Urban Farmer

Compost Tea Brewer – How To & Pics

 In the last post we talked about the “why” of a Compost Tea Brewer – to make a living brew of microorganisms that when placed on the soil of your lawn or garden bed will turn it into a living, healthy place that will grow your fruits and vegetables – and grass.

In this post we are going to show you the “how” of what we did.  Feel free to adapt to your own needs and volumes.  Application rate is about 1 gallon per 2000 square feet.

Instead of a 55 gallon drum I started with a 5 gallon bucket, everyday variety.

Next I headed to the local Goodwill to look for something with some weight with a hole in the bottom and a basket/pot for the top either with holes already or that I could easily drill.  I lucked out and found a nut crusher set without the tools for $1 and a wire basket for $2:

At the hardware store a couple of days ago I got some 1/2″ tubing and fittings (plus some sheet metal for the base but was too light and too much trouble cutting and shaping) to secure the base and basket together so that the basket would sit not quite at the top of the bucket.  Note – when the tea is “cooking” it generates a 2-3″ layer of foam, indicating things are growing well, so leave some room in the bucket!

You need two of the threaded couplers, one each at top and bottom.   4 washers with 7/8″ diameter holes, 2 each at top and bottom, are better though I could only fit one at the top.  10″ of pipe in between is all I needed; your length will depend on your size of container and size of base and basket.

I designed the base connection “on the fly” first drilling a hole to fit the coupling but the wooden dish was too thick so I had to add an extender.  Then I had to drill out the hole some more to fit the outside diameter of the extender.  Finally the extender was too long because of placement of threads (had both female end and male end but threads didn’t go all the way through.  I got a “thick washer” from a piece with a hole large enough to go over the coupling and cut it to the appropriate thickness to allow everything to tighten down.  The nuts used to tighten are 1/2″ electrical conduit nuts (learned from my hardware buddy the other day!).

The pressure to cause percolation is provided by a fish aquarium pump.  A stop at Wal-Mart will get you one for a 1-5 gallon tank along with 8′ of standard tubing.  Cost is just under $9.

Next I drilled a hole in the side of the base (love that it is wood!) just large enough for the tubing to go through.  I also made 4 cutouts around the edge of the base about 1/2″ square to allow water to flow below the base and up the tube.  Here’s what the final base looked like:

After this it was only to measure the length of pipe needed, cut it, insert it into the base connector then with a washer underneath screw the basket down tightly at the top.  After I took the pictures I realized there needed to be height of tubing above the basket floor so I got the second male/female coupler to screw onto the top to extend the height.  I also put the handle back on the basket but will make it easily removable.  This isn’t necessary but makes it easier to remove the unit for pouring the tea out of the bucket when done.  Here’s the finished unit (without the extension on top).

Here it is with the pump connected.  Don’t forget to insert the check valve that comes with the pump into the line.  You don’t want to suck live microorganisms back into your pump!  It won’t hurt you but will likely make the pump very unpleasant to have around.  A screw valve turned on and off may even be more protection.

Finally, testing.  As soon as the water level got near the bottom of the basket it bubbled up and over with no problem!

Bubbling   (Click to start video)

 All that is needed now is to put compost into the basket.  I plan to wrap it in a cheesecloth or porous cloth to have no solid matter in the tea.  I’ll make an opening with a drawstring or elastic waist to wrap snugly around the extension.  The water will be directed onto the compost in the basket and the extract will filter through and recirculate.  The best source for compost is said to be earthworm castings.

Either keep the water warm by heating periodically or with a thermostat.  The range is 92 – 99 degrees, the optimum being 92 degrees.  Fish tank warmer won’t go high enough so will have to get a small one at a plumbing store.

Finally, molasses or a sugar source is required to feed the microorganisms.  For the 55 gallon containers 1/2 gallon is used so for my 5 gallon quantity I’ll plan to use 1/2 – 3/4 cup.  When the froth comes you will know that things are going well.  When the aroma of molasses is gone, usually in 24 – 30 hours, the tea is ready for use.

Be sure to use the tea, spraying it on lawn or garden, within 2 – 3 days, and the sooner the better.  After that it gets pretty unbearable, as all living things do.  ”Lord, he’s been in there for four days and by this time he stinks!”

Till next time,

See you in the garden!

Jon

Compost Tea for Soil Improvement 

If you have followed the postings in this blog at all, you know that I have struggled with poor soil in my backyard garden and with ways of making improvements to the same.

