Re: Compost Tea Confusion

**"Nancy Szerlag" s*@earthlink.net**

Mycorrhizae fungi is a natural ingredient in healthy soil. That is why it's
added to potting soil. Potting soil has no beneficial fungi or bacteria to
help the plant along. Which brings up another point. Plants growing in poor
soil will show a far greater improvement than those grown in healthy soil.

Thanks for the Tang tip Jeff L. I don't drink the stuff, but I do use it now
and again to clean my dishwasher.

Nancy Szerlag

----------
>From: Carolyn Ulrich <cultivated@sbcglobal.net>
>To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum
<gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Subject: Re: [GWL] Compost Tea Confusion
>Date: Wed, Sep 24, 2003, 3:30 AM
>

> At the Symposium in Chicago, I spoke with someone who said that while
> adding mycorrhizae to garden soil was worth doing, it was worthless
> when added to a sterile potting mix such as that used by Monrovia and
> others in the green industry. Does anybody know the truth of this, one
> way or another?
>
> I would dearly love to see some seminars on basic science, especially
> as it pertains to these new products, at the next GWA Symposium. We
> can't proselytize responsibly  until we can go forth armed with  facts
> rather than opinions.
> Carolyn Ulrich
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, September 23, 2003, at 04:46 PM, Nancy Szerlag wrote:
>
>> Myke is a mycorrhizae based product packaged and sold by Premier. It
>> comes
>> in four formulas - veggies, annuals, perennials and trees and shrubs.
>>
>> The positive effects of this beneficial fungi have been well
>> documented.
>> Monrovia now adds it to all their potting soils. They don't do it to
>> impress
>> the average homeowner, they do it because it helps them grow a better
>> product.
>>
>> last summer I attended a seminar for greens keepers that promoted its
>> use on
>> golf courses. The main speaker, mycorrhizae guru Dr. Mike Amaranthus
>> had it
>> under a microscope for all of us to view live. Fascinating  In
>> addition to
>> Amaranthus I have talked to several other scientists that grow other
>> beneficial bacteria and fungi for the green industry. I have been
>> using a
>> variety of these products for the past three years and I don't doubt
>> they
>> work.
>>
>> The compost tea industry is in its infancy. I have yet to see a good
>> independent study regarding the efficacy of any of the products.  I
>> have
>> however heard a lot of bad mouthing back and forth regarding quality.
>> It
>> doesn't clarify anything but it does cloud the issues and raise doubts.
>>
>> Selling bacteria and fungi to a society that spends billions every
>> year to
>> eradicate the stuff will be quite a challenge. I think it's worth the
>> effort.
>>
>> Nancy Szerlag
>> The Detroit News
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------
>>> From: "Dan Clost" <dan.clost@sympatico.ca>
>>> To: "Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum"
>> <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [GWL] Compost Tea Confusion
>>> Date: Wed, Sep 24, 2003, 12:17 AM
>>>
>>
>>> Hi Jeff,
>>>
>>> You said (sort of), "It seems to me that the best approach  ... is to
>>> simply
>>> wait until the garden centers in our
>>>> particular area are selling compost tea... "
>>>
>>> I don't think it will work that way. Here's an example that many of my
>>> Canadian peers can relate to. There is a product called Myke. As far
>>> as the
>>> consumer is concerned, it helps root development. There is a Myke for
>>> perennials, one for trees, etc.
>>> It was advertised by the manufacturer on television and in major
>>> newspapers'
>>> weekend gardening supplements. I tried to convince the manager to buy
>>> some.
>>> Didn't happen.  Then Mark Cullen, one of our nationally recognised
>>> gardening
>>> types, mentioned it on television. The very next day, people were
>>> asking for
>>> this product at our garden centre. (I have to confess that in my local
>>> gardening column I had written about it esveral weeks earlier but saw
>>> little
>>> in the way of tangible results...Oh crap) [sorry couldn't resist that]
>>> We ordered in a case and just left it in an out of the way spot. It
>>> sat
>>> there. One day, after running out of space, it was moved out to the
>>> seasonal
>>> house amongst the annuals. It began to sell very well.
>>>
>>> I guess I'm trying to say it takes a combined approach by the
>>> manufacturer
>>> ( sufficient quantities available for projected local demand plus
>>> advertising), the retail outlet (place it in the "hot" end cap
>>> section of
>>> the store) as well as having the "professional" staff promote it and
>>> the
>>> garden writers( who must have credibility and be able to comment
>>> based on
>>> their experiences.)
>>>
>>> If the product is good and if we, us self-appointed educators of
>>> proper
>>> gardeners around the world, communicate this well, then it will sell.
>>> cheers,
>>>
>>> dan
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> gardenwriters mailing list
>>> gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
>>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters
>>>
>>> GWL has searchable archives at:
>>> http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters
>>>
>>> Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
>>> at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos
>>>
>>> Post gardening questions/threads to
>>> "Organic-Gardening" <organic-gardening@lists.ibiblio.org>
>>>
>>> For GWL website and Wiki, go to
>>> http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters
>> _______________________________________________
>> gardenwriters mailing list
>> gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters
>>
>> GWL has searchable archives at:
>> http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters
>>
>> Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
>> at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos
>>
>> Post gardening questions/threads to
>> "Organic-Gardening" <organic-gardening@lists.ibiblio.org>
>>
>> For GWL website and Wiki, go to
>> http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> gardenwriters mailing list
> gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters
>
> GWL has searchable archives at:
> http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters
>
> Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
> at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos
>
> Post gardening questions/threads to
> "Organic-Gardening" <organic-gardening@lists.ibiblio.org>
>
> For GWL website and Wiki, go to
> http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters
_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
"Organic-Gardening" <organic-gardening@lists.ibiblio.org>

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters