This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Compost Tea Confusion

In the past, when real soil was used in potting soil, the recommendation was to pasteurize rather than sterilize the soil. If microorganisms were mostly killed off, the mix was soon re-invaded -- not a bad thing. I have made my own potting soil for 30 years, using real soil in addition to peat, compost, and perlite.  I never heat treat the mix or, of course, feel the need to innoculate with mycorrhizae. All the emphasis on sterile mixes, I think, overshadowed the need to provide good growing conditions. I did extensive research before coming up with this mix, reading a lot ('Seed and potting composts' a book written by Lawrence and Newell about 50 years ago was especially good), talking to other gardeners (Elliot Coleman helped a lot), and trying out different mixes.

Hamptongar@aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 9/24/2003 8:19:26 AM Eastern Standard Time, szerlag@earthlink.net writes:
 
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.

I'm not sure the above statement is entirely true.  Only potting soils that have been sterilized or pasteurized or are pure peat-lite mixes would be fungi and bacteria free.  It wasn't that long ago that growers steam treated their potting soils to get rid of all the microorganisms under the belief that most were harmful.  Now I think the opposite is true and some growers, as we've seen here, actually add microorganisms.  There is something to be said for both sides and I suspect we will end up seeing potting soils and composts that are first biologically 'cleaned' to remove the evil pathogens then the beneficial will be reintroduced either by the grower or the consumer.
 


Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener
The Hampton Gardener is a Registered Trade Mark
(Published every Thursday in the Southampton Press)


 
  

_______________________________________________
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
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index