Profound

How about a collective Organic thread shared amongst all of the organic growers and those with an interest !??
GREAT idea Outdoors

I'll start things off with a lot of what I've saved, printed and read thru...:::thinking I would return fast and re-read for more retention.. you know how it goes.
So I finally decided to take Outdoor's posted statement and attempt to create a sticky, a 5 star thread on organics we can all use and contribute to.


So recently in my new found spare time......I've been searching, reading and seeking again.

Here's to compiling it
It's not all of MY info; some of it is google searched, copy and pasted......but why not share what we research and use.

Now there are various leafreaders, hydro gardeners, soil gardeners, automated, Bio, gravity growers and so on and so on, plus just those with a general understanding of the entire Botany thing....

...but again I say without sharing this info.....lots of it goes by the wayside passed over or just not discussed with those who could carry it on by applying the knowledge.


First up my advice to you, is that if growing in soil, either in pots or the earth, make up a blend of the following.

Personally I prefer organic methods of growing myself, but not everyone does, so I have included some of my own thoughts and experiences for anyone who is interested in both organic and non organic forms of growing.

When preparing your soil

SOIL
If you are intending to grow in the ground, then it is in my opinion a very good idea to prepare your soil at least 2 months before you will be ready to plant out.

Do this bye simply digging your soil up with a good fork and add the suggested amendments to this soil, mix them together well then simply back fill the hole with your mix, water it a little to allow the soil to fill the holes then back fill again till its how you want it, from there mulch the area with approx 4 inches of mulch, I use pea straw or coco fibre but you can use a lot of things.

Some others appropriate mulches

news paper, organic carpet underlay, bean straw, hay, composted leaves, alfafa, ect ect

Try and use something that will add organic matter to the soil along with nutrients to feed the micro organisms in the soil, these are what are called nutrient cyclers giving your plants food and hormones ect to grow and to thrive, inturn the plant then gives back to these critters food and shelter it is a symbiotic relationship where one feeds of of the other and vice versa.


POTS
If you intend to grow in pots I would suggest that you mix the amendments together and have it prepared no less then 1 to 2 weeks before planting out, if you have the room to do so, keep it moist buy simply mulching the top 2 inches of the pot with mulch suggested above.

When using pots use a slightly bigger one then you intended also if that poss, this gives you enough space at the top to allow enough room to be left from the soil surface to the top of the pot to water and to mulch, I usually leave about 3 inches if I can for this.

Mediums to be used if mixed together

High quality compost @ 20% (preferably slightly fungal dominated)
High quality potting mix @25% or if in the ground soil 30%
Perlite 10% or 15% if in soil (ground)
Peat moss 10%
worm castings 20%

Different composted manures that can be used with the suggested % if used buy them selves and added to the above
pig>10% cow>15% chicken>5% horse>20% rabbit>10% Pigeon>5%

Be careful when using manures especially if they are fresh, the rule of thumb is the smaller the manure used the stronger it will be, so obviously pig and chicken or bird manure is going to be stronger then say cow or horse or elephant even lol

When using fresh manure be sure to use only 20% of the suggested amount above for composted manures.

Mix this together well then check your Ph and adjust it if you need to, if high or alkaline then use Guano, cottonseed meal or sulphate of ammonia in small amounts to adjust if it is low or acidic then use dolormite lime or gypsum.

This mix alone will give you a great start with a lot of the nutrients necessary for healthy strong growth.

Types of fertilizers

If organic is not a worry to you then u can use.

Good quality hydro solution at 3/4 strength after the plants are min 4 to 5 leaf stage from 2 leaf stage u can use 1/2 strength nutes up until the latter.

Mixing your own fertilizers is not that hard either in a liquid form or in a powdered form, personally some people prefer to make it up into a liquid form as it is easier to measure ect.

