Do I need to use compost teas when growing outdoors in the ground?

[Phillybonker]

I am going to be growing outdoors in the bush and the plants will be going in the ground, not in pots. The soil is dark fertile soil. I'll be using the coots organic soil mix. My question is; will it be beneficial applying compost teas during different stages of the grow or are compost teas only used for indoor grows?

 

[Morda Grown]

Short answer is: Yes you can use teas outdoors, many outdoor gardeners use teas. Teas are just basically nutrients, just be sure you are not over feeding. Know your nutes and teas and have them work together.

 

[Cmoneywills]

Yes I use my teas almost exclusively outdoors, and they work wonders.

 

[Sueet]

Do you 'need' to? No... but you can. The plants will enjoy it.

 

[bobrown14]

Best to spread compost under the plant as a mulch layer. It will be long term and you only need to do it 1x.

Think of compost tea as watered down compost which is what it is. So just put the real deal on there full strength.

 

[VanIslandConnoisseur]

Best if you do, make sure not to much available nitrogen if your soil already has enough!

Leaves dark green? your borderline too much nitrates, curling? toxicity, nitrate toxicitys will limit root growth and also sugars sent to the microbiology in the soil through the roots

USE MY SOIL RECIPE for your teas minus the sunshine mix and perlite, make sure to aerate teas heavily and add 1/2 soil gallon of compost or soil from the forest per 20-25 gallons of water, add 2L of ocean water as well

 

[Sueet]

Best if you do, make sure not to much available nitrogen if your soil already has enough!

Leaves dark green? your borderline too much nitrates, curling? toxicity, nitrate toxicitys will limit root growth and also sugars sent to the microbiology in the soil through the roots

USE MY SOIL RECIPE for your teas minus the sunshine mix and perlite, make sure to aerate teas heavily and add 1/2 soil gallon of compost or soil from the forest per 20-25 gallons of water, add 2L of ocean water as well

I am super curious of how many folks on this forum have direct access to ocean water? Or soil from a forest ? Am I the only one trapped in the big city where those things don't exist?

 

[Phytoplankton]

I have access to both, but can't figure out why I'd want ocean water. As far as forest soil, remember that other than the top couple inches, which is composted dead leaves. forest soils tend to be poor soils (there are exceptions). That is why trees with very deep roots live there. Grassland soils tend to be better. Dig a 1 foot deep trench in forest soil and look at the soil profile. It will be nice and dark for the top couple inches, below that the soil is poor. Additionally, you never know what critters you'll be importing. I have grown quite successfully in natural soil, but it was a knd of unique situation. I lived on an old sea terrance about two blocks from the ocean, the soil was incredible, a sandy loam, black and deep, in addition the former tennant had a chicken/rabbit coop that had not been used in a couple years, I scraped off the top 4-5 inches inside the coop, it was a platy soil, riddled with worm holes. I mixed that into the soil bed, got incredible results and never added any other nutes.

 

[Johnnymarijuanaseed]

Best to spread compost under the plant as a mulch layer. It will be long term and you only need to do it 1x.

Think of compost tea as watered down compost which is what it is. So just put the real deal on there full strength.

Teas are not just watered down compost, it’s the growing or microbes benifical bacteria and fungi and if u use micro and macro nutrients it helps delive those to the roots to help mycorrhiza and mycelium attach to the roots which help absorb water break down old roots keep roots clean and uptake more nutrients. That’s y in veg u focus on nitrogen and. In flower more P-K and calcium and I like silica and Mabey sum molasses or mulched oats to give the microbes a boost. I like coast of main line, there compost is rich in flowering nutrients with there worm castings. Mabey sum kelp and SST added right b4 I use it for maximum enzymes. Just IMO there’s lots of ways and different ingredients to use this is just my 2 cents.

 

[bobrown14]

If you can tell me that your compost tea has this or that fungi and/or bacteria growing in it OK. But you can't tell and you wont know what you're growing. Just because you put something in water doesn't mean its going to grow and multiply like you think it's doing unless you have a lab and equipment and the knowledge to identify those microbes.

This has been studied at the university level.

Your leaf mold you found locally used as a compost applied directly to the soil will ensure your microbes that grow again LOCALLY will thrive in your soil you applied that leaf mold to. It's also been studied.

There's some debate of efficacy of microbes you're purchasing in a bag like great white etc that they will even be alive or reproduce once applied to your soil.

I gave you good advice about using compost as a top dress instead of using compost teas which is simply watered down compost. That's basic knowledge. Add compost to a bucket - add water to that same bucket = watered down compost.

If you think you able to grow microbes in that same bucket that are beneficial to your plants? Doubtful and its been proven using compost around your plants as a mulch layer is the way to do it.

I'm just throwing this out for ya. I used compost teas and it was a lot of work. I've found thru experience using compost as a mulch works much better and a lot less work.


Here's the science:

Compost Tea- Miracle Product or Snake Oil?

I have no skin in this all I'm relaying is my experience.