5 questions about compost tea...

13 years ago

In my old college party house we had several garbage cans and one that had no wheels. This guy just stayed behind the house with two bags of trash in it for about 2 years. I was cleaning up one day and noticed that it was full of the most nasty looking water I had ever seen. I tried to pull out the rotting garbage bags but they just busted open and all sorts of nasty maggot ridden stuff entered the garbage, from old chicken breast to food stuff. I was so grossed out I left the can out for another week and then decided it may be a health hazard to even walk past and breathe the air. So, one sunny afternoon I kicked the garbage can over and I smelled like a sewer exploded in my gravel driveway. It was the most rancid foul odor I have ever smelled in my life!. Anyways we cleaned out the can and rebagged the trash and disposed properly however in the meantime the liquid that spilled into the gravel driveway had apparently been super fertilizing the grass at the edge of the driveway. The grass had become so dense that you could stand on it and not sink downwards, it was incredible. Thats when I began to wonder about compost tea, as I had been and still am an avid gardener. This brings up some questions I have been meaning to ask as I wish to create compost tea for my new garden.

First and foremost I understand and have read many articles about the process of compost tea. What I really want to know is if there is anything that should not be added to compost tea that could create potentially dangerous bacteria such as ecoli, salmonella, or staff, whatever nasty stuff there is that could grow and make you sick to breathe or handle.

What I would like to do is setup a garbage can with a small hose drain at the base of my porch. I will fill it partially with compost and water and then actively throw organic waste into the mixture, leftover from my kitchen, throughout the summer.

1. Would it be bad to throw in things like old fried chicken, or steak bones?

2. How about the blood that pools up in raw meat containers?

3. Does the compost tea become useless after a period of time if it sits out in the sun, or can it be there all summer?

4. Can the smell from fermenting compost make you sick?

5. Would it be ok to put a lid on the trash can to control the odor?

Anyways I hope to receive some expert advice from other gardeners. Happy growing season!

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Comments (3)

calypsobloomer
Original Author
13 years ago
oh one more quetion... can you dump in old half consumed cans of beer??

I believe it is important to mention that this tea will be going onto a vegetable garden which will be consumed by me. I dont know if that makes a difference from composting a flower bed.
TheMasterGardener1
13 years ago
I dont know alot about compost but here it goes...You can compost allmost anything it is just a matter of time and as far as worring about ecoli that would break down after a long time. You could kill it all off by using the hot compost method turning a mound of compost heating up. But ppl say not to compost meat because it atracts animals/pests but if you have it prop. maintained then that wont be a problm...

To keep it simple I would not go about composting meats unless you have alot of time. Vegan compost teas work very well and end in a cleaner product.( Alot here will argue this cause using animal products is a easy way to get alot of nuitrents.)

Yea from what i'v seen it is fine to put a wooden lid on the conainer you are holding you scraps that are ready for the pile? It will get infested with maggots and flys but once put into the pile it all is a part of the break down.

"What I would like to do is setup a garbage can with a small hose drain at the base of my porch. I will fill it partially with compost and water and then actively throw organic waste into the mixture, leftover from my kitchen, throughout the summer. "

