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Aerobic Composting: Benefits, Process, and Best Practices
Aerobic composting is a natural process that breaks down organic materials into nutrient-rich soil amendment or mulch through natural decomposition. It is an oxygen-dependent process that uses microorganisms that require air to break down organic matter into compost. The process expedites decomposition, without having to wait a year or more like you would for anaerobic composting. The optimal…
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Unveiling the Magic of Composting: From Waste to Nutrient-Rich Soil
Composting is a simple yet impactful way to reduce waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden. By harnessing the natural decomposition process, you can transform kitchen scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials into a valuable resource that enriches your soil and promotes plant growth. Whether you're an experienced gardener or just starting, composting is a sustainable practice that anyone can adopt. Let's delve into the world of composting and discover how to turn waste into treasure.
Getting Started with Composting
Starting your composting journey requires minimal effort and materials. Here's what you need:
Compost Bin: You can choose between a traditional outdoor compost bin, a worm bin (vermicomposting), or an indoor composting system. Select the option that suits your space and needs.
Organic Materials: Gather a mix of "green" and "brown" materials. Greens include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and plant trimmings. Browns encompass items like leaves, paper, and cardboard. Aim for a balance between the two for optimal composting.
Air and Water: Composting is aerobic, requiring oxygen to break down organic matter. Ensure proper aeration by turning the compost regularly. Additionally, maintain a moist but not soggy environment.
Creating Your Compost Pile
Follow these steps to create a thriving compost pile:
Choose a Location: Place your compost bin in a well-drained area with good air circulation. Avoid direct sunlight, as excessive heat can dry out the pile.
Build the Base: Begin with a layer of coarse materials like straw or small branches to promote airflow at the bottom of the bin.
Layering: Alternate between green and brown materials as you add them to the bin. This helps create a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, which is essential for efficient decomposition.
Maintain Moisture: Check the moisture level regularly and adjust as needed. The compost pile should feel like a damp sponge, neither too wet nor too dry.
Turning the Pile: Use a pitchfork or shovel to turn the compost every few weeks. This introduces oxygen, accelerates the breakdown process, and prevents unpleasant odors.
What to Compost and What to Avoid
Acceptable Materials:
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Coffee grounds and filters
Eggshells
Plant trimmings
Leaves and grass clippings
Paper (shredded)
Cardboard (cut into small pieces)
Nutshells
Avoid These Materials:
Meat and dairy products (can attract pests)
Oily or fatty foods
Diseased plants
Weeds with mature seeds
Pet waste
Glossy paper or colored inks
Synthetic materials
Troubleshooting Common Composting Issues
1. Foul Odors: If your compost pile smells bad, it might be too wet or have insufficient aeration. Add dry brown materials and turn the bank to improve airflow.
2. Slow Decomposition: If your compost takes longer than expected to break down, adjust the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio by adding more greens or browns as needed.
3. Pests: To deter pests like flies and rodents, bury food scraps under a layer of brown materials and avoid adding meat or dairy products.
Using Your Finished Compost
After several months of composting, your pile will transform into dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling compost – a nutrient-rich soil amendment ready for your garden. Here's how to make the most of your compost:
Soil Enrichment: Mix the compost into your garden soil to improve its structure, drainage, and nutrient content. This enhances plant growth and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Mulching: Apply a layer of compost around the base of plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.
Potting Mix: Create a custom mix by blending compost with other growing media. This provides essential nutrients and encourages strong root development in potted plants.
Compost Tea: Steep compost in water to create nutrient-rich compost tea. Use this solution to water plants and promote healthy foliage.
Embrace the Art of Composting
Composting is a rewarding journey that empowers you to participate in waste reduction and sustainable gardening practices. By diverting organic materials from landfills and turning them into valuable resources, you contribute to a healthier environment and more vibrant gardens. With a few simple steps, anyone can become a composting enthusiast, turning waste into nutrient-rich soil that nurtures plants and the planet. So, roll up your sleeves, gather your materials, and start composting today – your garden will thank you for it!
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Compost Tea Percolator
A way to make Comfrey or Nettle tea without the smell.
Comfrey and Nettle compost teas are renowned for their high levels of nutrients and their ability to give any plant a boost.
The traditional way of making compost teas from these plants usually involves placing a goodly portion of the leaves and stems into a bucket of water, covering, then leaving the mix for up to a couple of months.
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basic composting guide for a beginner
composting is basically just using aerobic decomposition to break down ur kitchen scraps that would’ve ended up in a landfill. in the landfill, they’ll engage in anaerobic decomposition, which produces methane & contributes to climate change
even if u dont garden, u can still start a compost bin. it prevents the methane produced from the landfill & aids in the carbon cycle to cut down greenhouse gases even further
here’s a basic guide on how to start
research
obviously, i recommend doing ur own research first to figure out what works for u. u can skim this guide to get the gist of what u need to do, but do at least a lil research on composting so u know a bit more abt what ur doing & why ur doing it. this guide is mostly to get a good idea of it all so that ur not walking in blind
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start w a container
the main thing to decide is if it’s going to be kept indoors or outdoors. if ur casual & dont expect a large yield, i would recommend a small indoor compost bin. if u want to use it for gardening and/or want a larger quantity, i would recommend an outdoor bin.
there are thousands of different ones u can diy. there are also thousands of different ones u can buy. it just depends on what fits ur lifestyle best. u can even just throw all ur materials in a big pile in ur yard container-less, but for a beginner, i’d start w a container of some sort for better temperature/humidity control
personally, i just took a big ol’ $10 plastic bin from walmart, drilled holes in the sides & tops to promote aeration, & tossed it in a fairly sunny part of the yard.
for those who want/need a small one, i know u can also buy mini compost bins that fit on ur kitchen counter & reduce the smell
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start scrappin’
this is the part that confused me when i started out: carbon (brown) vs nitrogen (green) materials. when u add viable materials to ur compost bin, it will either produce carbon or nitrogen.
carbon materials, also known as brown materials, provide energy for the microorganisms that are breaking the actual scraps down. good brown materials to add to a compost bin are dry dead leaves, cardboard, paper towels that were used to wipe up food/beverages, wood shavings/bark/twigs, crushed up eggshells, un-inked paper, pine needles, etc.
nitrogen materials, also known as green materials, are the materials that u probably first think of when u think of composting. they’re the scraps that are being broken down into nutrients, like fruit/vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, tea bags, etc.
u want the ratio of carbon to nitrogen to be anywhere from 20:1 to 30:1. u would rather want the microorganisms to have more energy, than to have more scraps than the microorganisms can break down. plus if u have too much nitrogen in ur compost, it will break down too fast & end up degrading the compost & making it harmful to plants
last but not least, things to not compost include meat, dairy, greasy pizza boxes, pet droppings, diseased plants, & grease or oil.
