OK, you guys have convinced me....I'm going with molasses. I'll pick up some blackstrap next time I'm at the store.
Is every day, or every other day, too often to apply tea? I'm only applying it undiluted to certain plants, right now, to see if there is any noticeable difference in the growth of those plants. Kind of an experiment.
I don't expect to see any signs of change, though, until after about a week or so.
Free honey? Man are you lucky!soil wrote:applestar maybe when its raw there are enzymes as well. but when diluted in something like an ACT brew. the sugars are fair game for the microbes.
but yea molasses is far better unless you get honey for free like I do every now and then.
Anyhow, I just cleaned everything.
Here's what I did:
I took the stone and dumped some hydrogen peroxide on the surface of it. Once dirt bubbled to the top of it, I wiped it off with a washcloth. After wiping it several times, I eventually put some H2O2 on the surface and set it in the sun to dry out completely.
With the bucket, I just put some peroxide on the cloth and wiped out the inside.
I originally was going to scrub out the stone, but for some reason, I just thought I may knock out some of the little particles that make up the stone, so I just wiped it off.
I plan on doing this after about every 2 brews...does it sound good?
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The Helpful Gardener
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I'm a simple man and I just keep a 1/2 dozen 5 gallon buckets with either a bait bag of seaweed, pretty fresh manure or compost in them. I let them lanquish in the summer heat for a few days and the water becomes as dark as my wifes heart. 
Sometimes I will just half fill a bucket with seaweed and after using 30 gallons of juice I top dress with the gelatinous remains. 
With the heat we have had I have a couple of buckets that are looking like a witch's caldron with bubbles and foam. Must be these downright scorching temps we have had. 
I'm just looking at a 55 gallon barrel I have that already has a spigot. I also have an old fountain pump and plenty of rinsed seaweed and other good stuff available. No free honey but I can pick up a gallon of sorgum(sp) at the feed store.
My plants looks great for the most part so enlighten a simpleton as to what benefits there would be for me. I also open to learn and utilize new stuff. I don't use a "lot" of fertilizer on my garden even though it is quick and easy I just move doo. I doo however use it of the Rhodies and smaller trees just cause its easy to open a bag of "natural" fetilizers with the NPK ratio I am looking for. 
What does "ACT" accomplish that would/does warrant it. I am NOT trying to stir the pot I am just genuinly confused.
Sometimes I will just half fill a bucket with seaweed and after using 30 gallons of juice I top dress with the gelatinous remains. With the heat we have had I have a couple of buckets that are looking like a witch's caldron with bubbles and foam. Must be these downright scorching temps we have had. I'm just looking at a 55 gallon barrel I have that already has a spigot. I also have an old fountain pump and plenty of rinsed seaweed and other good stuff available. No free honey but I can pick up a gallon of sorgum(sp) at the feed store.
My plants looks great for the most part so enlighten a simpleton as to what benefits there would be for me.
I also open to learn and utilize new stuff. I don't use a "lot" of fertilizer on my garden even though it is quick and easy I just move doo. I doo however use it of the Rhodies and smaller trees just cause its easy to open a bag of "natural" fetilizers with the NPK ratio I am looking for. What does "ACT" accomplish that would/does warrant it. I am NOT trying to stir the pot I am just genuinly confused.
I had read that thread prior to my last post apple but it is a LONG thread and I remain confused as to the overall merits. 
I guess I need to try something empirical to see if there are obvious benefits to be had.
Maybe I will put a couple of differing plants on either end of one of my raised nursery beds to see if I can discern any variations in growth and such.
Thanks for understanding I am not questioning those who already practice ACT but my stagnant, festering buckets have provided what I do consider a giant benefit and its oh so simple. I have seen nothing to indicate that ACT is anything but a great idea.
Sometimes its hard to understand why a plant does or does not do well so we have to go on impressions as well as anything else. TY Folks.
I guess I need to try something empirical to see if there are obvious benefits to be had.
Maybe I will put a couple of differing plants on either end of one of my raised nursery beds to see if I can discern any variations in growth and such.
Thanks for understanding I am not questioning those who already practice ACT but my stagnant, festering buckets have provided what I do consider a giant benefit and its oh so simple. I have seen nothing to indicate that ACT is anything but a great idea.
Sometimes its hard to understand why a plant does or does not do well so we have to go on impressions as well as anything else. TY Folks.
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applestar
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Planter, I know it's a long thread -- I toyed with the idea of putting 
at the end of my recommendation to read it. 
I think the key issue you might want to concentrate on as regards ACT vs. your current practice is that ACT is designed to promote GOOD bacteria, GOOD fungi, and other GOOD microbes.
This post by HG might shed some light: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=95754#95754
at the end of my recommendation to read it. I think the key issue you might want to concentrate on as regards ACT vs. your current practice is that ACT is designed to promote GOOD bacteria, GOOD fungi, and other GOOD microbes.
This post by HG might shed some light: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=95754#95754
Every brew.....got it!
What about my cleaning methodologies? I think my "wiping around" practices should work alright.
Is the tea no good if there is no froth? I can't seem to get any. It does seem to me, though, that I read somewhere that too many suds actually denotes something bad?
How do you know if the tea is good/bad anyway?
Oh, and good call to the mods for relocating the compost tea thread (I kind of always thought it was mis-located, myself.)
What about my cleaning methodologies? I think my "wiping around" practices should work alright.
Is the tea no good if there is no froth? I can't seem to get any. It does seem to me, though, that I read somewhere that too many suds actually denotes something bad?
How do you know if the tea is good/bad anyway?
Oh, and good call to the mods for relocating the compost tea thread (I kind of always thought it was mis-located, myself.)
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The Helpful Gardener
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G5, go back and read that thread that AS just posted; we went round and round on the foam thing in the ACT Thread. Not bad wiothout foam at all, but reread...
Planter, you are certainly getting biologies and nutrients in an anaerobic tea, but it is certainly a much better quality of biology with a MUCH reduced chance of pathogens (both plant and animal pathogens) in the ACT. You are also adding to the protist population in an aerobic tea; not so in the anaereobic. They are the first line of nitrogen release so very desirable in your soil and your tea...
HG
Planter, you are certainly getting biologies and nutrients in an anaerobic tea, but it is certainly a much better quality of biology with a MUCH reduced chance of pathogens (both plant and animal pathogens) in the ACT. You are also adding to the protist population in an aerobic tea; not so in the anaereobic. They are the first line of nitrogen release so very desirable in your soil and your tea...
HG