If that can work do it!
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On picking up random stuff off the forest floor. Went out yesterday looking for that "humus" layer that I intended to bring back to make my tea with. Well, it just ain't there. If it is there, it's not more than an inch thick, so, I guess I kind of need to rethink the whole humus thing. Maybe just a shovel two of the first 6" or so of soil would do the trick of adding good microbes to my tea. However, I think I did figure out what "sand loam" actually is. All these trees are planted on sand land and there is this very interesting sandy textured soil that is just below the leaf surface. I'd bet money that that is what's considered sand loam. Anyway, thinking now that I might just put some of that in the bucket with my alfalfa tea (yeah, I started brewing a 30 gallon can of it... yippee, I pulled another trigger). Also started thinking of some other materials that might be interesting to add to the tea for the purposes of increasing the microbial population. In particular, there is a "stump hole" of a pine tree that is probably 30+ years old that I can reach my whole arm down inside of and pull out this interesting peat like material. Thinking that probably has all kinds of good creatures in it. Then there is this area in a bottom that kind of stays wet for long periods that kind of has a similar material in it. Might consider using it.... at least the surface maybe. Could that harbor some bad stuff because it remains wet over a portion of the year? Anyway, just thought I'd update so there is no confusion in that I'm interested in teas in general.
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Elaine has been contradictory in her own writings. She has done articles showing and appraising the use of fish tank air bubble-rs. In other writings or published data she has spoken about other methods. Her specific points were that the small bubbles created by fish tank air bubble-rs were abrasive to the microherd while other methods created slower rolling larger bubbles less abrasive methods of brewing. At this point I believe she was comparing the Bobolator Brewer shown and supported at the web site: North Country Organics. This brewer has an easily cleaned simple system of brewing. It uses a compressor that generates many times the air you can expect from any fish tank compressor. It is a proven system that posts the test results at the same site. I have used the Biti-Bobolator a smaller version for years. It will produce five to forty gallons in eighteen hours in eighty six degree water. North Country Organics do not show up in Elaine's books and articles for one simple reason. They do not pay bucks to Elaine's organization to earn such placement of acknowledgement. No other system brewer is any more simple, easier to clean and produces time and time again with minimal care. I am in no way related to or associated with either. I can not speak to the method you are about to begin. I would not go that direction for reasons I have stated. Three cups of tea quality compost with one cup of earth worm casts is a good blend for five to forty gallons. More ideas on additives are on the North Country Organics web site. They are major suppliers to brewers in my association. I purchased my compressor and brewer from North County Organics. I know others who have purchased compressors from them.
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You need to read Dr Ingham's work on compost tea at www.soilfoodweb.com. It's the best place to learn about HOW TO PROPERLY BREW AERATED COMPOST TEA. Buy her manual compost tea book. Don't rely on gardenweb forum for best information. A lot of info are misguided. You should NEVER let cow manure compost sit in the bucket unaerated that long. You need to pump air in the water to provide oxygen to keep aerobic microbes alive. Last thing you want is high population of harmful anaerobic microbes which you used on your plants that you ended up killing... Keep it Simple (KIS) brewer is probably the best 5 gallon ACT brewer out there. It has been tested many times with very good count of fungi, bacterial, protozoan and nematodes . They also sell proven compost tea and food kit that they have been tested with very good result. You'd KNOW you are basically guaranteed that you'd have a good properly brewed ACT when using their stuff. If you try to build your own brewing machine and use your compost, you just never know what exactly you are getting!
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Is compost tea that has been brewing for too long harmful? Is the above statement referring to aerated or non-aerated? And, about it getting stinky, (apparently that's the only type I'm good at making :)) Is stinky tea still good???? I'm been dumping mine 'cause I'm not sure. Real new at CT too. Guess, what I'm trying to find out is: can the end product EVER be bad and harmful to the plants? Talking straight compost tea, not manure or manured compost tea as they are different animals, ok? Just as with compost itself, anaerobic tea isn't desirable. Not that it is flat-out harmful any more than anaerobic compost is harmful, but it does contain undesirable bacteria, molds, and fungi so it isn't safe to use as a general spray or foliar feed even if diluted well. Used as root drench it is ok as long as you avoid splashing it on plant leaves or using it on root crops or low-growing leafy greens where it can contaminate them with those pathogens. Both aerated or non-aerated teas can become anaerobic if brewed too long although aerated takes longer to turn anaerobic. But honestly, there is no benefit to such long brewing times. Either way, 12-24 hour tea is perfect and then pull the bag, 48 hours if areated. And brew smaller amounts that you know you can use within that time frame. If you have a bucket or barrel that has turned anaerobic double the dilution on it and aerate it by stirring well or pouring back and forth from bucket to bucket until the worst of the odor dissipates. Dave
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calypsobloomer
Original Author
13 years ago
ok im going to try. I have a separate compost pile already, but Im just wondering how long compost "Tea" remains active. Do the bacteria actively feed forever on compost tea keeping its nutrient and beneficial microbes levels up?

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Comments (3)

calypsobloomer
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TheMasterGardener1

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5 questions about compost tea...

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calypsobloomerOriginal Author

TheMasterGardener1

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