Aact Recipes And Knowledge

[mohawk.slim]

I am pretty new to feeding the soil, and the more i tinker with AACT the more i fall in love with the process. There are so many damn recipes out there, and we all know how every gardener has "the best", And you might be right, but I believe in never having too much information to fall back on. so I was wondering if any long time, seasoned AACT brewers, would be interested in posting their recipes to instruct newbies like myself on how to maximize microbe population, health and longevity. Im using Mendo Mix soil in my raised garden bed along with watering with tea twice a week. Any feedback and constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.

PER 15 GAL.: I Brew 24 - 30 hrs - I ALWAYS MIX IN FOOD STARTING WITH THE HIGHEST (N)
6 cups Worm Castings and good compost mixed
1 1/8 cup - Hi Brix
1 cup - High N guano
1 cup - Seabird Guano
1/2 cup - Fish Hydrolysate
1/2 cup - Kelp
1/2 cup - Shrimp Meal
1/2 cup - Crab Meal
2 Tbsp - Azomite
75 MLS - Cal Mag
75 MLS - Silica Blast

 

[Growin Grass]

I wouldn't call myself seasoned, but I would say you have much more than compost tea going on there. I stick to the recipe from microbeorganics.com and don't even scope it until 36 hrs, usually go 40-48

 

[caddis]

Growin grass nailed it...
If you want to add microbes follow microbeman's recipe.

 

[MeJuana]

I have been against teas for a decade but recently I began considering them again. First let me say I am still against expensive tea recipes because they aren't adding nutrients but rather only microbes. But now my position is that as long as you are sourcing the items cheaply or free and you check with a microscope for bad microbes then they are ok. But I did decided against them again personally.

I don't believe that creating microbes in aerated water is the best way to create microbes for organic soil. I am from the school of thought the microbes for your soil will automatically appear in 1 to 3 weeks on their own and they will be specific to your soil.

The quality ingredients you listed should be composted!! If you are a month away from Fall like me this is the best time of year for someone to tell you that LEAVES AND GRASS are the best main ingredients available for compost. Layer of Leaves, Layer of Grass concept, (then mix in layers of your bat guano, fish/bone/blood meal, alfalfa meal, rock phosphates, and etc

Now having said all that I want to mention something else. It doesn't matter that the microbes you brew in water are not the right ones for your soil because when they are consumed or die they will be eaten by the ones which are. So teas are effective, the math is simple and I am just stubborn. But I would feel better if we as a community admitted that aerated water microbes are as much food as the molasses we are putting in.

Check this thread out it's a much better use of high quality ingredients.. (This is instant liquid organic food)
Google this: from-scratch-only-no-premixed-bottles-of-stuff.873531

 

[Seamaiden]

@MeJuana -- teas can also deliver nutrients. Consider blood meal tea, made simply by steeping in tepid water for 24hrs.

Nutrient teas and aerated compost (worm casting) teas are, for me, two different things which answer different issues.

 

[Paul Simon]

There are some VERY good resources on youtube and the like from soil biologists with Ph.Ds that will explain in great detail about the different teas and how to get what you want/need from them. One of the most important things to consider in AACT is the carbon source and if your choice will select for a narrow or wide band of microbes. The real point oc the CT part of AACT is for microbial activity, to provide large microherds(hahahahhhah) to make the SOM(soluble organic matter) 100% plant available. Most nitrogen is stored in the bodies of bacteria, so if you want the N put the bacteria into play.

In regards to get non-beneficial microbes in your tea, that is SUPER easy to avoid: start with higher quality compost. I would also reccomend checking out micropore air diffusers for smaller scale tea brewers. We avoid simple carbohydrates like Molasses and most of the bottled sweeteners out there. Try things like alfalfa(also has bad-ass enzymes) oatmeal, and barley for complex carb sources for tea. Most brews see peak bacteria at 24 hours of brewing and peak fungus at 36-48, we try to brew somewhere in the sweet spot.

Also don't forget to brew in the same enviromental conditions as the tea will be applied in as you want the life in it to be prepared and multiplied for those specific conditions.

 

[Savage Henry]

Try things like alfalfa(also has bad-ass enzymes)

I've always added alfalfa for its triacontanol, didn't know it was also a source of enzymes! I have to do some reading on this.

 

[Paul Simon]

It is packed with all sort of great things. Praise to the Coot for his brain sharing.

 

[Seamaiden]

We avoid simple carbohydrates like Molasses

I'm assuming that you're somewhat familiar with Microbeman's work, and so you would understand why I feel puzzled that you're leaving out the sugar(s).

 

[Paul Simon]

We leave out simple carbohydrates in tea brews. A much smaller array of organisms feed and thrive off of the simple carbs. It took me a very large change of thinking to understand that. It is something that was only recently brought to my attention in an online lecture from Dr. Elaine Ingham on youtube as well as during her recent appearance on the Adam Dunn Show. I know it is a very big change from tradition, but my own recent experience would say she is correct about this. Complex carbs support a much more diverse array of microbes.