Use a good Chelated trace element pack for all of your micro nutrient sources

Common nutrient salts that are used when making your own ferts

Calcium Nitrate
Potassium nitrate
Potassium sulphate
mono potassium phosphate
Magnesium sulphate

There are many more but these will give you what you need for all your macro or major nutrients needs, they are all pretty well water soluble also so can be made into a liquid mix.


Organic ferts that can be used

Worm castings
Worm liquid
Blood and bone
Bone meal
Blood meal
Cotton seed meal
Bird Guano
Bat guano
Rock phosphate
Fish emulsion
Fish hydrolaside
Composted manures
Kelp
Seaweed(well washed and soaked)

There are many many more you can use, just take a few hrs and do some research on these items and you will see what each contributes to your soil and plants.

Soil microbe stimuli ammendments
Fulvic acid
Humic acid
Worm castings
Compost
Active aerobic compost teas
Mollases
Kelp
Fish emulsion
Fish hydroloside
yakka extract

once again this list goes on and on, each item stimulates different areas of microbial soil creatures, in the future I will post information as best I can on each one and others giving you info on what each does ect and why this should be a good thing.

Compared to synthetic fertilizer formulations, organic fertilizers contain relatively low concentrations of actual nutrients, but they perform important functions which the synthetic formulations do not. They increase the organic content and consequently the water-holding capacity of the soil. They improve the physical structure of the soil which allows more air to get to plant roots. Where organic sources are used for fertilizer, bacterial and fungal activity increases in the soil. Mycorrhizal fungi which make other nutrients more available to plants thrive in soil where the organic matter content is high. Organically derived plant nutrients are slow to leach from the soil making them less likely to contribute to water pollution than synthetic fertilizers.

I will try and add updates as often as I can on these issues along with trying to bring a Organic style thread which incorporates Soil Microbiology in the future for anyone who is interested.

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Profound

I have posted some imformation here on 3 of the listed microbial and soil stimulants or unputs as the people in the industry would call them, they are as follows.


Humic and Fulvic Acid

You have probably herd of Fulvic acid and wondered what it is and what it does ?

This is what they are derived from.

Humic Acid is a structure less colloidal material that has gone through decomposition . Humic Acid is Derived mainly from plant residue and manure. They are highly biodegraded and compressed remains of ancient plant and animal materials. Simply put, Humic Acid are highly decomposed organic materials that have fossilized over a period of millions of years.

Here is what Fulvic acids do

Stimulate metabolism

Give positive effect on RNA & DNA

Act as a catalyst in respiration

Increase metabolism of proteins

Increase activity of multiple enzymes

Enhances the permeability of cell membranes

Enhance cell division and cell elongation

Aid chlorophyll synthesis

Increase drought tolerance, and prevent wilting

Increase crop yields

Assist denitrification by microbes

Buffer soil pH

Contribute electrochemical balance as a donor or an acceptor

Synthesize new minerals

Chemically weather inorganic substances

Decompose silica to release essential mineral nutrients

Detoxify various pollutants (pesticides, herbicides, etc.)

As you can see it is mighty handy stuff to have in your soils


How are they formed?

Fulvic acid is a derivative of microbial degradation of humic substances. Microorganisms are essential to the process. Each gram of healthy top soil has in excess of four billion microorganisms that participate in manufacturing bio-chemicals essential to healthy plants and animals. If they were to fail our lives would cease. A better perspective of their importance can be gained by looking at the work they do. Microorganism activity in preparing one acre of top soil, expends the equivalent energy of 10,000 people doing the same amount of work in the same amount of time.

Interesting stuff hey

Scientists claim organic substances stimulate plant cellular growth and division, including auxin type reactions. They enhance plant circulatory systems and promote optimum plant respiration and transportation systems. They decrease plant stress and premature deterioration. They dramatically improve seed germination and promote greater fibrous root growth.


High molecular weight humic substances serve as food stock for microorganisms. . .which in turn break them down into smaller units of high energy substances called fulvic acid. Humic substances of high molecular weight, including humic acids, alter the physical characteristics of the soil while low molecular weight fulvic acids are involved in biochemical reactions that influence the plant's metabolic process. Both are indispensable.