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get it movin & groovin
throughout the composting process, u should turn over ur compost pile to fully aerate it & allow aerobic processes to restart so that it all breaks down faster. otherwise, everything on the bottom would be fully decomposed but then everything on top would barely be broken down.
typically, a compost bin should be turned every week or 2.
if u turn it too often, it won’t properly break everything down & actually end up taking longer because it didn’t have the time to fully carry out the aerobic process. if u don’t turn it often, that’s fine, but the pile will take much longer to fully decompose & won’t evenly break down (stuff on the bottom would be fully broken down & stuff on top would not be broken down at all)
other than that, u leave it to sit & just make sure that it stays moist by adding a little water every time u turn it. a properly-functioning compost bin should produce heat so if the bin starts to feel cooler, i would recommend turning it to get the processes a-goin’ again.
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add worms! get funky w it!
using worms for composting is called vermicomposting and it’s actually not really any harder than normal composting.
one of the best kinds of worms u can add are redworms (also known as red wigglers) and they can conveniently be found in the fishing section of walmart for just a couple bucks!
u buy at least 10 worms & toss ‘em in the bin. they’ll sustain themselves off the scraps u add & their castings will add even more nutrients. if the conditions are right, they’ll even reproduce & create a lil worm farm in ur bin. u just have to be a bit more careful abt keeping ur bin humid without drowning them & maintaining the ideal temperature.
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again, RESEARCH
even when u think u know everything abt composting, you’ll find there’s so much more to it. learn abt more stuff that can be composted (u would be surprised by half the stuff u can compost!). learn abt how 24% of the earths soil is degraded & how composting helps control soil degradation & erosion. learn more abt other ways to help the earth. there’s ALWAYS more to learn.
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What is Bokashi Composting?
Bokashi is an anaerobic process that uses EM (effective microorganisms) to ferment food scraps and turn them into ready-to-use garden fertilizer. The EM helps break down the kitchen wastes and prevents them from rotting and stinking. Bokashi differs from traditional composting in that it is a fermentation process and not a decomposition process. The beauty of Bokashi is that it can be done right in your kitchen and doesn’t require a big pile of yard scraps in a compost bin outdoors.
How bokashi composting works
The traditional composting process requires air, water, moisture, and regular stirring to speed decomposition (along with help from aerobic bacteria). In contrast, the Bokashi process only uses “bokashi bran” and an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment to ferment materials. Bokashi bran is developed from EM and rice or wheat bran mix. When added to food scraps, the fermentation creates a liquid fertilizer and pre-compost materials in just 2-4 weeks.
The Bokashi process is pretty simple: Mix bokashi bran with layers of food scraps and store it in an airtight bokashi bin for around 14 days. Every other day, drain off the leachate, aka “bokashi tea“, from the bokashi bucket to use as liquid fertilizer. By the end of 2 weeks, you’ll have a “pre-compost” fermented mixture that can be used as fertilizer for your garden or added to the compost pile to speed decomposition.
Materials needed for bokashi composting
Bokashi composting only requires a few materials and you can make it right in your kitchen.
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Compost teas
Compost tea brewer in action
Compost teas are easy to make and simple to apply. They are really just a brew of nutritious organic materials that are diluted and either sprayed as foliar sprays or added to the soil at the root zone.
To make them extra potent, a Compost Tea Brewercan continuously mix the ingredients by bubbling air through the solution. This also gives a boost to the beneficial…
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Hydroponic Growing of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Using Bioorganic Liquid Fertilizer from Groundnut Husk and Onion Bulbs
Abstract
Bioorganic liquid fertilizer not only increases bioorganic fertility of crops (in comparison to the control and prototype fertilizer), but also accelerates their maturation and nutrient quality. Thus, the present study was aimed to produce bioorganic liquid fertilizer from groundnut husk and onion bulbs through aerobic fermentation in open containers. The result indicated that bioorganic liquid fertilizer solution from groundnut husk and banana peels through aerobic fermentation in open containers. Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) were found to be significant between bioorganic liquid fertilizer and compost tea (used as a control) solution. The quality of bioorganic liquid fertilizer solution produced in the present study was indicated that all measured parameters including PH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Carbon(C), Nitrogen (N), and C:N ratio was found to be significant between compost tea and bioorganic fertilizer solutions. The performance of lettuce irrigated with bioorganic fertilizer solution in both soil and hydroponic medium (sawdust) was performing better than compost tea solution. It was found that most of the measured parameters including above ground biomass per plant (BMW), Days to Maturity (DM), and Head Weight Per Plant (HWP) were found to be significant, between compost tea and bioorganic fertilizer solutions, for all soil grown lettuce and hydroponic growth using sawdust. However, there was no significance difference observed for Number of Leaves per Plant (NLP). Further evaluation of fertilizer should have to be done by conducting field experiments for various crop plants.
Read more about this article: https://lupinepublishers.com/biotechnology-microbiology/fulltext/hydroponic-growing-of-lettuce-(lactuca-sativa-l)-using-bioorganic-liquid-fertilizer.ID.000128.php
Read more Lupine publishers Goggle Scholar Articles: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=X4tPijcAAAAJ&cstart=20&pagesize=80&citation_for_view=X4tPijcAAAAJ:70eg2SAEIzsC
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How To Make Simple Compost Tea
Compost tea is traditional compost steeped in water, to create an extract for use as a soil drench or foliar feed. The brew packs a nutritional powerhouse for soil, roots, and leaves, introducing healthy fungal colonies (think of how probiotics benefit the digestive system) and beneficial bacteria to cannabis plants.
