Making Tea - is EZ.... & Cheap !

[Ohsogreen]

OK, you've been reading the Organic Threads and have decided to make up some Organic Tea for your plants.
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How do you do it - Here's how: There are two ways

Get a clean container ( a bucket, a pail or large jug ), add a gallon of unchlorinated water, pour in what ever manure you intend to use. Bubble it with a cheap aquarium air pump / air stone for two days. Turn off pump, let settle for one hour & it's ready to pour into your feeding container.
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Now, some people put their manure in a sock of some sort, like an old sock, panty hose or a old pillow case. That is OK, but I like the extra manure to water interaction you get from direct contact. More surface area exposed - more nutrients transferred.
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or
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Get two similar size containers ( a bucket, a pail or large jug ), add a gallon of unchlorinated water, pour in what ever manure you intend to use. Pour it from one container to the other a couple of times - twice daily for three days. Let settle for one hour, pour into your feeding container.
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With both methods - pour the left over crud into your Compost Pile or Barrel. To be a true Organic Grower - you must have some Compost going all the time - it's a requirment to be in the Club...LOL...
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See, not hard, pretty cheap & as you will see, a very effective way to feed Mary a well balanced diet.
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Of course, your containers can be much larger, so can your mixes. 5 gallon buckets work well & allow you to mix up larger batches quite easy.

Common Mixes (I use - I don't buy into the more is always better thing.) -

Bat Guano (Either - Higher N or P) 2 to 4 tablespoons per gallon of water.

Bunny Poop - one cup per gallon of water.

Cow Manure - three cups per gallon of water.

Chicken Manure - one cup per gallon of water.

Worm Castings - 4 tablespoons per gallon of water (people argue about this one the most0. They say more, more is better. I disagree - the NPK value of Worm Castings is only .1 % N (soluble) & .9 % (slow release) with a NPK value of only 1-0-0 Worm Castings will not be adding any real amounts of NPK. What they will add - trace minerals & benefical microogranisms (good bacteria & fungi) so, 4 tablespoons gets the job done.
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Hope this helps...someone....
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Keep it Real.. Organic......
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[Ravioli]

Where abouts do you find your worm castings? Or do you have a worm farm? I looked at the nursery and Home Depot and they had never heard of it. Is there something I'm missing?

Another question: Do you mix ALL of that together, or are they individual mixes by themselves? Would it hurt to put them all together? Considering the NPK of all, of course.

 

[Ohsogreen]

Where abouts do you find your worm castings? Or do you have a worm farm? I looked at the nursery and Home Depot and they had never heard of it. Is there something I'm missing?

Another question: Do you mix ALL of that together, or are they individual mixes by themselves? Would it hurt to put them all together? Considering the NPK of all, of course.

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Most good Garden Centers carry them, some Walmarts do, any respectable Nursery, and you can even order them off Ebay - if they are, no where to be found, where you live.
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I have my own worm bin - I vermicompost.
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Yes, I do combine things. It just takes simple addition to determine the final NPK value. Just add the NPK values, of each manure you add, all together to get your final numbers.

Add each of these at the rate of one cup, per gallon of unchlorinated water - unless noted otherwise.

Source N P K

Rabbit manure 2.4-1.4-.6
Cow manure (dairy) .6-.2-.5 Both cow manures (3) cups per gallon.
Steer manure (beef) .7-.3-.4
Chicken manure 1.1-.8-.5
Horse manure .7-.3-.6
Duck manure .6-1.4-.5
Sheep manure .7-.3-.9
Worm castings 1.0-.0-.0 (4) tablespoons per gallon
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See not hard, just basic math....
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Ok & one more just for fun : Elephant Poop is 1-.9-.6 on average (plus it is almost odor free).
Hotlink about Zoo Doo...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DD1530F931A25756C0A964958260
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Hope this helps....
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[Ravioli]

It does help! I was unsure of mixing them together. I'm trying to keep it simple + cheap this round considering I'm in a rental, and growing in a closet. I'm just using the worm poop fertilizer that comes in a spray bottle from TerraCycle, since I couldn't find anything else with worm castings in it. Heres's a link: TerraCycle Inc . I read on an earlier post in some other category that mixing molasses and worm poo with your water would make some sort of bacterial foam on top, and I have done so, but now it's unclear if I should skim this crap off, or pour it right in? Does this happen with other emulsions?

My experience with organic fertilizers is slim to none, as I started as a MG grower, as many do, and I sincerely thank you for your advice! You're pointing me in the right direction. So far, this grow is completely organic, and doing much better than the others, naturally. Pun intended.