Fulvic acid chelates and binds scores of minerals into a bio-available form use by cells as needed. These trace minerals serve as catalysts to vitamins within the cell. Additionally, fulvic acid is on to the most efficient transporters of vitamins into the cell.
Fulvic acid will in all probability, be found to be one of the key factors of enzyme reactions with all living cells.



Sources of humic and fulvic acids
Brown coal
Black coal
Leonardite
Worm castings


The forms of humic acid is either in solid format such as powder or crystals or even liquid when you buy it from a supplier.

As you can see this material is invaluable and helps in so many areas for not only soil, plant health but also animal and human health.

KELP

What is Kelp

Kelp is a form of salt water seaweed, there are many types that can be used and the following is what they will do for your Plants and add to the soil health.

MINERALS AND ELEMENTS
Boron
Calcium
Magnesium
Manganese
Cobalt
Copper
Iodine
Nitrogen
Iron
Phosphorus
Potassium
Selenium
Sodium
Sulphur
Zinc
Alginates

VITAMINS
A
B1
B2
B3
B6
C
E
Choline
Pantanene
Carotene

CYTOKININS AND AUXINS (responsible for cell division and elongation and root Growth also initiating bud sites )

Trans Zeatin
Isopentenyl Adenosine
Trans Zeatin
Isopentenyl Adenine


So you can start to see how valuable all these items are for strong healthy growth of not only plants but also soil and soil structure.

Sources of Kelp

You can go and find kelp at the ocean no doubt but if you are going to do this the best forms are Bull Kelp and very cold waters seems to be the best source area, if you do this you will need to dry it and then wash it many times to get the majority of sodium out.

But if you do not have the time nor inclination to do so then you may buy this product from suppliers, usually is a powder or granulated form and a liquid form also


I trust this has given you all a little more to think about, I shall edit or update this thread with more information soon. See what you've created Outdoors !!!

Please feel free to add information or to ask questions, this will assist me in updating this post, If time permits I shall do so every week.

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Profound

What is organic matter:
http://www.agric.uwa.edu.au/soils/soilhealth/organic/

Selecting and using Organic Fertilizers:
http://extension.usu.edu/publica/gardpubs/organic.htm

Fertilizer Facts1 - Essential Plant Nutrients:
http://www.uog.edu/cals/site/users/...l/fertft1a.html

Fertilizer Facts 2 - Fate of Nutrients in Soil
http://www.uog.edu/cals/site/users/...l/fertft2a.html

Fertilizer Facts3 - Forms of Fertilizers
http://www.uog.edu/cals/site/users/...l/fertft5a.html

NPK charts - organic fertilizers and soil amendments:
organic nutrient chart

Soil Biological Processes:
http://www.agric.uwa.edu.au/soils/s...ocess/index.htm

Soil Bacteria:
http://www.agric.uwa.edu.au/soils/s...teria/index.htm

Humus:
Humus

Plant Hormones, Nutrition, and Transport:
Error type 404

Organic Hydroponics
Organic Hydroponics

Composting and compost tea.

Urban home composting:
City Farmer:Urban Home Composting

Build a backyard composter: (*****)
http://www.mastercomposter.com/pile/bldapile.html

What is mushroom compost:
http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/g...l/mushroom.html

Mushroom compost formula:
Mushroom Adventures - Compost Formula

Brewing Compost Tea:
Brewing Compost Tea

Compost Tea:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/depu...le/Tea/tea1.htm

Notes on compost tea:
Notes on Compost Teas

What are the Benefits of Aerated Compost Teas vs. Classic Teas? (*****)
GardenWeb Ask The Experts

Worm Links

Vermicomposting:
http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-164.html

Composting with red wigglers worm:
Worm Composting

List of worm dealers:
Worm Suppliers

Worm biology:
Earthworm Biology

Worm Bin Critter Gallery:
http://www.wormdigest.org/crittergallery.html

What to feed worms:
http://www.squirmy-worms.com/feed.html

Earthworms and humic acid:
http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/rep...pp.007088v1.pdf

