Compost Tea FAQ (part 1)
What is compost tea?
A wide variety of organic slurries are called compost
tea. Generally, the tea contains living organisms which
provide useful functions. Since it is made from organic
materials it can also function as a fertilizer.
Is compost tea based on science or folklore?
Compost tea has a long history of use and does contain
much folklore. The preparations used by BioDynamic
farmers could be considered compost teas. In the last
few years some of the claims for compost tea have been
validated and new ideas introduced. All indicators
suggest compost tea has a significant future in agriculture.
Why do we need compost tea?
The uses for compost tea are still emerging but here is
a partial list:
1. foliar feeding
2. soil pest control
3. disease control
4. soil revitalization
Orchard magazines are talking about controlling soil
life using tea's along with apple scab and fungus. Garden
magazines describe booster sprays for mid season. The
list of uses are long as are the types of compost tea.
How does compost tea work?
It is believed that compost tea works in many ways. Since
it is a soup of diverse organisms the result can also be
very diverse. If the tea finds a niche it can fill then
it will. In nature everything eats a neighbor and adding
new neighbors can change the ecology quickly. Anyway,
that is one view. The scientific view might focus on
beneficial nematodes and how they attack cutworms, root
weevils, and other soil pests.
If tea is that great why isn't everyone using it?
The use of compost tea is growing and new companies selling
specialized products appear each day. Many garden catalogs
are now carrying various teas. The problem is that each
site is different and the variety of possible tea's is almost
infinite. We have begun to open up the old efficient farming
issue again. Do you make teas for a specific function and
manipulate the ecology or do you build a diverse healthy
garden an let it regulate itself. The later view would
be more sustainable and less interested in a large array
of specialized products. The efficient farming approach
would want tea's to address specific problems and simple
rules for using tea's with various crops.
What approach fits sustainable gardening and agriculture?
The use of compost tea is ideal for sustainable farming
and gardening. It trades local labor for imported products
to fight pests or increase fertility. It also connects
a farmer with the soil and rewards careful observation.
The gardener spends time brewing tea, thinking about
soil and plants, identifying optimum spraying times,
and developing a local art. Compost tea can also be part
of local recycling and use of compost piles.
continued later: Making compost tea
Applying compost tea.
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jeff owens, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.xprt.net/~jko
underground house, solar power, self-reliance, edible landscape
eco lifestyle discussion: subscribe ecopath -> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