 

[Ohsogreen]

It does help! I was unsure of mixing them together. I'm trying to keep it simple + cheap this round considering I'm in a rental, and growing in a closet. I'm just using the worm poop fertilizer that comes in a spray bottle from TerraCycle, since I couldn't find anything else with worm castings in it. Heres's a link: TerraCycle Inc . I read on an earlier post in some other category that mixing molasses and worm poo with your water would make some sort of bacterial foam on top, and I have done so, but now it's unclear if I should skim this crap off, or pour it right in? Does this happen with other emulsions?

My experience with organic fertilizers is slim to none, as I started as a MG grower, as many do, and I sincerely thank you for your advice! You're pointing me in the right direction. So far, this grow is completely organic, and doing much better than the others, naturally. Pun intended.

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TerraCycle is pretty good stuff, keep using it. The unsulphured molasses is also a favorite of mine. The NPK of one ounce to one gallon of unchlorinated water is 5-1-3. Decent numbers, with an added bonus -trace minerals.
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Don't fear the foam - use it. Just the byproduct of Bioconversion ( a fancy word ) for little micro-beaties (bacteria & fungi) eating & pooping. Naturally, what ever comes out of their south end - is very, very tiny (highly soluble). So, your plants can suck it right up, with ease.
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When making your teas - you will always end up with foam (or big ass bubbles sometimes) on the top. Don't worry about them. Skimming them off if OK, using them is OK. Pouring what you make throught a paper coffee filter is OK. Since, the stuff your plants are really going to use, are small enought to pass through that filter anyway. I take all the left over crud & put it in my compost barrel. Since, your in a rental - just flush it. It will benefit some plant somewhere down the line.
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Stay on the Road... The Organic One....
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[Ravioli]

Allright, kewl. I figured the foam wasn't bad considering what made it. Thank you for all of your help, man. I'll mail ya a when everything is done

 

[SimpleSimon]

Is also a good idea to add an oz of Organic Molasses to your mix to feed the good bacteria.

 

[Ohsogreen]

Is also a good idea to add an oz of Organic Molasses to your mix to feed the good bacteria.

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SimpleSimon You bring up an excellent point. I got so busy typing about the different manures - I neglected the molasses.
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Unsulphured Molasses is cheap, available at most grocery stores & is easy to use. You add one ounce to each gallon of unchlorinated water. This produces a NPK value of 5-1-3 on average. The keys are unsulphured molasses & unchlorinated water. This makes an excellent low grade, all natural fertilizer, feeds the micro-beaties (good bacteria & fungi) in your manure tea mixs & adds some trace minerals -which is an added bonus.
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If you plant to foliar feed, just use only half as much molasses.
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Thanks..SimpleSimon...
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[Ohsogreen]

Jan The answer to your question is: Organic Teas are great for the veggie growth phase & pre-flowering. After that, I do not foliar spray them, I only water them in. I don't want to risk Bud Mold. Plus, when Mary starts pumping up her trichromes they act like velcro - holding onto to things.
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I just think it's best not to foliar feed, as a rule, after preflowering starts.
Some people will disagree, but someone always does.
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Hope this helps...
Keep it Real...Organic...
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[Seamaiden]

Subscribed. I wish I could figure out the print to pdf feature Mr. Rollitup says is available.

 

[Angus]

Very helpful thread. You are the man, Ohso. Thanks for taking time to break things down for us organic noobs.

 

[napalesegrizzly23]

Thanks for the info. Now I want to get some chickens and rabbits. Do you use this for every watering for soil? Do you ever make tea with compost out of your vermicomposter?

 

[Ohsogreen]

Thanks for the info. Now I want to get some chickens and rabbits. Do you use this for every watering for soil? Do you ever make tea with compost out of your vermicomposter?

