Keep in mind that any form of compost tea recipes (aerated or not) is going to generate a lot of controversial questions and responses. Tea brewing both an art and a science. Everybody's tea brew is going to be different.
The main thing to keep in mind about ACT is that you are trying to grow the same aerobic bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, etc. in normal mature compost inside an aerated liquid for a few days before in returns to your organic lawn, garden, or living on organically grown plants.
This requires organic soil biology, chemistry, and physics. This is all accompished by the aerobic soil microbes and earthworms living in organic soil. ACT can be used to start the aerobic microherd in the soil, or speed up the aerobic microherd in the soil, or create an aerobic microherd force field around your organically grown plants during growing season.
I like to experiment with different organic source of proteins (nitrogen sources) and carbohydrates (carbon sources) in my ACT brew, in order to breed different styles of aerobic microbes and supply various levels of nurients in the tea, that will later benefit the soil organisms in my soil.
The main ingredients in any ACT recipe is mature compost, non-chlorinated water, and a sugar source (i.e. molasses or dry molasses usually).
Never use a brewing container that is too big for your aerating pump device. It will stink big time! If it smells bad it's not 100% aerobic any more. Remember ACT is different from just plain stinky non-aerated teas that are usually just used as a natural fertilizer or weak diluted soil drench.
Using 5-20 gallon buckets or tubs for ACT brews are large enough for most small farms. During spring and summer months I can make ACT every 3-5 days, without ever turning my aerating pump off, just by using my homemade 15 gallon tub ACT brewer.
I use my diluted ACT not only as a powerful soil biostimulant and pest management control, but also as a weak irrigation substitute during the hottest months. I have used ACT for everything from my lawn, garden, and onamental for 1-2 acres of plants at one time. It's a lot of work but it's fun!
ACT bewing is fun and should always be creative.
Try your own experiments with tea brewing.
Keep those beneficial aerobic soil microbes and earthworms happy!
Hope this helps!
Happy Gardening!
|
