Sorry, I typed in wrong model for Turbo Turf sprayer....its a Turbo Turf EH 300 gallon skid type, 13 hp Honda with Electric Start, 3'"x3" pump, that can hydro seed 4000 sq ft.

 

I talked to Growing Solutions Inc. today...and after hearing about their Compost Tea Brewer System 100...their setup sounds good too.

Michael Alms said that they would have a "Winter Discount" starting in December....so he said that he would let me know what my final costs would be.

There sales pitch was, you only need three things to brew a great compost tea. Well maybe four...

1. One of their machines... System 100 (is the one I'm interested in).
2. Good supply of organic compost to fill the four stainless steel compost baskets.
3. Growing Solution Inc. sells their own "Compost Tea Catalyst" that has all the ingredients to brew your tea. Based on how large of a brew you are making, will determine how much Compost Tea Catalyst you will need. So for a 100 gallons, it would be 30 oz. (1.875 pounds) of their Compost Tea Catalyst. 9 pounds cost $120.00 plus shipping.
4. Chlorine free water....after filling the compost tea brewer from my fire hydrant in front of the house.... Growing Solutions said it would take from 30 mins to an hour of running the pump to get rid of the chlorine. Then I could start brewing My Tea.

Clean up looks fair simple and fast. And replacement parts are fairly cheap $20 to $30 range....every few years. Replace Aeration Disks and Air Stones. Not a deal breaker there.

The cost is a little more up front ($4,500 before Winter Sale Price), easy to make compost teas, and very easy clean up....which would save a lot of time. Maybe in the long run, it would make up for the larger expense of the compost brewer???

Does any one know about this company or their compost tea brewers?

Thanks for any help!

Rick

 

I've never dealt with Growing Solutions personally, but I say hell no to their brewer price and the "catalyst". If you have good compost and know when the tea is where you want it be (more timing than anything), you don't need a "catalyst".

In your original post, you mentioned the Microbulator from KIS. KIS sells the unit, but the real person behind the Microbulator is Tim Wilson from www.microbeorganics.com. If this is something your serious about, buy a microscope, microbe ID DVD (I think it's included with a scope) and the Microbulator. Tim used to say the Micro. is ugly but cheap and efficient. If you want the most bang for your buck, then this is the way to go.

As far as sprayers go, it seems to depend on your budget. $2 grand for a 50 gallon setup seems steep. I would look into http://www.gregsonclark.com/products.html and possibly green pro solutions. Make sure you can spray at least 4 gallons per minute with any rig. I do like your hydro seeder option, but don't know much about it.

For the ride on application, this is somewhat a point of contention, as their is a SS220 unit that some people claim can spray tea. IMO, it doesn't put out enough volume. Look into Z-Spray. They do a lot of custom things on their ride ons and can put together a spray system that would do the job. I did talk to the makers of the T3000 as well. They claimed they had a 50 gallon tank that sat in the hopper as well as a boom and pump that could do the job.

 

Thanks NattyLawn for your input. I am hoping to talk to Tim Wilson in a day or two. I've found it interesting hear the different brewing setup and their theory's on why they've got the best machines.

You are right, Tim Wilson's Microbulator is the best bang for the buck! And he has tested results to back up his machine....which is a very big deal!

I'm hoping to have a skid sprayer with either a tow behind sprayer for back yards that I can pull it with a lawn tractor or if it was too over the top, a Z-Max sprayer would be great with the boom sprayer...my dream setup!!!

I just don't think 200 to 300 feet is enough hose for some of the yards around here, so that's why I need something mobile for the rear yards.

Then I can use the skid sprayer to agitate the tea and also fill the tow behind or rider.

It cost a little more this way, but then I can deal with almost any yard then.

 

Tim Wilson is the way to go. His brewer design is unique and cost effective.
His knowledge and support are a huge bonus for anyone beginning to brew AACT.

 

Sent Tim Wilson and email today for his thoughts on compost tea brewing. Should hear from him in a day or two.

Do you guys know anything about "Purple Cow Compost"? They are located in Middleton, Wisconsin. It's pricey but sounds like it might be a super compost for high end customers.

Has anyone used their products in the past?

What did you think of the results?

Customer happy?

 

I think I've got my plan set up...at least in my head.

Here in Northern IL, we have fairly large yards, and sometimes 300' of hose will not work spreading compost tea.

And I kept trying to think what would work good for me, since I think a riding sprayer would be great!

