Favorite Tea Recipes For Veg And Bloom

[Irietime]

I'm really liking the idea of bubbling my own teas and was wondering what are farmers favorite tried and true recipes for vegging and flowering?? I've made the ewc and molasses recipe,wondering what other amendments are good to add,and how much for say a 5 gallon bucket run?

 

[justiceman]

One can go pretty crazy with nutrient teas, but I've always loved the simple Bat Guano Tea the best. This recipe has always worked well for me and is well know. It is not my recipe.

___________________________________________________
Seedlings less than 1 month old

Mix 1 cup earthworm castings into 5 gallons of water to make the tea. Add 5 tsp. Black Strap Molasses.

Veg:

1/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano (PSG)
1/3 cup High N Bat Guano (Mexican)
1/3 cup Earth Worm Castings (EWC)

Mix with water @ 1 cup of dry mix into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.

(That makes the "dry mix". You can make all you want and save it to use later.)

To that 5 gallons of tea add:
5 tbs. Maxicrop or Liquid seaweed.
5 tsp. Black Strap Molasses

Flower:

2/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano
2/3 cup Earth Worm Castings
2/3 cup High P Guano (Indonesian or Jamaican)

Mix with water @ 2 cups of dry mix into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.

(That makes the "dry mix". You can make all you want and save it to use later.)

To that 5 gallons of tea add:
5 tbs. Maxicrop or Liquid seaweed.
5 tsp. Black Strap Molasses
___________________________________________________

Those are the general guidelines for 5 gallon batches. Some people dilute the teas 50/50 with fresh water to cover larger area's or to cut the strength if need be(obviously one can just add half the of dry mix to cut strength as well). Guano can be pretty strong so it's not recommended to go too crazy with guano teas

Some occasionally add 1/2 to 1 tbs per gallon of fish hydrolysate or emulsion(if smell is not a concern) to the Veg tea and others also like to add a 1/2 cup of alfalfa meal per 5 gallons of tea to both the veg and flower mix.

 

[ArcticOrange]

Can confirm these recipes. I'm not in the guano tea boat anymore but these are the recipes I used as well. I stick to ewc, molasses and occasionally fish hydrosylate these days. You won't need to feed very often with the guano teas as long as you are not in teeny pots.

 

[THELORAX802]

thats the old recipe from icmag he has posted there.......along with the three little birds methods etc etc etc............
i dont even measure anymore manive done so many damn brews .............see my avatar...............i use that, high grade organic compost 2 cups per 5 gallons, sometimes molasses if i dont have another form of sugar, during vegatative growth, I really like using this......https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Ferti...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NS7B2PV6GTMQ4KCT78GC
as well, they do make a N-P-K ratio thats formulated for flowering as well, Glass bonded air stones, 5 gallon buckets and trial and error are what did it for me.

 

[Irietime]

One can go pretty crazy with nutrient teas, but I've always loved the simple Bat Guano Tea the best. This recipe has always worked well for me and is well know. It is not my recipe.

___________________________________________________
Seedlings less than 1 month old

Mix 1 cup earthworm castings into 5 gallons of water to make the tea. Add 5 tsp. Black Strap Molasses.

Veg:

1/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano (PSG)
1/3 cup High N Bat Guano (Mexican)
1/3 cup Earth Worm Castings (EWC)

Mix with water @ 1 cup of dry mix into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.

(That makes the "dry mix". You can make all you want and save it to use later.)

To that 5 gallons of tea add:
5 tbs. Maxicrop or Liquid seaweed.
5 tsp. Black Strap Molasses

Flower:

2/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano
2/3 cup Earth Worm Castings
2/3 cup High P Guano (Indonesian or Jamaican)

Mix with water @ 2 cups of dry mix into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.

(That makes the "dry mix". You can make all you want and save it to use later.)

To that 5 gallons of tea add:
5 tbs. Maxicrop or Liquid seaweed.
5 tsp. Black Strap Molasses
___________________________________________________

Those are the general guidelines for 5 gallon batches. Some people dilute the teas 50/50 with fresh water to cover larger area's or to cut the strength if need be(obviously one can just add half the of dry mix to cut strength as well). Guano can be pretty strong so it's not recommended to go too crazy with guano teas

Some occasionally add 1/2 to 1 tbs per gallon of fish hydrolysate or emulsion(if smell is not a concern) to the Veg tea and others also like to add a 1/2 cup of alfalfa meal per 5 gallons of tea to both the veg and flower mix.