Some of the benefits of compost tea
The brew packs a nutritional powerhouse for soil, roots, and leaves, introducing healthy fungal colonies (think of how probiotics benefit the digestive system) and beneficial bacteria to cannabis plants. The results are a boost in plant growth and protection from disease. Farmers have used compost tea for generations as a cheap and effective means of adding nutrients to plants; however, the cannabis community only woke up to compost tea’s potential within the last decade or so.Though not all growers agree on whether compost tea is any more effective than ordinary compost, some cultivators have pinpointed these potential benefits:- Reducing the presence of weeds and pests, which consequently helps cannabis plants fend off diseases such as blight. Compost tea may shield marijuana from pathogens that could harm or even kill the plant. - Infusing the cannabis plant with a strong dose of nutrients, which can potentially increase plant size due to a strengthened immune system from a diversity of trace minerals. - Eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers that ultimately harm the soil and the environment when contaminated water leads to runoff and seeps into public water supplies. With compost tea, you are creating something 100% organic, which facilitates a thriving and self-sustaining ecosystem. - Maximizing water retention in the soil, meaning less wasted water. - Improving the overall health of the plant with a beneficial cocktail of fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes of multiple species.
How long does it take to brew compost tea?
It only takes about 24-36 hours to make either kind of compost tea noted above. Any longer than that and your concoction will be in danger of collecting some not-so-friendly bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. The microbes within will use up all the oxygen, which creates anaerobic conditions and increases the likelihood that bacteria, viruses, and molds will thrive.
What is aerated compost tea?
Aerated compost tea, also known as aerobic compost tea or actively aerated compost tea is exactly what it sounds like: regular compost tea that is mixed with a lot more oxygen. The theory is that if microbes use up oxygen quickly, which begins to create anaerobic conditions, then aerating the compost will produce larger populations of good organisms faster and prevent the bad ones. This is done by using an aerating pump like the ones used in fish tanks to create a bubbling action in the liquid.
What other types of compost teas are there?
- Plant tea: Instead of soaking compost, a plant that has nutritious properties is soaked in water to extract those nutrients. The most common plants used are comfrey and nettle, which can add valuable nutrients like phosphorus and potassium to the soil. - Manure tea: This is a very common fertilizer used by farmers, which is a mixture of various aged manures soaked in water. It’s not really the best home project as it becomes very stinky. - Commercial microbial tea: Just add water! These instant tea mixes are usually designed to combat specific plant issues, but proponents of homemade compost tea believe that they do not have enough microbes to be worthwhile. However, they are technically much safer because they are free from bad bacteria. - Compost leachate: There is a fine line between compost leachate and regular compost tea because both require compost to sit in water. However, leachate is created when water leaches through vermicompost (worm compost) or your compost bin and out the bottom. Because it’s not fermented, it is considered to be only valuable for the nutrients it contains, rather than the living microbes. The Green Cone, a solar waste digester, is one such composter effective at creating nutrient-rich leachate for surrounding plants.How do you make compost tea to enhance your cannabis harvest? Here is an easy compost tea recipe, complete with all the necessary steps and ingredients.
What is the best compost tea recipe?
To whip up the best compost tea to strengthen your cannabis plants and make them more resilient, you'll need five main ingredients:- Compost: The first and most important ingredient is composted with a rich biome of nutrients and microorganisms. The more developed the compost's fungal colonies, the stronger the compost tea will be. Organic compost from local sources provides the best foundation for this recipe. - Kelp: This sea ingredient feeds the fungal colonies and aids in development, ultimately activating the potency of compost tea. - Molasses: More commonly used as an ingredient in baking, molasses feeds the helpful bacteria, encouraging them to proliferate and maximize the benefits of compost tea. For an extra infusion of potency, try blackstrap molasses, which is saltier and more bitter than the ordinary kind, making it better for brewing compost. - Worm Castings: Though not the most appetizing ingredient, worm castings are dense in easily absorbed nutrients and introduce a host of microorganisms to the tea. - Fish Hydrolysate: Like kelp, fish hydrolysate feeds fungi, but it also contains nitrogen and chitin, the latter of which serves as an immune booster to marijuana plants.Once you've gathered these ingredients, you'll need a few supplies before the tea brewing begins.
Building a DIY Compost Tea Brewer
For the simplest kind of compost tea brewing, all you need is: - A 5-gallon bucket - Porous fabric, such as a nylon stocking or porous cloth for filtering the compost - Enough non-chlorinated water to fill the bucket - A sprayer or plastic watering can For aerated compost tea, you will need everything above, plus: - An air pump - An airstone (aquarium bubbler)You can make your own non-chlorinated water by collecting some rainwater or simply letting tap water sit for 24 hours. Fill up the bucket, and when it’s ready you can add the inoculant.Many people dump the compost straight into the bucket and then just strain it through a burlap bag to separate the tea from the solids. However, it’s easier and very little work to put the ingredients into a nylon stocking or porous cloth tied into a bag. Make sure you have a rope or long end to pull it up so you don’t have to put your hand in the tea. If you are using an air pump, drop in the airstone and fire up the air pump.Now, let it sit for about 24 hours. Too much longer than that and bad bacteria will start to take over. In fact, if it starts to stink then you’ve gone too far and it needs to be thrown out. Once you’re ready to use it, your tea needs to be used within four hours so that the active microorganisms won’t start to die.
Steps to making compost tea
The three steps to making compost tea are straightforward:- Build the brewer: Place the aquarium bubbler in the bottom of the bucket and use plastic tubing to attach it to the air pump outside the bucket. Fill the bucket with non-chlorinated water. - Fill the teabag (aka the mesh bag): Remove any worms from the compost before you proceed with this step. Then, pour the tea ingredients into the mesh bag. - Brew the tea: Carve out at least a 24-hour period to let the pump run continuously and brew the tea. Be prepared to apply the compost tea to the soil as soon as possible, preferably within 36 hours of adding the bag to the brewer.There is an optional fourth step. You can supplement the compost tea with items in addition to the kelp, molasses, and castings. Try a biologically active product such as Actinovate along with supplemental food for fungi and bacteria, if desired.Once the compost tea has brewed, apply it to the soil. You can also spray some of the mixtures onto the leaves for a more thorough treatment. This usage varies from plain compost, which is applied only to the soil and doesn't directly reach every part of the plant. Foliar spraying is one benefit of compost tea, offering a more well-rounded treatment than might otherwise be possible.Club Cannabliss Newsletter Be inspired by the unconventional wisdom of our peers and experts as they help us get to a higher state of consciousness.Sign-in and edit your profile. Not yet a Member? Register and claim your spot among the anointed ones! Looking for the Shop?
