Actively Aerated
Compost Tea

Concentrated Solution of Soil Organisms

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Advantages of Brewing Actively Aerated Compost Tea.

Actively aerated compost tea is one of the most effective tools in the kit of the permaculturist. This comes with the caveat that it must be made properly and from only very good compost, in order to achieve optimum results.

The term aerated cannot be overstressed. It is absolutely imperative that the brewer solution remain properly aerated at all times and the brewer have no “stagnant” spots, where air and solution are not circulating resulting in detrimental, anaerobic conditions. Factors such as the shape of the brewing vessel, volume of delivered air, air introduction method and method of circulation / agitation of the solution within the brewing vessel are all vitally important, among others.

Compost with optimum microbial populations and fungal to bacterial ratios tailored to the specific needs of the application, produce the most desired outcomes. Composts of lesser quality will, often, still produce improvement in cases of dire circumstances, but will also have excessive populations of detrimental organisms which may often exacerbate the problem. This is discussed in more detail in the Compost section.

Actively aerated compost tea (AACT) allows us great flexibility to use the microbes we've nurtured in the compost pile. Also, during the brewing of AACT, the microbial population undergoes an exponential rate of growth. The resulting tea is very concentrated and may then be diluted and mixed for use in a number of ways, in many applications, providing ease and economy of use. It is important however, to insure that in the brewing, handling and dispersal of teas that we do not use methods and equipment which, “slice and dice” organisms. Specific attention to nozzle sizes and pump types, among others, is imperative.

AACT can be used in many different ways, some perhaps not readily apparent. For example, pest protection. Although we as permaculturists employ many component strategies in this regard, AACT is a very solid performer, both by promoting optimum plant health, enabling the plant to shrug-off pest attacks and actually be less appealing to them. It is known that very healthy plants are less attractive to most pests than more struggling plants, apearing often to be un-apealing. Foliar application of teas ensures an established colony of beneficial organisms on the leaf surface and bond to “receptor sites” on the leaf surface preventing the infestation of most pests, diseases and detrimental fungal infestations.

AACT is ideally suited to broadacre applications where acreages would require more compost than practical to produce or procure. AACT allows relatively small amounts of compost to treat large areas, applications of five to ten gallons per acre are normally very sufficient to begin and continue building the required microbial diversity and soil structure.

It is advisable to test the brewer before it's use for production to ensure proper aeration, circulation and it's production of favorable ratios of beneficial to detrimental organisms and the expected diversity. This testing can be handled by North Alabama Permaculture, employing light-microscope methods, among others. Direct oxygen saturation measurements can also be performed, in real time, expediting the design and tuning of constructing a brewer.