As mentioned in response to your humates article, I have a low cost device which produces humates and aerated compost tea. Six units are being trialled in Nepal right now and I’ll keep you posted with the feedback
No problem. The idea is simple - recycle nutrients from kitchen and garden waste materials by allowing them to decompose in an aerated liquid (water). The materials (grass, garden clippings, potato peel, waste vegetables etc.) are placed in a mesh bag which is then submerged in a small tank of water. The water is then circulated and aerated several times per day, constantly ensuring the dissolved oxygen content of the water does not drop to zero.
The first liquid that is produced is well known to gardeners as aerated compost tea. This is high in nutrients and also aerobic bacteria which can then be applied to your garden. The interesting part however, happens around the three week mark when the liquid turns much darker. This is when the decomposition of materials in the mesh bag (greens) are almost completely broken down and humates are released into the liquid. Importantly, as the liquid is never anaerobic, the process is odorless and the liquid harmless.
I use approximately 40 pints (20 litres) daily and top-up the mesh bags and water regularly. This is what I have been applying to my plants and soil and I recently posted several pictures of soil samples showing a definite color difference in the soil after six months usage. The process itself can be manually operated so no electricity is required.
Peter, this is very intriguing! Thank you so much for sharing. It's almost like an aquatic compost if you will... there is a lot in common between the biology of aerobic water systems and aerobic terrestrial systems, so I don't see why this wouldn't yield a useful soil amendment.
Hi Andie,
As mentioned in response to your humates article, I have a low cost device which produces humates and aerated compost tea. Six units are being trialled in Nepal right now and I’ll keep you posted with the feedback
copy/paste of Peter's process:
Hi Andie,
No problem. The idea is simple - recycle nutrients from kitchen and garden waste materials by allowing them to decompose in an aerated liquid (water). The materials (grass, garden clippings, potato peel, waste vegetables etc.) are placed in a mesh bag which is then submerged in a small tank of water. The water is then circulated and aerated several times per day, constantly ensuring the dissolved oxygen content of the water does not drop to zero.
The first liquid that is produced is well known to gardeners as aerated compost tea. This is high in nutrients and also aerobic bacteria which can then be applied to your garden. The interesting part however, happens around the three week mark when the liquid turns much darker. This is when the decomposition of materials in the mesh bag (greens) are almost completely broken down and humates are released into the liquid. Importantly, as the liquid is never anaerobic, the process is odorless and the liquid harmless.
I use approximately 40 pints (20 litres) daily and top-up the mesh bags and water regularly. This is what I have been applying to my plants and soil and I recently posted several pictures of soil samples showing a definite color difference in the soil after six months usage. The process itself can be manually operated so no electricity is required.
Peter, this is very intriguing! Thank you so much for sharing. It's almost like an aquatic compost if you will... there is a lot in common between the biology of aerobic water systems and aerobic terrestrial systems, so I don't see why this wouldn't yield a useful soil amendment.
From John:
Thank you for sharing all this great info!
https://youtu.be/TP-_Rb8DYLQ?feature=shared
If you or anyone else is interested, I found this John Kempf/AEA Webinar on humic substances to be super informative!
Ooh I'm only a couple minutes into the webinar and this seems like a great resource, thanks so much for sharing!