Re: [compost_tea] PH and F:B ratio

From: Jeff Lowenfels <jeff_at_gardener.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:59:35 -0900



Please plant a row for the hungry in your garden. Ask me how!

On Feb 17, 2011, at 2:39 AM, "Pawlett, Mark" <m.pawlett_at_cranfield.ac.uk> wr=
ote:

> Hi
>
> This might help. Fungi survive quite happily in low pH, and hence their =
biomass relative to bacteria increases. Bacterial biomass will go down wit=
h pH, and so there will be less competition for resources for the fungi. H=
owever fungi also survive quite happily through a wide pH range. By incre=
asing fungi you will not automatically have a reduced pH.
>
>
>
> Personally, I did some research on Scottish peatlands (acidic), by playin=
g with management regimes. One of which was adding lime to increase pH. W=
hen I did this the fungal (ectos) biomass was not altered. In this instanc=
e the bacterial community was reduced as the indigenous microbial community=
 was happier in the acidic rather than the neutral pH soil
>
>
>
> A reduction in pH in your compost tea would likely be due to products of =
metabolism. In which case the bacterial community would drop with the pH.=
 
>
>
>
> So, in short. Increasing fungi wouldn’t necessarily reduce pH un=
less there are other factors involved. So don’t use pH as a method=
 of looking at the fungi:bacterial ratio.
>
>
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
> From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On=
 Behalf Of cpp_rj
> Sent: 16 February 2011 19:39
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [compost_tea] PH and F:B ratio
>
>
>
>
>
> Does the ph of aact reflect the Fungi: Bacterial Ratio? I'm making tea, a=
nd expecting the ph to drop with the increase of fungi in the tea... but af=
ter 36 hours of brewing, ph still rises (starting at 6.4 then after 36 hour=
s it's at 7.7). Wondering if/ and how long it would take to notice any chan=
ge based on F:B.
>
>
>


Received on Thu Feb 17 2011 - 13:03:12 EST

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