EARTHWISE
We can heal the abuse to our environment from toxic contamination and pollution that generations of harmful chemical applications have created.
Using compost tea is one of the safest, most effective and most direct routes to get away from and undo the negative impact from using chemical herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, from gardeners to growers, schools to forests, stream banks to sports fields.
Compost tea
helps restore natural health and balance to our soil. It helps break
down soil pollution and provide nutrients to our plants. Its success
is being felt worldwide in restoring depleted and deficient soils.
EarthWise gardening means adopting good gardening practices so plants
can flourish naturally, without reliance on chemical pesticides. The
use of chemical products in our gardens over the years has destroyed
most of the benficial microorganisms, reducing organic matter and creating
compact, infertile soils. Gardens dependent on the use of chemicals
are more likely to suffer from insects, disease and drought conditions.
Compost tea is an aerobically brewed (not thermally brewed) liquid concentrate
of soluble nutrients, organic compounds and elevated levels of microorganisms.
This concentrated liquid compost extract is teeming with live beneficial
microorganisms, and is the best way to 'feed the soil' and maintain
healthy soil environment, which is the key to healthy plants. Healthy
soil is one that is alive with beneficial microorganisms that are responsible
for producing robust plants, more resistance to insect and disease problems,
and plants and trees that are more productive and able to withstand
extremes in temperature and moisture. As beneficial species of microorganisms
increase they displace pathogenic species. Less food and less room for
pathogenic species to grow means fewer problems with Phytophthora or
verticillium in the soil. On the leaf surface, there is less room for
powdery mildew and black spot if beneficial species occupy at least
70%. On turf, beneficial fungi can out-compete lawn diseases like pythium,
fusarium and rhizoctonia.
When planting trees, shrubs and perennials or renovating your lawn,
Compost Tea will help your new plants get established quickly, with
less transplant shock and faster root development. Compost Tea can enhance
the germination of grass seed and development of the new roots as well.
Existing plants and lawns benefit just as much from Compost Tea. The
end result of all this bio-diversity is a reduction in the amount of
fertilizer used making a positive impact on the environment. This is
the direction we want to head in.
Recipe for tea is basically:
1. De-chlorinated water
2. High quality biologically active and diverse compost
3. A food source for the microorganisms to feed on and reproduce
• Brew time 20-24 hours.
• Bacteria and fungi grow in a brewer at exponential rates because
the water contains high levels of oxygen (it's aerated) and a food source
(kelp, molasses, humates or hydrolyzed fish) has been provided.
• Some species of bacteria reproduce every twenty minutes- start
with 10,000 of a species at brew time, 24 hours later you may have tens
of millions of this one species.
• Compost Tea replicates only those organisms present in the compost
at brewing time. It cannot create beneficial fungi if none are present
in the compost.
• Compost Tea has a rather short shelf life after brewing is complete
(4-6 hours) because without aeration the bacteria begin to use up available
oxygen and the tea goes anaerobic. Shelf life can be extended with additional
aeration. Without aeration most beneficial bacteria quickly die and
harmful anaerobes can begin to grow.
• Compost Tea can be applied to foliage or as a soil drench. It
can be used on all ornamentals, vegetables, herbs, small fruits, turf,
annuals and perennials.* Different teas can be brewed for different
plant groups or plant needs. Most vegetables and annuals require a bacterial
dominant tea, turf would require an equal ratio tea, while most woody
ornamentals would need a fungal dominant brew.
• The different tea brews are determined by the makeup of the
compost and the food source added to the water at brew time.
• Bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa are responsible for
nutrient cycling in the soil. They are the ones releasing nutrients
to plants. At high enough populations, less fertilizer is needed. It
could even be eliminated under ideal conditions.
• Properly brewed tea can be applied to foliage to suppress disease.
Powdery mildew, black spot and rust can all be controlled or eliminated
by regular foliar applications of Compost Tea. There is less room left
on the leaf surface for disease organisms when at least 70% of the leaf
surface is occupied by beneficial bacteria and fungi. This is known
as the Foliar Food Web (like the Soil Food Web).
• Organisms that cause turf diseases can be suppressed by regular
applications of Compost Tea. Disease causing fungi cannot compete with
high populations of beneficial organisms.
• Compost Tea is applied at 5 gallons to an acre. Almost impossible
to apply too much, too often. As long as food sources are available
in the soil, a single application of tea gives enormous benefit for
months or years to come. Establishing a true sustainable soil system.
• Vermicompost (worm compost) seems to be the best source of consistent
biologically active compost to begin a brew.
Sources:
International
Compost Tea Council