Build Your Own Compost Tea System

I thought I would share my homemade compost tea maker design with you.

Being a relative cheapskate, I wasn't willing to pony up the $270 bucks for a 5 gal system, so I made my own for around $25.
I use a 5 gal plastic bucket, a medium size aquarium air pump and a couple of air stones.

I fill the bucket with water and run the air in the water for a few days to bubble out the chlorine and other things in the water that our local water authority adds to make the water "clean".

I then take a cup of worm castings, a cup of Dr. Earths Natural Fertilizer and mix that together. I put that mix into a 12 inch square of plastic mesh like you find in screen doors, and bring the corners of the mesh together to make a bag and secure it with a rubber band. I then suspend this "bag" into the water about 3 inches below the surface. Lastly I add about a quarter cup of molasses to a cup of hot water and mix that up so the molasses is well dissolved. Add that to your 5 gal bucket and you have it.

In about 24 hours you will see a nice head of foam on the water that is any where from 1-3 inches thick. That tells you it is working.

The worm castings and natural fertilizer have, as near as I can tell, all of the ingredients that the commercial systems have and the molasses provides the food source for the bacteria. The aereation from the acquarium pump provides the additional oxygen to the mix that allows the bacteria population to grow very very fast.

After about 1-2 days depending on my schedule, I mix the concentrate from the gallon bucket into prefilled gallon juice bottles that are about 4/5ths full of water. I use water that I have let sit for a few days to allow the chlorine etc to evaporate out to fill the juice bottles. No sense adding a bacteria rich mixture into tap water that is designed to kill bacteria.

From my "home"system I generate about 20 gallons a week of nutrient rich tea that my plants, lawn and garden love. I put it on everything, from asters to zinnias. I even threatened to put it on my two sons who play high school football to help them grow.

With the local garden center selling the concentrated soup for $5 a gallon, I probably have saved over $500 since I built my system.

Hope it works as well for you as it has for me.

Wow! That is a nifty system. Thanks!

One question- what is an air stone?

SoCal set up a system similar to that last year, and loves it! (I'll have to find the thread sometime!)

Great results, eh BCLB? Congrats on such great success! I bet your plants are thriving!

I have plenty of vermipost....will have to finally set up a nice little system such as this. (Not quite sure buying the Dr. Earths fertilizer is necessary though.) (I'm a miser, ya know!)

By the way, what size pump did you buy?

daisy...an airstone fits on the end of the pump hose and makes more bubbles and/or spreads them out over a bigger area than if you just put the open-ended hose in the water.

Edited to add this link...forgot about this one, just in case folks want to make a larger unit
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/410938/


This message was edited Sep 9, 2004 6:41 PM

Here is an address to a site that shows the air pump, it is not a big one. Is designed for 50-75 gal aquarium. I paid about $11.00.

http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=7413

Dr. Earth's does contain the beneficial fungi, mychorrizae, although I have been told they don't multiply in this soil soup environment.

Thanks...that's a pretty good price for that pump. (I'll check Walmart or a local pet store and see what I can find.)

Much obliged! By the way, I haven't seen you post much so wondered if you're a new subscriber. If so, WELCOME TO DG! Hope to see you around!

Longtime reader, first time poster.

Great! Glad to see your post and hope to see more.

Will let you know if I get a system up and running...your post is good encouragement.

By the way, there is another member in Oregon (MaryE)...she's been posting some great Oregon pics in the Farm Forum recently. Was wondering if you were in her area also. (Beautiful country out there!)

Nope, MaryE is at the other end of the state about 5-51/2 hour drive away. Her area is more mountainous, dryer, colder.

We are a little south, southeast of Portland, the largest city. We have a mild, wetter climate, Zone 9 is where we fit in. Her area of the state has some beautiful sights, but it is a little too remote for me.

Well, it dang sure looks remote to me too! Would love to visit Oregon someday though...all of it!

If you go to Ebay , to this store http://stores.ebay.com/Aquatic-Marvels_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm this guy is an aquatic genius and can set ya up with whatever you need- even the 5 gallon bucket and he's cheap!

Oops! And his website is http://www.aquatic-marvels.com The front page isn't done but the categories are accessable from there.

This message was edited Oct 4, 2004 9:07 AM