Compost Tea - Page 2

Cole_Robbie · January 4, 2017

Both were in the same peat-based pro mix. Neither got nutrients, but I abandoned the project at about the time I would have started fertilizing. The plants started in the compost tea drench were one set of leaves ahead of the non-tea plants, and all of them sprouted faster.

gorbelly · January 4, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Both were in the same peat-based pro mix. Neither got nutrients, but I abandoned the project at about the time I would have started fertilizing. The plants started in the compost tea drench were one set of leaves ahead of the non-tea plants, and all of them sprouted faster.

I don't doubt that the ones getting some nutrients in the form of compost tea would do better than those getting nothing. I'm just not convinced it would be dramatically better than using very dilute liquid fert.

Cole_Robbie · January 4, 2017

It did occur to me later that a second control of weak miracle grow would have been helpful. I didn't think of it, because I don't give any fertilizer until the second set of leaves show. The compost tea isn't really supposed to have much NPK value, but I don't have any way to test it. Another good control would have been to sterilize a batch of tea by boiling it after brewing, which would kill the bacteria but leave the humic acid.

AlittleSalt · January 4, 2017

I used fish emulsion and dandelions in the tea we used to make - along with sugar and molasses and compost put in a pair of pantyhose. Did the air pumps too. I used it as a drench only and it probably did some good. That was in 2011 and 12. I wanted to grow all organic.

I have seen much better results using 10-10-10 since then.

January 4, 2017	#16
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Both were in the same peat-based pro mix. Neither got nutrients, but I abandoned the project at about the time I would have started fertilizing. The plants started in the compost tea drench were one set of leaves ahead of the non-tea plants, and all of them sprouted faster.

January 4, 2017	#19
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I used fish emulsion and dandelions in the tea we used to make - along with sugar and molasses and compost put in a pair of pantyhose. Did the air pumps too. I used it as a drench only and it probably did some good. That was in 2011 and 12. I wanted to grow all organic. I have seen much better results using 10-10-10 since then.