RE: [compost_tea] Re: Vermi tea as foliar fertilizer

From: Stephen Steyn <ssteyn_at_wcaccess.co.za>
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:01:48 +0200

Tim;

Not organic nutrients, chemistry. Organic chemistry? What are organic
nutrient molecules? Would you call Fulvic acid an organic nutrient molecule?
There can be compelling arguments for and against.

Anyways Tim. Shouldn't you be in bed now. Its 9 am here and must be around
midnight where you are. Yesterday the temperature closeby here was 52C which
is probably about 125F. Most of Canada seems to be cold now.

 

From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Tim Wilson
Sent: 19 January 2012 08:44
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Vermi tea as foliar fertilizer

 

  

Organic nutrient molecules? Please provide citations

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com> ,
"Stephen Steyn" <ssteyn_at_...> wrote:
>
> Tim;
>
> There is a mountain of literature on foliar feeding. It is the most direct
> route to a plant, but only accessible if the chemistry can get through the
> epidermal cells. The literature on chemistry that can get chemicals
through
> the outer layers is also extensive. All the herbicides, insecticides,
> fungicides, (at least those that translocate) have to be able to get into
> the plant.
>
> SS
>
>
>
> From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com> ]
On
> Behalf Of Tim Wilson
> Sent: 18 January 2012 19:31
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Vermi tea as foliar fertilizer
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Burkhard;
>
> When I mentioned soluble nutrients I was actually referring to chemical
> fertilizers which are already in ionic form. I was not recommending them
but
> asking what you intended to foliar feed with. There is very little in
> soluble form in organics. As stated, I am dubious about the efficacy of
> foliar feeding.
>
> There was a powerpoint posted by another member but because it was a sales
> pitch it is hardly credible.
>
> If indeed, foliar feeding is an efficient way of providing nutrients, I'm
> very interested in reading solid data on the subject. There are attibutes
to
> spraying certain substances onto plant leaves, including compost tea. Jeff
> has already covered this.
>
> I used to spray (back in my chemical days) my plants with chemical
> 20-20-20 and thought I was feeding them because they all perked up and
> looked 'happy' afterwards. Later I learned that they were just responding
> (most likely) to the moisture.
>
> I suggest that you feed your soil as Jeff has recommended. You can use
fish
> hydrolysate, compost tea, humic acid, etc. in liquid form and you can
> topdress [vermi]compost (and vermicompost slurries), kelpmeal, alfalfa
meal,
> etc.
>
> Tim
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>
<mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com> ,
> Burkhard Kiehne <burkhardkiehne_at_> wrote:
> >
> > Thank you for all your input, especially the one from Tim. It always
lets
> me see things clearer. To summerize my point again I assume it is a good
> idea to prepare the soil with plenty of compost, plant my peppers,
tomatoes
> etc and leave the soil alone except for weekly sprays with vermi tea. That
> leaves me with applying fertilizer over the leaves. There is no vertical
> transport involved, so the result should be visible fast. The question is
> what will I use for fertilizer? It has to be organic, of course and it
> should be soluble as well. Does anybody have experience with that,
> preferable PK loaded. How about seaweeds? Will the higher PK content
damage
> the microbes?
> >
>





Received on Thu Jan 19 2012 - 09:56:08 EST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Tue Feb 07 2012 - 13:58:16 EST