[compost_tea] Re: Compost Tea for Tomato plants.

From: gnlcover <gnlcover_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:38:03 -0000


Greetings,
I got my refractometer off eBay. Have a look.

Greg
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, EAReinheimer <erica_r_at_...> wrote:
>
> Hello Richard,
>
> Congratulations on writing one of the most nutrient-dense posts I have
> ever seen.
>
> I am at about the same latitude as you, 35N, but just 4 miles from the
> pacific, elevation 100'. Arroyo Grande, CA. Brassicas are grown
> commercially closer to the coast, and peppers and zucchini a mile or 2
> inland.
> At 7000' it seems you might get a frost every month of the year? But,
> you speak of soil tests, so I guess some tomato (and other) plants are
> growing in the earth, not pots?
>
> Wonderful Brix results. I guess 8.5 to 13 is for the fruit. Does it
> matter what time of day you make the measurement, and how long it's been=
 
> off the vine, and the temperature of the fruit? I guess I'd better get
> a refractometer. Darn, looks like they are $79 from Peaceful Valley
> Farm Supply now. Do you have a better source?
>
> Your first 2 paragraphs, I think, describe your horticultural practices,=
 
> or at least where you are headed. How do you know what works? Do you
> pretty much take the methods on faith, or do you use controls and
> measure the results with your refractometer? In particular I am
> interested in how you measure the results of the AACT and SAM4
> (http://sam.vmicrobial.info/#samtype4) Why SAM4? Why the weak acids? =
 
> I'm a bit hazy on how the antioxidant properties would affect the soil
> biology.
>
> I confess, I pretty much use intuition to determine my gardening
> techniques. Lately I have been using the mineral balancing methods of
> Dr. Albrecht, as told by Michael Astera. Pretty much adopted the method=
 
> wholesale. I think it's a safe bet that if the minerals are not in the
> soil (or fertilizer or tea) they are not going to be in the plant or the=
 
> fruit. But, just because they are in the soil doesn't mean they are
> available to the plant. Phosphorus, in particular, is very squirrely. =
 
> My testing so far has been Mehlich 3 soil tests. Logan's Basic test.
> What I do now is make sure the nutrients are balanced in the soil, then
> fertilize with fish emulsion or bat guano as needed, and foliar feed
> with kelp. Actually, the results are astounding.
>
> I'd like to get the biology going better. In 35 years of gardening I
> have yet to make the humified compost Steve Diver describes. But, I've
> got a pile now that hit 140F.
> My soil is a class 7 loamy sand. Could be alot worse, but the classes
> run from 1 to 8, with 8 being good for deer forage. I use mulch quite a=
 
> bit, but it grows symphlans and sow bugs and only rarely an earthworm. =
 
> Organic matter has risen from about 1% to about 2.5% as a result of
> massive amendments over 10 years.
>
> Erica
> www.GrowAbundant.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 11/22/2011 9:08 AM, Ezentrix_at_... wrote:
> > What a great thread. Thanks all
> > Where is everyone located? Are you taking Brix readings of plant?
> > fruit? Soil tests? If so by lab, for residual levels, or paste
> > tests? La Motte Kit? Paramagnetic values? Are you balancing
> > minerals? Using different feeds for veg/fruit stages? I brew AACT
> > and SAM4/EM. Also testing a biochar plot.
> > This year's tomatoes got a general mineral starter mix from Arden
> > Andersen Book then a drip application of SAM4 plus molasses mixed
> > 50/50 and dosed 1100/1 through drip. Container plants got the SAM4
> > + molasses and Foxfarm Nutes appropriate to developmental stage.
> > Brix ranged from 8.5 to 13. No insect pests, almost no disease (2 or
> > 3 end rot, no blight) Elevation 7000 ft, record drought, record
> > heat, 2 month delay of monsoons, etc.
> > In late winter I will get soils off to Logan Labs in Ohio and then
> > consider a paste test or probably buy a La Motte Kit from Pike Agro
> > labs. That way I can compare residual nutrients to functional
> > nutrients. This perhaps strays off the AACT track, but soil is
> > structure, moisture, chemistry, biology and energy. The bugs do their=
 