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How Organic Waste Is Turned into Compost
Organic waste contains plant elements that are discarded and treated as waste because they are biodegradable. Biodegradable waste comprises organic materials that microbes and other living things may break down into carbon dioxide, water, methane, or simple organic molecules by composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, or other similar processes.
Organic wastes include eggshells, fruits and vegetables, flowers and plants, rice and beans, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, bones, paper products, milk cartons, tea bags, coffee grounds, and tea/coffee filters gardening waste, and so on. These wastes may be turned into compost, fertilizers, soil, and energy or fuel, among other things.
What Is Compost
The organic substance that decomposes during the composting of food waste is known as compost. Various forms of organic materials, also called waste products, are recycled in the composting process, after which the soil conditioner or compost is created.
Compost is nutrient-dense. It may be utilized in gardening, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture, organic farming, and other applications. Compost may also help with erosion management, land and stream restoration, wetland building, and landfill covers, among other things.
Process Of Conversion
Composting is nature’s way of recycling. Decomposing organic waste such as food waste, manure, leaves, grass trimmings, paper, wood, feathers, crop residue, and other organic waste produces valuable organic fertilizer. It is a natural biological process that takes place under-regulated aerobic circumstances. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungus play a critical part in this process by breaking down organic materials into simpler molecules.
The efficiency of the composting process is determined by the environmental variables present in the composting system, such as oxygen, temperature, moisture, material disturbance, organic matter, and microbial population size and activity. Composting is not a complicated or strange process. Natural recycling occurs continually in the natural world.
The following are the four critical components of the composting process:
Organic Matter:
Plant materials and some animal manures make up the majority of organic matter. The organic materials utilized in the composting process should be a combination of brown organic materials like dead leaves, twigs, manure, and other carbon-rich materials, as well as green organic materials like grass clippings, fruit rinds, and other nitrogen-rich materials. The ideal material ratio is 1 part green to 1 part brown. By shredding, slicing, or cutting these materials into smaller bits, you’ll be able to speed up the composting process.
Moisture:
Moisture is also essential for the composting process to work correctly. The moisture content of a wrung-out sponge should be similar to that of compost. If the compost pile is excessively dry, the process of composting slows down. If a considerable amount of brown organic material is utilized, water should be added at intervals. The pile of materials should be rotated and stirred well during times, even if it is excessively moist. It’s also possible to add extra dry brown materials
Oxygen:
Oxygen is required for the breakdown of plant material by bacteria in the composting process. To provide oxygen to the compost pile, it must be rotated and stirred to bring items near the pile’s edges to the center. Turning the pile is critical for finishing the composting process and reducing odor. We should wait at least two weeks before rotating the compost pile during this phase to allow the pile’s core to “heat up” and degrade. The components have begun to decompose once the pile has cooled in the center. When the pile is rotated often, the composting process speeds.
Bacteria:
Bacteria and other microbes are necessary and active participants in the composting process. The previously existent bacteria help break down plant waste into usable compost for the garden by providing organic materials, water, and oxygen. The bacteria emit heat as they break down the materials concentrated in the compost pile’s core. To speed up the composting process, more layers of soil or completed compost might be added.
Waste Composting Machines:
An Organic Waste Composting Machine is a technology used to process and recycle solid and liquid waste. This Converter machine is a self-contained system that can carry out the following tasks. Pasteurization of organic waste composting, sterilization of pathogenic or biohazard waste, and grinding and pulverization into unidentifiable output are all part of this process. This technology has found applications in several waste-producing industrial areas due to the vast range of functions offered on these machines.
These compost machines are an environmentally beneficial alternative to incineration, plasma arc, and landfill dumping, among other traditional waste disposal methods. Using these machines to convert materials into compost has a low carbon footprint and eliminates harmful emissions into the atmosphere. It yields a valuable end product, such as biofuel, soil compost, or building products. Waste composting machines face indirect competition because there are several waste disposals options accessible on the market.
Final words
Smart Enviro Systems aims to be the global leader in providing scientific and practical solutions for organic waste treatment. We offer complete help for treating organic waste and converting it to compost, a valuable agricultural resource. It’s not a good idea to throw trash away. We’ve committed to converting waste into a resource.
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Black Soldier Fly Larvae.
A native and beneficial insect, the Black Soldier Fly larvae consume 100% of our kitchen waste. They convert it into rich compost and protein/fat. They are an amazing and altruistic biological nano-tech!
The fly (Hermetia _illucens) is not a pest to humans. They are not attracted to human habitation but are instead attracted to rotting food or manure. Their lifespan is short (roughly a week), and they do not bite or sting. They are among the most efficient animals at converting waste into rich compost.
Physical description from Wikipedia:
Hermetia illucens is a mimic fly, very close in size, color, and appearance to the organ pipe mud dauber wasp and its relatives. The mimicry of this particular kind of wasp is especially enhanced in that the fly’s antennae are elongated and wasp-like, the fly’s hind tarsi are pale, as are the wasp’s, and the fly has two small transparent “windows” in the basal abdominal segments that make the fly appear to have a narrow “wasp waist”.[4]
In regions where the BSF is native, it is a much more efficient and simpler means of composting organic waste. In traditional thermophilic composting, it is critical to establish a proper Carbon to Nitrogen ratio, moisture level, and aerobic environment. This system also doesn’t work well with meat, dairy, oils, etc. And it takes months to compost what the BSF larvae can do in weeks.
