Re: [compost_tea] Vermi tea as foliar fertilizer

From: Jeff Lowenfels <jeff.lowenfels_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:10:09 -0900

Whew, a lot in your text.

First, 99.9% of the molecules taken in by plants are in ion form. All of t=
he essential nutrients. Very few organic molecules, which are the big guys =
to which your refer, to my knowledge, could ever get through a cell's plasm=
olemma.

Second, foliar feeding is one thing. Foliar spraying with tea is another. I=
n general foliar feeding is not good for those essential nutrients that are=
 not mobile once inside the plant. They don't move in the phloem. And, it i=
s impossible to provide enough of the macro nutrients via foliar spraying.

The tea, however, will create a food web on the leaf. Sure you will get som=
e "ingestion," of nutrient, but the reason you would spray, it seems to me,=
 is to establish your colony of good microbes to out compete the bad ones.=
 

Finally, the Law of Minimum applies. You cannot sustain a plant (and have i=
t produce seeds) with just the macro elements. For example, to get your pep=
per to flower you need to make sure you have enough boron. No boron, no pol=
len tubes. It only takes a tiny bit so if you have good compost you have i=
t. Boron is in cell walls and so in compost.

May be I am missing your points?

Teaming with microbes,

Jeff L

Received on Fri Jan 13 2012 - 23:17:01 EST

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