trends & technology
Mush feeds normally come in bottle form as a super-concentrated paste . When you buy a bottle , there is a small amount of thick mush at the bottom that must be diluted with water before use . So , for example , a one-liter bottle will have enough mush in it to make up one liter of standard concentration feed , which can then be diluted again or used as is . For the retailer , selling these mush super concentrates is very attractive , as they are cheaper to ship to both the store and the customer . Win-win all around .
“ Mush feeds normally come in bottle form as a superconcentrated paste .”
Another benefit is that the mush is not fully active until it is diluted with warm water . This means that they don ’ t necessarily have any extra preservative chemicals , which are sometimes added to standard nutrient concentrates to preserve or stabilize them . A negative point with mush feeds is that because they must be diluted , the quality of the water used — be it hard , soft , medium , pure , RO , and so on — will affect the resulting solution . Some water may even have adverse effects on the overall quality of the diluted nutrient concentrate , so be mindful of what you use . Mush nutrients are available for all growing mediums , but they work particularly well in deep water culture systems , such as bubblers . Now on to compost tea . In its simplest form , compost tea is what you get if you soak a porous bag of compost in a bucket of water for some length of time . The idea is that the nutrients in the compost are transferred to the water , leaving you with a liquid “ tea ” containing all the goodness from the fertilizer .
Making compost tea is popular , as it is relatively easy and there are countless methods and recipes available online . If you are a seasoned indoor grower , you will probably already have most of the equipment needed to make it ; however , compost tea kits can easily be bought online or at gardening stores . The good thing about DIY compost tea is that you can experiment . Try out different recipes , see what works for you , and play around to create your own super brew . To make compost tea , you simply dilute your compost mix in water . You must also add an air line to aerate the mixture ( making what is known as aerobic compost tea , or ACT for short ). This makes the beneficial microorganisms — good bacteria , fungi , protozoa , and nematodes — multiply quickly , creating a rich microbial solution that enhances the soil and the plants ’ immune systems . The aeration process is key ; without it , the organisms in the tea will use up all the oxygen in the water quickly and then die off . If this happens , the tea will become putrid , start to stink , and could harm your plants irreversibly . To get the most from your tea , I would recommend brewing it with the aeration line for between three and seven days . The microbes will start to die off quickly once the air line is removed , so it is extremely important to keep the tea aerated right up until you are about to use it . Then , simply strain it and apply it .
You can buy compost tea as a dry mix or a concentrated liquid , both of which you then dilute . There are many things that can be used as the compost for these teas , ranging from animal waste to food scraps and plant matter . Some are also more organic than others . As such , the elements that make up these mixes can vary widely . So , it ’ s worth noting what is in each one and what benefits that each can have for your plants before purchasing the tea that ’ s right for your garden .
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