egganddart49 1) heat, in your compost pile indicates that the various thermophilic bacteria are at work converting the material you put in into finished compost. This is not totally necessary because the same material in the forest will get digested, eventually, and will feed the plants growing there. For some people that heat is absolutely essential and they do not have a "real compost" if it does not. That heat is a result of bacterial activity and usually means your compost is getting digested faster. Digestion still happens in a cold pile but it takes longer. 2) the 30:1 and the 3 parts to 1 part do not necesarily mean the same thing. There are lists of material that give the ratio of Carbon to Nitrogen, and each material will have a ratio, and for some really precise composters knowing that is necessary. For most of us simply knowing that, generally, green material is higher in N and brown material is higher in C is enough and that is where the 3 parts of brown material to 1 part of green material (mostly) will get us about where we need to be in reference to the 30:1. The science is precise, but the art of composting does not necessarily have to be. 3) The material in the compost pile only needs to be slightly damp and the usual description is that of a well wrung out sponge. A sponge that feels almost dry. Too much moisture replaces the air that the bacteria that digest your material also needs so the more water the less air. These need to be pretty well in balance, about like the 30:1 ratio, and you will know when both are in balance when the pile heats up. If it does not you did not do something right, which is not always a problem either. 4) Young "weeds" are supposed to have a C:N ratio of 30:1 but I'd suspect that more mature "weeds" (and I'm not sure which is what) would be closer to grass at 19:1, so I always add something high carbon to what "weeds" I may put in. Mostly any "weeds" I do have get mulch mowed back into the soil. 5) leaves. In the fall, and often in the spring, I haul bags of those leaves others put out to have hauled away and keep them around until I need them. Of course my nearest neighbor is 200 feet away and there is a pretty good screen between us and we get along really well and no body else comes around looking to see what "junk" I have stored. When he was lots younger the township Supervisor hunted out back (my property) so he was unlikely to report me but he was a gardener too and I taught him to compost. The current administration is not pro active but rather reactive and that is good.

Interesting process. I'll standby for the last video when it becomes available. It will be interesting to see if you change your process/procedures after processing numerous batches.

Tricky, I see you met Dan. Every village has one. I guess we can refer to the internet as a "bioreactor", no? <That happens in the soil. But yes, "aerobic" tea certainly increases the bacterial population. Whether that actually does anything for plants is what this discussion is about.> Perhaps you need to start your own discussion then afaik the OP asked <Is there any other way of making compost tea without compost? lol Can I use garden soil? I have a raised bed in which compost was added back in fall and mulched with leaves. The soil is active with plenty of earthworms. Would it work?> Making Aerobic Compost Tea without Compost I understand that discussions can and do evolve but I'm seeing a pattern where Dan likes to change the topic to something else then argue rather than discuss. As if there is only one way to do things. IF there is Gardening or Compost Tea are not either one and only ways. The way I see Gardening, The way I see Compost Tea, The way I see Life, is IF you choose not to use it - don't - that doesn't mean everyone has to not use it. Just as no one is forcing anyone to use it. This applies so much to Gardening, Compost Tea, or Life, James Bay - Let It Go

"because it only takes 2 flags to have it poofed, and it's way too easy to have 2 accounts here." For a singe post, perhaps. 2 flags will alert Houzz management to a discussion that may be at issue with a thread but does not guarantee removal of that thread....only review. I know this to be true as I was plagued by a GW cyberstalker/bully for most of 2020 and into March of this year. Even with my direct contact with Houzz management - and there was a LOT of it!! - it was next to impossible to get the offensive threads removed. And I also had a lot of help from other GW members who could clearly see how abusive this stalker was. Individual posts were removed but the threads remained. So the above statement is just not true. It takes a whole lot more than just 2 flags from posters that may disagree with a thread to have it removed!! Otherwise we would be losing posts left, right and center. and we are not.....unless they become political in tone.