1. Fill the brewer to the grove about 4" below the lip of the bucket (~4gal) with ambient temperature water.
2. Ideally the water should be well water. If using chlorinated water, dechlorinate by adding a teaspoon of humic acid powder or mixing in some compost and waiting a few minutes. Bubbling off-gasses chlorine but not chloramine.
3. Add compost to the compost tea bag and massage the bag for ~2min, attempting to create water flow in and out of the bag, to "wash" the microbes off the compost particles.
4. Option to hang the bag and leave it in the brewer or take it out.
5. Prop the pump above the water line and plug in
6. Add compost tea ingredients to the brewer
7. Brew time accorind to the provided table. Generally, brew for 24hrs at ~20deg C. Longer if colder ambient temperature, shorter if warmer than 24deg C.
8. Use compost tea within 6hrs of coming off the brewer. Keep bubbling if not able to use right away. Make sure nozzle size is >400um and pump pressure is <50psi.
Notes:
Compost tea is best used as a foliar spray, due to its sticky quality. It can be used as a surface drench or deep-root injected as well.
Most compost teas come out bacterial dominant, but should still contain the full suite of soil food web microorganisms.
If ever a tea comes out smelling rotten, it has gone anaerobic and has the potential to contain a significant number of pathogens - disguard.
Do not add chemicals to the compost tea, and use clean application equipment, to avoid killing microbes.
To increase microbial survival and colonization, microbes should be applied to moist soil. Plan your application date around a rain event or in the spring/fall when soil is naturally moist.
Application rate: 5gal treats 0.5 acres. 1L treats ~100sq m.
