What type of Compost Tea?

Different Types of Compost tea 

Fungal or Bacterial

Applying as soil drench.

BACTERIAL COMPOST TEA BREW
Brassicas and annual grasses grow in bacterial dominant soils and need a bacterial dominant compost tea brewed

This is brewed for around for approx 10 hours.

To make a Bacterial Dominant brew you need to add a Bacterial additive to the brewing process.

Have a look at our Symbio Compost Tea Bacterial Additive 

Compost Tea Starter
Pack

Vegetables, perennial garden plants and perennial grasses grow in a rootzone with a good mix of fungi and bacteria and need a balanced tea brewed for 18-24 hours.

This can be done with high quality and tested compost and additives. Well made compost analysed to ensure that all the required bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes are present and that they are pathogen free.

Symbio Compost Tea Starter Packs contain fungal rich compost that has been made under aerobic conditions and tested to ensure it contains a wide diversity of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. The nutrient packs contain the correct amounts of molasses, humate, humic and fulvic acids and comfrey to make an excellent compost tea. 

FUNGAL COMPOST TEA BREW


Shrubs need a more fungal dominant tea while hardwood trees and conifers grow in soils rich in fungi need a very fungal dominant tea.

This is brewed approx 24-36 hours.

To make a Fungal Dominant brew you need to add a Fungal additive to the brewing process.

Have a look at our Symbio Compost Tea Fungal Additive 

Applying as Foliar Spray.

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that a bacterial dominant tea applied as a foliar spray may help the plant combat disease and drought stress.

This can only be ascertained for a given set of circumstances on a trial and error basis. The tea should be brewed for 8-­‐10 hours and a bacterial additive containing a broad spectrum of beneficial bacteria may be added.

Compost teas should not be mixed with inorganic chemicals or fertilisers and if the spray tank has been used for pesticides it should be thoroughly cleaned before filling with compost tea.

Compost teas can be applied via standard sprayer, fertigation system (care must be taken to prevent biomass growing on the nozzles), irrigation system or simple watering can. On spray and fertigation systems the pressure should be below 3 bars.

Add the compost tea to the spray tank and dilute with de chlorinated water. If mains water is used add it to the tank the day before to give chlorine time to dissipate before adding the compost tea.

Compost Tea Additives 
You can add to the compost teas brews, the following biostimulants.

• Symbio Liquid Humic Acid
• Symbio Fulvic Acid
• Symbio Liquid Seaweed
• Symbio BioBooster Fish Hydrolysate
• BioBooster Liquid Organic fertilisers

Golden Rule for tank mixing 

Always pre dilute the biostimulant with at least an equal amount of water and add it to the nearly full spray tank after diluting the compost tea in the tank.

Coverage using Symbio Compost Tea and Nutrient Packs

50 litres pack 5,000 –>> 20,000 sq.m

100 litres pack 10,000 –>> 40,000 sq.m2

200 litres pack  20,000 –>> 80,000 sq.m

The amount of concentrate required depends upon the general health and organic matter content of the soil. When first applying compost teas we suggest the following as a guide.

Soil organic matter less than 2% -------------- 10 litres concentrate per 1,000 sq.m
Soil organic matter 2% - 3% ------------------ 10 litres concentrate per 1,000 – 2,000 sq.m
Soil organic matter 3% - 4% ------------------ 10 litres concentrate per 2,000 – 3,000 sq.m
Soil organic matter greater than 4% -----------10 litres concentrate per 3,000 – 4,000 sq.m

There is no maximum amount of water that may be used in the brewer, spray or fertigation tank. You need enough to drench the rootzone - we recommend a minimum of 500 litres per hectare.

FIND OUT MORE AT: 

www.symbio.co.uk/compostteas

How to Brew a Compost tea

How to make a Good 
Compost Tea Brew

In this Blog we are talking about how to make a successful and biologically active compost tea brew.

How Much Compost should I use?

The Compost used in the brew should contain all the pre tested compost and nutrients needed to make a good compost tea. 