We built and started using the DIY rotating compost tumbler.  The results of that will become more apparent this summer.

We used some compost tea made from dried compost.

We found ways to make compost, sharing them with you, and setting up a pile in the back corner.  This also will evidence its effectiveness this summer.

Late this fall I made a “compost pile” of sorts right in two new garden beds, never before planted.  Took the leaves from the yard, mixed in some dirt, but this time added some compost starter purchased earlier in the year.  Again, we’ll see how well that approach works when we start planting soon, this spring.

What has been missing in all this for me, however, is that “hot” pile that lets you know the microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes) necessary for healthy soil are present and working.  All my attempts so far have been the slow-growing, “cold” variety.  Certainly there is some life there – decomposition is taking place, fungi are breaking material down, but it just isn’t what I want and know it can be.

But hopefully there has been a breakthrough.

Last week I had the privilege of spending four days with a long-time friend, Jonathan,  (his Dad and my Dad, both now deceased, were college buddies and lifelong friends) in Vancouver, WA just across the river from Portland, OR.  He has been involved for years with “organic homesteading”, raising pastured poultry (broiler chickens, turkeys and laying hens) and beef.  He likes to design and mix his own feed mixes and has also become a distributor for quality organic feeds for animals, particularly the Fertrell brand.

While this is not specifically an advertisement/endorsement for his business, BeeRite Sales, if you live in the Northwest or surrounding states be sure to call him.  He will get you what you need, and/or advise you as to what you need, at the best for you prices he can get.  He has a link on this web page – scroll down about 1/3 of the way.

But back to the topic of soil improvements.  Jonathan has spent a lot of time and energy researching how to make soil and animals healthy while doing this on his own acres and is always coming up with new ideas and networking with those in the business.  He told me about and drew out for me a Compost Tea Brewer that is potentially the “cat’s meow” for getting my soil, and yours, to a living, healthy state quickly and easily.  He learned this from a gentleman who lives not too far from him who has been using this with great success on his farm.

Basically this Compost Tea Brewer is a way to grow microorganisms like a microbiologist does in a Petri dish using a percolator (like many of you use for coffee all the time), except instead of putting coffee grounds in the top filter basket you put in compost.  And instead of heating the water to really hot, you heat it only to 92 degrees or just above since that is the most effective temperature for microorganisms to thrive.  Add some molasses as food for the “bugs” to eat and begin to grow and voila! – Compost Tea!

The purpose for brewing this compost tea is to make a solution of living, active, reproducing microorganisms that you then spray on the soil of your lawn or garden and thus promote a living, healthy soil.

I have to admit, though, I have a second, ulterior motive for making compost tea besides using it on my garden beds.

I also do some lawn service part-time on weekends and evenings after work.  Lawns I have cared for over several years I see wearing out if no amendments or fertilizers are used by the owner, or grow unhealthy plants if fertilized with standard chemical-based fertilizers.  (If you read my other blogs or follow my talkshow – all linked from here – you know how opposed I am to chemical fertilizers for health reasons in humans as well as lawns!)  I’ve tried some “organic fertilizers” but they tend to be costly and not always so effective.  So I am looking for a viable solution to assisting homeowners with a simple, inexpensive, “organic” amendment for their lawns that will turn them into healthy, living areas proud to own and safe for their families and pets.

But here is a problem:  My friend and his farmer friend make this stuff in 55 gallon barrels for application by the acre.  My garden beds and customer lawns are at most a few thousand square feet.  Also, once made, this is a living brew and in three days if not used it “dies” and becomes exceptionally nasty, not to say unusable!  They use a harrow disc at the base with 1-1/2″ PVC pipe for the percolator column and a basket at the top.  Pressure has to be very minimal, however, about 1 psi, or all the water gets blown out!

So I needed a simple solution that would apply to very small volumes.

Thought about using a 100-cup coffee percolator which would be about perfect in size except 1) the temperature would be way too hot if you used the built in heater and 2) on craigslist I found a used one for $75 – way too expensive.  I’m looking for simple AND cheap (inexpensive).

Came up with just the simple solution for under $30 – will tell you how, with pictures, next post! ( Though a thermostat will add a bit, if one is used).

Till next time,

See you in the garden!

Jon

Wow! This week has been REALLY hot and humid!

