[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

RE: [compost_tea] Testing procedures for various brewers



Well, after reading your post another time, I’m starting to better grasp your point. 

 

But that college biology 101 student is still in me, and is tugging at my gut saying… prove it to me … and then prove it to me that you can’t disprove it  -- sorry, being a pain in the rear is only a hobby… grin.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Lowenfels [mailto:jeff@gardener.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 6:29 PM
To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Testing procedures for various brewers

 

 

<<So…  when I see test results of a given brewer, I question – are we seeing the results of the materials extracted from the compost, the brewers capability to grow aerobic colonies or a mixture of both?  I’m making my own judgment that it’s the latter.  In that case, how can we say a certain brewer is better or worse than another by looking at the test results?  Are there not too many variables>>>

 

I don't think it matters as much as you may think it does.

First, you can take the very best Alaska Humus, with its unbelievable numbers and in the wrong machine get low numbers. Obviously you have to start with a compost that you know has numbers....but really, you can tell if a machine is working if you have any kind of decent compost/humus/Vermi.

And, I can tell you that even something as stable as Alaska Humus has variability from batch to batch, so I don't put as much stock as you want to in uniform compost.

To me, the SFI numbers tell it all. Forget that most manufactures will try and use the best stuff they can to get the highest numbers. Remember the line at the bottom with the "minimum standards" for each category? If the numbers from a machine meet or beat those, I know  am going to get great coverage. So I then look to cost, size, maintaince, speed and nutrient/humus/Compost content. It is those ranges on the SFI reports that are comparable to each other. That is what counts IMHO.

 

Cheers,

 

JEff



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
click here

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.