  Same story for worm castings.  Fresh is best.
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Nevertheless, go with that simpled down recipe, and prosper with it.  If you can't get your AACT to make suds, knock the next batch back to just worm castings/compost and molasses, and go from there.