Soil Mixes and Components

Soil for Your Sensi:
Soil for your sensi

BCGA Soil Mixes: (****)
Vic High

Will Your Soil Pass Muster:
http://www.oeffa.org/editorscorner/pottingmix.html

About Guano:
Manures for Organic Crop Production

Soiless Mixes, Testing and Nutrition Guidelines:
Soiless Mixes

Horticulture Uses Of Perlite And Vermiculite:
The Schundler Company-Perlite and Vermiculite Horticultural Products Since 1951

Plant Nutrition From the Sea:
Plant Nutrition from the Sea

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Profound

Always remember that with organics the usual saying is "Little more often" in other words don't go crazy with these additives because like any other nutrient salt, they can burn plants whether they are organic derived or not, feed the plants less more often.

BAT GUANO and its characteristics

Bat guano is something quite different from other organic fertilizers because these elements are not its only value.

The natural properties of our Bat Guano :

Bat Guano contain NPK (non-nitric ammoniacal nitrogen)

Bat Guano has a high percentage of living microbic flora, as a result of a natural process. There is a predominance of beneficial fungus, actinomycetes and bacterias.

Bat Guano is nematocide. It destroys the primary stage of nematodes and thus eliminates them. Eliminating nematodes protects the plant's radicular system, which improves nutrition and production.

Bat Guano is fungicide and also competes with disease-causing microbes.

It contain a high percentage (40% or more) of organic matter.
High cationic exchange content, increasing the plant's feeding possibilities.

It has a wide range of chelates (natural organic-mineral compounds with a high molecular weight), which give bat guano great structural stability and produce a significant residual effect in the soil and substrata where it is applied.

Bat guano’s composition varies according to the feeding habits and the type and form of caves where they live, among other factors.

Typical Analysis of Bat Guano

Obtained naturally from the excrement and physical remains of bats living in caves. This product is rich in nutrients, with a better balance of essential nutrients (N-P-K), a wealth of micro-organisms and much higher levels of organic matter. Its chemical and biological composition vary according to the bats' feeding habits, type of cave, age of guano, etc.

Over the years, different agrochemical analyses have been carried out on bat guano, showing that nutrient and micro-organism content is high but varies according to the type of guano.

The table below summarizes the various results obtained from analyses of bat guano.

Table summarizing the main constituents and range of values in bat guano

Total Nitrogen(N) 1.00-6.00%
Phosphorus Oxide (P2O5) 1.50-9.00%
Potassium Oxide (K2O) 0.70-1.20%
Calcium Oxide (CaO) 3.60-12.0%
Magnesium Oxide (MgO) 0.70-2.00%
Iron (Fe) 0.70-1.50%
Copper (Cu) 0.20-0.50%
Manganese Oxide (MnO) 0.40-0.70%
Zinc (Zn) 0.40-0.65%
Sodium (Na+) 0.45-0.50%
Organic matter (OM) 30-65%
pH (in H2O) 4.3-5.5
Ratio C/N 8-15/1
Humidity (Hy) 40-30%
Total humic extract 25-15.00%
Microbial flora 30 - 45x107 u.f.c./ gr


As can be seen from the above information Bat guano is a very good organic substitute, giving you instant available nutrients along with humic acids organic matter and microbial stimulus.

For container plants> use from 2 - 4 tablespoons per gallon of soil. Reapply whenever needed or every 8 weeks.

For gardens use >from 5 lbs per 100 sq ft .Apply 1 - 2 times. Lawns 1/2 - 2 lbs per 100 sq ft. Apply 2 - 4 times
.
RECIPE FOR A GUANO GROW TEA >From 108 oz of warm water add 12 oz (300 grams approx)of guano add to a high quality worm castings liquid stir well. Let stand overnight. Use at 2 (60ml) - 5 oz (150ml) per gallon (4.5 litres approx) of water applied.

