Re: Compost Tea Recipe

**"Nancy Szerlag" s*@earthlink.net**

Tom, Jeff anyone who has experience making the tea.

My water direct from a well registers a pH of 8. Will
it have any negative effect on the quality of the finished tea?

If so, is there a range that we should shoot for?

Nancy Szerlag

----------
>From: Tom Alexander <tom@growingedge.com>
>To: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: [GWL] Two more comments on compost teas
>Date: Wed, Sep 24, 2003, 2:07 AM
>

> Dear listmates,
>
> I am continuing to respond to the thread on compost teas even though some
> may think it is an off topic topic on garden writing. However, the fact of
> the matter is some garden writers have an opportunity to write some
> articles about it and make some money in the process. Since many people are
> interested in it but don't know where to start, I think the topic is
> relevant. So I think it is an on topic topic for garden writers. I may be
> chastised but so be it.
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 15:58:45 -0400
> From: <miranda@tagoresmith.com>
> Subject: [GWL] RE: lurkers speak out
> To: "'Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum'"
>     <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <000f01c3820d$198c59c0$7a3e98cd@Easy2>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> I have no doubt that these teas are not as effective as those made with
> a brewer. However, it'll be awhile before I break down and spend the
> money for a brewer, so I asked how other people on the list were making
> and using the teas.
>
>
> Miranda,
>
> The expensive, fancy brewers are a rip off. The companies are trying to
> recoup their R money they spent in making the brewers and are charging an
> arm and a leg for them. A do it yourself model can be made with a clean,
> sanitized five gallon plastic bucket and an air pump from a fish aquarium
> store. Run solid plastic drip irrigation spaghetti tubing from the pump
> (sitting outside the bucket) to the inside of the bucket. Inside the bucket
> use porous drip irrigation soaker hose spaghetti tubing for air dispersion.
> The key ingredient is the compost mixture (usually a mixture of good sifted
> compost, kelp, some type of bat guano for a little NPK, worm castings and
> other ingredients (every brew maker has a secret recipe mixture) and also
> an activator mixture usually made up of simple sugars like dried molasses
> and some put enzymes and mycorrhizal in it too). Some who make their own
> brewer buy the mixture from suppliers--others make their own. After 12-24
> hours the tea is done brewing and must be used within 12-18 hours or it
> goes bad. If it smells bad it is bad. When it goes bad it starts to ferment
> and create alcohol which is not good for plants or the microrganisms in the
> soil. It can be diluted down to 1 gallon of finished tea to 11 gallons of
> water. Again go to SoilFoodWeb's web site for more info--
> http://www.soilfoodweb.com
>
> SoilSoup is penetrating the garden center marketplace with their fancy
> commerical brewer/dispenser. They are cornering the garden center market.
> Some are happy with their product while others are not.
>
> Once you start investigating the compost tea phenomena you will find it is
> like all industries. Back stabbing, cut throat, sides being taken, etc.
> etc. etc. Not everybody though--there are a lot of "sharers" who openly
> give info and coaching to newbies.
>
> Jeff Lowenfels sells some dried compost tea mixture for brewing at
> http://www.alaskahumus.com
>
> Another compost tea mixture is available at Keep It Simple, inc (KIS) (who
> supplies Monrovia) at http://www.simplici-tea.com (they also sell an air
> pump that creates larger air bubbles while brewing which many think makes
> quicker and better tea--I just used the KIS pump after using the smaller
> aquarium pump for the past year and I am much happier with the results of
> the KIS pump).
>
> Another supplier is http://www.tandjenterprises.com
>
> There are a bunch of other ones but those are ones I have dealt with.
>
> It is real easy to make and smells so good--like beer--I have been tempted
> to drink it, but haven't.
>
>
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 19:35:34 -0400
> From: LEE REICH <lreich@hvc.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [GWL] Compost Tea Confusion
> To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum
>     <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <3F70D8C6.74550B84@hvc.rr.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854";
>     x-mac-creator="4D4F5353"
>
> I can't resist putting my two cents into this compost tea discussion. I have
> yet to see some independent research proving the benefits of compost tea.
> Yes, I know that many people have used it and "just know" that it works, but
> that's not good enough for me. I'm reminded of something that Christopher
> Lloyd once wrote (tongue in cheek), something about how good fingernail
> clippings are for rhododendron plants. It seems that he always sits in the
> same chair when clipping his nails, then throws them out the window. The
> rhododendron beneath that window it particularly healthy and vigorous.
> q.e.d.
>
> And even if there was some statistically measurable effect of compost tea,
> there's a lot of things you can spray on plant leaves and get some
> measureable effect.
>
> Lee Reich
>
> Lee,
>
> Dr. Elaine Ingham has done tons of research while she was a professor at
> Oregon State University. She did research on ways a 17,000 acre organic
> potato farmer could cut down on his cost of transporting manures and
> compost and spreading it on the fields. She has done research on many other
> crops for very large scale organic farms. She has saved the Mirage and
> Belaggio casinos in Las Vegas millions of dollars by saving their palm
> trees and grass on their golf courses. Things got so busy and potentially
> profitable that she retired from OSU and started SoilFoodWeb Inc that
> continues to do research for very large organic farmers. The research is
> there. As the big companies (like Monrovia and others) get into this there
> will be all kinds of data. But data is not free.  In many cases they
> consider it proprietary property and either don't share it or charge for
> it. So don't expect the researchers to just hand over the data to you if
> you ask for it.
>
> For me, a hobby gardener with a very large garden, my experience of using
> it and working is good enough for me. I agree, large growers and garden
> writers writing articles about it, need data to refer to.
>
> A disclaimer: I have no commercial interest in any of the companies,
> products or web sites I have referenced. I am a happy customer of some of
> them. But I as I said in an earlier post--brewing compost tea is like a
> religious experience. Once you experience all aspects of your garden will
> never be the same.
>
> Keep on brewin',
>
> Tom Alexander, Publisher
> Growing Edge Magazine
> PO Box 1027
> Corvallis, OR. 97339
> 541-745-7773
> http://www.growingedge.com
> tom@growingedge.com _______________________________________________
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