In contrast, the BSF colony will accept any form of organic waste and dispose of it efficiently. Carrion is also a welcome feedstock. We have tossed dead toads, birds, and rodents into the bin, and the larvae have devoured them and converted them to beneficial waste in hours. Meat, dairy, and leftover food are also perfectly fine to toss into the bin. They also love coffee grounds.
The larvae reduce much of the bacteria in decomposing waste, and as a result, there is little odor. The flies also inhibit the presence of standard houseflies:
Black soldier fly larvae are a competitor to housefly larvae (Musca domestica), as they make manure more liquid and thus less suitable for housefly larvae. Their presence is also believed to inhibit ovipositing by the housefly. For instance, they have been shown to reduce the housefly population of pig or poultry manure by 94-100%. As a result, they can help to control housefly populations in livestock farms and in households with poor sanitation, thereby improving the health status of animals and people since the housefly is a major vector of disease (Sheppard et al., 1994; Newton et al., 2005).
We use a BioPod to attract the flies and raise and harvest the larvae. There are also DIY methods. The container must be covered but not sealed so tightly that the flies cannot enter. And the larvae do not like light. The BioPod has narrow ramps for the larvae to climb, and they self-harvest by dropping into the drawer on the front of the enclosure. There is also a hose on the rear of the pod for draining liquified compost (tea).
The flies prefer warm temperatures, and we find them starting in May and lasting until November. They can be raised indoors in colder climates, but it is a much more involved process. We simply throw food into the pod, and that’s it. The flies will lay eggs in a compost roller (we currently have larvae in ours), but there is not a means to self-harvest the larvae.
Below you can see a fly in the back of the BioPod looking for a good place to oviposit.
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A handful of mature larvae (chicken crack).
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The drawer of the BioPod where the larvae self-harvest.
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Our chickens having a feast.
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Project: Indoor Compost
Size: 10 gallon container (2 person household) should be enough to hold more than the amount of food scraps our household produces in a week
Container: Either plastic tub or personal compost unit such as
Location: Kitchen
Method: Aerobic
Compost Ratio
Three parts brown matter (carbon: shredded newspaper, torn cardboard or dead leaves)
One part green matter (nitrogen, food waste + plant clippings)
Start with 3/4 dampened brown matter, gently hand-toss and sprinkle cup of garden soil over top.
How to Compost:
Use a trowel to bury the day’s organic waste in the soil layer, then place the lid on bin.
Rotate compost 1x per week with a fork to aerate.
Always chop up food scraps, and keep extra newspaper scraps and water nearby to keep it moist and to cover food scraps as needed.
How long will it take?
Anywhere from 2-4 months for the contents to fully turn to soil-like compost. Once it is fully soil, remove and use the compost and start over with fresh newspaper scraps and soil.
What Food Waste is Safe for Compost?
Green matter such as raw fruits and vegetables, houseplants, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and tea leaves can all be composted.
Brown matter such as nut shells, pulverized egg shells, coffee filters, tea bags, dead leaves, small twigs, hay, straw, wood chips, cardboard, newspaper, and cotton rags can be composted.
What should I avoid putting in my compost?
Never place cooked food, dairy products, meat, fish bones, or fat in your compost bin, as these substances can lure pests.
Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/indoor-composting/
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How to ferment cake fertilizer to produce organic fertilizer
1. Comminution pretreatment In the production of organic fertilizer, fermented soybean cake, rapeseed cake, sesame cake, cottonseed cake, peanut cake, Tung seed cake, tea seed cake, etc. are crushed into cake residue. The purpose of crushing is to reduce the working particle size during composting, reduce the wear degree of the machine and speed up the fermentation. Fermentation bacteria are often added in the fermentation, so that the contact area of fermentation bacteria and cake fertilizer can be reduced, the fermentation process can be accelerated, and the problems of uneven fermentation and long cycle can be avoided. The semi wet material crusher can be used here, and the materials with humidity less than 50% can be crushed, which has a wide range of application. Organic fertilizer crushing equipment: semi wet material crusher, suitable for dead branches and rotten leaves, straw, sludge, biogas residue, chemical fertilizer, etc.
2. Treatment of fermentation by turning over Workshop requirements: there is a canopy to prevent rain. This is because leaching will lead to the loss of organic fertilizer nitrogen and other elements. At the same time, it can also prevent scattering with the wind and expand pollution sources to a certain extent. Composting of fertilizer production machine is to promote aerobic fermentation and avoid anaerobic fermentation, which does not meet the requirements of national environmental protection. Because the water content in the compost is not small, the microorganisms that play the role of decomposition in the fermentation process are saprophytic organisms, which need higher water to maintain activity, so warm water should be added into the material pile in the process of composting. The fermentation stage is divided into three stages: low temperature, high temperature and medium temperature. The low temperature stage is the beginning stage of fermentation, which indicates that the material begins to decompose and the fermentation begins. At this time, there is no need to turn the pile. When the temperature reaches above 45 ℃ and the temperature rises rapidly, the pile will be turned over in the fertilizer production line. The fermentation temperature in the reactor is controlled between 40 ℃ and 60 ℃, which is called high temperature stage. After 2-3 days of pile turning, the appearance of the pile should be maintained. In the middle temperature stage, the fermentation entered the late stage, and the decomposition reaction decreased slowly, so the temperature also decreased slowly. At this time, the work of turning over the pile is stopped, and it will take about a week to rot. After that, it can be used as topdressing for fertilization and other work. If you want to keep it for a period of time, you need to dry it.
If you are an organic manure production manufacturer, you can use the organic fertilizer production line to further treat these Cake Fertilizers. Powdery fertilizer is generally only suitable for short-term use and the use of surrounding farmers. If you want to keep it for a long time or transport it for a long distance, you can make it into granular organic fertilizer and package it.
#fertilizer production line#production of organic fertilizer#fertilizer production machine#organic manure production
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New Post has been published on Vivan Life Sciences
New Post has been published on https://www.blog.vivanls.com/simple-ways-to-segregate-waste-at-home-office/
Simple Ways to Segregate Waste at Home & Office !
