Making AACTs: Recipe Question??

Got the summer garden ready. It's been tilled with some compost, lime, and trace elements. I have these aerobic tea recipes, they aren't mine, but a friend swears by them. This is what i will be using on the garden this summer and was wondering if anyone had any opinions, changes, or other ideas that would make these better. I have some experience making teas, so i won't have trouble brewing. I know there are those who are more experienced on the subject though and would like more input. One thing i was contemplating was alternating between the fungus and bacteria dominant recipes instead of only using the fungal dominant tea in the second half of flowering. All help/advice is welcome and appreciated.

Veg stage recipe:

* All recipes are per One Gallon Water , brewed for 24-48 hours, diluted 50/50 for drenching*: R/O water,rain water,distilled etc. etc. For Foliar, use the bacteria dominant veg tea and dilute accordingly. Always use aerobic teas within a few hours of completing the brewing process.

* One Teaspoon Black Strap Molasses (unsulfured)1-0-5)*:
Be sure to use only the unsulfured variety.This is because sulfur kills microlife,especially fungus (unless it's elemental sulfur in small ratios).

* One Teaspoon liquid Alaskan Fish Fertilizer (5-1-1)*:
Fungus and bacteria both love fish ferts and go nuts reproducing when it's included.

* One Cup Earthworm Castings (vermicompost) or good outdoor compost*:
Vermicompost provides humates,enzymes,protozoa,nematodes,bacteria,fungus ,trace elements,secondary and primary nutrients.

* One Teaspoon Fox Farms Peace Of Mind All Purpose (5-5-5) *:
Food for the microlife that balances the pH of the tea (to about 6.5-7.2).



Flowering Stage Recipe (first half of flowering, bacteria dominant)

* One Teaspoon Black Strap Molasses (unsulfured) (1-0-5) *:
An excellent source of potassium during flowering;bacteria prefer these simple sugars,whereas the fungus prefer more complex sugars derived from various organic matter.

* One Teaspoon Fox Farms Peace Of Mind All Purpose (5-5-5) *:
Food for the microlife that balances the pH of the tea (to about 6.5-7.2).

* One Teaspoon High Phosphorous Bat Guano (0-4-0) *:
Fungi love this nutrient and will deliver it to the plant roots.

* One cup Earthworm Castings (vermicompost) or regular compost *:
Good balance of nutrient (trace and secondary).Also a source for microbes and beneficial elements.

* One teaspoon Maxicrop liquid or 1/2 teaspoon water soluble Maxicrop or kelp/seaweed extract (dry) *:
A fungal favorite,this is a key tea ingredient that produces a good ratio of happy fungus.It's also booming with trace elements,some nitrogen,and some potassium.

* 1/4 teaspoon Micronized (soft) Rock Phosphate *:
Fungus attach to the rock phosphate and grow on it.Also a prime source for phosphorous,magnesium & sulfur.




Fungus Dominant Recipe (halfway through flowering)

* 1/2 cup Earthworm Castings *:
See above.

* 1/2 cup Mushroom Compost *:
This is fungus waiting to happen.A rich source of fungal spores and dense organic matter that fungi like to eat.

* Two tablespoons Powdered,100% Natural rolled oats *:
Fungi love this nutrient and will deliver it to the plant roots.

* Two teaspoons Kelp Meal *:
I use kelp meal for several reasons.It's organic matter that fungi like to attach themselves to.Fungi love kelp extracts as a primary food source and the rich trace elements and potassium it introduces.

* 1/4 teaspoon Micronized (soft) Rock Phosphate *:
Fungus attach to the rock phosphate and grow on it.Also a prime source of phosphorous,magnesium and sulfur.

** For fungal recipe, ingredients are mixed together and are kept warm and moist for 3-7 days until visible white fungus has formed. Once this happens, it is used to brew.

Glad to hear others are taking advantage of AACT teas. Your recipes look good, with a couple of comments:

Lose the Alaska Fish Fertilizer. It's an emulsion, produced with a heat process that kills most of the micro nutrients. It no longer has an OMRI rating and does contain heavy metals. Good shot of nitrogen but not much else and certainly not organic. Use a fish Hydrolysate, which is derived from a cold process.

I'm not a fan of Fox Farms products and you can save a decent piece of change by using other, reasonably priced products.

good tip on the alaskan fish fert, any particular brands or places that are best for the fish hydrolysate? Also, if i were to substitute for peace of mind in both veg and flower, what would i want to replace it with? Preferrably something i could find locally. Brewing AACT is kind of fun and i get a huge sense of accomplishment from it, more than if i mixed synthetic nutrients with water anyways. I would be curious to see what other people use as their recipes...+rep for you, thanks for the info!

sweet tea m8, looks good!
I got one in my sig, i'd like ya opinion
I dont know much about all the bacteria and micro life yet, think ill have to go libary, lol

Essex said:

sweet tea m8, looks good!
I got one in my sig, i'd like ya opinion
I dont know much about all the bacteria and micro life yet, think ill have to go libary, lol

Click to expand...

My buddy recommended the book "Teaming With Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis. I'm thinking about picking it up myself. I've done a decent amount of research but want to fill in the holes. The ingredients for bacterial vs fungal teas will be different because of what the different microbes use as a food source. The key to the teas, as my buddy tells me, is the diversity and populations of the microbes. Even though the tea is fungal dominated, it will contain both bacterial and fungal microbes. The bacterial is especially good for foliar use because it fights more of the bacterial diseases associated with foliage that gardeners have trouble with. The fungal dominated teas are great for root rot and keeping the roots healthy. The bacterial dominated teas should are most commonly used with vegetables and herbs while the fungal is most commonly used with fruit trees and berries mostly based on the problems they are more prone to. But for marijuana, it would be ideal to use both and have a large diversity in microbe populations. It's amazing how alive the soil actually is, that's why it's recommended to dress and till with compost in the beginning a week or more before you plant (based on what you use), it get's the microbe populations up and the microbes have plenty of food to survive in the soil converting the nutrients to food for the plants and keeping them healthy. My buddy is able to contest yields with his organic teas and soil mix that people get with chemicals, I'm hoping to do the same after a few years! He said most people get discouraged after one season because they haven't completely got the hang of things. I will be taking notes like crazy and reading anything i can get my hands on to try and speed up my learning curve. Perfectly grown organic outdoor will blow your top and the thought of little if any chemicals gives you more peace of mind. Anyone read Teaming With Microbes? Is it a good read? I'm looking for more intermediate to advanced information to read because i can find all the simple stuff online or get multiple opinions from other growers...

Great read and in layman terms. It should be considered required reading by anyone who wants an organic grow. Walmart usually has the best price ($16).