Symbio supplies Compost Tea Packs in 50, 100 and 200 Litre Sizes. The Pack size describes the minimum amount of water required.

e.g The 100 litre pack is designed to be made with a minimum of 100 litres of water, there is no maximum amount of water up to the brewers capactiy. The packs can be scaled down pro rata for smaller brews


Approximate coverage per pack

To give you an idea a 50 Litre compost tea pack contains:

• 1 Kg of Tested, high quality compost
• 150 grams of Activating Nutrients
• 10 grams of Plant Activating Nutrients

This will cover

• Low Organic matter < 2.5% : Approx 5,000 – 6,000 sq.m e.g. Golf Greens, tees, sandy root zones
• Medium Organic matter 2.5% - 4%  : 1 hectares e.g. Light arable land, soil based football pitches an
• High Organic Matter 4% and above : 1 - 2 hectares e.g. Plants, Trees, Vegetables and nurseries

Operating Instructions

Fill the Compost Tea Brewer with enough water as required

If the water is chlorinated fill up the day before use or aerate the water for at least 60 minutes until all odour of chlorine has gone.

Making Good Aerated Compost Tea

There are two was to add the compost tea and additive to the brewer can be done in two ways:

Option 1

Add the compost and compost tea additive directly to the water. Then turn on the aeration pump. (This is quite a messy way and some of the compost may sit in the bottom and not be aerated properly)

Option 2

Compost Tea Bag

Put the compost and additives into the brew with a Compost Tea Bag and close the Velcro tightly. This is the better of the two options as the compost and nutrients are suspended directly above the aerator, allowing for maximum effect)

Order of filling the bag:

1. Add the compost first to line the bag
2. Compost tea stimulants
3. Fungal or bacterial additives

Suspend the bag across the top of the brewer with a pole or something similar, using the string attached to the compost tea bag. Make sure is it centralised above the air bubble being created by the aerator and completely submerged in the water.

Sometimes the brew may start to foam. If it does add 1 tablespoon (25 ml) of vegetable oil

Brewing Times:

All times below are based on an ambient air temperature of approx 15-20 ⁰C. Extend the brewing time if it is colder.

The quantity and type of microbe you grow is dependent upon the content and quality of compost,the nutrients added and the length of time taken for the brewing process. The following suggestions are for compost tea made with Symbio approved additives and nutrients.

Bacterial Additive for
Compost Teas

Bacterial Dominant Compost Tea

In general bacteria grow first and fastest and you should have a bacterial dominant tea if

brewed for 10-12 hours.

Uses – Foliar feeding, soil drench for annual plants, early spring start for annual grasses.

Fungal additive for
Compost Teas

Fungal Dominant Compost Tea

It is not so easy to make a fungal dominant tea. We recommend adding Symbio Fungal additive for compost teas and brewing for a maximum of 36 hours. Nematodes tend to reduce in numbers after 18-24 hours.

Once the Brew has Finished....

• Disconnect the electrical supply.
• Leave to stand for 20 minutes to allow solid matter to settle or float to the surface.
• Decant through a filter. This can be done with an old pair of tights, or alternatively through a Symbio Filter Sock
• Apply the tea as soon as possible ideally within four 4 hours of completing the brewing process.(Compost tea is full of living organisms and has a very short shelf-life.)
• If you cannot apply the compost tea within four 4 hours, leave it in the brewer and aerate for 5-10 minutes every hour.
• Clean the Compost Tea Brewer thoroughly

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
WWW.SYMBIO.CO.UK/COMPOSTTEAS

What is Compost Tea?

Compost teas introduce life into sterile soils and growing media when compost application is not practical.

Q: What is compost tea?
A: Compost tea is an extract of the micro organisms and nutrients found in good aerobic compost. Once extracted these micro organisms comprising of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes are fed and multiply rapidly creating a rich microbial solution to revitalise your soil and plants.

Q: Why use compost tea to grow plants
A: Most intensively managed soils are almost sterile or at best lacking in many of the micro organisms that make up the healthy soil food web. This food web recycles nutrient and makes it available and helps protect the plant from drought and disease stress. A healthy soil food web is essential to grow plants with a minimum of inorganic fertiliser and pesticide inputs.
Semi sterile soils include:

• Agricultural soils that have been exposed to inorganic fertilisers & pesticides / left without cover crop,
• Nursery and horticultural soils that have been steamed or treated with methyl bromide,
• Peat based growing media and heavily fertilised and watered plants in the nursery,
• Sports turf soils in sandy rootzones subject to compaction e.g. golf greens and sports pitches,
• Allotment soils left fallow without a cover crop over winter.
  
  Compost teas are a simple cost effective way of reintroducing a healthy soil food web
  
  
  
  
  
  

Q: How is compost tea made?
A: You put good quality compost in water, shake out the microbial life with air then feed the microbes with microbial foods to encourage them to reproduce. To do this you need a clean tank, air supply and diffuser, clean water, good aerobic compost with a diversity of bacteria, fungi protozoa and nematodes, a range of microbial foods and a means of spraying the compost tea into the soil or onto your plants.

