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Re: [compost_tea] Re: [SANET-MG] Regulation of compost teas
Jeff Lowenfels wrote:
> Is compost tea cheap? Yes, Frank is correct: it is all relative.
>
> I now have a 400 dollar machine that cleans in 2 minutes, fits in a golf
> size bag and makes great tea in a large garbage pail though I bought a 50
> dollar ,65 gallon, barrel. It can do a container up to 250 gallon. I added
> my own pump to ($135) it. I use about 5 dollars of materials per brew and
> make 60 gallons at a shot. I use all manner of conventional sprayers and
> fashioned a 35 dollar "direct from the tank" transfer system. So for well
> under1000 dollars, I have a great system........
>
> My first system, incidentally, made great tea and cost 20 dollars plus the
> use of my $135 pump. All you need is a rubber garbage pail and 1/4 inch
> soaker hose that can be coiled at the bottom---but go to compost_tea at the
> yahoo site and see for yourself. It doesn't have to be complicated or
> expensive. That is one of its beauties. It does, however, have to be tested
> properly.
For maximum effectiveness in treating vegetable or fruit diseases I can
understand having testing done though, even without it, it would seem beneficial
to use unless risk of exacerbation of certain crop diseases would indicate
otherwise. If you're using known correct methods to make compost with safe
materials, is there really much risk of the presence of ecoli in the tea
that would unknowingly get spread onto crops harvested for the table and thus
presenting something of a health risk? Is this really more of a risk than
the pesticide residues that are claimed to exist on conventional supermarket
produce?
It just seems that compost tea represents a real boon to home gardeners as well
as commercial growers, any scale, and that there ought to be a way to make
effective tea, even if it is not the best that could be made, without involving
lots of expense. What sort of testing is needed and what are the costs? Are
there kits for home use or will they be developed.
LL
--
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/pcwiki/index.php/Composting
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