> > jobs in context. Hence all the other themes.
> > Look forward to more discussions. For what it is worth, Sungold was
> > one of my all time memorable tomato taste experiences. The others
> > were Isis and a black cherry.
> > Kind Regards,
> >
> > Richard Jennings, Designer
> > Earthwrights Designs / Dirtwrights Technologies
> > 30 Camino Sudeste
> > Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508
> > USA
> > Phone: (1 505 ) 986 1719
> > www.earthwrights.com <http://www.earthwrights.com>
> > In a message dated 11/22/2011 8:21:20 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
> > erica_r_at_... writes:
> >
> > My tomatoes, which are organically grown in mineralized soil
> > always die of late blight. We have nights in the 50s F throughout
> > the year.
> >
> > Early Girl works quite well, compared to others. This year I
> > trialed New Girl with quite a bit of success - better flavor,
> > though they are quite small. Small is not necessarily a
> > disadvantage; these might replace Sungold Cherry Tomatoes in my
> > garden. That's saying alot. Sungolds are very good cherry tomatoe=
s.
> >
> > I also trialed Defiant, the new late blight resistant tomato from
> > Johnnies, for a late crop, which I harvested in mid October. The
> > flavor is less than spectacular, but better than supermarket
> > tomatos. They are are likely to replace Longkeeper and Gold
> > Treasure Storage Tomatos in my garden. They do seem to be fairly
> > late blight resistant. But, I may try some late planted Early
> > Girls next year too, as the Early Girls have far better flavor.
> > Maybe plant some New Girls late too.
> >
> > One growing technique which seems to help is to grow the tomatoes
> > in spun polyester tunnels. Keeps the dew off, and is a bit warmer
> > as not so much radiation to the sky happens.
> > On very cool summers like 2010, I draped the polyester over the
> > caged plants when they outgrew the tunnels.
> >
> > I foliar feed with kelp fairly often - I think this might help.
> >
> > Avoid overhead watering, though misting during times of low (25%)
> > humidity is helpful.
> >
> > I do cage the tomatoes, mulch with straw, and use drip irrigation,
> > which I discontinue as they begin to turn red. Cutting the water
> > shortens their life and risks blossom end rot if it is re-started,
> > but it greatly improves the tomatoes flavor.
> >
> > I never have pruned tomato plants, so I don't know much about the
> > benefits. As I usually grow over 35 plants it would be quite alot
> > of work. It's quite alot of work caging them too, but the flavor
> > improves vastly if they don't touch the straw or especially not
> > the dirt.
> >
> > Commercial organic growers spray with copper sulfate regularly as
> > a late blight preventative, but I'm not going to do that.
> >
> > Erica
> >
> > On 11/21/2011 2:35 PM, thatsmyluggage_at_... wrote:
> >
> >> I have been using fish hydrolysate and kelp meal to feed tomatoes
> >> and soil microbes with great results. Calcium, Potassium, and
> >> trace minerals are provided in these fertilizers. For me, success
> >> or failure are later season blights. Do you have a early/late
> >> blight problem? how do you deal with it? Do grow commercially?
> >> You might not be able to apply AACT to control those issues
> >> during fruiting.
> >> I haven't controlled those diseases with AACT, but I think that
> >> the right person with the right tea with the right cultural
> >> practices might do so.
> >> Keep cultural practice as a whole in your mind... Till/no till?
> >> what kind of soil and mulch? How do you stake them? Pinch suckers
> >> on the tomatoes? Graft them? Control the potentially devastating
> >> diseases?
> >> Brian
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Tad Hussey <tadhussey_at_...>
> >> To: compost_tea <compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com>
> >> Sent: Mon, Nov 21, 2011 4:57 pm
> >> Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Compost Tea for Tomato plants.
> >>
> >> I think nutrients are better addressed in this situation by
> >> looking at your growing media (I'm assuming soil). There are
> >> many ways to raise calcium levels in soil based on initial inputs
> >> when mixing your soil. This is going to have a much greater and
> >> beneficial impact on your plants than the tea in my opinion.
> >>
> >> The concept is the same, and ACT can help, but I would focus on
> >> making a complete soil with good aeration and biological
> >> activity, diversity, and biomass. If the soil is lacking in any
> >> particular nutrients/minerals, then there will need to be added
> >> at some point in time during the plant's life.
> >>
> >> Just my 2 cents,
> >> Tad
> >>
> >> PS: Feel free to contact me off-list if you want help in making
> >> a soil mix since it's slightly off-topic.
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------=
------
> >> *From:* thawk4 <thawk4_at_... <mailto:thawk4_at_...>>
> >> *To:* compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> >> <mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com>
> >> *Sent:* Monday, November 21, 2011 9:43 AM
> >> *Subject:* [compost_tea] Compost Tea for Tomato plants.
> >>
> >> I will be planting tomatoes in Eco-Grow pots which use capillary
> >> action to water the plants on an as needed basis. The pots have a
> >> built-in water reservoir. Eco-Grow claims you can't over/under
> >> water with these pots.
> >>
> >> My plan is to use organic media to grow these plants in and I
> >> want to use compost tea as the sole fertilizer source which I
> >> will top dress on the plant. (Not through the pot's water reservoi=
r.)
> >>
> >> One of my questions is will compost tea supply enough calcium and
> >> magnesium or do I need to add ingredients in the tea to ensure
> >> adequate levels of calcium and magnesium?
> >>
> >> Or better yet does somebody have a tea recipe adjusted for tomatoe=
s?
> >>
> >> Tomatoes need calcium to prevent blossom end rot and to prevent
> >> fruit cracking.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>




Received on Thu Nov 24 2011 - 10:41:21 EST

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