Full Version: Is an air pump compulsory?
Can essence be brewed without the use of an air pump? If you only needed to use a small amount of essence could it be brewed just long enough to activate the organisms rather than to reproduce them? How long would it take for them to become activated? Could they survive in the brew that long without aeration? If the amount needed is small then the usual amount of essence could be added to a smaller amount of water, instead of concentrating it via lengthy brewing? Sorry to ask but I need an answer extremely quickly, my friend's seedlings are very close to coughing it. Thanks.
You can try what was originally told to me by tec's below, but the reason I asked if there was a better way was because I did not find it to be very effective in practice.
No don't! This is a support forum for PM products. Take compost brewing to the organic section, also read the brewing topic "Actively Aerated Compost Tea" some very good stuff there.
papaduc you do not seem to have taken any of what I tried to explain, ok I may be a little inept at writing, but I do my best, I'm only here to help out a good friend who is starting out in a business I think has good products, there is nout in it for me except I do get to test things.
Now sourdough culture, is a symbiotic mix of lactobacillus and wild yeasts, each balances each other out regulating the population on each in the mix, it can be replicated indefinitely both in the same medium provided it does not get contaminated.
I experimented with essence, a 5 litre lot as we activate it now with air stones. This was years ago, at the time, we knew it was supposed to protect against some leaf fungal infections, a bit of a probiotic. I was struggling with a leafspot infection, I had been through all the fungicides I could lay my hands on and was slowly loosing the battle. I had tried the original instructions from the technical department.
I talked some more with the tecs, and they suggested using a small air pump for better faster activation but that it would be better to use within 12 hrs. From that myself and friends developed todays activation method. Now you have all the info I started out with.
In practice it seems to work as well at 12 or 24 hrs, its not as effective at 36 hrs and seems to have much much less effect after 48 hrs even if bubbled all through.
Now you have some essence, you can do it all again and tell me what you find. I'm just a simple gardener, not a scientist, if I've said that before, its because its true.
I have done my best to help, by letting people know what I have found worked in practice for me, saved my treasured mums from extinction. if thats not good enough, fair do's, you spend your time, experiment and enlighten me. IMHO thats what this site should be about, learn and help others.
QUOTE (oldtimer1 @ May 6 2009, 05:47 PM) 
QUOTE (papaduc @ May 6 2009, 02:22 PM)
Randaliser, when you elaborate, can you do it in here? I'm keen to learn more about this stuff.
No don't! This is a support forum for PM products. Take compost brewing to the organic section, also read the brewing topic "Actively Aerated Compost Tea" some very good stuff there.
papaduc you do not seem to have taken any of what I tried to explain, ok I may be a little inept at writing, but I do my best, I'm only here to help out a good friend who is starting out in a business I think has good products, there is nout in it for me except I do get to test things.
Now sourdough culture, is a symbiotic mix of lactobacillus and wild yeasts, each balances each other out regulating the population on each in the mix, it can be replicated indefinitely both in the same medium provided it does not get contaminated.
I experimented with essence, a 5 litre lot as we activate it now with air stones. This was years ago, at the time, we knew it was supposed to protect against some leaf fungal infections, a bit of a probiotic. I was struggling with a leafspot infection, I had been through all the fungicides I could lay my hands on and was slowly loosing the battle. I had tried the original instructions from the technical department.
QUOTE
To prepare and activate essence for foliar application for 10 Square meter plots.
To treat a 10 Square meter plot; put a flat teaspoon of sugar in a mug and add about 200 ml warmed water (30oC) and stir till it has all dissolved then add half a flat teaspoon of essence. Stir well and leave for maximum 3 hours. Then empty the mixture into a cleaned 5 - 8 Ltr garden sprayer and add about 5 litres of pre-aerated or Chlorine free water or rain water and allow to stand with the lid loose over night.
Some fermentation may take place but you should use the product within 24 hours of activating.
Spray at low pressure (1.5 bar or less) through a coarse nozzle either early in the morning or evening or after rain during the day.
The longer the foliage remains moist the better the population take
To treat a 10 Square meter plot; put a flat teaspoon of sugar in a mug and add about 200 ml warmed water (30oC) and stir till it has all dissolved then add half a flat teaspoon of essence. Stir well and leave for maximum 3 hours. Then empty the mixture into a cleaned 5 - 8 Ltr garden sprayer and add about 5 litres of pre-aerated or Chlorine free water or rain water and allow to stand with the lid loose over night.
Some fermentation may take place but you should use the product within 24 hours of activating.
Spray at low pressure (1.5 bar or less) through a coarse nozzle either early in the morning or evening or after rain during the day.
The longer the foliage remains moist the better the population take
I talked some more with the tecs, and they suggested using a small air pump for better faster activation but that it would be better to use within 12 hrs. From that myself and friends developed todays activation method. Now you have all the info I started out with.
In practice it seems to work as well at 12 or 24 hrs, its not as effective at 36 hrs and seems to have much much less effect after 48 hrs even if bubbled all through.
Now you have some essence, you can do it all again and tell me what you find. I'm just a simple gardener, not a scientist, if I've said that before, its because its true.
I have done my best to help, by letting people know what I have found worked in practice for me, saved my treasured mums from extinction. if thats not good enough, fair do's, you spend your time, experiment and enlighten me. IMHO thats what this site should be about, learn and help others.
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