Organic Mechanic Compost Tea
Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl, and Mark Highland, the organic Mechanic, hang out, talk about soil and whip up a batch of compost tea.
Read Mark Highland’s column, the Last word, at Urban Sustainable Living (www.urbansustainableliving.com. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Duration : 0:6:31
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
your sound quality …
your sound quality sucks compared to all your video and content. maybe hire a new sound engineer.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I agree, I did mean …
I agree, I did mean compost as aposed to soil but you your selves called it “soil” in the video.
Worm casting are great for tea’s but also adding things like Seaweed Extract, Guano, Mollasis etc. I don’t think a little extra information would have gone a miss, just as optional extra’s to enhance the tea’s effectiveness.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Not soil….soil …
Not soil….soil consists of sand silt and clay. Like all potting soils, Organic Mechanics is a soilless potting soil containing lots of high-quality organic compost and worm castings…and a few other ingredients. We were suggesting you can use Organic Mechanics if you question your compost source, or if a you cannot find worm castings or high quality compost. You can make really nice tea with a 5 gallon bucket and a good air pump.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
simple, of course …
simple, of course but not as good as most other tea’s out there! Basically he’s just adding good quality soil to water with an air pump.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
This is the most …
This is the most simple method to use for brewing compost tea. There are many methods and brewers out there. You can get as complicated as you like…only limited by how much time you want to spend researching!
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Must use the tea …
Must use the tea within 24 hours of brew start time for maximum benefit, and yes, I recommend putting the leftover compost into your compost pile or in your garden.
Dont forget to clean out your bucket right away so as to not get biofilm build up! You can scrub with just soap and water, but a dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide solution are also recommended…especially for soaking the airstone.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
A worm could have …
A worm could have fit through the holes in the burlap by the way….fungi, nematodes, etc had no problem getting through. You do not need extra molasses (carbs) to make compost tea, but additives can increase the soil benefit of compost tea. Major point: You must use aerated, high-quality compost that does NOT smell bad to make your tea, otherwise you could be brewing up anaerobic organisms…which would not be good for the garden.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
no it would not. …
no it would not. they are pro master gardeners. even if the microbes didnt multiply theres still more nutrients and microbes in it then regular water.
did you watch the video? they put in aeration right at 5:01and there living off of the carbs in the compost.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I agree with what …
I agree with what you’re saying, so why don’t you post your own video on making the tea?
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I would tend to …
I would tend to agree with tuco7888. Once the tea goes anaerobic, the amount of time and effort to bring it back exceeds the benefits. The authority on compost tea is Dr Elaine Ingham for forther info.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I’m sorry but I …
I’m sorry but I have to agree with tuco again. lol The beneficial molds can’t fit through the pores of the doubled over sack.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I agree, I was …
I agree, I was wondering where the molases was. Definitely get more microbs with carbs in there.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Do you know what ” …
Do you know what “tea” is? It’s a method of taking already harvested MATERIAL and putting it into a bag and letting it steep, then using the solution on your garden. You DO not need anything else, don’t need to add anything else or provide a “food supply” for the tea. The way it is shown here is standard compost tea making practice. So by your reasoning, this should kill anyone’s garden who uses this method? The vast evidence out there makes your argument invalid. Let’s see your garden!
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Did you watch the …
Did you watch the video? All that compost packed into the bag with no direct aeration or carbohydrates?
After 24 hours it would be a putrid mess full of anaerobic bacteria.
I am pretty sure Patty does not put this stuff on her garden, otherwise her garden would be dead. *wink*
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Pretty sure Patty …
Pretty sure Patty knows what she is doing..
Hey, show us your garden *wink*
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
OH MY GOD…
They …
OH MY GOD…
They did not even add a food source for breeding the micro-organisms.
YOU NEED CARBOHYDRATES TO MAKE COMPOST TEA!!!!
Everything about this video is WRONG WRONG WRONG.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Using burlap for …
Using burlap for the filter bag is wrong. Burlap has a weave size of 500 microns – maximum.
Many micro-organisms will not be able to pass through the weave – especially nematodes which can reach a size of 1000 microns.
The Organic Mechanic spent 10 years studying soil biochemistry, but didn’t even take 5 minutes to check the size of micro-organisms compared to the bag filter size.
Organic Mechanic = FAIL
Do your own research people and stop listening to these hacks.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
You are wrong…if …
You are wrong…if you store it for longer than just a few hours without oxygen it will become anaerobic.
10 days is too long. 16-18 hours is optimal for aerobic compost tea if you do not add extra carbs
Do some research, people read this stuff and take it on board.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Great video. I brew …
Great video. I brew my compost tea for 10 days. I store it forever. Read Howard Garrett.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
This technique …
This technique provides a way for the living things that are a key component of compost to travel rapidly into the soil it is poured on. The remaining compost is still compost. It still contains carbon and nitrogen, still has microbes on the surface, and once the water has been poured off and the environment once more contains plenty of air, these little organisms keep right on working.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
so this technique …
so this technique strips the nutes from the soil and leaves it in the water? I wonder how viable the remaining soil is for growing. I’m guessing it would be perfect for the worm bin for a few months.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Compost tea is one …
Compost tea is one of the practices I wish every gardener would use! There is so much that it does, beyond providing excellent nutrients to the soil – go ahead, do some research and learn about the benefits of this organic growing technique. And while you’re at it, thank a worm today!!!!
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I L O V E DIRT/ …
I L O V E DIRT/SOIL…
seriously… go organic and visit the earth with your hands. I’m putting chicken coop litter on my gardens now, before the second round of snows hit! {”> just came here for inspiration, as always. Thank YOU
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Great vid, …
Great vid, GardenGirl. I have a few compost tea videos on my channel that if you don’t mind, I’ll shamelessly plug!
watch?v=R8_PuUon5_Q
Keep up the good work! -OrganicTexas
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Compost tea is …
Compost tea is amazing stuff. The cool aspect of it is that every part of it is used and there is zero waste. The liquid is poured onto plants as a mild liquid fertilizer and the solids can be tossed in with dirt or potted plants as a really good soil additive. I just toss a bucket of cooked compost into a bigger bucket, add water, stir it a couple times daily and use the liquid. Basic, but it worked like a charm.
GardenGirl has such great videos. Her garden is totally amazing.