Pride hurt, Tea issues..help!

[Swampdankv2]

I burns my ass to be in this situation since I have been doing this for years and taught many others how to brew a great tea.

My most recent five gallon batch refuses to foam up. This is usually my clue that things are ready to apply. This time it's different.

Here's my approximate recipe..
I don't measure shit. Never have, never will.

A handful of each of the following:
Seabird guano
Ewc
Jamaican guano

And I toss in a smidge of sucanat to fire things up

Here and there in goes some various earth juice bottled nutes.

Oh and a couple capfuls of liquid karma if its on hand

I have never had an issue with this recipe and have grown countless bumper crops with it.

Usually I tap distilled tap water for this tea but this past time I collected pure rain water instead. This is the only variable that differs from my usual.

I need to get to the bottom of this. Any old heads that know me or remember me from the OFC should be able to attest I know a thing or two about brewing tea cuz they taught me all I know.


I usually foams like this or more...

 

[Microbeman]

Foam is meaningless. It is likely that the different water does not 'activate' the saponins in your ingredients and therefore foam up like soap.

http://www.microbeorganics.com/#More_on_Compost_Tea_2013_

Judging by your ingredients you are making a nutrient tea rather than ACT so you could probably just use it after stirring it up.

 

[Swampdankv2]

Good info. I was always under the impression that the foam was a good indicator of microbial activity.

Oh, and I forgot, I used to toss in a handful of hot mushroom compost as well. Then I improvised one day with a handful of FFOF and got the same results. From what I am told by my shop guy, there is a different production facility for each side of the country. He went on to say that the source materials used on the east side made for a hotter mix than the west side. Usually the bags are warm to the touch. Definitely too hot to use straight up. This was pretty much the way I got my initial micro herd. I don't have room to compost so I have to use store bought ingredients.

I tossed out that last batch and need to make another but wanted to get some opinions on this before application, for obvious reasons. I can usually smell a distinct sweet smell coming from the bucket when things are rocking and rolling. Not this time.

I remember folks bubbling earth juice for a day or so before applying but could never figure out what the purpose of this was. Are there some sort of dormant micros in the stuff? I thought we had to add at least a little to the mix.



Ugh, I should know all this. It's just been a long time since I put it into practice, I must have forgotten a few details.

Edit: I just went back in to the tea article and read some more. I am now convinced that foam isn't indicative of anything. Now I guess I need to rebrew and field test. I pretty much am trying to keep my soil teeming. I have been using a slightly modified blazeoneups recipe for years and adding tea to keep things active. I don't know exactly why this works, but it does.

 

[lonelemming]

When Microbeman gives advice, I usually move whatever I think I know behind the back burner, shut up my brain and yapper, and do what I'm told.......just say'n.....

 

[Swampdankv2]

When Microbeman gives advice, I usually move whatever I think I know behind the back burner, shut up my brain and yapper, and do what I'm told.......just say'n.....

I hear that. I just had one of those days where I started doubting my abilities. I am always learning and new discoveries are always being made by folks such as microbe man.


On another note. I did a mental inventory and tried to figure out the "why's". Why does what I do and how I do it work? I went for a long bike ride to clear my head and reflect on my past and direction I went with my methods and this is what I came up with...

I mix my soil per the advice of well respected members such as MM and others (Suby,Von, B1, etc) and tweaked it a little to match my climate at tad. I always transplant about the time all the goodies are used up in the soil. And I transplant into three gallon pots the day I flip them. From there I figured there would be enough nutrients in the fresh soil to carry them through the bloom cycle with minimal supplements. This made fora soil mix that worked for every strain from pure indicas to Sativa Dom varieties. Plants that got hungry for a little more got a dose of earth juice to keep em happy. I know that some of my methods don't fit into everybody's idea of organic gardening, but the end result was always top shelf. And that's what matters here in the swamp.


I was thinking about changing my recipe to something more like moonshine mix. My garden situation demands simplicity as much as possible these days. My wife is often sick and weak due to her cancer and she requires a lot of attention. Which is the whole point of this new garden. We are going to smash that tumor with RSO.

Ok, a little off topic for a moment. Basically I think I was over reacting due to assumptions about the foam made long ago. I will go from here and see what happens.

I learn something every time I read threads. Sometimes it's a smack the forehead reminder of things I already knew. The foam thing is a new one for me though.

