〒 2026, Compost, The Tikun Project

Compost

I am not saying that all commercial compost is a waste of money, but I have seen companies put strong acidic content together with strong alkaline content and while this often breaks down over time (if mixed properly), there are often patches of this compost which remain acidic or alkaline thus resulting in the death of your plants.

On top of that I have never encountered a company that checks for chemical residue and while it "may" happen, I have never seen it - or heard of it being done - in my 5 years in the organics business, (possible because of costs associated with batch testing).

Making your own compost is safer and if you follow the guidelines and tips I have supplied in the following pages, you should have much healthier plants and a much healthier family.

Why Did I Write This? ↟↟

Because I have seen something called "Meditation Sickness" first hand (in fact, many of you have also seen it but you know it my another name).

This may have a negative impact on people who are meditating or praying and I hope that if your grow your own food, we can circumvent this negative aspect and turn it into a happier and more positive experience.

Make Your Own Starch

This "Make Your Own Starch" section is put here for people like me who like to experiment.

A lot of online resources say to cut your source material (plants) into pieces but I prefer to blend them up for maximum extraction because it gives the water greater surface area which also gives you less wastage.

I will focus on the following 4 sources.

Corn Starch
Potato Starch
Rice Starch
Inulin

Corn Starch ↟↟

Equipment

Several corn cobs
Blender
Fine sieve
2 Large containers
Several plates (the flatter the better).

Method

NO need to heat anything - COLD process only.

Buy several organic corn "cobs" and remove the corn kernels.

Soak in warm (NOT hot) water overnight (or for at least 8 hours) and then pop into your blender.

Add 30% corn kernels and 50% water.

When the kernels are completely blended into a liquid paste, pour into a container and finish doing the rest of the corn.

I add extra water to this paste and then sieve through a fine mesh.

I repeat this several times until the water runs clear.

Next, leave this settle for several hours and you will see the white powder (precipitate) settle on the bottom of the container.

Pour off (decant) the excess water and spread this out onto several plates and air dry or sun dry.

Store in a sealed jar and remember this is for compost tea so this is NOT classified as food grade (legal disclaimer).

Potato Starch ↟↟

Equipment

2Kg (5lbs) Potatoes
Blender
Fine sieve
2 Large containers
Several plates (the flatter the better).

Method

Cut up the potatoes into small pieces and add approx 30% to your blender, then half fill with water (around 60% water).

Blend until this is a watery pulp.

Pour this into one of your containers and do all of the potatoes the same way.

The starch (precipitate) will settle on the bottom so you can remove the top layer of potato pulp and add more water and run this through your sieve into your second container.

Let both of these settle and then remove the pulp and excess water and spread over several plates if you want to dry.

This is not food grade so at this stage, you should extract the slightly difficult to remove precipitate and store in a container or 3 and keep in the fridge or freezer.

Storing in the fridge stops mold growing IF there are any in the air while you are making this.

Keep the pulp and add to your solid compost.

Rice Starch ↟↟

Equipment

1 or 2 Kg (2-5lbs) rice
Blender
Fine sieve
2 Large containers
Several plates (the flatter the better).

Method

Pour the rice into 1 large container and then add 50% water and now you need to "hand wash" for 5-10 minutes.

You do this by putting rice in both hands and gently grinding them together IN the water.

Then pour off the excess water and you will that it is a milky white. This is your first starch.

Leave this settle for a few hours and then pour off the excess water and spread on large plates if you want dry powder.

STAGE 2

Boil the cleaned rice in 10:1 water (10 water to 1 part rice).

Stir when cooked so that you have a runny slurry and then pour this through a double cheese cloth.

Let the water settle and you should have more starch precipitate on the bottom of the second container.

Again, spread out on large plates if you want to dry and store in fridge or freezer.

(legal disclaimer), this is NOT food grade, it is for compost tea or even just compost.

This rice pulp is excellent bacteria food if you add several tablespoons of HUMIC acid and leave for several days, then mix into your solid waste compost.

Inulin ↟↟

You have 2 good sources of Inulin.

Chicory Root
Jerusalem Artichoke Root

Equipment

20 liter (5 gallon) cooking pot (or bigger)
1 or 2 Kg (2-5 lbs) Chicory or Artichoke root
Clean cutting board and sharp knife.
Blender
"Laser Thermometer"
Double Boiler (use a stainless steel pot inside a frying pan - I do)

Method

Wash cleans and then Cut the Chicory Root or the Jerusalem Artichoke Root into very small pieces and then add about 30% to your blender and then add about 60% clean filtered water.

Blend until you have 100% pulp and then repeat until all of your roots are processed.

DO NOT overfill (notice for men).

Next, add the blended roots to your cooking pot until it is 3/4 full.

You need to have approximately 90% water and 10% root pulp. You can even go to 95% water if you have problems.

Next, heat this 70C - 80C (160F - 175F) - DO NOT BOIL.

Simmer for 60 - 90 minutes.

Filter the heated mixture through a muslin cloth or double cheese cloth to remove solid root pulp.

Heat the resulting thick juice to 95C, then cool it gradually down to 4C over an extended period (up to 36 hours).

Use the "Double Boiler" method as this gives you much greater control of your heat reduction.

The inulin will precipitate out of the liquid and can be filtered.

**Precipitate means the "stuff" that settles on the bottom of the container.

Drying

Pour into a large glass container and leave to settle for at least several hours.

Afterwards, pour off the excess water and you will see the thick whiteish precipitate in the bottom of the container.

Spread on a plate if you want to air dry or sun dry or you can just add this to a plastic container and pop in the fridge (this is what I do).

Remember - this is

NOT FOOD GRADE

This is NOT Food Grade so you do not need to refine this further.

This is for bacteria in your Compost only.

Storage

Keep in a sealed jar and store in your fridge.

I actually keep "supplement" containers that I get from health food supplements to store mine in the freezer and then defrost as required.

Alternatively, you can buy "wide mouthed" HDPE containers from Amazon (or other) and use those as well.

For example

Azomite, Zeolite, Rock Mineral Powder

Azomite

Azomite should be added to your soil or regular decomposing compost and not into your Compost Teas.

Most of these minerals are too heavy for bacteria to absorb abd they need to be broken down by fungi in the soil.

Zeolite

Before you buy or use Zeolite in your soil, please get the minerals analysis and what you are looking for is LEAD and ALUMINUM contents.

Zeolite is very similar to carbon in that it traps minerals (Cations) and bacteria etc and it should be innoculated before use if it does not have high lead or aluminum content.

See the link to the BioChar page for How To innoculate information.

Rock Mineral Powder

Rock Mineral Powder (usually from granite) is also heavy with minerals that are heavy and this should also be added to your soil and not into your Compost Teas.

Powdered Wood Ash

Powdered Wood Ash (minerals) is OK to add to your Compost Teas and any other compost mentioned on this page.

"How To" Links ↟↟