Alternatively >1/8 (30 grams approx)cup guano to 1 gallon (4.5 L approx)of water for a foliar tea on plants that have 5 or more sets of leaves, with less sets of leaves halve this strength again.

Foliage spraying notes

When a nutrient solution is sprayed onto a plant it is assimilated, whether it lands on the top or bottom of the leaf or on green stems. When the nutrient is in solution in water, the moisture is absorbed straight into the leaf via the leaf cuticle, through the stomata. Feeding through the leaves works more quickly than adding fertilizer to soil, which then has to be taken up through a plant's root system. However, foliar feeding is not a substitute for root feeding.

A good time for spraying is during times of high humidity, early morning or late afternoon. The bonus is that for this kind of spraying, which does not use toxic chemicals, there is no need for protective gear.


Depending on the NPK source of this product it will supply most of what you need added to a few other things like worm liquid and kelp this is a very good product to look at putting together in my humble opinion.


Quality worm liquids

When earthworms have processed organic wastes they leave behind a proliferation of microbes, (estimated to be around 25,000 different species), nutrients and plant growth hormones mixed with a humus rich, peat like material. This happens when the waste is consumed, passing it through their gut and excreting it.

This 'excreta' is known as Vermicastings - an odorless, rich earth smelling material, from this extremely rich and valuable material comes worm castings liquid.


What does this liquid do

Stimulates shoot and root growth
Increases chlorophyll levels
Improves plant health
Better establishment of seeds
Increased resistance to frost
Increased resistance to pests/diseases
Improved flowering and fruit set
Compatible with major fungicides/insecticides
Increases quality and yield
Increased yield of grass, cereals, potatoes and oil seed rape
Enhances crop quality and nutritional value
Reduces NPK requirements
Improved animal health and fertility
Ideal for organic and EU regulated farm inputs


Worm liquid and I mean quality controlled worm liquid is one of the "best"liquid products as a base to start ith it has all major elements is lower proportion which is great to use for Foliage sprays or feeding young plants and it also has great supplies of Minor Elements so when combined with other products it can be used as a organic hydro nute or as I soil fertilizer.

Suggested usage rates is normally from 5 parts water to 1 part worm liquid as a Foliage spray, when using as a combined nutrient regime 10 parts water to 1 part vermiliquid plus other additives, but this will be for you to experiment for your self as hey this is half the fun of it

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Profound

Worm Castings

Most commercial worm castings or even home made worm castings are provided to us by what is called Compost worms these include tiger worms, red worms and blue worms, some castings also come from Night Crawlers but predominantly the first 3 are the commercial producers of worm castings.
They are fed organic material normally high in nutrients and vitamins, from manures, cardboard, food scraps, green waste etc etc.....
The very same things you would use in a compost heap funny enough, hence the word "compost worms"

Worm castings in general are made up of predominantly worm manure, when a worm moves through the organic material it is constantly eating and munching the organic matter and passing manure behind it, within the stomach of the worms are hundreds of billions of microbes which a % of attach themselves to the excretion of the worm as it passes its way through the worms system, remaining organic content in the manure sustains the microbes which in turn help to make powerful humic type organic matter incorporated in worm castings.

Castings have the ability to provide instant nutrients to the soil and plant along with long term nutrients.
Humic acid molecules are very tightly bound which take time to unravel but while they are doing this they are providing nutrients and feed sources to microbes and the soil food web.

Most castings are normally very high in micronutrients, when it comes to macro nutrients or major nutrients Nitrogan is normally pretty good along with Calcium.
Potassium and sometimes phosphorus are normally the 2 macro nutrients that are not that high in vermicast.

So if you have a worm farm "think" about what you are feeding them and perhaps look at putting together a balanced diet :muchies: for your worms, this will give you an excellent quality organic fert or soil conditioner and if you are buying it make sure you look at the general analysis and make up for the lacking nutrients that are not in the castings.