So here's my idea for spread organic compost tea:

I will get a enclosed trailer set up to hold a 200 gallon recirculating tank so I can nurse off the 200 gallon tank.

Then I will have a John Deere Gator that has 50 to 65 gallon tank mounted in the rear bed. Off of the John Deere Gator's tank, I will have boom sprayer off the rear bumper so I can spray larger area's of a yard.

This sprayer will also have a hose/reel of 200' feet of hose....so I can spray hard to reach areas and back yards with fences.

Each time I need to fill the Gator Spray tank, I will go back to the nurse tank that recirculating to keep the micros alive and fill up the Gator.

This way I get my mobile spraying station.... I can cover large area quickly, and have the flexibility to reach hard to get areas with hose connected to the Gator Sprayer.

So what do you guys think???

Do you think Gregonclark.com would be a good company or do you recommend someone else?

I know John Deere has a tank system kinda like this....but I want something more geared towards compost tea spraying.

Thanks!

 

Thought I'd post this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WekwGtbBwhU#!

 

Thanks phasthound for that video....it's great!!!!

That's a great idea....having the GeoTea maker as your spraying rig and compost tea brewer....all in one!

I would copy them....but where it would be a problem for residential would be trees, fences, and any other landscaping when sharp or tight turns are needed.

Their set up for spraying sports fields is ideal....and that's a great way.

If my business gets big enough....and I can justify and have very large areas to spray....I will go that route.

For now....I think I will look for a John Deere Gator....get a 100 gallon tank in the back of the bed (I won't fill it all the way up....because it would be over it's 1000 pound weight limit)....and then have a boom sprayer on the back tailgate. So I can spray the large areas....and then have 200 ft of hose, so I can spray backyards with fences or tight areas where the Gator won't fit.

That's my game plan....I've got a Turbo Turf 500 gallon sprayer that I will use as a nurse tank for My Organic Compost Tea....so now I'm looking for a good deal on a used Gator and I think I've found a sprayer for the rear bed area on the Gator.

So it all takes a little bit of time.

Anyone else have any good ideas??????

 

4. Chlorine free water....after filling the compost tea brewer from my fire hydrant in front of the house.... Growing Solutions said it would take from 30 mins to an hour of running the pump to get rid of the chlorine. Then I could start brewing My Tea.

Rick

You need to check with your water municipality about what they use. Most do not use chlorine anymore but chloramine. The latter of which can not be out gassed.
I don't mean to knock a company but this is very basic tea info and if GS does not know this I would be suspicious.

NTM is it pointless to use a hydrant hookup for a 300 or even 500 gal sprayer. Simply use 2 or more spigots and you will be full in less than 20 min. It will take longer than that to d!(k around with the hydrant hoses, hookups, water meter, billing, etc, etc...

You also mentioned "expensive compost for high end customers" Do you realize how little compost you need for brewing? Compost should be about .5% of your brewing cost even if you are paying $5/lb (which is double what the best cost)
Cutting corners here is the equivalent of picking up pennies off the street, do the math it's not worth it by a long shot.

 

These are very good points. Adding a small amount of humic acid (just enough to add a brown tinge to the water) before brewing will lock up both chlorine and chloramine.

Some composts are better than others for brewing. There is a learning curve when starting out, but it's only rocket science if you want it to be.

 

Thanks lawncuttinfoo & phasthound!!!

I've got three spigots at my house....plus when I called the Water Co....they said that getting water cost more from the hydrant than at a house. So thanks for the savings!!!

I don't know what Rockford uses in their water lines, but will find out.

If it's chlorine and not chlorine....how much humic acid will I need for 50 gallons?

Will this show up in an oxygen meter? I know I want the level high, when brewing tea....right?

Any little tips will be greatly appreciated! Just starting out, and trying to learn as much as I can for people who've done compost tea brewing.

On getting expensive compost from Purple Cow Organics.....I would buy maybe a yard, and then I would have enough for the season. I do know it only uses a little bit of compost in the mix. I just thought the best would be better to start with. Right?

 

When they tell you what they use they should be able to tell you what rate they use (ppm). This will determine your nuturalizing rate.


We have 70 resi customers with 3-5 apps per year, we use 30 lbs of compost per year, total, that's it.

A yard of compost, my goodness, just starting out? That's 7000 customers at our rate. Thinking you need to double check your numbers.

Wait, do you work for Chemlawn (trugreen)?