By 2050, India will need a landfill that’s the size of Delhi to dump all its waste. We need to act now. #CleanIndia Waste segregation refers to the separation of dry and wet garbage, which paves the way for other concepts of waste management like composting, recycling and incineration. Its end goal is to reduce waste from landfills and eventually, prevent land, water and air pollution. Here are 4 Ways To Segregate Waste in Apartments
1) Wet/Kitchen Waste This comprises of items like fruit peels, leftovers, vegetable skins, uncooked food, coffee or tea powder, and garden waste like leaves and twigs. Maintain a drum, container or a bin to deposit such waste, so that it can be converted into rich organic compost. You can choose your composting process. Examples include vermicomposting, aerobic and anaerobic composting. 2) Dry waste Dry waste is divided into recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Items like used paper towels, hazardous chemical or food containers, foam materials, and dishware are some examples of dry waste that cannot be recycled or reused. Dry recyclable waste includes pet bottles, plastic carry bags, newspapers, glass bottles, shoes, plastic cutlery, tires, cardboard, and so on. 3) Sanitary Waste Diapers (adults and babies), synthetic sanitary napkins, hygiene-related products, condoms, tampons, soiled napkins are classified as sanitary waste. Medical waste consists of linens, bedding, items contaminated with blood or body fluids, soiled plaster casts and other types of dressing. 4) E-waste There are three types of electronic waste you must be aware of:
Bulky: Fridge, microwave or anything is that is difficult to carry around.
Hazardous: Tubelights, light bulbs, toner cartridges, batteries, monitors and screens. Anything with a chemical component.
Non-hazardous: Cables, chargers, microwaves, gadgets like laptops and phones. Collect all the e-waste in a container, and you can follow a weekly, monthly or yearly disposal process.
How to Segregate Waste At Work
Most of the offices follow a two-bin system—one for recyclable waste and one for wet garbage. But just like your home, the more you segregate, the better the waste management. Here are four bins that every office should have:
A bin for wet waste like leftover food, vegetable or fruit peels, tea bags, etc. in the canteen or cafeteria. If the volume of wet waste is vast, an office can also follow on-site composting.
Dry waste should be further divided into plastic, metal, glass and paper. Send each type of garbage every week to recycling centres or services.
Electronic waste like CDs, pen drives, bulbs, tube-lights, computer systems, electric cables, keyboards, batteries, motherboards etc. should be collected by the office and transported to e-waste collection centres.
Bins should be placed in bathrooms for sanitary waste like pads. Some offices even install incinerators to treat it at the source.
“Before establishing infrastructure or facilities for waste segregation, a behaviour change is critical for its effective implementation. It is the responsibility of the government and people who are aware of segregation to educate others. Once segregation becomes a way of life, we can avert the biggest of the garbage crisis,” states Shefali Dudhbade, an environmental activist and founding member of Nagpur-based Swachh Association. Reference: The Better India
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How To Make Simple Compost Tea
Compost tea is traditional compost steeped in water, to create an extract for use as a soil drench or foliar feed. The brew packs a nutritional powerhouse for soil, roots, and leaves, introducing healthy fungal colonies (think of how probiotics benefit the digestive system) and beneficial bacteria to cannabis plants.
Some of the benefits of compost tea
The brew packs a nutritional powerhouse for soil, roots, and leaves, introducing healthy fungal colonies (think of how probiotics benefit the digestive system) and beneficial bacteria to cannabis plants. The results are a boost in plant growth and protection from disease. Farmers have used compost tea for generations as a cheap and effective means of adding nutrients to plants; however, the cannabis community only woke up to compost tea’s potential within the last decade or so.Though not all growers agree on whether compost tea is any more effective than ordinary compost, some cultivators have pinpointed these potential benefits:- Reducing the presence of weeds and pests, which consequently helps cannabis plants fend off diseases such as blight. Compost tea may shield marijuana from pathogens that could harm or even kill the plant. - Infusing the cannabis plant with a strong dose of nutrients, which can potentially increase plant size due to a strengthened immune system from a diversity of trace minerals. - Eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers that ultimately harm the soil and the environment when contaminated water leads to runoff and seeps into public water supplies. With compost tea, you are creating something 100% organic, which facilitates a thriving and self-sustaining ecosystem. - Maximizing water retention in the soil, meaning less wasted water. - Improving the overall health of the plant with a beneficial cocktail of fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes of multiple species.
How long does it take to brew compost tea?
It only takes about 24-36 hours to make either kind of compost tea noted above. Any longer than that and your concoction will be in danger of collecting some not-so-friendly bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. The microbes within will use up all the oxygen, which creates anaerobic conditions and increases the likelihood that bacteria, viruses, and molds will thrive.
What is aerated compost tea?
Aerated compost tea, also known as aerobic compost tea or actively aerated compost tea is exactly what it sounds like: regular compost tea that is mixed with a lot more oxygen. The theory is that if microbes use up oxygen quickly, which begins to create anaerobic conditions, then aerating the compost will produce larger populations of good organisms faster and prevent the bad ones. This is done by using an aerating pump like the ones used in fish tanks to create a bubbling action in the liquid.
What other types of compost teas are there?
- Plant tea: Instead of soaking compost, a plant that has nutritious properties is soaked in water to extract those nutrients. The most common plants used are comfrey and nettle, which can add valuable nutrients like phosphorus and potassium to the soil. - Manure tea: This is a very common fertilizer used by farmers, which is a mixture of various aged manures soaked in water. It’s not really the best home project as it becomes very stinky. - Commercial microbial tea: Just add water! These instant tea mixes are usually designed to combat specific plant issues, but proponents of homemade compost tea believe that they do not have enough microbes to be worthwhile. However, they are technically much safer because they are free from bad bacteria. - Compost leachate: There is a fine line between compost leachate and regular compost tea because both require compost to sit in water. However, leachate is created when water leaches through vermicompost (worm compost) or your compost bin and out the bottom. Because it’s not fermented, it is considered to be only valuable for the nutrients it contains, rather than the living microbes. The Green Cone, a solar waste digester, is one such composter effective at creating nutrient-rich leachate for surrounding plants.How do you make compost tea to enhance your cannabis harvest? Here is an easy compost tea recipe, complete with all the necessary steps and ingredients.
What is the best compost tea recipe?