This is a pretty typical worm castings analysis

Nitrogen 1.5%
Potassium 0.37%
Phosphorus 3.5% < this is pretty good
Sulfur 0.34%
Calcium 6.5%
Magnesium 0.7%
Iron 0.82%
manganese 70 ppm
Zinc 100 ppm
Copper 54 ppm
Boron 10 ppm
Selenium 7 ppm
Organic carbon 13.3%
pH 6.7
Solubility insoluble
Particle size 1-2 mm
Humic acid 4%
Fulvic Acid 2%
CYTOKININS
AUXINS
Proteins
Enzymes
Amino acids

Usually no more then 25% of the soil mix you are using should be worm castings as any more then this is a waste.
Worm castings are excellent for holding moisture as it will will hold up to 10 x its own weight in moisture, which really does make it ideal for bush grows mixed with perlite and peat and the soil you will have amazing results again just look at my first post for these amounts used.

To sum up, Worm castings is fantastic stuff it is one of the 4 definite materials you should be incorporating into your mixes (IMHO)

Bird Guano

Seabird Guano is normally very high in Nitrogen and Calcium alog with some minor nutrients or micronutrients.

The word "guano" originated from the Quichua language of the Inca civilization and means "the droppings of sea birds".
As the word is used today, guano describes both bat and sea bird manure. The most famous guano was that used by the Inca. The guano would collect on the rainless islands and coast of Peru.

Atmospheric conditions insured a minimal loss of nutrients. There is very little leaching of valuable material, nor is there a considerable loss of nitrogenous matter. For this the Inca would guard and regulate the treasured soil enricher.

Nutrients in guano are as different as there are a variety of producers, food sources and environmental constraints. Sea birds eat strictly small fish and are not scavengers. Guano can be fresh, semi-fossilized or fossilized and will be a factor, among others, on the nutrient content when used.

Guano can be used indoors or outdoors. Guano supplies fast and slow release nutrients to the biological system. Applied as a top dressing and worked into the soil or mixed with water and applied (Guano tea), guano can have a dramatic influence in healthy plant growth.

Hydroponic growers, in contrast to normal fertilization, may find that guano and water are a natural alternative to chemical solutions. Use nitrogen guano for growth along with other organics nutrients, phosphorus guano for budding along with other nutrients. Ofcourse the sediments and other drawbacks like ....scent and clogging of filters are easily taken care of by hydro farmers I'm sure.

2 different types of bird guano and bat guano can be found High N and high P in both products.

High N

Typical major or macro nutrients available

N 10%
P 2%
k 1%

High Phosphorus

N 0%
P 12%
K 2%

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EZMark

Pro ,
Thanks for all the detailed info!
It will take YEARS for me to understand!
But only one grow to really appriciate it!
EZ

__________________
EZ Does It
cancer survivor, Legal Medical Marijuana User and state licensed Grower
SHADY

"Finally, decriminalization of marijuana would allow the police and prosecutors the ability to focus and devote their limited resources to crimes that truly affect our safety and quality of life. Culture-war values aside, do we truly benefit by expressing a legal preference for alcohol over marijuana? " By KONRAD MOORE

Journal of the YEAR nominations

Nursery Questionair


Guide to helping SICK PLANTSOR PLANT ABUSE
Stoney's PH Guide


Posting Guidelines

REPUTATION POINTS

My Grow Journal

GoldenNug

This should keep me busy a little while

I can't even say thank you enough or tell you how blown away I was just from the first little bit and a quick skim...

Cheers to Profound!!!


-the man with the golden nug

__________________
My nugz were Golden from a High pH
The Legend

St0ney's pH chart

My first Grow Journal
Check it out: killer genetics in the sickest growroom I have ever built!

Profound

1. Why Use compost tea?

Compost tea is used for two reasons:

To inoculate microbial life into the soil or onto the foliage of plants, and to add soluble nutrients to the foliage or to the soil to feed the organisms and the plants present. The use of compost tea is suggested any time the organisms in the soil or on the plants are not at optimum levels.
Chemical-based pesticides, fumigants, herbicides and some synthetic fertilizers kill a range of the beneficial microorganisms that encourage plant growth, while compost teas improve the life in the soil and on plant surfaces.

