C. 6. Tea Definitions

Compost Tea

• brewed water extract of compost,
• contains all the soluble nutrients that were in the compost,
• production methods include completely aerobic (AACT), using fermentative selective conditions (FCT), using long term brewing conditions where the tea returns to aerobic conditions after several weeks, as the smell goes away (LBCT), or using truly anaerobic conditions (NACT).
• A true compost tea should contain ALL of the organisms that are present in the compost. Loss of the aerobic groups when FCT, LBCT or NACT are made leaves it questionable whether these products should even be called compost tea. They lack a large component of the biology needed to obtain the benefits that are possible from compost or compost tea.

Put-to-sleep teas

• the organisms in the tea are put-to-sleep using a long-brewing time, or through use of a chemical that makes the organisms minimize activity. Unfortunately, the putting-to-sleep process invariably kills many, many species. When we have documented these processes, in general, species diversity is reduced by 50% during the putting-to-sleep process.
• SFI has worked with a recent process where organism diversity has not been impacted, so it may be possible to not have reductions occur

Compost Extract

• no brewing time water extract of compost. This is just the organisms, as is, from the compost. No growing time allowed.
• Soluble nutrients, enzymes, hormones and plant growth compounds are very much present. It does not take long for the enzymes, hormones or plant growth compounds to be taken up and consumed by bacteria or fungi in these materials, however.

Compost Leachate

• extraction of the organisms is minimal, so that this material is almost strictly the soluble nutrients that were in the compost. Because of the minimal amount of biology in this material, these enzymes, proteins, hormones and other materials do not disappear as rapidly as in a compost extract.

Plant tea

• compost is not involved. May have good organisms present in the tea, if beneficials were present on t he plant surfaces.

Manure tea

• compost is not involved. Typically a concern will be present about human pathogen load present in the material. Some documentation says that adequate aeration, WITH the right biology and activity of that biological compoenent, can reduce the human pathogen load. More testing is required.
• Manure teas should not be used on human foodstuffs any sooner than 90 to 120 days before harvest.

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