Q: Which soils and plants benefit from compost teas?
A: Compost tea adds microbial life to soils and plants. So any plant growing in poor quality soil or sterile rootzone will benefit. This includes all crops grown in intensively fertilised and ploughed farmland, compacted and heavily used amenity sports turf, vegetable crops, greenhouse and horticultural plants grown in containers with peat based or other sterile growing media.

Q: Should compost tea be applied to trees?
A: Yes, compost tea is great for stressed trees and fruit trees. If the soil under and around the drip line is compacted, it should be mulched. If this is not possible then drenching the soil with compost tea will reintroduce microbial activity. Do not apply to very dry soil. If your tree is showing signs of leaf or wood diseases, it may help if the leaves and branches are sprayed with compost tea. There is no direct biocidal effect but sometimes the good microbes will out compete the disease causing fungi and reduce or eliminate the problem.

Q: When is the best time of year to apply compost tea?
A: You can apply compost tea at any time the ground temperature is above freezing. More frequent applications in spring and autumn will help start off the growing season and strengthen plants for winter. If you manage highly stress sports turf or ornamental plants then you should apply throughout the growing season.

Q: How often should compost tea be applied?
A: You cannot over apply but frequency depends upon the starting state of your soil or rootzone, crop and length of growing season. Your Symbio technical advisor will recommend the best programme for your conditions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT 

www.symbio.co.uk

Compost tea brewing Instructions

There are three essential ingredients
A compost tea brewer or Xtractor –Which is a specially designed container and an air supply that keeps the oxygen level at at least 6ppm all the time. It is very important to keep the brewer clean so choose a brewer that does not have internal pipes, nooks, corners and crevices which harbor biofilm and are difficult to clean. You should not allow a brown film to build up on the surface of the brewer; this may contain harmful microbes that reduce the potency of the compost tea you make. Symbio Compost Tea Page

Good compost – Ideally you should buy pre tested compost made by a reputable supplier that is pathogen free and contains and broad spectrum of the beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes needed to make a good compost tea. If you make your own compost it should have at least 50% woody material in the mix and be made aerobically. It should be turned when the temperature reaches 65oC and typically be made in six – eight weeks. You may then have to leave the compost for a month or more or inoculate it with a fungal inoculant to allow time for fungi to grow.

The correct nutrients – You need to add foods to feed the bacteria and fungi so that they can grow when they have been extracted from the compost. Different foods feed bacteria and fungi. Bacterial dominant teas are made with black strap sulphur free molasses or sugars while fungal dominant teas are made by adding fish hydrolysate and humic substances so be sure to use the correct nutrients for your brew.

Each batch you make will be different depending upon the ambient temperature, pH of the water used, brewing time, compost quality and nutrients added. It is best to make tea at the ambient temperature so you grow the microbes that will survive in the soil temperature to which they are applied

• Step 1 - Fill the brewer with the desired amount of water. If using chlorinated water run the air pump for an hour or two to release any chlorine in the water.
• Step 2 - Add the nutrients to the water.
• Step 3 - Add the compost to the basket or for smaller brewers into the water.
• Step 4 - Brew for the required time.
• Step 5 - Switch off the brewer and allow the compost tea to settle for 20-30 minutes.
• Step 6 - Decant the compost tea via and extra filter if necessary to your spray tank or irrigation tank and apply as a soil or foliar drench.
• Step 7 - Thoroughly clean the brewer.

Hints

If the compost tea foams you can add a small amount e.g. half cup of cooking oil. The finished compost tea should be sprayed within 4-5 hours before the microbes use up all the oxygen and it goes anaerobic. If you cannot apply the tea for any reason, simple run the aerator for a few minutes every hour until the tea is applied. If applying bacterial or fungal additives follow the instructions on the pack as a general rule bacterial additives are added at the start of the brew cycle and fungal additives at the end of the cycle.

Brewing timesYou can further refine the type of tea you make by altering the nutrients and brewing time.

With an ambient temperature of between 15-20oC you can make the following brews.

Using Compost Tea in Horticulture

Compost teas in Horticulture are a great asset. One of our customers has had fantastic results!. Check out the video on how compost teas have been used in horticulture and the benefits they received!

Symbio Compost tea!

Welcome to our Compost Tea page! We have great information and advice on how to brew the right type of compost teas for your plants, grass or crops!