Re: COMPOST TEA was Re: Perry's recnt posts

[Garuda]

Bob Not sure if this is  reply to my earlier post ?   it would appear it is unneccessary if our experience is anything to go by. We have grown table grapes in a plastichouse for some 5 seasons with no fungal problems of any sort. We are now working with outside wine grapes -to achieve the same.    My comments were in response to Alan Yorks comments of 'no need to extend BD prep usage'' - yet he still sprays Sulphur as a fungicide. In short he still does not have his vineyards balanced or knows his preps well enough to use them to balance the environment. This is organics with the BD preps, not biodynamics. GA   ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 7:37 AM Subject: Re: COMPOST TEA was Re: Perry's recnt posts Is there no level or no amount of S that is not "gross"? There are times that we apply 3 pounds per acre of dusting sulfur to beautiful hillside vines that have been certified organic for 15 years. Its only on occasion, not even every year. These vines produce grapes that are very high quality, composted, cover cropped, fed soil minerals, fed foliar minerals and respected....loved by those who work with them. What's is so horribly gross about this practice? These are 20-50 acre fields. Our training, pruning and manipulation of the canopy and crop during the season is a primary prevetion of PM. I seen first hand some of the drawbacks of sulfur. But there are trade offs in not using sulfur. Low rates of sulfur, used early in the season does not end up in wine, as a general rule. Bob