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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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