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Re: Compost Tea Confusion

Title: Re: [GWL] Compost Tea Confusion
   George Hahn of Wormgold has been doing replicated tests of worm casting tea and has proven results well enough to get his methodology patented.  That is, when grape vines were sprayed with the tea made according to the method he developed, it caused the vines to produce a chitinase enzyme that made them repellant to the sharpshooter leafhopper that carries Pierce's Disease.  He asked me not to repeat this until he had done enough testing, but he is far enough along now that I can talk about it.  This is not just anecdotal, it was proven in replicated trials in some of the areas with the worst PD infestation in California.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com
Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003


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

 
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