I think too, we could chase the question in another direction. What if we asked and answered what's in the soda/juice/sweet tea that offers a potential benefit to the plant and is there anything in the leftovers that is potentially limiting?? In the juice & soda, we know there might be natural or artificial flavorings, neither of which are likely to be beneficial. There is water, which we know isn't a plus. We already know that some of the bio-compounds in tea are potentially limiting. So, we're left with the primary consideration, which is the sugar content. Let's clear the way by saying if the drinks are artificially sweetened, it's almost a certainty that it would have a limiting effect, or at best would offer no advantage to the plant. Even if it was needed and could be used by the plant, sugar couldn't be absorbed by the plant in molecular form. The hydrocarbon chain would need to be cleaved. Sugar (CnH2nOn [n is a number from 3-7]) hydrocarbon chains contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are never deficient under normal circumstances, so nutritionally it looks like the leftovers are a bust. What does sugar actually DO when it becomes part of the soil solution? It increases the level of TDS (total dissolved solids and EC (electrical conductivity). What this does is make it more difficult for the plant to take up water and the nutrients dissolved in water. The goal of a good nutritional supplementation program should be to keep TDS/EC as low as possible w/o the level of nutrients being so low it causes nutrient deficiencies. From this, we can see that ANYTHING in the soil solution that is not nutritional is going to be limiting. To illustrate why non-nutrients in the soil solution are limiting, lets say that in a plant growing strongly, 800 ppm fertility is perfect when only the nutrients essential to growth are present in the soil solution, and they are there in the same ratio in which plants use them. Anything lower than 800 ppm carries the potential for deficiencies, and anything above 800 ppm makes it more difficult to absorb water & nutrients. Skewing the RATIO of nutrients in the soil solution even when the total ppm remains at 800 is also limiting. Adding sugar or any soluble substance the plant can't use has to be limiting. At 800 ppm with sugar being 100 ppm, there can be nutritional deficiencies even if the nutrient ratio is perfect. At 900 ppm with sugar being 100 ppm the effect is limiting because it makes it unnecessarily difficult for the plant to take up water - the primary cause of spoiled foliage in houseplants. I'm done. ;-) Al

yea, i've (recently) dedicated... - a pillowcase - a 5 gallon drink cooler - an aquarium air-pump - a 4" flat air stone to the compost tea making project. I drilled two holes in the top of the cooler to allow air exchange and to plumb the tubing of the air-stone in. Put air stone in the bottom of the pillow case, fill pillowcase with freshly shredded compost, plug in tubing and fill with water. Two days later, brown tea. ;-p

The 'Used Tea Bag' article was interesting...I would have never expected that it could be used to treat puffy eyes. I think I stick to using it on my plants. I was wondering how many brewed tea bags would be the limit in a 2 gal. watering can. How much is too much?

Any time is a good time to apply Compost tea. The time of day is not scientific/proven that I know of. I just personally feel evening is better. Theres really nothing you can do about the Chlorine in your city water/irrigation. Some of he microbes may be killed off, but plenty will still survive. It is good/recommended to de-chlorinate the water before brewing as you did. It gives the microbes a fighting chance. If your lawn is small and manageable, I recommend spreading compost by hand. But, for a large lawn, this could be back breaking. Thats why alot of people spray compost tea. Im not sure about the quality of compost you bought. I do know that the best compost needs a proper ratio of carbon-rich materials, or "browns," and nitrogen-rich materials, or "greens." Among the brown materials are dried leaves, straw, and wood chips. Nitrogen materials are fresh or green, such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps. All of which can be made in your back yard.