Justiceman, this is perfect, clear and concise. Just gotta get me some psg and I'm on my way for veg tea.

 

[Irietime]

thats the old recipe from icmag he has posted there.......along with the three little birds methods etc etc etc............
i dont even measure anymore manive done so many damn brews .............see my avatar...............i use that, high grade organic compost 2 cups per 5 gallons, sometimes molasses if i dont have another form of sugar, during vegatative growth, I really like using this......https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Ferti...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NS7B2PV6GTMQ4KCT78GC
as well, they do make a N-P-K ratio thats formulated for flowering as well, Glass bonded air stones, 5 gallon buckets and trial and error are what did it for me.

Are you saying you bubble the fish with the og compost and molasses and/or other sugar form?? Or diluted fish by itself in a feeding and compost molasses in a separate feeding. I do love the Alaska fish, I you it all the time in my veggie garden, the smell of happy plants.

 

[THELORAX802]

Looking back that was kinda jumbled post on my part wasnt it.
I learned alot from this post by seamaiden......
If your goal is to culture microbes, that site is exactly what you need. Microbeman has done the most work on this stuff (aerated compost tea, or actively aerated compost tea) and his work is cited all *over* the place, including by many (organic production) professionals. If your goal is to do it right for the least cost, again, that site is what you need. I believe that we've discussed using other sugars and he has relayed that he hasn't tried making teas with anything other than molasses. However, there's a group of people who are playing around with sprouting different grains and seeds, including BARLEY. And I capitalize this because for quite a few years now I've been using leftover malted barley extract, both in teas and feeds, to some very nice results.

Look up secondary plant metabolites, and you'll begin to understand why the sprout teas, and why malted barley might be helpful in cultivation. ;)
↑
I do recommend that teas include a small dose of micronutrients. Their necessity as cofactors for bacterial enzymes cannot be overstated.
I'd actually defer to Microbeman on that one, he's got the scope time & experience to really discuss responses, on a group by group basis. E.G. he no longer recommends using kelp in teas, as he's found it actually does not help boost any populations--bacteria, protozoa, or fungi--that we're after in this context. However, it certainly adds to the nutrient profile, irrespective of whether or not it helps us culture microorganisms. As would adding micros in whatever form; E.G. Azomite, bentonite, kaolin clay, volcanic rock dusts, or a liquid.

Back to the OP and subject at hand;
Now, if your goal is to feed nutrients, that can also be achieved via ACT, but I personally feel that some care should be taken when using some ingredients for teas, mostly manures from vertebrates. This stance comes from food handling experience/mindset and really nothing else.

Just remember that the worm castings are your inoculant and source of some nutrients, and the sugar feeds bacteria.

 

[THELORAX802]

Depending on the medium i am in with my varietals i will use the alaskan, compost/vermicompost, 5-1-1 alaskan for veggin once they have 3-4 nodes or better, then I try to see what they tell me, in case ive screwed up somewhere.

 

[justiceman]

Are you saying you bubble the fish with the og compost and molasses and/or other sugar form?? Or diluted fish by itself in a feeding and compost molasses in a separate feeding. I do love the Alaska fish, I you it all the time in my veggie garden, the smell of happy plants.

@Irietime You can safely throw 1/2 to 1tbs of fish emulsion or hydrolysate into nutrient teas!

 

[Irietime]

Looking back that was kinda jumbled post on my part wasnt it.
I learned alot from this post by seamaiden......
If your goal is to culture microbes, that site is exactly what you need. Microbeman has done the most work on this stuff (aerated compost tea, or actively aerated compost tea) and his work is cited all *over* the place, including by many (organic production) professionals. If your goal is to do it right for the least cost, again, that site is what you need. I believe that we've discussed using other sugars and he has relayed that he hasn't tried making teas with anything other than molasses. However, there's a group of people who are playing around with sprouting different grains and seeds, including BARLEY. And I capitalize this because for quite a few years now I've been using leftover malted barley extract, both in teas and feeds, to some very nice results.

