What are the benefits of Compost Tea?
What is compost tea?
Compost teatime is an aerobic water solution that has extracted the microbe population from compost along with the nutrients . In simple terms , it is a concentrated liquid state created by a process to increase the numeral of good organisms as an organic approach to plant / soil tending .
The concept behind compost tea is quite simple , though the actual process of making compost afternoon tea becomes scientific and very complex . The theme is that compost ( full of beneficial microorganisms ) is put into water and then nutrients or foods for the microorganisms is tally to allow the bacteria and kingdom Fungi to breed speedily . Air is sent through the piddle to keep the water oxygenated , as this favour the beneficial bacterium and fungi over the pathogens ( ex.-e coli ) .
At the last of the brewing bicycle , what you have is a concentrated liquid full of billions of microorganisms ( bacterium , fungus kingdom , protozoan , roundworm ) that can then be spray directly onto the leaf airfoil . This puts the “ practiced ” biological science where the industrial plant needs it to protect itself . It keeps the industrial plant healthier and helps it to oppose off potential disease . The “ good ” biology occupies the transmission sites on the leaf surface and is held there by simple sugars that the plant life puts out ( exidates ) that solve as a glue to keep the beneficial microorganisms thriving and protecting the plant .
Compost tea has been used by many hoi polloi all over the humans with mixed results . Part of the job tie in to studies on compost tea is that there is a mellow diversity in the quality of the compost tea leaf produced in many of these cogitation . After all , if you do n’t lead off with good compost , do n’t add the proper amount of nutrients , or do n’t keep the brew sufficiently aerated , you could be selected for the “ pathogens ” rather than the “ good , ” and finish up with compost afternoon tea that could potentially harm your industrial plant . Much more likely is that the compost teatime would be low in bacterium and fungus and have little more effect than putting water on your plant . At Keep It Simple , we take corking care in our afternoon tea production and have tested all of our products good every footstep of the way . Our recipes have taken year to develop and we act upon to maximize the biodiversity of our final tea product .
How to Apply Compost Tea
After brewing the compost for 12 – 18 hours with the 5 - gallon brewer or 24 hours for the larger brewers , the tea leaf may be used as a foliar spraying with a backpack sprayer on your plants or lawn . The back pack sprayer has a more useable nozzle that will not clog with the app . You may also employ with a watering can straightaway to the roots .
The diligence should be done in the dawn or under coolheaded conditions . It may be done in the rain when applied to the soil / lawn . When apply to leaves , it should be done during ironical experimental condition . Because the microbes are alive , they will bind themselves in 20 instant .
The compost tea leaf is most effective when used within 4 hours after the brewing process is completed . When the machine is turn off , the microbe population starts decrease and you will require to apply the afternoon tea when it has the highest microbe count . Four 60 minutes is the maximum time time lag before app .
How to make Compost tea.
Brewing instruction for the KIS 5 - gallon Brewer
Once the brewer is assembled , fill your bucket with water just shy of 5 gallon , making certain the insert is in firmly .
With dry men , plug your motor in , put the palpebra on the bucket and pop the motor .
head for the hills for approximately 20 minutes if you have atomic number 17 in your water .
discharge the “ tea bag ” and content of the plastic bag into the bucket , again extend it with the lid .
Brew for at least 12 hours before use .
You may brew for up to 20 - 24 hour , although as you approach 24 hr , you will demand to add more food and compost .
HAPPY BREWING !
It is challenge to get high fungous numbers in your compost teatime . The most of import variable is your compost . If you do n’t put high fungal biomass into your brewer at the beginning of your brewage , there ’s no way to get a high fungal count in your ruined compost tea . Our fungous compost has super high levels of good fungus and allows us to make a diverse , bacterial / fungal balanced tea with high nutrient cycling . Many commercial-grade and homemade beer maker make well bacterial teas , but without skillful fungal compost , foods , and aeration , you ’ll never get high number of good fungi onto your works and into your soil
Testimonials
“ The KIS brewer are extremely easy to set up and use , very well-off to clean , and make great Camellia sinensis by extracting all the species of bacteria , fungus , protozoa , and nematodes present in the compost into the tea . Using the right resource , the KIS brewer can get fantastic fungous biomass grow in their afternoon tea maker . Using the KIS starter foods and compost , we have never see the KIS beer maker have a trouble maintaining aeration . Even if “ pitiable compost ” has been used , where E.coli and other pathogen were in high number , these job organisms have been degenerate to less than noticeable level by the proper function of this machine . ”
~Dr . Elaine Ingham , Soil Microbiologist , writer the “ The Compost Tea Brewing Manual , fifth ed . ”Corvallis , Oregon
“ From the minute I got my KIS brewer , I know it was going to be fun . The instructions were so simple that I set it up in about three minutes and turned it on before I went to bed . I used the tea in our glasshouse the very next morning ( 14 hour subsequently instead of 12 , but that was only because I slept in ! ) . It was a fine looking brew with a great smell , good feel , and first-class color . I was quite sure my plants would appreciate it and I could n’t wait until the blow melted and I could get our and use the KIS - made compost afternoon tea on our gardens and lawns .
Since that first day , I have made dozens of brews with the very same KIS beer maker . And what a delight it is to apply . The automobile is so leisurely to assemble that I can decide to make tea one minute and be brewing it the next . And it is just as easy to disassemble for cleaning . The plug is a real nice touch that provide the cleansing of the inside of the system . clean the system takes me all of 30 indorsement and that long only because I do such a good job .
Am I proud of with my KIS ? Just try and take it off from me .
Thanks for this authoritative motorcar . It will change the world . I make out it has changed the way we garden here in Alaska . ”
~Jeff Lowenfels of Garden Writers of America , author of “ Teaming with Microbes , A Gardener ’s Guide to the Soil Food Web . ”Jeff is a member of the Garden Writers of America Hall of Fame , he is a leading proponent of gardening using the concepts of the soil food entanglement . His lifespan - long love of gardening has led him to write unnumerable article , host a democratic horticulture television show , and founding a successful program for soup kitchens called “ Plant a Row for the Hungry ” that is active in 48 states and has lead in over 14 million meals fed to those in need .
“ This was the best garden I ’ve have had in years ! I really detect a difference with the health and predilection of my vegetables and I did n’t have any disease problems . I love the smell and my garden loves it too ! ”
~Carin N. , Home Gardener Seattle , WA