 

You might consider adding some worm castings in with your compost when brewing.

 

Any extra compost from Purple Cow Compost I would use at My House. Plus I don't mind spreading any extra compost through out My Yard with My Ecolawn Spreader.

As fast as I can usually get compost....it seems to disappear fairly quick....not now....but come Spring Time...I'm hoping to be busy spreading organic compost in customer's yards with the Ecolawn Spreader.

What do you sell your 3 to 5 applications at? I was thinking around $65.00 per application. This way, it will be close to what the big chemical lawn companies sell at....if not more.

Yeah, the organic compost tea mixture will be interesting....not sure what would be a good "All Around Organic Compost Tea Recipe"...(for grass, trees, and bushes)???? This will be for only a 50 gallon tea maker....if anyone wants to share some more of their knowledge. :waving:

Nope, I don't work for anyone....just a solo worker/owner. :clapping:

 

Another thing to look at is the Gator vs Kubota. At a previous job, I used a Gator, and when you would step on the gas it would go at a slow speed and then "kick in". I always worried about tearing up wet turf or dew ridden turf even with the turf tires. Kubota's do cost more, but there are diesel models that can handle carrying the weight of 50 or 100 gallons. I don't know if they have the "kick in" like the Gators do.

It's tough to price applications at a set price. So you're saying if I have a 25k lawn and my neighbor has a 10k lawn it's the same price? I don't think so. Know your costs for the truck, fuel, tea, water, travel time, application time then you can come up with a price. Setting random prices usually leads to lost money very quickly.

As far as a recipe, what brewer are you planning on using? If you go with Tim Wilson's recipes are included..

 

Are the general group of people who use Tim Wilson's recipes happy???

Anything different or any other tips or personal experiences you've seen better?

Yes, I'm getting Time Wilson's brewer to start with.

 

It's tough to price applications at a set price. So you're saying if I have a 25k lawn and my neighbor has a 10k lawn it's the same price? I don't think so. Know your costs for the truck, fuel, tea, water, travel time, application time then you can come up with a price. Setting random prices usually leads to lost money very quickly.

Well said, it also leads from business to hobby. (business makes money, hobby cost money)

 

No...sorry.... I didn't type as fast as I was thinking.

I thought I would start my prices at $65.00 for Organic Compost Tea Spraying....and then go up based on yard size.

If it's a bigger yard....it would cost more money....but for a 5000 square foot yard I would start my price there.

I would end up spraying 30 to 40 gallons of tea at that price.

For me to make 200 gallons of tea (just materials)....not including labor, truck, or my time....just materials to make the tea will be around $20 to $25. That is what I have figured out so far.

 

Are the general group of people who use Tim Wilson's recipes happy???

Anything different or any other tips or personal experiences you've seen better?

Yes, I'm getting Time Wilson's brewer to start with.

If you look closely at Tim's site http://www.microbeorganics.com/ under "Where's your data" you will find a link to a Soil Foodweb Lab analysis of AACT I brewed with Tim's 50 gal brewer. http://microbeorganics.com/SFI Microbulator Test.pdf

 

I have a compleat set up if your interested, geo tea 250, 200 gallon skid sprayer with a 400 ft electric reel and a 60 gallon sprayer for a gator let me know if its something you'd be interested every thing is in very nice condition

 

You might consider adding some worm castings in with your compost when brewing.

How long will those worm castings last when stored in a plastic bag?

 

my worm farmer puts them in sacks, the same kind of material that 50lb bags of lesco turf seed comes in.

i suspect they'd last for years like that.

 

Hi Rick-
Interestingly enough I had a client suggest I look into this service. One part I'm not sold on is how can such a little concentrate be very efficient compared to the 1 pound of compost per square foot we're applying when topdressing? Are there any special licenses necessary? I'd like to see an existing compost tea spray company's brochure.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

Yeah, Adam... I know what you mean.

I'm not sure how big of a market here in Northern IL for the compost tea spraying.

I think I will list my ad this year in the paper for "Lawn Renovation with Organic Compost Spreading". Then have my website listed underneath with my phone number also.

I would like to come up with a spraying system for My ExMark Aerator. I was thinking of making a metal frame over the engine so I could sit a 30 gallon sprayer above the engine, so I could spray organic compost tea.

This way, I can see if there is a market for organic tea without spending too much money on something that isn't very well know around here.

It might take a year or two before it takes off??? Not sure???