Tea+ coco+ rez?

[GanjaAL]

How are people getting this done on tea days?

By hand many times durring the day or rez with pump?

If you are doing the rez with pump... which pump is best.

Thanks.

 

[ttystikk]

I pour my tea over the roots in the net pots, letting the excess drain into my RDWC. I run 50/50 chowmix of coco and hydroton, and I top feed RDWC water to keep it moist and bio active. It works so well that I can't remember the last time I had root problems, plus this keeps pH and EC much more stable. The plants are more resistant to stress and shock of all sorts as well, so it has to be helping.

 

[M.S.T.]

I have done both, put it in my res. or top feed from a 5gal bucket with a pump, and a piece of 1/2" hose with a valve on the end. Plug pump in with valve off then control flow with valve.I still use cheaper aquarium pumps but on the bigger side of them. I believe the pump I use now is an eco, around 645gph. I oversize my pump and control flow with valve for my dtw as well.

I run 16 2gal cloth pots, 50/50 coco/hydroton,dtw with Botanicare PBP and some additives, 25gal res changed once aweek. On res change days, I flush with diluted tea from a 5gal bucket as described, then if there is any left I add it to the res.
That has seemed to work well for me, but I am still dialing it in.

 

[BudGoggles]

Im running 6l pots and am hand watering in about 1/2 cup pure tea. Then I mix about 1/2 gallon tea to 4 gallons ro water and drench the suckers til major run off.
Ialso just dumped 1 cup per 5 gal into my main rez that feeds once a day dtw and seems to be all good as well.
From what I hear is ya cant over do the tea

 

[GanjaAL]

Thanks everyone. My concern was that some people believe that the organisms are killed off with the pump however I believe microbe organics did a study where the pump did not destroy the microbs.... I just wanted a second opinion.

Thank you everyone for their info.

 

[Seamaiden]

I'll contact Microbeman and ask him to study what happens with several or repeated passes through a centrifugal or impeller-driven pump (as opposed to a diaphragm pump). My experience in aquatics dictates that microbes (plankton and larvae) are shredded when being passed through the pumps we use. The benthics (nitrifyers, those critters that oxidize NH4 into less toxic forms, ending in NO3) are not, specifically because they're benthic. I've seen scoping of seawater containing microbes that's been passed repeatedly (nothing is there alive), but not any of the soil microbes we're after in the cultivation context.

 

[GanjaAL]

Yea... they use a low psi pump for the test and it was fine. Thank you Seamaiden as I want to be sure. I do not mind watering by hand but if using a low psi pump will do the trick it could free me up to do other things..... but then again.... tea is only good for about 4 hours anyways, right? so this may be a mute subject...LOL.

 

[kushtrees]

I think microbe mans site said that pump impellers will kill fungal hyphae but not (at least not significantly) kill bacteria. I would like to hear what he has to say on this though

A diaphragm pump is the way to go if you pumping tea. I usually hand water my tea in as diaphragm pumps aren't the cheapest pumps. As far as multiple waterings a day I use either nutes or RO the rest of the day.

 

[M.S.T.]

This all makes sense. I have been pumping my tea for about a year now. Never occured to me, but I did not feel like I was gaining full benefits from it, especially fungal. I mean they still love it, but not these huge white ass roots everybody shows. I will try hand watering or syphoning from a higher bucket to see if I notice any difference.

Thanks for the thread GanjaAl and all who replied. Helping me to open my eyes a little more.

 

[GanjaAL]

M.S.T.... that is what I love about the farm and for me this is my home. I have alot to learn and I figure why not ask and see what info is out their. I want to be the best at what I do as this is my meds as well as those for others in my private collective. I too thank everyone who chimed in.

Thanks Kushtrees as I may do the ro or low ppms on tea days until we can get a full confirmation. Also... if someone can confirm the 4 hr. use window for tea that would be great as well so we can have the info in one general area.

 

[BudGoggles]

Use the tea if it doesnt stank. You will know when its bad. Ive used it up to 6 hrs later and it still smelled fresh

 

[GanjaAL]

Thanks BudGoggles.... I just found this tid bit of info from the vortex sight.

http://www.vortexbrewer.com/faq/

"
Q: How long is compost tea good for after it is brewed?
A: It is ideal to use the compost tea the same day as it is removed from the Vortex Brewer™. If this is not possible, use it as soon as possible within 3 days.
If the solution is kept in the Vortex Brewer™, we have documented significant activity up to 5 days after the beginning of the brew without adding inputs."

May give it a try as I have a diy 5 gallon brewer. I just need it to stay for 24hrs until I can get to it and change out the rez on the tea days.

 

[hogan400]

Tea will last up to 48 hrs if brewed proper. usuing 12-24hrs is recommended. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a week, although usually you might brew way more than could easily fit. I have some aquatics experience, plankton along with larvae and other sea life you mention are way larger than the bene's you are brewing in the tea. Tea wont be damaged through a pump unless its hot as hell and scorches it to death.
PEACE
H400

 

[Seamaiden]

I think microbe mans site said that pump impellers will kill fungal hyphae but not (at least not significantly) kill bacteria. I would like to hear what he has to say on this though

A diaphragm pump is the way to go if you pumping tea. I usually hand water my tea in as diaphragm pumps aren't the cheapest pumps. As far as multiple waterings a day I use either nutes or RO the rest of the day.

Yep, I double checked and that's what he has found. Bacteria are fine for the most part. The only diaphragm pump I've got is the one attached to my tank sprayer, which is fine for foliaring, but a bit difficult for watering anything in a pot.

 

[GanjaAL]

Now to find the pump. I have found 12v diaphram pumps but they are DC and not AC so I am unsure how to add a timer into the mix....LOL. So now the search begins for an inexpensive diaphram pump.

Plan for now is run sea green on tea days with just RO and hand water in my tea 3x on the tea day in order to breed the benies. That is..... unless I can find the pump.

Thank you everyone as I am sure some type of solution will be found in order to use tea's in a modified watering system for atleast 12-24 hrs.

 

[kushtrees]

I'm a little confused as to why you want to use it multiple times in a day. If you wanted to get fancy dosatron has a compost tea doser I believe haha.

I don't see how there would be much more benefit from watering with it multiple times a day vs once a day. If you do water with it multiple times make sure to take what you need from the brewer then turn it back on till you need more. It's better to keep the air going then take it out and put it in a fridge or something the rest of the day

 

[BudGoggles]

Im going to be hand watering in my tea first feeding of the day and let the drip system water it with nutes the rest of the day.
I do this on Friday tea day

 

[GanjaAL]

My thought is that if I use something else that day that I am basically flushing the organisms out with whatever I am watering with. My goal is to for the tea day, is to water with just benificial microbes to get them to thrive and gain a foothold in the medium.

 

[BudGoggles]

Ive read in caps threads that the bennies will stick and grab a hold of roots and medium I believe

 

[GanjaAL]

Another thought I had was.... doing the tea by hand, once that day full strength and then using sea green and RO in a rez for the rest of the day in order to keep the medium moist and alow the bennies to thrive by not alowing that much run off in the DTW.