MM, your posts have me interested in getting my own microscope and start studying my own brews. That is a way for me to develop an even better brew and hopefully an even more vigorous garden.
Thanks a million!

 

[OrganicOzarks]

A foamy head doesn't mean shit. As MM stated you are not brewing compost tea so you could still apply what you are making. You are making an undigested liquid nute of sorts, and not brewing for microbes.

You could just as easily put the same ingredients in a 1 gallon jug of water, and shake to high hell, and get similar results in just a couple of minutes.

 

[Swampdankv2]

If that's is the case...then it would seem that many folks are going overboard with brewing teas and all the other labor intensive processes involved in organic horticulture to grow indoor plants. I understand the philosophy but the plants, at least in my garden, don't live long enough to benefit from this.

I have been bubbling this recipe or a similar one for years and always had kickass results. I don't see the point now in over complicating it any more. My yields are consistent and my plants are always healthy.

Maybe I am missing something. I love to experiment and I love to get my hands dirty.

So... What ingredients am I missing to make this ACT? I was living under the impression that I had a micro herd living amongst my plant roots. Of course without a microscope, one could say I have been growing by the seat of my pants. Now I am curious about what improvements I could make easily while still keeping things simple.

Edit: wouldn't tossing a couple of handfuls of hot mushroom compost into the bucket technically make that compost tea? At the risk of sounding sarcastic.... Compost+ water= compost tea. right? Then adding ther ingredients to this mix for the little buggers to chew on?
I mean the compost gets hot from microbial activity, so at least some beneficial bacteria are present in the mixture. Then wouldn't they multiply in the aerated conditions? I am sorry this is basic stuff, but I am getting the feeling that what I learned (from this very forum) isn't quite the truth. And that's bugging me.

 

[lonelemming]

"I don't see the point now in over complicating it any more."

Then don't....I would keep your teas separate. Brew one with your guanos/bottled stuff, and one as a standalone ewc ACT. Microbeman's approximate recipe for a 5 gallon brew, which can be found all over the forums or at his website:

2c. EWC
2tbsp. Molasses
.5tsp. Fish Hydrolysate
.5 tbsp Kelp Meal

Or, just brew the EWC and molasses. Someone please correct the recipe if needed, but I think it's close...

 

[Swampdankv2]

Right on. I have Ewc on deck.

I feel a bit better now. I was having a moment last night.

Like I said, I haven't changed much in years and get tasty results. So much so that I have yet to taste herb with as much flavor as what comes from the swamp. I just get to where I want to know the "how's" and " why's"

And that's why I came here. There is always good info here and good solid people here with not much B.S. The no B.S. thing is one of the reasons why I love this forum. Hey, slide over to the indoor growing forum and check a few threads and you will easily see the level of maturity is much higher here. That appeals to me.

Thanks again everybody for chiming in. I will go with the flow here and keep doing what I do.

SD

 

[BugJar]

I still bubble my guano teas despite popular belief

how could it possibly hurt?

 

[dreadlock]

glad to see you figured it out.. all the best bud

 

[lonelemming]

BugJar
I bubble everything, just separately from my ACT's. Most guano/nutrient tea brewers I've come across bubble their concoctions.....then again, I don't come across too many people..haha

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I would leave the mushroom compost alone, unless it was sourced from a certified organic mushroom farm. That shit is nastyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

 

[OrganicBuds]

The pride of lions are injured? They are not getting their tea time? Help!

 

[Microbeman]

what is a 'still bubble'?

 

[vonforne]

what is a 'still bubble'?

I wondered that myself......lol

 

[BugJar]

I'm sorry the two of you were unable to decipher my cryptic message.

hey von what is a "grow but"?

ahhh the complexities of text

no offense gents just having a bit of a poke

 

[Swampdankv2]

The funny thing is that a good buddy of mine, who happens to be my shop guy as well, was a diehard hydro fan for years. I got into a conversation with him and he admitted to me that if he had the space, he would most definitely switch to organic soil. We used to debate constantly. He swore he could produce final product with as much flavor using proper hydroponic techniques as I could using soil. Over the years he has realized that it is just impossible to do.

He says that with hydro, the flavor just isn't there like a good soil grown has. Yet more validation for the swamp.

 

[Coba]

"...with hydro, the flavor just isn't there..."

Amen brother.

 

[lonelemming]

Doesn't everyone suspend their oxygen molecules in their brews??? Sorry guys! I should have said that I bubble my nutrient teas, as well as my ACT's....lol.