I mean, REALLY.  Was out mowing with son Philip on Friday and Saturday and just about went into heat exhaustion on Friday.  Was smarter and took better care of myself on Saturday, but this kind of weather is really exhausting.

So how is the garden faring?

Actually, pretty well, thank you.

The brocolli is growing.  The squash is spreading out.  The tomatoes are getting tall.  The cauliflower and cabbage are a little slower but coming along.  The tomatoes that were getting some yellow leaves have had a couple more, but not drastically so.  Fortunately, in the middle of all the heat and humidity, we had some decent rain which was perfect for the plants.

The herb garden has also done pretty well.  One of the dill plants has succumbed.  Two were in one starter pot and when planting them I separated them.  In hindsight that was probably a bit too stressful and they never really quite recovered.  The borage, a survivor from my first fertilizer fiasco, also finally gave up part of its ghost.  What remains is doing OK but it is a lot less of a plant than it had been.

Regardless, the beds need fertilizer and that brings us to the exciting part!

I got my compost tea bags from Haven Brand (see last week’s post) only two or three days after I ordered them!

Their compost tea comes from either cow manure, horse manure or alfalfa which you can get separately or in combination.  They send you a “tea bag” which you then brew.

I got the combination.  The horse and cow varieties are for veggies and garden plants, flowers or grass.  The alfalfa is specifically for roses.  Since we have a bunch of those (one is in the center of the herb garden) I had to get that, too.  So the combination was a no-brainer choice.

I put the tea bags in the 5 gallon bucket of water on Saturday and let it brew for the prescribed three days.  Then tonight I dipped from that bucket this wonderful, deep rich brown nectar, diluted it in a pitcher and poured it on the plants.  Can’t wait to see the improvement!  (I have this sense that my soil is really lacking.  Should do a soil analysis and will before next spring but needed just to get the whole project going this year.)

I’ll also put some more mulch on the beds this week; will help keep the water in with all this heat.

With all the heat and extra mowing, the other projects have been on hold.  Haven’t spent any more time on the pyramid array book.  Haven’t been up to working on the fountain, either.

Here is the link, though, for the mandala, as promised:

http://www.crystalawareness.com/mandala-charger/index.html

There are lots of other ways listed on that page to use a mandala.  Be sure to come up with your own as well!  (And let me know).

Next week I want to talk about a compost maker one of my readers has designed.  Really neat – you’ll love it.

See you in the garden!

Jon

This week saw more spectacular growth in the tomato and vegetable beds in the backyard garden.  Pruned again the tomatoes and added more string up higher.  One variety of tomatoes is really growing tall; the others are more “conservative” in their approach to expanding their height (in other words, they are staying shorter).

One variety of tomato is also getting yellow on some of its leaves.  This prompted a big search on the internet for the reason why.  Guess what I discovered?  Nobody really knows why!

The options included: deficiencies of magnesium or calcium or iron and all kinds of various pests such as worms, viruses, and blight.

Here’s what I took home from this:  rather than trying to figure out exactly what one thing is the problem, find a broad solution that covers all the problems.

(This is exactly how I approach medical problems as well.)

For the ground/garden, the fix-all solution is (are you ready?) – COMPOST!

I tried the natural fertilizer and we saw how that worked out – too hot, too concentrated the way I did it.

So this time I took the suggestion and followed the link from my friend Chuck: Haven Brand Compost Tea.  On Sunday ordered their assortment pack that includes Cow Manure, Horse Manure and Alfalfa that comes in tea bags.  You let brew for 3 days in 1-5 gallons of water then apply up to 4 times per season.  You get 3 bags, either of each type or one of each, for $12.95.  This is unbelievable!

And on Monday I had an email response that the tea bags were on their way.  Amazing customer service!

Can’t wait to see how the tea works.  I’ll let you know in future postings.

Besides the compost tea, I decided it was also time to explore the use of subtle energies in the garden beds.

First I took a mandala and used my pendulum to test its most effective spot in each bed and in the herb garden.  Then I placed the mandala on the site where it was tested to be.  Will see what happens.  (A mandala is an energy antenna.  I’ll find the link from where I got mine and share it next time.)

I also did a search and found Don Elwood and his work on subtle energy.  Bought his book on phased pyramid arrays in the garden and am working my way through it.  Expect to build some pyramids in the near future and watch to see what happens.

This is exciting stuff and harkens back to my days on the organic farm in Virginia.

Enough for now.  That will keep me chewing for a while.

See you in the garden!

Jon