How can I increase the worm tea concentration for watering with a venturi device

by Mark
(Brisbane, Australia)

Hi Pauly

I bought a 'Hose n Fert' venturi device to use my garden hose to apply my fertilizer. It requires 15-1 rather than the worm tea 10 to one.

Can I just reduce the water content? How much do you think the chlorine in the water reduces the microbes, or am I wasting my time doing it that way.

Thanks.
Mark

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Jul 21, 2015
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Using a Venturi with Worm Tea
by: Paul

Hi Mark,

I'm not sure which worm tea you are referring as there are typically 2 types in general.

1. The leachate that collects on the bottom.

2. The Aerated Compost Tea (ACT) or Aerated Worm Tea. (AWT)

I'm assuming you meant the Leachate since you referenced the 10:1 ratio as this is normally how I tell people to dilute it. 10 parts water to 1 part leachate...assuming it doesn't have a bad smell.

Now with all that being said, I really would stay away from the chlorinated tap water. Leachate has some beneficial microbes as well as some bad microbes. The chlorine may not kill ALL of the microbes (whether good or bad) but the bad ones are some pretty tough mamma jammas :)

They thrive in environments that are unfavorable to the beneficial microbes.

However I won't say that watering your garden with tap won't work, but it's a "two steps forward and one step back" approach.

I get testimonials from people who have taken my advice on letting their tap water gas off for 24 hours before using it and the results are amazing.

My Aunt lives down the street from me and she used to water her tomatoes with a garden hose. Not anymore!

She fills a bucket with tap and let's it sit overnight then waters her tomatoes with the bucket the next day. She can't stop talking about how well her tomatoes do now.

So the chlorine really does kill the microbes good or bad. The best thing to do IMO is just brew the Aerated Worm Tea.

Thanks Mark :)
~Pauly

Aug 11, 2015
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Great tips
by: Mark

I understand now regarding avoiding chlorinated water. I'll try it!
My question was regarding increasing the concentration of your aerated worm tea recipe (which I love & so do my plants!). Your answer regarding chlorinated water solves that. It means I need to avoid using the hose. Thanks so much for your answer & advice Pauly.

Mark
Brisbane, Australia

Sep 17, 2015
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Increasing the ingredients in Compost Tea
by: Paul

Hi Mark,

Increasing the ingredients in Compost Tea will have to be an experiment on your part.

Adding different food sources like liquid kelp, fish emulsion, soy bean meal, yeast 500 flakes, colloidal calcium phosphate etc...

These foods and the ones you're using can be increased but can be risky. Adding too much food is a bad thing and will only create problems and can lead to a bad batch.

The process, as easy as it is, is still a delicate one and will take time to build the microbial community.

Also, using different food sources will grow different microbes. Grass, crops & annuals grow best feeding on bacterial sources and trees, shrubs and perennials like to take root in soils higher in fungi.

So with all of that in mind I hope your testing goes well.

All the best,
~Pauly

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