Should I rebrew organic tea if not used in several days??

[lampost]

I was brewing up my fertilizer mix... it's not actually homeade tea, but Humboldt Nutrients organic line... and I hadn't used it in like 3-5 days. It was in a 5-gallon bucket and it was bubbled with air the entire time, so maybe it's not a problem. Do you think I should dump it and just rebrew after that many days, or even a few more?
I know this nutrient line probably supports strong bacterial growth and I'm sure the oxygen supports that. So, I guess anaerobic bacteria would be prevented with constant bubbling. Could this extra time actually be good by allowing more time for beneficial bacterial growth in the water bucket before watering?

Any thoughts?

lampost Reviewed by lampost on 02-19-2010. Should I rebrew organic tea if not used in several days?? I was brewing up my fertilizer mix... it's not actually homeade tea, but Humboldt Nutrients organic line... and I hadn't used it in like 3-5 days. It was in a 5-gallon bucket and it was bubbled with air the entire time, so maybe it's not a problem. Do you think I should dump it and just rebrew after that many days, or even a few more? I know this nutrient line probably supports strong bacterial growth and I'm sure the oxygen supports that. So, I guess anaerobic bacteria would be prevented Rating: 5

[Rusty Trichome]

So we meet again...lol.

Compost Teas

From the above link: (I highlighted the concerns)

â??While the scientific evidence is
certainly lacking for aerated compost
tea activity in disease control, there is a
serious, documented concern with these
types of compost teas,â?� says Dr. William
R. Schneider, a research scientist in the
Biopesticides & Pollution Prevention
Division (Office of Pesticide Programs) of
the Environmenatal Protection Agency.
He continues, â??It is very difficult
to do a microbial pesticide risk
assessment on a mixture of unidentified
microorganisms that could easily
contain human and nontarget organism
pathogens.â?�
Indeed, this risk is significant in
aerated teas that have been â??enhancedâ?�
with molasses, kelp, and other high nutrient
additives. Such aerated teas have been
documented through scientific
research to contain E. coli and Salmonella
populations, both of which are human
pathogens.

The recent deaths due to
E. coli-contaminated spinach illustrates
how dangerous compost tea applications
can be, particularly on food crops.

Is using this stuff worth your health and the health of your family and friends?

[sarah louise]

I think you missed the point there Rusty, although I agree compost teas are a bio hazard, the question is really "How long can I keep my mixed up nutes (Humboldt Nutrients organic line) if I aerate the bucket?"

I can't answer it, I don't know the nutes and I'm a 'mix up fresh as needed' kind of girl anyway.

Although I would urge people to be careful in the way they dispose of runoff or other waste nutrient solution. The best option is feed it to other plants... you'd be amazed how much you can produce in veggies from the coco run off a few plants.... but lawns and trees will take an occasional dose too. Anyway try not to put it down the drain, especially flowering formulas, phosphorus it's toxic shit once it gets into the waterways.

Even pouring it into a dry compost heap would be better than putting it down the drain.

[Rusty Trichome]

Coulda swore I wrote this in the original post...<sigh> getting old.

Generally speaking, mixing for immediate use is the norm, and is recommended on a variety of grow products. The dangers listed above still apply for teas. Doubtful re-aeration lowers the dangers much, but is it worth the risk? If you have lowered immunities, likely a bad idea.

Wear gloves, and dont itch your nose or rub your eyes. :thumbsup:

sarah louise: Using the stuff on lawns is a far cry from watering with, or worse, spraying the stuff on the plants we handle daily. And yes, I agree throwing good money down the drain is quazi-blasphemous. But safety first.

[sarah louise]

sarah louise: Using the stuff on lawns is a far cry from watering with, or worse, spraying the stuff on the plants we handle daily. And yes, I agree throwing good money down the drain is quazi-blasphemous. But safety first.

I was thinking about limiting the growth and spread of cyanobacteria in the waterways more than saving money.

[jtsik330]

I was under the impression that after the humbolt honey is mixed it has about a 72 hr shelf like. Although you will have to shake the gallon for a minute before its ready to get fed to the girls.

[Rusty Trichome]

I was thinking about limiting the growth and spread of cyanobacteria in the waterways more than saving money.

Unless you're dumping truckloads of barrels of the stuff into your streams or lakes, I wouldn't give that a second thought. Plus, cyano is one of (if not THE) oldest known oxygen producing organisms on earth.

Having fought it (red slime cyano) in my coral and saltwater tanks, I'm not in the least worried. But we wern't talking about flushing the stuff either. (at least I wasn't)