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Napalesegrizzly23 I water weekly and fertilize with tea every two weeks, throughout my grow. Overfertilizing & Overwatering are the two biggest mistakes people make. By doing it this way, I avoid both.
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When you grow Mary, each strain, has a preset gentic potential. No magic fert can push it beyond it's potential. You just want to reach it's potential, not lode up it's tissue with NPK it can't use. That equals - slow growth & chemical tasting buds... Yuck...
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I use teas made with bunny manure, worm castings, molasses & high N bat guano for veggie growth. I switch to worm castings, molasses & high P bat guano tea for flowering. The worm castings are from my own worm bin.
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For veggie growth I try to keep the NPK at around 4-3-4 to 8-4-6, during flowering I switch to an NPK of 1-7-0 to 2-8-6.
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The key with Organic nutes is to start low, and build up slow & steady. Because all Organic fertilizers have additional NPK in them, which will continue to break down over time.
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Chemical Ferts are too soluble, they are absorbed quickly, but also leach out quickly. So, when you use chemical ferts you have to apply them more often. They have no staying power and if over used - they toxify your soil & plant much quicker than Organic Ferts.
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So, No Mega-Chemical Ferts or chemical ferts period, for me. I only grow in soil, organically. The only thing I use out of a bottle is Super Plant Tonic made by BMO. It makes your plants rootball massive, which equals - reaching maximum potential - aka - Fat, Frosty Buds...& It's all Organic.
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Hope this helps...
Keep it Real....Organic...
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[Ohsogreen]

Angus You are quite welcome. I am always glad to help anyone switch to Organics.
It's just a better, simpler way to grow. & Cheaper most of the time.
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[camaro630hp]

wallmart has it

Where abouts do you find your worm castings? Or do you have a worm farm? I looked at the nursery and Home Depot and they had never heard of it. Is there something I'm missing?

Another question: Do you mix ALL of that together, or are they individual mixes by themselves? Would it hurt to put them all together? Considering the NPK of all, of course.

 

[drumsinttown]

Don't know how widely regarded ol' jorge cervantes is on this site for viability, but I came across this in his indoor bible (my first resource when I am in doubt).....

Foliar Feeding

Virtually all liquid foliar fertilizers including fish emulsion, conain nitrates. the leaves of cannabis convert nitrates to carcinogenic N-nitrosamines! This is why I can no longer reccomend foliar feeding to "green up" a garden.

 

[Seamaiden]

I have one of his books, and I have a bit of a problem with the fact that he doesn't always cite his sources.

 

[Ohsogreen]

Don't know how widely regarded ol' jorge cervantes is on this site for viability, but I came across this in his indoor bible (my first resource when I am in doubt).....

Foliar Feeding

Virtually all liquid foliar fertilizers including fish emulsion, conain nitrates. the leaves of cannabis convert nitrates to carcinogenic N-nitrosamines! This is why I can no longer reccomend foliar feeding to "green up" a garden.

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Drumsintown The truth is any extra fertilizer fed to Mary - over the limit, ends up stored in plant tissues. Since, we smoke those tissues (buds / leaves) there is no way to get around it completely.
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Now, I have always advocated not foliar feeding the last month, because of the potential to promote mold. I live in the South & the humidity here is a real b*tch sometimes.
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All these Mega-Super-PowerLoad Ferts, with numbers that are insane, like 9-50-30 are the major causes of this problem. If you've ever smoked em, they taste like chemicals. I smoked some a bud was bragging on a couple of weeks ago. Hydro Grown using that shit, tasted just like Kerosine.... Yuck. One hit & that was it. I politely told him, no more for me.
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If you don't fertilize the last two weeks, Mary will break down lots of stored NPK and use it to finish buds. I am not trying to grow centerfold quality picture plants, so the yellowing leaves - don't bother me one bit. I've always found, by coasting home at the end. The Bud is Sweeter. Do you give up a little yield ? Yes, but so what. I had rather smoke a pound of pleasant tasting bud, than a pound & two ounces that tastes like crap.
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From what I've been reading recently on Vaporizers, I believe I'm going to pick one up. By not burning the plant tissue, you release more of the THC and allot, I mean allot less cancer causing substances. That's a plus, because I like to smoke a cigar, once & a while. Giving up half the smoke, would probably be good in the long run.
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Just my two cents worth.. & something to consider...
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Keep it Real...Organic....
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[Seamaiden]

My oldest son likes using a vaporizer. His mother has a problem letting what appears to be smokeable bud go without giving it another try.

 

[Ohsogreen]

My oldest son likes using a vaporizer. His mother has a problem letting what appears to be smokeable bud go without giving it another try.

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I hear vapes get like 85-95 percent of the THC out, without the burn. Are you ever able to get a buzz off the left overs ?
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Well, I'm making a big batch of compost tea today. The compost smells great - nice earthy & sweet, so I know it's going to be a good batch.
This batch will be used to green up Ohsogreens lawn.
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I laugh at my neighbors, who pay a lawn care service $ 50 every two weeks to drop by and spray some liquid N on their lawns to keep them green.
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I think, with the electricity I'll using to bubble it - I might be out $ .50 and my lawn is nice & healthy.
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Keep it Real...Organic...
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