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Rudolph

Ok! I've been looking thru this compost tea board, And noticed that all the recipes that you all posted contain baseicly the same ingeridents, Molasses, Alfalfa pelets, Wormcastings, Mabey some kelp, Compost, These are the common ingeridents so my question is, Can I use a subsidation for these ingeridents? I mean all you guys are trying to do is make the bacteria mutiply, molasses is sugar for the bacteria to eat, so why cant I use Honey,Mabye maple syrup, Heck why not plan old sugar, instead? If anyone wants to comment on this please do, idk? mabey you guys use those ingeridents because you know they work.

5/11/2009 7:17:21 PM

Minnesota

Good question,does anybody use white sugar?

5/11/2009 8:54:08 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Maple syrup would be fine, it's simple unrefined sugars you're after, no refined white sugar.

5/11/2009 9:04:42 PM

South East

Honey is a no no,,and why would you wonna substitute them. All the ingredients you name make for a quality tea. If you wont good result,,,use those ingredients.

5/11/2009 9:44:06 PM

Rudolph

I dont know mabey someone lives on a maple syrup orchard, And it would then be very convenient and cheap for said person so make compost tea. I just wanted to know, I went over this whole compost tea board and know one asked this, why is honey bad? I bet it's because of the bacteria in the bee's saliva, Any other substitutes for the fallowing items I said? trying new things wont hurt, never know this post may inspire someone too make a tea so great that it will be the next generation of compost tea.

5/11/2009 10:28:35 PM

Rudolph

tipo error( maybe ) on the last two post

5/11/2009 10:43:08 PM

Gold Hill, Oregon

this will be my first year making compost tea so i really can't help. i do know that honey has a lot of beneficial minerals for humans. skunks and bears really like it. you may be on to something. try it and see.

5/12/2009 12:27:35 AM

Seattle, WA

honey has some anti-microbial properties, making it less than ideal. The reason unsulfured blackstrap molasses is typically used is because it feeds the highest diversity of microbes due to the way it's processed (less refined than the other sugars you mentioned). That being said, you could use maple syrup or other sugars (ex.- fruit pulps), but molasses really is the best in regards to a sugar source. We use a bunch of ingredients so as to select for the highest diversity of microbes in the brew. After all, some are going to be more efficient at consuming certain food substrates than others.

5/12/2009 4:05:20 AM

southwest MO

Believe it or not Acetic acid is the Cadillac of microbe (bacteria) food. It's carbon source is the simplest for the microbes to get to. However complexity in the food source should translate into complexity of microbes. Add some finely ground Breakfast cereal to the mix to build diversity.

5/12/2009 9:31:07 AM

Rudolph

So honeys a no no, And one can put cereal into the mix, I love that idea, Im going to start with corn flakes and work my may up to frosted corn flakes, But realy I like the idea, I think I'll start adding It to my mix, thx. any other thoughts wellcome. ps I have two test tea's brewing right now one with honey the other maple sryup, I put corn in with the honey brew just plan old corn that I crushed, corn is the main ingerdient in prem, so maybe it'll stop the weeds from germinating around the plant, or maybe the bacteria will just eat it all.

5/12/2009 10:33:00 AM

I tried foliar feeding my plant Round-Up instead of Kelp one year. The results were not satisfactory.

Why mess with success?

5/12/2009 12:23:24 PM

Rudolph

One needs to mess with success to make it more successful.

5/12/2009 12:50:02 PM

Falls City, NE

Not so if it ain't broke don't fix it. If somethings been tried and proven to work why would you want to keep meesin with it

5/12/2009 4:06:42 PM

southwest MO

If you think the guys who grow the big ones aren't "messin" with things your mistaken. They just arent posting it here.

5/12/2009 6:19:52 PM

Ohio

Sandbagger, try battery acid as a foliar, just a drop will do ya,,lol

5/12/2009 6:37:29 PM

Not many that "mess with success" do so without a TON of research and background knowledge. Way too many variables in these plants to boldly state that your maple syrup tea grew you a 1600# pumpkin.

5/13/2009 9:09:50 AM

southwest MO

To boldy go where none have gone before.

5/13/2009 10:10:46 AM

Westford, MA

I thought Round Up was supposed to be used as a drench???

5/13/2009 12:51:23 PM

Seattle, WA

Personally, I just don't think it's as good of a sugar for growing with. I'd stick to molasses. BUT, if you do decide to give it a shot, I'd got with micro amounts in greater frequency....no high concentration applications. This will give the bacteria time to break down the sugar without causing huge blooms of growth.

5/13/2009 2:27:18 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Tad...I am impressed...although this thread has taken yer theories to where>>>"None have gone before"...you still responded with a logical, knowledge based response!!! Sorta rare!!! LOL Peace, Wayne

5/14/2009 11:32:10 PM

Ohio

LOL Wayne!! Tad doesnt get to over excited about other theory's and wild comments I have noticed, hes a straight shooter.

And Klancy, now that comment made me laugh out loud,,, good one!!,,lol.

5/15/2009 6:20:17 AM

Seattle, WA

Nah, I like a good laugh! I just try to limit my posts to areas where I have experience. That's why you pretty much just see me in this forum. You guys have way more overall knowledge on growing pumpkins, so I just like to chip in when I can! :-)

5/15/2009 1:22:06 PM