Re: [compost_tea] so many questions all at once

From: soilfoodweb@aol.com
Date: Tue Jan 07 2003 - 17:45:06 EST


Hi John -

> Driving interest: INTERCONNECTIVITY: what is
compatible and what is not in our life here on this planet.

Tall order, you won't ever run out of something to think about!

>(1) Will be looking the archives for that discussion on removing chlorine from the water. I think it's sterilizing part of my thermal compost when I spray it for moistening. Bought extra Tetra(R) AquaSafe today to try. If it "makes tap water safe for fish" why not safe for compost. Will more further investigate contents with my reading glasses.

I was interested in what Tetra AquaSafe did, once, and after adding it to the water, say reductions in bacteria and fungi. The thiosulfate in the material is detrimental to organisms. If you use it, then you have to exit the thiosulfate once it's reacted with the chlorine. Add humic acid.

> (2) Put my last goldfish aquarium filter in my Can-O-Worms. The worms seemed to love it! It is nylon mesh and I wonder if I could get a completely biodegradable filter.

The worms love all the bacteria and fungi growing on the manure - I don't care if it's cow manure, human manure or fish manure - it grows great bacteria and fungi.

> southern Nevada) was dried orange peels, etc. As I was saying, I have been adding some wood chips in addition to the shredded newspaper. (My brother asked me about the ink. I don't know.)

Careful of overloading anything worm-related with too much citrus. The limogene in citrus peels of any kind kills the worms.

Check the newspaper and make sure the ink they use is soybased. Most ink is now soybased, not heavy metal based.

> (4) Bio-Clean drain cleaner looks like what is used for waste-water treatment. It has enzymes and bacteria to break down organic matter in clogged kitchen sink pipes. What would this do to my kitchen scraps before the worms got them?
>
Increase decomposition rates. Grows more bacteria. More food for the worms.

>(5) Clogged pipes from tree roots: There is a product called "root killer" for invasive roots in sewer lines. Still, I remember Dr. Ingham's story about the redwood tree and wonder if simple alcohol (isopropyl) would help free the lines. There is a 20 foot Rock Pine in the front yard and I
> think we have clay sewer pipes.

Give it a try, but typically you need something to chew up the outer root walls as well as something to kill the roots.

Elaine
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
Corvallis, OR
Port Jefferson, NY
Lismore, NSW, Australia
Hilversum, The Netherlands
www.soilfoodweb.com

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