Look up secondary plant metabolites, and you'll begin to understand why the sprout teas, and why malted barley might be helpful in cultivation. ;)
↑
I do recommend that teas include a small dose of micronutrients. Their necessity as cofactors for bacterial enzymes cannot be overstated.
I'd actually defer to Microbeman on that one, he's got the scope time & experience to really discuss responses, on a group by group basis. E.G. he no longer recommends using kelp in teas, as he's found it actually does not help boost any populations--bacteria, protozoa, or fungi--that we're after in this context. However, it certainly adds to the nutrient profile, irrespective of whether or not it helps us culture microorganisms. As would adding micros in whatever form; E.G. Azomite, bentonite, kaolin clay, volcanic rock dusts, or a liquid.

Back to the OP and subject at hand;
Now, if your goal is to feed nutrients, that can also be achieved via ACT, but I personally feel that some care should be taken when using some ingredients for teas, mostly manures from vertebrates. This stance comes from food handling experience/mindset and really nothing else.

Just remember that the worm castings are your inoculant and source of some nutrients, and the sugar feeds bacteria.

I'm liking this info. Spungeing it up. Thanks a lot Lorax, I'm going to check out these sites.

 

[Irietime]

So I'm gonna make a tea tomorrow with each molasses and fish and kelp. Question is should I add the fish and kelp towards the end of the brew??

 

[Irietime]

So I'm gonna make a tea tomorrow with each molasses and fish and kelp. Question is should I add the fish and kelp towards the end of the brew??

Ewc

 

[justiceman]

At the start or after. Both ways would be fine since the brew time is really just to grow the microbes from the ewc with molasses.

Downside is if you do add the fish at the start you'll have a fishy smelling brew for 24 hours or however long you brew it.

Upside is the fish and kelp MIGHT become bio-available faster if you add at the start. Dunno if it makes much of a difference or not.

 

[jaybodankly]

I like rainwater to brew up teas. Recently used the chlorophyll green water from the strained hash water. Seemed a bit Hannibal Lectorish but plants liked it.

 

[Irietime]

At the start or after. Both ways would be fine since the brew time is really just to grow the microbes from the ewc with molasses.

Downside is if you do add the fish at the start you'll have a fishy smelling brew for 24 hours or however long you brew it.

Upside is the fish and kelp MIGHT become bio-available faster if you add at the start. Dunno if it makes much of a difference or not.

I forgot his reasoning because he was throwing out so much info, but the guy at the hydro store today was saying hold of on the fish till the last thirty minutes of bubbling. I don't know it's kind of trial and error I suppose. Just get a bunch of info and opinions and make something out of it. Appreciate all your help thus far @justiceman. Also found out my led was way to close to my plants, no wonder there so short, moved them up to three feet.

 

[justiceman]

No problem! I can see where he's coming from. The EWC and molasses are the main players in the compost tea so it makes sense. After the microbiology grows he's saying to then make it a nutrient tea by adding the fish in towards the end. Sounds solid to me.

That way you're always brewing a basic conpost tea and then can decide to add things to make it a nutrient tea when you want to.

 

[Irietime]

How often should I replace my air stone??Seems like the ewc clog it up a bit even with castings in a bag

 

[straincreation]

Caps bennies first and foremost, a lil ewc, some seaplex,molasses that's it girls love it.

Oh and a bit of fulvic acid every other foliar feed.

Happy farmin gl.

 

[justiceman]

It's hard to say how long an air stone will last. After brews I like to physically rub the air stone with a wash cloth or something similar submerged under clean warm to hot water while it's on pumping air out.

That helps to maintain the life of the air stone but you just kind of have to eye ball it. If it seems to be putting out less air, the scrubbing doesn't work, and your pump isn't worn out then you know it's time to replace it.

 

[Irietime]

Caps bennies first and foremost, a lil ewc, some seaplex,molasses that's it girls love it.

Oh and a bit of fulvic acid every other foliar feed.

Happy farmin gl.

Caps bennies??