To whip up the best compost tea to strengthen your cannabis plants and make them more resilient, you'll need five main ingredients:- Compost: The first and most important ingredient is composted with a rich biome of nutrients and microorganisms. The more developed the compost's fungal colonies, the stronger the compost tea will be. Organic compost from local sources provides the best foundation for this recipe. - Kelp: This sea ingredient feeds the fungal colonies and aids in development, ultimately activating the potency of compost tea. - Molasses: More commonly used as an ingredient in baking, molasses feeds the helpful bacteria, encouraging them to proliferate and maximize the benefits of compost tea. For an extra infusion of potency, try blackstrap molasses, which is saltier and more bitter than the ordinary kind, making it better for brewing compost. - Worm Castings: Though not the most appetizing ingredient, worm castings are dense in easily absorbed nutrients and introduce a host of microorganisms to the tea. - Fish Hydrolysate: Like kelp, fish hydrolysate feeds fungi, but it also contains nitrogen and chitin, the latter of which serves as an immune booster to marijuana plants.Once you've gathered these ingredients, you'll need a few supplies before the tea brewing begins.
Building a DIY Compost Tea Brewer
For the simplest kind of compost tea brewing, all you need is: - A 5-gallon bucket - Porous fabric, such as a nylon stocking or porous cloth for filtering the compost - Enough non-chlorinated water to fill the bucket - A sprayer or plastic watering can For aerated compost tea, you will need everything above, plus: - An air pump - An airstone (aquarium bubbler)You can make your own non-chlorinated water by collecting some rainwater or simply letting tap water sit for 24 hours. Fill up the bucket, and when it’s ready you can add the inoculant.Many people dump the compost straight into the bucket and then just strain it through a burlap bag to separate the tea from the solids. However, it’s easier and very little work to put the ingredients into a nylon stocking or porous cloth tied into a bag. Make sure you have a rope or long end to pull it up so you don’t have to put your hand in the tea. If you are using an air pump, drop in the airstone and fire up the air pump.Now, let it sit for about 24 hours. Too much longer than that and bad bacteria will start to take over. In fact, if it starts to stink then you’ve gone too far and it needs to be thrown out. Once you’re ready to use it, your tea needs to be used within four hours so that the active microorganisms won’t start to die.
Steps to making compost tea
The three steps to making compost tea are straightforward:- Build the brewer: Place the aquarium bubbler in the bottom of the bucket and use plastic tubing to attach it to the air pump outside the bucket. Fill the bucket with non-chlorinated water. - Fill the teabag (aka the mesh bag): Remove any worms from the compost before you proceed with this step. Then, pour the tea ingredients into the mesh bag. - Brew the tea: Carve out at least a 24-hour period to let the pump run continuously and brew the tea. Be prepared to apply the compost tea to the soil as soon as possible, preferably within 36 hours of adding the bag to the brewer.There is an optional fourth step. You can supplement the compost tea with items in addition to the kelp, molasses, and castings. Try a biologically active product such as Actinovate along with supplemental food for fungi and bacteria, if desired.Once the compost tea has brewed, apply it to the soil. You can also spray some of the mixtures onto the leaves for a more thorough treatment. This usage varies from plain compost, which is applied only to the soil and doesn't directly reach every part of the plant. Foliar spraying is one benefit of compost tea, offering a more well-rounded treatment than might otherwise be possible.Club Cannabliss Newsletter Be inspired by the unconventional wisdom of our peers and experts as they help us get to a higher state of consciousness.Sign-in and edit your profile. Not yet a Member? Register and claim your spot among the anointed ones! Looking for the Shop?
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Getting fit in the new year? Running, working out or aerobics? Do your sneekers smell? We have the perfect, natural and chemical free solution. Put organic tea leaves in one of our organic and compostable tea filters. Let the tea sit overnight. By morning your sneekers will be clean, fresh and pleasant. #teacup #teaforlife #teawithnancy #teaandcake #teaaddicts #bestoftheday #teaandhealth #teawellness #teaaddict #runningcommunity #fitness #excercise #loveyourtea #love (at Surrey, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ClJWLg1Fl/?igshid=1hgovjvhp2cg
#teacup#teaforlife#teawithnancy#teaandcake#teaaddicts#bestoftheday#teaandhealth#teawellness#teaaddict#runningcommunity#fitness#excercise#loveyourtea#love
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The Best Compost Tea Recipe to Help Your Plants Thrive
Compost tea has been hailed as the magic elixir that makes plants grow stronger, ripen faster, taste better, run farther, and jump higher. While some of these claims may be taken with a grain of salt, there are still some real benefits to compost tea. It can be fun to brew, too.
What is compost tea?
Compost tea is a bit of a misnomer. Tea is technically an infusion that requires heating up water to boiling and pouring it over herbs to create a healthful drink. While compost tea is like a healthful drink for plants, it should almost be called compost beer because the process is closer to fermentation. It is a brewed liquid that concentrates bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and hopefully nematodes into an easily absorbed liquid form.
You're reading: The Best Compost Tea Recipe to Help Your Plants Thrive
There are two schools of thought on brewing, and one of them involves throwing compost into a bucket of water, letting it sit, and hoping for the best. This is generally just called compost tea and it has a whole group of fans who swear by it. The second method is aerated compost tea, which requires oxygen and agitation. It’s a little more work, with a lot less smell.
What are the benefits?
While there are only a handful of studies that have researched the benefits of compost tea, without any true conclusions, there are thousands of gardeners who swear by it from their own personal experience. According to the many different articles published by various university extensions, compost tea used in conjunction with other good gardening habits creates healthy plants.
In an article analyzing compost tea, Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, stated, “There is no ‘silver bullet’ for plant health problems caused by poor soil health and improper plant selection and management.” But, she admits that compost tea has been shown to suppress pathogens in some plants.
For those who have experienced the benefits of compost tea, the results are clear due to two things it seems to do very well:
Improving the nutrients in the soil. This seems like the most obvious benefit, because it is made of the same basic ingredients as compost (or is made from compost).
Increasing the population of mycorrhizal fungi and predatory nematodes, both of which help defend plants against a variety of microorganisms.
By doing these two things, compost tea can help plants grow faster, increase yields, and improve their overall health, decreasing the number of pests and disease they experience.
