Another Simple Tea Recipe

SamsonsRiddle · May 12, 2017

I have been scouring the organics sections for some time now and have some questions on the benefits of a tea i was going to start brewing. I am trying to make a simple tea for flowering - small batch - that could be a good starting point for other newbies.

Here's the basic recipe:
1 gallon Distilled water
1/4 cup EWC
1 tsp Unsulfured Molasses
1 tsp Dr Earth Bud and Bloom (Trying to find the old, better NPK but probably stuck with the new shit)
20ml Ful-Power by BioAg (Fulvic Acid)

This will be bubbled for 24-48 hours in some kind of bag.

I have not seen this exact recipe anywhere and question the addition of the Ful-Power. I also had considered Fish Hydrosolate, but don't know if i can handle the smell or even if i can source it from local nurseries.

Any input will be appreciated!

mushulatubbee · May 12, 2017

Hydrosylates dont stink imho unless your cold pressing it yourself! Ive used em. Ive meandered into an all purpose medium that has N-P-K in it but really only needs a cup or decently made compost like this:

Blended from composted manure and plant materials, blonde horticultural grade sphagnum peat moss, crushed and screened granite and basalt, blood meal, kelp meal, steamed bone meal, mined gypsum, vermiculite (a mica mineral expanded by fire), washed coconut coir, herbs (biodynamic preparations).

Uses
• transplant booster

• houseplant booster

• top-dress or side-dress field crops

• top-dress or side-dress perennials

Best Practices
Prep For Use:
Apply as-is and water-in or create a slurry with warm water before application.

Handling:
Avoid drastic changes in moisture/saturation. Store under cover, out of direct sunlight. Protect from weed seed, petroleum products, and other contaminants.

Supplemental Fertility:
If necessary, use after six weeks of seedling growth or during transplanting. Re-apply when immediate fertility is needed. For best results, add 1 cup of Compost Plus per 1 quart of planting media.

Storage and Shelf Life:
Store in a neutral environment which encourages moisture retention and protects from UV light. For optimal performance of living soil we suggest using it within 8-12 months from date of purchase.
Either by slurry or airated its worked really damn well so far! Saved a shitload of time and money toooooooo!

SamsonsRiddle · May 12, 2017

mushulatubbee said:
Hydrosylates dont stink imho unless your cold pressing it yourself! Ive used em. Ive meandered into an all purpose medium that has N-P-K in it but really only needs a cup or decently made compost like this:

Blended from composted manure and plant materials, blonde horticultural grade sphagnum peat moss, crushed and screened granite and basalt, blood meal, kelp meal, steamed bone meal, mined gypsum, vermiculite (a mica mineral expanded by fire), washed coconut coir, herbs (biodynamic preparations).

Uses
• transplant booster

• houseplant booster

• top-dress or side-dress field crops

• top-dress or side-dress perennials

Best Practices
Prep For Use:
Apply as-is and water-in or create a slurry with warm water before application.

Handling:
Avoid drastic changes in moisture/saturation. Store under cover, out of direct sunlight. Protect from weed seed, petroleum products, and other contaminants.

Supplemental Fertility:
If necessary, use after six weeks of seedling growth or during transplanting. Re-apply when immediate fertility is needed. For best results, add 1 cup of Compost Plus per 1 quart of planting media.

Storage and Shelf Life:
Store in a neutral environment which encourages moisture retention and protects from UV light. For optimal performance of living soil we suggest using it within 8-12 months from date of purchase.
Either by slurry or airated its worked really damn well so far! Saved a shitload of time and money toooooooo!

the point of the tea was more for a pk boost, but thanks for your information.

Microbeman · May 12, 2017

If you are putting ingredients in to benefit the plant directly there is not much point in bubbling/brewing. Just mix it and use as a drench. The usual reason to brew is microbial multiplication.

mushulatubbee · May 13, 2017

This site is for sharing. Please dont ruin this. You do what works for you etc etc.

xmobotx · May 13, 2017

this tea will "work" fine as a means of watering in some humics & ferts. microbeman's point being it will not multiply microbes effectively so, you may as well mix & use. bubbling is intended to extrapolate & multiply micro-organisms. there is nothing wrong w/ oxygenating your water before applying but this would only take a few minutes

you could apply a better ratio of EWC to molasses ~those alone, bubbled w/ your water would multiply microbes

SamsonsRiddle · May 14, 2017

Thanks for the replies, i appreciate the feedback.

I took your advice and decided to start my first EWC tea. I took the time when i found a link for your website Microbeman to check out what you findings were. Unfortunately, I had already started the tea before i got to the website.

Here's what i put in:
1 gallon dechlorinated water
1/4 cup EWC
1 tsp Molasses
1ml Floralicious Plus

It seems as though the ratio i used was close the website recommendations. Next time, I will cut out the FP+.

xmobotx - what do you think is a better ratio?

xmobotx · May 16, 2017

i follow microbeman's guidelines for extrapolating microbes. at 4 gallons of water, i add 1.5 cup EWC/compost {either or both mixed} & 2.5 oz of molasses {not precise}

in general, adding nutrients slows down the extrapolation

on occasion, i will add a pinch of kelp meal

my "brewer" is a 5 gallon bucket w/ an airlift & a airstone ~each driven by a separate ecoplus commercial 1. i guess i tend to assume that kind of brewer is involved when brewing teas for this hobby.

