Re: [compost_tea] Water temps for brewing
----- Original Message -----
From: soilfoodweb_at_aol.com
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 7:20 PM
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Water temps for brewing
Hi Ted -
>> I use distilled water. However, it is not
> pharmaceutical grade.
This is a problem. Distilled water lacks physiological balance. You nee=
d to use a buffered physiological solution, like physiological saline, or p=
hosphate buffer, or citrate buffer.
>> Will do. I actually have some saline but wasn't sure exactly how to u=
se it.
So, great that you look at all of them, but this is where you really nee=
d the ability to assess activity. Many of the hyphae in soil are not activ=
e, and can be "left-over" from a long time ago.
>> Well I should have more accurately stated that I look at the soil and =
determine frequency of organisms. When I brew, I check for frequency or or=
ganisms and how they group. I can't tell what type they are only that they=
are there. I look at this frequency then I look to see how this frequency=
transfers to the soil. I don't test immediately but wait a while. I can o=
nly get trends, of course, but if those trends can be repeated with regular=
ity, I feel more confident.
I can't even be sure that two batches of tea are the same. I can, of cou=
rse, shoot for diversity but even with the best compost, I can't be sure of=
total similarity from batch to batch. So I have to rely on trends. If I =
see certain bodies in my tea and they transfer to the soil and the plant an=
alysis comes back showing improved use of nutrients and the soil food web i=
s established, I have to think what I am doing is working and repeatable to=
a degree.
You need to distinguish actinobacteria hyphae from oomycetes, from ascomy=
cete, from basidiomycete. All based on morphology of course. Some trainin=
g would be a good idea, since these things are not usually pointed out in t=
ext books.
>> I'm not against training but, quite frankly, do not have the resources=
to throw myself or someone else into a training program which, I figure, w=
ould cost me somewhere in the range of $25K without the $20K microscope. I=
have to pay the person taking the training, pay for the training and compe=
nsate for the time they are not here generating capital.
Or have him look at the samples, and send a sample into SFI, and then he =
can see what we saw, and learn something from the interaction that way? =
>> Good idea. He right now has developed a formula to try and predict ho=
w many more and the complexity of organisms he is plotting to see if he can=
predict growth from sample time to sample time.
Not quite sure how to take this response from you. Hopefully you are jus=
t kidding me?
>> Yes, of course. It's like the person who said: "You are very difficul=
t to argue with because you keep refuting my arguments with facts."
Ted Peterson
Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth
Received on Tue Jan 20 2004 - 00:31:37 EST
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0
: Tue Feb 07 2012 - 14:15:01 EST