Saw that video, amazing however its not just compost tea he is using. When you watch the video he adds a special blend of "herbs and spices" to be nice. I bet he has some of those trace elements and micro biotics type stuff like in the tone products.

Lou: FWIW, where I live in Michigan local compost is made from our collected lawn waste, tree trimmings, etc., and mixed with a little manure. (There are quite a few "brands" nowadays.) That compost is then bagged and sold for only $1.50 per 40lb bag. (Well, most of them are sold at this price.) I always get good foaming from this stuff and when I apply it directly from the bag onto the soil the plants always do very well. I know foaming doesn't prove the stuff is good but it is an indication that things probably/might be going well. The true test for me is on the fruit trees which remain disease free when I spray with compost tea made with this locally produced bagged compost. (They were always disease prone before this treatment I started about 6 or 7 years ago, but I used to have to order my compost from Gardener's Supply or some other site with good compost. Not any longer though.) So, you guys/gals might want to give store bought compost a try if you don't have your own. It is being made much better nowadays IMHO. Well, at least where I live. WAY BETTER IMHO. One thing I do notice is I have to brew bagged compost longer to get good foaming than when I use fresh homemade compost. Fresh homemade compost is hard for me to find. I mulch or chip everything into the lawn/garden and don't make piles. My two favorites are (1) Glacial Bay Compost/Manure made in Elsie, Michigan by Glacial Bay Soils and (2) Scotts Premium Humus and Manure - this stuff is $2.49 a bag though. (Both of these bagged composts are produced locally.) Or you could buy the KIS packs, like Lou recommends, which I assume are VERY good.

Valerie RU said: "Blutranes, do not take my comments personally, please. I am far away from treating (or medical treating) somebody. I will take it the same way I get it. Let us find out if the same can be said for you in the comfort of your own home. Apparently some around here insist on confusing "putrefaction" with "fermentation". And too, it would appear that some plan on consuming Bug Juice, BIM, EM, and other organic solutions. However I strongly suggest that one abandon such thoughts and adopt the practice of waiting until crops are harvested before eating/drinking them, not at the beginning of the growing process. These "teas" and all other decomposed organic materials are for use in the soil, NOT at the dinner table. Everyone, please make a mental note; "Compost tea is not to be drank by humans, ever." It may smell good; may even resemble something you drank last night; however, these liquids are again for the soil ONLY. One would be wise in truth to find something else to quench their thirst and live to drink another day. If one is not emotionally strong enough, or does not possess enough self-control to not drink the compost tea, BIM, or EM may I suggest you go and get your organic food from the nearest grocery store. " Yes, there is no LB there. But there are Yeasts. Yeasts are also unaerobic or slightly aerobic microotganisms." It is too late to start copy/pasting now; nor will trying to clean up skewed logic with doubletalk serve any purpose. Dr. Martin clearly states to keep the bug juice brew aerobic: " You have now mixed the ingredients, a handful of good compost and added water. Mix periodically to aerate the mix and leave the bucket in the sun. After one week, start applying the Bug Juice to the compost or table scraps you have collected, or directly to poor soil." The difference is in the amount of time the tea is allowed to brew (12 hours). To put focus on alcoholic mentality (equating everything with getting drunk) has nothing to do with organic gardening or making compost tea. We are talking about creating an environment where clean healthy soil, with an abundance of proactive microorganisms, is correcting the imbalance found within any given soil. To start contradicting yourself at this stage of the game is fruitless, and it changes nothing. "It is impossible to unite aerobic and unaerobic bacteria." Prof. Dr. T. Higa has done extensive research in the field of EM, and has established a worldwide commercial distribution of his organic discovery. At a conference 1989 the good doctor stated: "In particular, we found that zymogenic and synthetic microorganisms coexisting in soil suppressed the generation of heat and gas when fresh organic substances were plowed into the soil, and were extremely effective for the growth of crops and the increase of their yield. As I mentioned before, if fresh organic substances are plowed into soil which has putrescent microorganisms, harmful gas and heat are generated, affecting crops. However, we have observed that, if microorganisms in soil are predominantly zymogenic, organic substances plowed into soil are transformed into amino acids and saccharides, which are useful to plants, and are recycled as source of organic energy." And too: "The main microorganisms working in this process are synthetic microorganisms, such as photosynthetic bacteria and nitrogen fixing bacteria. Generally photosynthesis is the process in which water is decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen inside chlorophyll using sunlight energy, with oxygen being released into the air and hydrogen being used to reduce carbon dioxide to produce saccharides (carbohydrates)." The joining of aerobic (synthetic) and anaerobic (zymogenic/fermented) microorganisms is further explained" " This process can be simply realized by artificially changing the microflora in soil to those of the zymogenic type through the application of zymogenic microorganisms. Although this technique has drawn attention in the area of food and feed, no one ever thought of applying it to crop cultivation simply because the phenomenon is extremely exceptional in nature." Yet still further: " Therefore, if soil is changed to zymogenic and synthetic soil, in which zymogenic microorganisms and synthetic ones coexist, not only can organic substances be effectively used, but also the soil fertilizes itself under proper humidity and temperature. Since such soil can synthetically or zymogenically transform harmful substances produced in natural processes into useful substances, putrescent decomposers and disease bacteria cannot infest plants. As a result, soil becomes clean and healthy, and can withstand sudden changes in its environment." (see link below "8. Potential of Zymogenic and Synthetic Soil") Indeed it is very honorable to attempt to protect the membership with true concerns about techniques that may cause harm. However, to sling unfounded rhetoric without even bothering to review the data that is being discussed is plain foolish. Not withstanding, said procedures are now used world wide with a clear history of critical scrutiny from many areas of science firmly established speaks for itself. Finally, to vainly attempt to combine alcohol used for intoxication with fermentation techniques involving BIM, EM, or aerobic Bug Juice (compost tea) is silly to be kind, and asinine to be exact. Aerobic and fermented microorganisms can and have been combined in soil for growing healthy, nutritious, and safe organic foods. Also, it many areas of pollution control, animal feeds, and human health have said techniques been deployed successfully. Those who disagree with the use of Bug Juice, BIM, EM, and both aerobic/anaerobic compost tea have every right to do so. However, to troll threads throughout the community twisting information that has not even been read leaves much to be desired. Let us trust that such antics will immediately come to a halt so we can go about the business of making and/or using compost, soil, and mulch Blutranes

I agree that that the Soil & Compost forum on Garden Web is where to look for info. I learned everything that I needed to know about composting from that forum. You don't need to worry about your climate being warm enough to compost...a good active pile will heat up from within. You will need carbon ("browns") and nitrogen ("greens") which are usually easily available from what you already have on hand at home: leaves, paper, lawn and yard clippings, used coffee grounds from Starbucks, seaweed, etc. As they say on the Soil & Compost forum, "It All Leads Back to Compost." Compost happens!