Website To Buy Aerated Compost Tea Supplies

[Decado]

I was wondering if there are any websites with a wide variety of the things needed for compost tea, things like kelp meal, molasses, fish emulsion, etc. I can get things like bone meal and blood meal and mycorrhizal fungi tablets at a local place but can't seem to find those other 3. I'm sure there are a number of other great things that you can make compost tea with which is why I'm looking for a site with a wide variety.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Don't know of any particular site for that stuff, but maybe a trip to the healthfood store can take care of much of that for you...

You will certainly find your unsulfured molassesthere; that's a given... kelp mealyou should be able to get through a feed supply if they don't have it at the healthfood store. And fish emulsion is so passe'; I like fish hydrolysate better, and you can even get a blend from Neptune's Harvest with the kelp already in it; HOW cool is that?

I don't like fish for brewing; kind of volatile. I'd add some right before application...

HG

[Decado]

What do I search for for a feed supply store? I searched google maps for feed supply crystal, mn and all I got was this for a list I'm not sure any of those are what I'd want. And as for whole foods the closest I can find is like a half hour away. If fish is bad for brewing why are a large amount of people in the aact thread using it? Is hydrolysate or emulsion the less volatile of the 2? Would you not use that kelp/fish mix for brewing then either?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Dec, ten minutes on the phone should sort that out, but I saw several promising outlets, and I'm sure they could order if you don't find what you need. Or just use the links I provided...

I can make a good argument for NO foods at all, just rinsing the biology off off the compost. Now you can hold it longer (it's still dormant biology) and feed it up just before. Fish is an incredibly nutritive soil activator, and especially in warm weather it can over charge a tea in short order, especially an already low aeration tea, and some of the aquarium pump home units tend towards being underaerated.

I am just saying that this one addition is the one most responsible for tea overreacting and crashing. In summer we have little control on temp, and as noted, aeration can be spotty, so the other side of the "fire triangle" here that we can control is foods. Kelp is more a fungal food, so not so worried about that. Molasses is a quick sugar hit and great for early boost, but it doesn't have the staying power of the high nitrogen fish.

Hydrolysate is a more filtered product than emulsion (emulsion is just fish in a blender) which makes it more stable. I like Neptunes Harvest because of their cold processing and use of a variety of deep water fish species; many of the others are cooked monocultural products and while cheaper, are more volatile yet (break down easily and go bad).

HG

[Sage Hermit]

hey buddy! u live only a couple mins from me! its still a little cold here temp just above the freezing point. might i inquire about what you are needing to buy it for? perhaps ill sell u some ;D

[gixxerific]

I use to use fish but have strayed from that. I keep it simple now with just compost a little bit of kelp and a little blackstrap molasses. If you start ADDING too much things can go wrong fast like HG said.

KISS is good especially for beginners.

[Decado]

hey buddy! u live only a couple mins from me! its still a little cold here temp just above the freezing point. might i inquire about what you are needing to buy it for? perhaps ill sell u some ;D

For compost tea. But lol you're more than just a couple mins from me, I'd guess more like an hour or 2 .

I use to use fish but have strayed from that. I keep it simple now with just compost a little bit of kelp and a little blackstrap molasses. If you start ADDING too much things can go wrong fast like HG said.

KISS is good especially for beginners.

KISS?

[Decado]

Also, what about mycorrhizae? Is this a good compost tea additive or not?

[Hibrix]

Adding mycorrhizal fungi spores is good but must be done just prior to planting. Otherwise the compost heat will kill the majority of the spores.

Also the remaining spores which germinated need to find active roots within 48 hours otherwise they die off.

[Sage Hermit]

Yeah thats really far

[gixxerific]

KISS = Keep It Simple Silly

[The Helpful Gardener]

In keeping with that thought, mycorrhizhae will distribute well in a tea, but will not breed in a tea, adn should probably be added right before distribution. Got that right from Dr. MIke Amaranthus' mouth; he's about the smartest guy in that subject so believe...

HG

[garden5]

Can you explain the difference between the function of the kelp meal and the fish hydrolysate/emulsion. I can' seem to find out exactly what these two components do (to the plants, not in the tea).

Thanks for the tea-tips. I've seen a lot of act makers who only use compost and nothing else. After all, our main goal in to breed microbes, and ,as you say, nature will take care of everything. The increasing proportions of microbes (in most cases) will probably keep in balance and there will be an ample amount of food to go around with out us messing around. Sometimes when we are messing with with nature, we are just messing things up .

[The Helpful Gardener]

YUP!

That's a big yes...

Fish is a high nitorgen source that also seems to benefit fungal side, kelp is all about surface area for fungi to develop on and the mucilage, so a more fungal food...

HG

[gixxerific]

HG do you make compost tea? If you do what do/would you put in it. Straight compost? Would YOU add anything perhaps molasses or anything else at all?