Does compost tea have to be high-tech?

Hello,

As with many I have heard a little about the wonders of compost tea, and for a little while I was interested. But I do not want to have to use electricity or special technologies-- that is, pumps-- to do essentially what Nature does on Their own, in a slightly longer period of time. If I am to do something new, I want it to be something easy and simple, something a poor peasant in the remotest valley could do. That way it is most adaptable, and least negatively impactful. Maybe it would not be exactly Compost Tea, but at least, something with a similar use.

This spring I have used handfuls of forest soil and buried them to introduce life. My idea for the future is to make balls of raw dough, set them in soil, like IMO #1-- then, once all the lovely fungi and microbes have come in, mix them with water in a bucket and use that in place of compost tea. This sounds very natural, easy, and accessible to me.

Do you have any ideas? Is this possible? Have you tried something of this sort?

JADAM JMS might fit the bill for you.

I make mine in a 5-gallon bucket.  No heat source. No air pump.

Only ingredients are leaf mold soil, potatoes, and salt

http://en.jadam.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=8350
https://www.microfarmguide.com/jadam-microorganism-solution/

I managed/developed the Crescent City Food Forest, which ironically had no electricity despite being surrounded by schools, hardscape, and homes. I ended up making compost tea at home with a pump and airstones or a “bubblesnake” (from TeaLab.com)and bringing it in a 50gal barrel. I spread it using sprinklers with 1/16 ratio syphons pulling the tea out of 5gal buckets next to the sprinkler. This doesnt seem to answer your question, but I did think it was worth the hassle to inoculate that once barren, anaerobic wasteland of a site. If one central location could have electricity, or some other source of aeration, it could be moved (and passively aerated as its jostled in a truck, barrow or bucket) to surrounding fields. In lieu of electricity, wind, falling water, or even a bicycle could be used to move an aeration paddle, air injector, or some other oxygenation device. The trick would be minimizing periods without aeration.

Compost extracts can be made by hand in a half hour, and are often used on a larger scale than teas. Teas can also be stirred manually, and the fluctuations between aerobic to less aerobic (avoiding anaerobic whenever possible) can lead to more biodiversity according to Dr Ingham. The catch is that most adverse effects reported from compost tea seem to  arise from anaerobic conditions. Many anaerobic liquid fertilizer preparations have been used with positive results, but it is useful to distinguish these from actively aerated compost tea which is pretty safe to use and provides disease resistance as well as a small but efficiently delivered array of nutrients.

Its not actively aerated compost tea, but duck pond water (changed every day or two) has always treated my garden well. They aerate the water a bit naturally with their behavior, and have a good balance of nutrients in their manure (the highest in Phosphorus of any common livestock). It also doesn’t burn in reasonable concentrations, as they’ve evolved to stimulate plants growing around their ponds, as it gives them more to eat.

I share your interest in low tech, universally accessible solutions, and wish you luck.

I used to put some compost in a cheese cloth put this in a bucket of water overnight and use it the next day. The results were really good! I usually use an aerator now but I still like this method as it's quick ad easy to do.

That reminds me that I have also run water through a felt pot full of compost while watering.

So I tried the JADAM microorganism solution-- a slightly shrivelled potato, some leaf mould from under an ancient white oak in an old(er?) growth area, a sock, and some salt. I made the solution in a smaller jar, before taking it outside and mixing it with river water in a large bucket and leaving it until a little while after bubbles started to appear. I used it to water some of the plants; they seem to be happy, no wilting, even with the dreaded anaerobic microbes. Now that the weather is warmer I will be making more every once in a while.

I am also doing a more in-situ way of cultivating soil microbes, mixing leaf mould with flour and sprinkling it in layers with fresh comfrey, dock, buckthorn twigs, and hay while terracing a hillside. There are no visible changes yet-- but by the end of the year we may be able to see.

Actually, the rhubarb did wilt a little with the JMS-- but seems stable now. Perhaps they don't like it as much as the squash? I also didn't dilute it, which I was supposed to do. I also left balls of cooked millet in a jar of leaf litter for two weeks a while ago and buried them; thick rhizomorphs are present in the soil around where I remember burying them.

As I understand it, these preparations are made (or at least I might intend them) for the ultimate purpose of reintroducing a diversity of microbes to help restore the ecosystems in abused soils.
People fret all about making sure the aerobic microbes have an aerobic place to grow and the anaerobic microbes have an anaerobic place to grow (though not so much the latter). Also, the soil is the perfect place for microbes to grow, because as long as it has a minimum of structure, there are aerobic parts, on the outside of the peds/fragments; anaerobic parts, on the inside of the peds and during rainy times of the year, and plant roots, where mycorrhizal fungi can grow, and as far as I understand, most mycorrhizal fungi cannot survive away from a plant for very long, even as spores. So why do we not just mix a food source like potato with healthy soil and water, use it immediately to add diversity to the soil, and propagate microbes that way?
Some day soon I plan to test about the condition of seedlings and soil, given occasional water, water+potato, water+leaf litter, water+potato+leaf litter, and fermented water+potato+leaf litter. Maybe that will simplify so I can keep better track.

I am also wondering if there is a way to rename this thread which I haven't seen? I think "Simplifying the propagation of microorganisms" might be a better reflection of its nature.

I'm with you, Maiesha, when it comes to fussy teas, I just won't do anything except mix and wait.   And I haven't seen a plant complain yet when it gets an extra dose of compost in any form.  I have used a little kid's rake to stir a large bucket full of tea, but not more than once a day a couple times.  I doubt it made much difference.

As far as anaerobic conditions, I know that's a big deal when it comes to aerating teas, but I have a pond, and the anaerobic edge of it grows the biggest, thickest, densest, extreme looking native plants I've ever seen.  I have to spend twice the amount of time removing them.  So I am not worried about short-term anaerobic conditions, which is what pouring teas into regular soil is.    If they really are anaerobic teas, (I don't have a lab to check exactly what's in the tea,) I think they are quickly changed when introduced into regular soil, and the plants will use what they can, which seems to be plenty.

I think the ingredients stay the same, bananas and peels still are full of potassium, weeds like thistles with deep tap roots still pull up the same nutrients that are in the soil, etc.  We still have to take our ingredients into consideration.

These posts…all of them…have been SO helpful as I learn about compost teas before I invest & begin to make them next season…
A few questions:
What is that method w all the capital letters? JMS & another 5 letter one I believe. (Sorry, can’t scroll up to see the exact letters)
Any new insights on teas from any of you?
Is the aeration system really necessary?
What have you added to the bucket to make your teas?
Do you have a favorite recipe?
Have you noticed a difference with weed suppression?
Thanks!

JADAM - what the heck is this?

Gaurī Rasp wrote:JADAM - what the heck is this?

A Korean natural farming organization: https://www.microfarmguide.com/jadam-organic-farming/

The acronym is from Korean, so I don't know what it stands for but apparently the translation means: "people who like nature" according to the link above.

Thank you L. Johnson!

For folks wanting to know more about JADAM:

https://permies.com/t/158209/JADAM-experience