Re: [compost_tea] Differences between compost tea, compost piles, and vermiculture

From: Matt Leamy <sharku_at_paradise.net.nz>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 22:43:48 +1200

Hi, first time contribution, a word of thanks to all those regular contrib=
utors, the information from this group is helping to spread knowledge of su=
stainable practices far and wide.

This question was thrown at me from a commercial compost sales manager not =
so long ago. He was concerned that Compost Tea's would compete with Compos=
t. In at the deep end I said to him "no", for reasons that Tom and Jeff ha=
ve said.

My understanding is that there is more to it than that. Please correct me =
if I am wrong but it does concern me that compost manufacturers should thin=
k that they might have no future. With a CT we extract the organisms from =
a compost, multiply it, apply it to our crop and it is as if we get an ener=
gy boost into the system. A compost does that as well, perhaps more slowly=
 because the rate of activity may not be as high at the time of application=
. The compost will have a higher diversity because it has more diversity a=
nd complexity of foods that will also last much longer. The brewing proces=
s itself limits the diversity of organisms extracted because there is a lim=
it on the diversity of foods and logic suggests that with a short brewing c=
ycle, the most competitive ones will dominate. The compost will have thos=
e important higher food chain organisms that a CT won't have in abundance, =
the nematodes and amoebae. It will have the bulky carbon material that bui=
lds topsoil rich in humus.

However, a CT can introduce a lot of the organisms and with some crops it i=
s common practice to mulch with bulky carbon rich materials. And this can =
be done at a price considerably less than buying, or making on commercial s=
cales, compost. Was the sales manager right to be concerned?

By the way we work very hard at selling our New Zealand Organic Avocados to=
 America.

Matt Leamy


----- Original Message -----
  From: Tom Jaszewski
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 11:18 AM
  Subject: RE: [compost_tea] Differences between compost tea, compost piles=
, and vermiculture


  The comparison is really apples to oranges. CT does NOT replace compost o=
r vermicompost. Most of us still need compost to build organic materials in=
 our soils. Compost tea does not add carbon sources to soils in the volumes=
 we need. Compost products are needed to build many agricultural as well as=
 horticultural soils.

   

  Tom Jaszewski

  www.livesoil.com

  702-595-7012

   

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Received on Thu Apr 10 2003 - 08:46:19 EDT

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