RoostaPhish · May 16, 2017

You can get the benefit of both worlds by first brewing the EWC/molasses mix and then adding the dr. earth for the last hour of brewing.

Microbeman · May 17, 2017

RoostaPhish said:
You can get the benefit of both worlds by first brewing the EWC/molasses mix and then adding the dr. earth for the last hour of brewing.

Have you examined the effects on the microbial population via microscopy from adding the amendment?

When we tried this with some other amendments, I observed the microbial activity to be reduced up to 50-60%. My assumption is that upon adding solutions to the 'finished' ACT that the dissolved oxygen level suddenly plummeted. I'm sure the effects are variable with amounts used.

mushulatubbee · May 17, 2017

Ewc have easy replacements ive found.

SamsonsRiddle · May 18, 2017

Ready to brew my next tea:

1 gallon of water
1 air stone with lots of air (double air pump t'd into 1 stone)
.0238 per gallon of ewc or 0.3808 cups - so i'll try half a cup
.005 per gallon of molasses or .384 teaspoons - so i'll try half a teaspoon
This will all be freely floating with the air stone for about 48 hours.

Is this as simple as it gets?

hillbil · May 20, 2017

The bottom layers of leaves and debris from wooded areas is great to Bubble. The layers where whole leaves have broken down and starting to look like soil. Microbes are doing the composting there, always. I also use the peat mix from a 9 year old bog garden.

When feeding by water I use a very weak Alfalfa/Kelp/Molasses tea. I top dress once at 4 weeks in small containers with EWC and fish bone meal. If you happen to fish, livewell water is great for any water needs!

SamsonsRiddle · May 20, 2017

hillbil said:
The bottom layers of leaves and debris from wooded areas is great to Bubble. The layers where whole leaves have broken down and starting to look like soil. Microbes are doing the composting there, always. I also use the peat mix from a 9 year old bog garden.

When feeding by water I use a very weak Alfalfa/Kelp/Molasses tea. I top dress once at 4 weeks in small containers with EWC and fish bone meal. If you happen to fish, livewell water is great for any water needs!

thanks for the tips, much appreciated.

SamsonsRiddle · May 25, 2017

Microbeman said:
If you are putting ingredients in to benefit the plant directly there is not much point in bubbling/brewing. Just mix it and use as a drench. The usual reason to brew is microbial multiplication.

I'm going to do this approach, now that i have done a couple ewc teas. Their youtube channel (Dr. Earth) has a video recommending to let their dry ferts steep for 24 hours in water, so i am going to do that.

Do you think i should strain it and throw away the solids or just pour it all on top of the medium, without straining?

Microbeman · May 26, 2017

I would choose to include the solids.

xmobotx · May 30, 2017

on another forum a fellow organic grower suggested they kept the whole mix immersed for a winter before using it. i mess around w/ soaking crab & kelp for preparations

SamsonsRiddle · May 30, 2017

xmobotx said:
on another forum a fellow organic grower suggested they kept the whole mix immersed for a winter before using it. i mess around w/ soaking crab & kelp for preparations

i just started organic a few months ago, so i guess i'll have to start for next year.

i learned a lot about kelp from here:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=242735
"tea" recipe here:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=5234878&postcount=20

xmobotx · May 31, 2017

i've had some soil stay immersed for the winter & found it to be good. next to un-soaked/normal {?} i can't say i noticed significant differences. reconstituting some kelp can be a good way to utilize it more immediately. but, for many, the concept of organic soil is letting the soil biology do the heavy lifting. so, things like pre-soaking & making an effort to homogenize your soil mix isn't as applicable. just may not hurt/is only extra effort

SamsonsRiddle · Jun 2, 2017

Here's a flowering fungal mix i found that I am ready to go for if you guys/gals think it's worth a try.

Mix # 4

Here's an effective fungal tea for flowering:

6 tbsps of liquid hydrolyzed fish fertilizer (Neptune Harvest Fish Fertilizer)
6 tbsps earthworm castings
6 tbsps Dr.Earth Bud and Bloom Fertilizer
2 tbsps molasses.

Add to ~5 gallons of water and aerate for 18 hours at 75°, dilute 3:1 with water for drench applications.

Fungal teas are important during the flowering phase as fungal microbes play a major role in the uptake of phosphorus

I found this while scouring through here. In my situation where half a gallon should be more than enough (especially diluted at 3:1, not sure if it is 3 water or 3 fungal tea), the numbers will be cut into tenths.

my actual mix would consist of

.6 tbsps of liquid hydrolyzed fish fertilizer (Neptune Harvest Fish Fertilizer)
.6 tbsps earthworm castings
.6 tbsps Dr.Earth Bud and Bloom Fertilizer
.2 tbsps molasses.

I think i could round the tablespoons of .6 to two teaspoons (.666666) and the molasses to one teaspoon (.333333).

Does this sound like a good idea, or a waste of time?

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