RES: [compost_tea] Shredded Paper.

From: Jose Luiz M Garcia <gingerjo_at_terra.com.br>
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002 22:00:31 -0200

Not a good idea indeed.
 
jose
 
 
What if cardboard was to be pre-soaked (more or less re-pulped) and then
added directly to the compost tea brewing process?
Thoughts?
 

 
Brett Kacalek
Earthworks Landscape Service, Inc.
                    ~and~
Earthworks Ponds & Watergardens
503-651-POND (7663)
www.Earthworks-Landscape.com <http://www.earthworks-landscape.com/>
 
-----Original Message-----
From: soilfoodweb_at_aol.com [mailto:soilfoodweb_at_aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 4:06 PM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Shredded Paper.
 
Hi Bill -

Paper is cellulose for the most part, and depending on the quality of
the paper, there may be some materials that help the paper have a
finish, make it glossy, stick, etc. Those are the materials you need to
ask questions about - the glues, tackifiers, dyes, and inks. The paper
itself is plant material, and fairly recalcitrant, hard-to-break-down
carbon-containing material.

Most inks used in this century are soy-based inks, but even as recently
as the 1980's, some inks were heavy-metal based. Don't use paper with
ink that you are not certain is safe around your plants, or in your
compost bins.

Cardboard is less-refined paper, usually thicker, longer fiber, and
several layers, glued together with a material on which certain bacteria
and fungi grow quite well.

Addition of paper and cardboard usually help fungi, and often some very
beneficial fungi, grow. Whether you layer the cardboard down as sheets
to help block sunlight getting to weed seed, or you shred the paper and
cardboard to allow more rapid decomposition (if you have bacteria and
fungi in your soil or compost), fungi will eventually be the majority of
the organisms selected.

If you aren't careful about aeration, the fungi you grow might be
Fusarium, maybe Pythium, or other disease fungus. So, make sure you are
getting good earthworm or microarthropod numbers in the material to
build air passageways and maintain aeration. If you keep things
well-aerated, if moisture isn't too high, or too low, paper and
cardboard can make great food resources for beneficial fungi.

We find that addition of paper and cardboard to wormbins
(not-too-wet-worm bins), help very beneficial fungi grow quite well.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com
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Received on Mon Nov 04 2002 - 19:57:47 EST

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