This doesn't however mean that we cut out our sugar sources. We use carbohydrates from milk fats from 1 week pre-bloom to 3 weeks pre-harvest and use limited amounts of raw sugar or similar organic sweet carb sources, just in the feeds not the teas. This helps support the microbes the plant has chosen to make exudates for.

I am still very much a student of all of this and can say that I am not authority on any of this. As I have time today however I will try to find the videos and subsequent exact times in them the Dr. made these statements.

 

[Paul Simon]

On the living soil food web episode of the Adam Dunn Show with Dr. Elaine Ingham around 37:30 of part 2 she begins to explain why sugars sources are not needed in teas.

 

[Purpletrain]

i prefer adding carbs and sugars only teas i usually make is using EWC and compost with molasses ,
the sugars speed up the process
I Can see her point that its not needed because it will naturally convert starches to actual sugars to do the job but again her proess will take longer

 

[Paul Simon]

i prefer adding carbs and sugars only teas i usually make is using EWC and compost with molasses ,
the sugars speed up the process
I Can see her point that its not needed because it will naturally convert starches to actual sugars to do the job but again her proess will take longer

Where do you get your science from? She is a doctor in soil microbiology. Your statement has little to nothing to do with my statement. If you start to study this, you will find that a properly brewed tea needs little to no speeding up. Understanding what microbes eat what sugar sources and tailoring that to what you need is the way to go. Is your soil constantly short on bacteria but rich in fungus and nematodes? Are you using a microscope to determine this? If you aren't studying the science and just making statements based on anecdotal evidence, please keep it away from the science or at least frame it as "in my experience". Carbs and sugars ARE THE SAME THING, there is however a difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. Making statemens with out 90% of the information on the subject can truly lead the new farmers down the wrong path and even lead some to never grow again. If you want to have a conversation about when one MIGHT need to use sugars like molasses, beet juice and the like, we can do that, but for most farmers, molasses in their tea is not only not needed, but will most likely breed more of the things you already have and less of the things you need.

 

[Paul Simon]

The use of sugars typically leads to premature blooms and early die off. In situations where your aeration is poor the bacteria may eat the sugar so fast that they use up O2 so much that the level in solution drops below 6 PPM and the whole tea goes anaerobic, so knowing, why, how and when to add sugars really goes beyond simply using it every time you brew a tea.

 

[Purpletrain]



Where do you get your science from? She is a doctor in soil microbiology. Your statement has little to nothing to do with my statement. If you start to study this, you will find that a properly brewed tea needs little to no speeding up. Understanding what microbes eat what sugar sources and tailoring that to what you need is the way to go. Is your soil constantly short on bacteria but rich in fungus and nematodes? Are you using a microscope to determine this? If you aren't studying the science and just making statements based on anecdotal evidence, please keep it away from the science or at least frame it as "in my experience". Carbs and sugars ARE THE SAME THING, there is however a difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. Making statemens with out 90% of the information on the subject can truly lead the new farmers down the wrong path and even lead some to never grow again. If you want to have a conversation about when one MIGHT need to use sugars like molasses, beet juice and the like, we can do that, but for most farmers, molasses in their tea is not only not needed, but will most likely breed more of the things you already have and less of the things you need.

With microbiology being really new in the scientific community we all should take everthing with a grain of salt
Question what good is a tea when your soil is deleted of its organic content
If you think about it a tea spoon has billions of different types of microbes many even today with no name yet ..
TBH with people going crazy over making cultures and teas to increase micro life is only part of the whole cycle
its not just adding molasses to a tea for only sugar contents there are also other benifits right like micro nutrients etc
and remember in science its not fact its a guess what she may think is not needed compared to other studies and science findings can be opposite
we only can guess and hope what were doing is good for instance

Did you know that the different plants in your garden, may need different types of compost tea?

That's right, annual plants, such as vegetables, prefer a more bacterial-dominated soil, whereas, trees prefer a more fungal-dominated soil. Therefore, you would want to brew compost tea that is more bacterial-dominated for your vegetables, and tea that is more fungal-dominated for your trees.
Where does this leave us ??? in the middle although mother nature is rather forgiving if were to make a tea mistake
To complicate things a little further, the type of tea you make, may also depend on the type of soil in your garden; so you must consider two variables: plant type and soil But again were taking teas now or what were doing is implementing fungi and bacteria into our soils .. with out any true data because this science is rather new and its always changing i think of it as mechanisms of action

And on closing note is a tea really needed in a perfect rich soil ??? i tend to think not teas used as activators when starting out a carbon cycle again i think its to speed up
i rather let colonies establish as per mother natures rule having or making a tea and having a dominant microbe may or i think can do more harm then good
anyways here a well balanced living soil no need for a tea and i will post a picture harvesting when plant is still alive @ - 6 - 10 degrees and a foot of snow on the ground
Guarantee there is lots of life in soil athough soil temps have slowed the process
Have made teas a very long time TBH was laughed at when i posted my tea / plant food i grew my plants with 10 plus years ago
like i said i use teas for green house is it necessary hell no living soil is living soil microbes establish , die and new colonies establish its natural
here a plant that germinated may 8th only rain water and top dressing of mulches no teas you know what the finny thing is this plant is healthier then tea fed plants
i am guessing its mostly due to one being left alone and mother nature taking care of her with least human interference
i prefer to make a strong herd and i think its leaving them alone to do there thing instead of feeding them teas and making them lazy
also what i noticed with having a soil figured out is that there much more immune to insect attack
Anyways were moving away from real organic growing in a sense and why the tea craze cause soils are depleted well before harvest

 

[Paul Simon]

Thanks for the laugh @Purpletrain. While the science may be young, it is there. Ignoring it and making shit up is funny though!

