I think the word tea is being used incorrectly here.. I believe that concentrate is actually a "compost extract" more so than a AACT - when I hear tea, I think of AACT's first and foremost.. but I understand the horticultural market is changing and that the term makes it easier to sell..
"Aerated active compost tea" is made in 24-48 hours from a small to moderate amount of compost in water with added things like molasses, alfalfa meal, etc... and of course, lots and lots of added air during the process to grow "aerobic" microbes. A constant air pump running to pump up the microbes and increase their population. This stuff needs to be aerated until you apply it or the microbes will die
or go dormant without oxygen. I've read in excess of 3 hours without oxygen is the maximum use of this product. At best, a non-aerated "ACT" will be much less beneficial than one kept oxygenated until application. With actively aerated compost tea, you (the end user) are taking compost and putting it into water (with aeration) and adding food/nutrients for the biology in the compost. When made properly, your end product will contain a wide variety of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. The organisms are active at the time of application, however, you don't the specific species you're applying. It's a shotgun approach.
"Compost extract" (instant compost tea, or compost tea concentrate, etc etc - the bottled stuff) is made from a much larger quantity of compost mixed well in water to extract microbes and nutrients. This stuff can be stored effectively since the microbes aren't mostly active and therefore doesn't demand oxygen. Much of the benefit seen is also from minerals and other ingredients in the solution, not the active bacteria and fungi that the aerated version provides. With instant compost tea, the manufacturer is extracting and replicating a very specific group of organisms and putting them in a dormant state until ready for application. Truthfully, these concentrated teas and tea extracts don't serve much purpose as a foliar spray - because the bacteria will more than likely die. These products are better in the root zone. This is from
Compost Tea Brewing Manual, 5th edition, by Dr. Elaine Ingham
"Thus, teas that have been "put to sleep" are better for soil applications, because the organisms have time to wake up before they start to function, whereas on leaves, the organisms must be immediately active to protect the leaf surface."
If you're able to brew an AACT then that my friend is what you want to do, you can add the Wiggley's to it for some good results, but ideally - you'll get a broader range of microorganisms than if you use the compost extract (which is what that is, it's not a tea, it's an extract) than if you were to use it the way it says to apply it.
I have several great books for TLO and organics in PDF form, I need to find out the rules of posting them here..
jm. :thumbs:
