Re: Compost Tea Confusion

**LEE REICH l*@hvc.rr.com**

I can't resist putting my two cents into this compost tea discussion. I have
yet to see some independent research proving the benefits of compost tea.
Yes, I know that many people have used it and "just know" that it works, but
that's not good enough for me. I'm reminded of something that Christopher
Lloyd once wrote (tongue in cheek), something about how good fingernail
clippings are for rhododendron plants. It seems that he always sits in the
same chair when clipping his nails, then throws them out the window. The
rhododendron beneath that window it particularly healthy and vigorous.
q.e.d.

And even if there was some statistically measurable effect of compost tea,
there's a lot of things you can spray on plant leaves and get some
measureable effect.

Lee Reich

Carolyn Ulrich wrote:

> thanks Jeff for your comments. fyi, Knupper's Garden Center in
> Palatine, a suburb of Chicago is making SoilSoup and selling it to
> customers. So far that's the only source I'm aware. Jeff Lowenfels and
> his multiple sources in Anchorage are truly impressive. Carolyn Ulrich
> On Tuesday, September 23, 2003, at 11:08 AM, Jeff Ball wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > ----I know that compost tea works because I've read enough about its
> > success
> > in the northwest to know it works and Nancy and I have used it for two
> > years
> > and have been pleased with the results for the most part.  So here we
> > have a
> > wonderful new breakthrough product that will do miracles for the
> > average
> > gardener, and I was at a loss as to how to communicate in an orderly
> > and
> > clear fashion what is going on and how to take advantage of this new
> > wonder.
> > As a profession, I think we will be sorely tested in the coming years
> > to
> > help ordinary folks, gardeners and yardeners alike, to make the shift
> > to
> > this new technology.  There is too much data and it is much much too
> > confusing for translation into a language we can use in a newspaper
> > column
> > or magazine article.  I think the confusion is going to prevent garden
> > writers from venturing forth into this new world and the confusion will
> > certainly prevent normal folks from jumping in.
> >
> > Here is what I mean by confusion.
> >
> > To understand the benefits of compost tea I need to learn about the
> > "soil
> > food web"; an exciting but very complex topic that is yet to be
> > simplified
> > in my view; but I believe it will be simplified within the next year.
> >
> > "Compost Tea" is used as a generic term to cover aerated tea made with
> > compost, aerated tea made with worm castings, and aerated tea made with
> > microbes suspended in powder.  I would think it would be better to say
> > "compost tea", "Castings tea", and "Microbial Tea"; then we would know
> > what
> > the writer is talking about in terms of the ingredients.  The
> > difference in
> > ingredients is confusing.
> >
> > Then we get the Dr. Inghrams who know a great deal about the very
> > complex
> > technical facts and concepts throwing out the fact that we need to
> > worry
> > about making the right tea for the right plants.  There is fungal
> > dominated
> > tea which is made in a certain way and only should be used on certain
> > plants.  Then there is bacteria dominated tea which is made in a
> > different
> > way and should be used only on plants using a bacteria dominent tea.
> >
> > Then we hear that all tea areators are not equal. Some use an impeller
> > to
> > mix the tea around and others use air to mix the tea around.  The air
> > people
> > say that the air stones found in the goldfish section of the pet store
> > are
> > not sufficient in power to make aerated tea.
> >
> > What a bunch of confusion in my eyes.
> >
> > But I think I have found the solution:
> > I have learned that garden centers in the northwest are making their
> > own tea
> > and selling it to the public at a reasonable and fair price and it is
> > selling very well.
> >
> > It seems to me that the best approach to bringing the general public
> > into
> > this new growing system is to simply wait until the garden centers in
> > our
> > particular area are selling compost tea, and then start writing about
> > the
> > soil food web and how compost tea is good for it.  I assume the garden
> > centers will have a fungal tea for plants on a list liking fungal tea,
> > and a
> > batch of bacterial tea and another bacteria loving plant list, so we
> > don't
> > make any mistakes.
> >
> > Since very few people make active compost any more because of the time
> > it
> > takes for the modest return in volume, I predict that very few people
> > will
> > make their own aerated compost tea when they can buy it at the local
> > garden
> > center and not have to learn all that complicated technical stuff that
> > few
> > folks can completely agree on.  The garden writers don't have to get
> > into
> > all the politics and desention around the production of compost tea.
> > They
> > simply find a way to help people understand how soil works (soil food
> > web)
> > and how in simple terms compost tea makes that soil better; making the
> > plants happy.
> >
> > I rest my case and now patiently wait the two years it will take
> > Michigan's
> > garden centers to buy into the idea of selling compost tea that they
> > make
> > themselves.
> >
> > Jeff Ball
> >
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