How long does it take to brew compost tea?
It only takes about 24-36 hours to make either kind of compost tea noted above. Any longer than that and your concoction will be in danger of collecting some not-so-friendly bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. The microbes within will use up all the oxygen, which creates anaerobic conditions, and increases the likelihood that bacteria, viruses, and molds will thrive.
Read more: Gardening for beginners: how to plant
What is aerated compost tea?
Aerated compost tea, also known as aerobic compost tea or actively aerated compost tea is exactly what it sounds like: regular compost tea that is mixed with a lot more oxygen. The theory is that if microbes use up oxygen quickly, which begins to create anaerobic conditions, then aerating the compost will produce larger populations of good organisms faster and prevent the bad ones. This is done by using an aerating pump like the ones used in fish tanks to create a bubbling action in the liquid.
What other types of compost teas are there?
Plant tea: Instead of soaking compost, a plant that has nutritious properties is soaked in water to extract those nutrients. The most common plants used are comfrey and nettle, which can add valuable nutrients like phosphorus and potassium to the soil.
Manure tea: This is a very common fertilizer used by farmers, which is a mixture of various aged manures soaked in water. It’s not really the best home project as it becomes very stinky.
Commercial microbial tea: Just add water! These instant tea mixes are usually designed to combat specific plant issues, but proponents of homemade compost tea believe that they do not have enough microbes to be worthwhile. However, they are technically much safer because they are free from bad bacteria.
Compost leachate: There is a fine line between compost leachate and regular compost tea, because both require compost to sit in water. However, leachate is created when water leaches through vermicompost (worm compost) or your compost bin and out the bottom. Because it’s not fermented, it is considered to be only valuable for the nutrients it contains, rather than the living microbes. The Green Cone, a solar waste digester, is one such composter effective at creating nutrient-rich leachate for surrounding plants.
What are inoculants and do you need them?
When compost tea brewers refer to inoculants, they are referring to ingredients that encourage the growth of microbial inoculants, or soil inoculants, which includes any kind of microbe that helps plants. These usually fall into two categories: bacteria and fungi. The bacteria can fix nitrogen and break down inorganic soil phosphates, and the fungi live with host plants and improve the soil conditions. So, long story short, you do need inoculants if you want to experience the true benefits of compost tea, but they come from worm bin castings or high-quality compost, which is the main ingredient anyway. If you make the compost tea right, you’ll hopefully have the inoculants that you want.
Related:
Worm Composting Basics for Beginners
Best Compost Tea Recipe for Boosting Plant Growth
All compost teas follow the same basic recipe.
Ingredients and Supplies
Non-chlorinated water (use rainwater, or allow tap water to sit for over 24 hours)
1-2 cups of inoculant (either worm castings or compost)
¼ – ½ cup of food source for bacteria or fungi
5 gallon bucket
Bacteria need simple sugars and proteins, and usually one of the easiest sources is unsulphured molasses. Fungi need more complex sugars, with common sources including fish hydrolysate (essentially ground up fish), kelp/seaweed, and humic acid.
Many people create a mixture of both molasses and fungi food to create a good balance of nourishment for both fungi and bacteria, and it may come down to what you have readily available.
If you want to avoid purchasing chemical products like humic acid, a great recipe includes:
Easy DIY Compost Tea Recipe
Non-chlorinated tap water (enough to fill a 5-gallon pail)
2 cups fully finished organic compost (it should smell nice!)
1 tablespoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon liquid kelp fertilizer (or soak kelp meal in water)
1 teaspoon liquid fish fertilizer
Building a DIY Compost Tea Brewer
For the simplest kind of compost tea brewing, all you need is:
A 5 gallon bucket
Porous fabric, such as a nylon stocking or porous cloth for filtering the compost
Enough non-chlorinated water to fill the bucket
A sprayer or plastic watering can
For aerated compost tea, you will need everything above, plus:
An air pump
An airstone (aquarium bubbler)
You can make your own non-chlorinated water by collecting some rainwater or simply letting tap water sit for 24 hours. Fill up the bucket, and when it’s ready you can add the inoculant.
Read more: The complete guide to building a rooftop garden
Many people dump the compost straight into the bucket and then just strain it through a burlap bag to separate the tea from the solids. However, it’s easier and very little work to put the ingredients into a nylon stocking or porous cloth tied into a bag. Make sure you have a rope or long end to pull it up so you don’t have to put your hand in the tea. If you are using an air pump, drop in the airstone and fire up the air pump.
Now, let it sit for about 24 hours. Too much longer than that and bad bacteria will start to take over. In fact, if it starts to stink then you’ve gone too far and it needs to be thrown out. Once you’re ready to use it, your tea needs to be used within four hours so that the active microorganisms won’t start to die.
If you want to brew a larger batch, a hybrid compost tumbler-rain barrel works very well.
How do you apply compost tea?
It is usually recommended to dilute the tea to at least a ratio of 1:4 – or 4 cups to 1 gallon, and many people use a ratio of 1:10. You can apply your tea directly to the soil with the sprayer or watering can, or you can also use it as a foliar spray. Foliar feeding is mostly helpful in boosting the health of plants that are sick or infested. More than one application is necessary to see real results, and most people recommend at least bi-weekly.
Is your tea working?
If you have access to a 400X magnification microscope you can see the microbes yourself. Look into the diluted solution and you should be able to see thousands of bacteria and hopefully a helpful nematode. Every now and then you should also find an amoeba and flagellate.
But how quickly will your compost tea work? Most fans of compost tea have done their own side by side test, adding compost tea to one plant and not to an identical plant right next to it. While you won’t see immediate results, as time passes you will see a clear difference between the two. One will appear healthier, more vibrant, leafier and possibly have a higher yield. However, it will only happen with routine application over the growing season.
Have you had great results with compost tea? Share your tea experiments below!
About the Author
Nicole Faires Nicole Faires is an urban farmer and best-selling author of books on sustainable agriculture and food policy. Originally from Montana, she now lives with her family on the West Coast.
Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden
source https://livingcorner.com.au/the-best-compost-tea-recipe-to-help-your-plants-thrive/
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