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[compost_tea] Re: Fwd: compost tea applications - persistance
--
Thank you Dr Elaine. for the quick and complete response. You prove
again that you are willing to go far out of your way to save this
planet. Well worth it. You have many on your team!!
Your answers say to me that winter cropping growing 'green stuff' on
the ground, even chick weed or the likes would be a source of roots
and carbohydrates? to feed microbes thruogh the winter.. Orchard
trees - will dormant trees offer any food for the microbes of the
soil food web? or is the residual enough?
When these questions were being discussed one sharp gal suggested
that over the eons native soils were reported by the expert(ELAINE)
to be generally very rich in microbes. Therefore microbes must
normally prosper in natural soil on native plants. But there needs
to be plants and roots to complete the soildfoodweb for the mocrobes
to persist. Am I on the right track? Passionately, Bob
- In compost_tea@yahoogroups.com, soilfoodweb@a... wrote:
>
> > 1. Does the customer benefit from CT applied in the fall as soil
drench?
> >
> If the organisms survive addition to the soil. What if you have
toxic
> residues in the soil?
>
> What if you don't have food to feed the organisms in the soil? Add
CT to
> straight sand, no OM, and the organisms don't survive.
>
> If we made you jump out of a plane and you landed in ghost town,
NV, would
> you survive? Should we then conclude that people can't survive
through the
> winter in NV?
>
> Please, think things through.
>
> > 2. Does the customer benefit from CT injection under a mulch or
3 to 12
> > inches in depth in permeable soils under and around fruit trees
and other
> > long life plants?.
> >
>
> If the soil has no life to begin, of course. If the soil is
lacking in
> certain sets of organisms provided by CT, then of course.
>
> But what if the soil is healthy, fully functioning, and everyone is
already
> there? Will you see a benefit of CT? Probably not. No harm, but
no
> benefit.
>
>
> > 3. Will the CT microbial life persist/ increase from fall to
spring when
> > applied in the fall?
> >
> Yes, if you think of the critters are being like yourself. They
need food,
> protection,
> good conditions to grow and reproduce. If you don't give them
enough time to
> establish a condominium before the bad guys arrive, or the winter
weather
> gets bad, then you won't see any persistence, because just like
people, they
> will die if they can't get colonization going.
>
>
> > 4. Will CT microbial life continue in the soil, growing and
increasing with
> > time?
> >
> Given the same thought processes as above.....
>
>
>
> > 5. Or is it necessary to re-apply CT a frequent intervals
because the
> > microbes simply die off in the soil?
> >
> If you have toxic chemicals, you have to re-apply until the toxin
is
> decomposed. But what about air pollution? That will take
organisms out, no
> matter what. So, in the middle of a city, you will always have to
put
> organisms back. What about the middle of Skagit Valley? Well,
what's the
> pollution load? Did anyone up-wind of you apply a chemical that
may have
> killed some of your good guys? Then you need to re-apply......
>
> Microbes in soil die off for the same reason people die. Something
kills
> them. There is no evidence that organisms die of "old age" in the
soil.
> Something kills them. They may be eaten by protozoa, nematodes or
> microarthropods. They may die from lack of food. No space.
Inhibitory
> compounds may get them. Chemicals. Air pollution.
>
> > Compost will benefit compacted clay soils and lend water
retention ability
> > to sandy soil. But
> >
>
> CT acts the same in a clay soil than a sand soil. The organisms
form
> aggregates. In a clay soil, it is the microaggregates that are
very
> important, so water can move
> at a reasonable rate in the soil. In a sand soil, it is bacteria
gluing the
> sand particulate together that make aggregates, and form "dams"
that then
> begin to hold water, slowing water down and increasing water
holding
> capacity. So, the organisms in CT do the same things in soil -
make
> aggregates, but with quite different spatial scales in different
soils. But
> in all cases, the organisms work to make soil structure hold water,
nutrients
> and air so plants are benefited
>
>
>
> > If CT is applied - soil drench - to those same soils will it
have similar
> > effect even tho it may take more time and depend on the plants to
add fiber
> > / mulch to the soil?
> >
> > If CT as a drench on the soil, the microbes thrive and multiply,
why would
> > successive applications be advised?
> >
> Both replies require that you think about the fact that organisms
need food.
> If you have good food in the soil, the organisms will do their job
rapidly
> and efficiently. If the soil is poor in foods, the organisms will
struggle
> and may not do their job.
>
> It's up to us to feed the good guys.
>
> > When would CT be useful as a dormant spray?
> >
> When the conditions are such that the organisms won't wake up for
awhile.
> When you have to transport the organisms over some distance. But
that's not
> a good idea. You want indigenous organisms, not organisms that are
adapted
> to a different climate or weather regime. So, put-to-sleep
organisms aren't
> going to be all that useful, unless you can document that the put-
to-sleep
> organisms are the really beneficial species that are not present in
your
> soil.
>
> > And on what type plants?
> >
> Why would there be some plants that like dormant organisms?
>
> Hope these help.
>
> Elaine
> President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
> www.soilfoodweb.com
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