 

[jumpincactus]

There are some VERY good resources on youtube and the like from soil biologists with Ph.Ds that will explain in great detail about the different teas and how to get what you want/need from them. One of the most important things to consider in AACT is the carbon source and if your choice will select for a narrow or wide band of microbes. The real point oc the CT part of AACT is for microbial activity, to provide large microherds(hahahahhhah) to make the SOM(soluble organic matter) 100% plant available. Most nitrogen is stored in the bodies of bacteria, so if you want the N put the bacteria into play.

In regards to get non-beneficial microbes in your tea, that is SUPER easy to avoid: start with higher quality compost. I would also reccomend checking out micropore air diffusers for smaller scale tea brewers. We avoid simple carbohydrates like Molasses and most of the bottled sweeteners out there. Try things like alfalfa(also has bad-ass enzymes) oatmeal, and barley for complex carb sources for tea. Most brews see peak bacteria at 24 hours of brewing and peak fungus at 36-48, we try to brew somewhere in the sweet spot.

Also don't forget to brew in the same enviromental conditions as the tea will be applied in as you want the life in it to be prepared and multiplied for those specific conditions.

Well said. Your final tea will only ever be as good as the starting compost or ingredients you start with.

 

[Seamaiden]

On the living soil food web episode of the Adam Dunn Show with Dr. Elaine Ingham around 37:30 of part 2 she begins to explain why sugars sources are not needed in teas.

Linky link, please? I've been reading mostly Tim Wilson's stuff, as he's sent me the DVDs with his scope views and descriptions. And then there's the reading, but that's been focused on what I'm finding in Acres, USA and the like. Since I'm moving to the high desert my reading/learning is about to undergo another sea change as well.

My understanding, based on what Mr Wilson has reported and the scopes I've seen, simple sugars feed bacteria, while complex carbohydrates feed fungi. I only recall him ever mentioning baby oatmeal as a source for complex carbs. Thank you for sharing. :)

 

[Paul Simon]

Linky link, please? I've been reading mostly Tim Wilson's stuff, as he's sent me the DVDs with his scope views and descriptions. And then there's the reading, but that's been focused on what I'm finding in Acres, USA and the like. Since I'm moving to the high desert my reading/learning is about to undergo another sea change as well.

My understanding, based on what Mr Wilson has reported and the scopes I've seen, simple sugars feed bacteria, while complex carbohydrates feed fungi. I only recall him ever mentioning baby oatmeal as a source for complex carbs. Thank you for sharing. :)

Link to the Adam Dunn Show :

You are quite right in that the complex sources will give the fungi an upper hand over the bacteria, but most if not nearly all of us have a soil rich in bacteria and lacking in fungus and nematodes. I agree that every tea should be tailored for every scenario, but when resources limit this the beauty of natural farming is broad spectrum application will do no harm.

 

[Purpletrain]

Its amazing how the tea craze hit its almost as popular as the US presidential race .
But are we really needing it ?? or are we abusing it ??? that really comes into question

There is good and bad in almost everything especially when making a compost tea or certain teas you know good microbes and bad ones are made .
Teas are used for a foliage spray and even soil drench
but most importantly is why do people make teas or when should they consider making a tea .
TMU Teas are made to correct a issue in your plant be it either root system or actual foliage nutrient def
with billions of microbes in a tea spoon of soil it surely is not to make more microbes
This seems like a simple question, but it’s not. There is no clear definition of compost. Compost can be made from a large variety of materials, and each compost is different. If you make tea from two different types of compost you will get two different types of tea.

The nutrient content of each type of compost tea will be different.

One of the reported benefits of compost tea are the ‘microbes’. If we assume this to be true then is it not important to know which microbes are in the tea? It certainly is. The problem is that unless you have a fairly sophisticated lab you won’t know this. Home gardeners have no way to know which microbes are in their tea.

The microbe content of each type of tea will be different.

Tea can be made in two very different ways; aerobically and anaerobically. The term aerobic means that the tea is made in the presence of oxygen; you usually bubble air through the tea as it is brewing
When tea is made anaerobically, it is made without added oxygen. You simply let the smelly sludge sit in a pail. The method used to make the tea is very important because microbes tend to favor one or other of these living conditions. They either like living with oxygen present or they prefer less oxygen. So the method you use to create the tea is very important to determine the type of microbes in the tea.

Aerobic soil bacteria inhabit soils that contain a lot of air; the light fluffy type of soil we all know to be good for plants. Anaerobic soil bacteria tend to live in wet, compacted clay type soils where there is little oxygen present – not the kind of soils we want. So why is it that many recipes for compost tea use the anaerobic method? That makes no sense and I can’t explain it.