cdog222
Cool Member
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:52 pm
Location: Zone 6a, St Charles, MO

Using 'old' compost tea?

I started a batch last Tuesday morning with the intent of using it on Wednesday evening, but ran out of time before I had to go out of town for several days. I just left the bucket in the garage aerating with a small pump / aeration stone set up. So....upon my return, I checked the bucket, and it is definitely - ripe, we'll say :eek: Should I just dump it in the yard and start over, or can I add a little more compost and black strap molasses to the mix and let it do it's thing for another day or so? I hate to let good nutrients for the garden to go to waste - I'm probably waaaaay over thinking it, I just wasn't sure how bad the 'bad' critters are that likely have established themselves in place of the 'good' critters if that is indeed what happens.

For clarification, I started with a 5 gallon bucket of collected rain water, a smallish shovelful of compost, maybe a 1/4 cup of black strap molasses, and a little alfalfa meal I had handy. It was nice and foamy and smelled nice when I left - not so much when I got back!

Thanks all...

cdog222
Cool Member
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:52 pm
Location: Zone 6a, St Charles, MO

Since posting this, I realized it would probably be more appropriate in the 'composting' forum - duh!!!

Also, I came across a post from Applestar in a completely unrelated thread that I think answered my question, which is to use it anyway, but be courteous to those around that may be offended by the smell!

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Yep. By this time it would be highly bacterial, not much fungal survivors left probably, and would be more nitrogenous due to significant overall breakdown and cycling. But it shouldn't be a den of bad/anaerobic bacteria as long as your aerator pump was working all this time.

It wouldn't be as suitable for the "clean" and probiotic, health promoting uses like foliar spray treatments or specifically adding good/beneficial microbes to the soil foodweb. I definitely wouldn't use it to feed or as disease preventative for young seedlings or treat sick plants.

But well diluted, I would use it to feed older seedlings and plants (NOT indoor plants), and use to side dress in-ground heavy feeders and trees/shrubs by hoeing a shallow trench and covering with soil and mulch.

You could also use it to water and stoke a (slow) compost pile into greater activity. I think it would be equivalent to adding manure.



Return to “Organic Gardening Forum”