High quality compost tea of will inoculate the leaf surface and soil with beneficial microorganisms, instead of destroying them.

__________________

Profound

What is compost Tea?

Compost tea is a liquid produced by leaching soluble nutrients and extracting bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes from compost. The brewing process is performed at constant temperature, although the growth of the organisms may elevate temperature as a result of their reproductive heat produced.

Tea production is a brewing process, and as easy as making beer or wine. But we all know that wine or beer brewing isn’t that easy. Brewing compost tea can be fraught with problems. But if you think about what you are doing, and pick out the right tea-making machine, making compost tea that will help your plants is easy as flipping a light switch. What is your purpose in making tea? If you want to inoculate a highly beneficial group of bacteria and fungi, protozoa and possibly nematodes, buy good compost that has these organisms, and make Actively Aerated Compost Tea. There are a number of excellent tea makers on the market (see How to make AACT).

Benefits of using of compost tea containing the WHOLE foodweb include:

Improve plant growth as a result of protecting plant surfaces with beneficial organisms which occupy infection sites and prevent disease-causing organisms from finding the plant.

Improve plant growth as a result of improving nutrient retention in the soil, and therefore reduce fertilizer use, and loss of nutrients into ground- and surface waters

Improve plant nutrition by increasing nutrient availability in the root system as predator-prey interactions increase plant available nutrients in exactly the right place, time and amounts that the plant needs.

Reduce the negative impacts of chemical-based pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on beneficial microorganisms in the ecosystem.

Improve uptake of nutrients by increasing foliar uptake as beneficial microorganisms increase the time stomates stay open, while at the same time reducing evaporative loss from the leaf surface.

Reduce water loss, improve water-holding in the soil, and thus reduce water use in your system.

Improve tillage by building better soil structure. Only the biology builds soil structure, and ALL the groups in the foodweb are required to be successful. You can’t have just bacteria, you must have fungi, protozoa, nematodes and microarthropods as well!

Please be aware that plate count methods don’t tell you about the whole foodweb.

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Profound

What is in compost tea?

Tea contains all the soluble nutrients extracted from the compost, but also contains all the species of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes in the compost. Not all the individuals in the compost, but representatives of all the species in the compost are found in the compost tea. Making sure only beneficial species are present in the compost is therefore critical.

Outdated methods of assessing numbers of organisms in samples might lead you to believe compost tea doesn’t have much diversity. But, consider that species diversity in soil is much, much greater than plate count data would lead people to believe. Plate counts miss 99.99% of the bacterial and fungal species in soil. You need to use molecular methods to understand true species diversity in compost.

Plate count assessments of diversity in compost and tea, and soil should not be used. They are misleading about the true diversity, or even as an indicator of diversity in soil, compost or compost tea. Good, aerobic compost contains a huge diversity of organisms.

Foods extracted from the compost, or added to the tea, grow beneficial organisms. A large diversity of food resources is extracted from compost. The species diversity of organisms in the tea is much higher than those hundred or so species of bacteria that grow on the food resources added by people. Together, the beneficial bacteria and fungi growing on the compost foods, and on the added foods, result in a many individuals of many different species. Molecular diversity analysis is required, however, to assess even a small portion of the species present in compost tea.

Only aerobes are desired. Anaerobes make alcohols that kill plant tissues very rapidly. Putrifying organic matter, which is anaerobic, also contains organisms, just not organisms that do anything beneficial for your plants.

Most introductory microbiology books can answer most questions about the controversy between direct enumeration and plate count approaches. Reading the sewage treatment literature also points out clearly the conditions that allow E. coli to grow, which means reduced oxygen atmosphere. In full aerobic conditions, only if the beneficial bacteria have been killed or harmed can E. coli win in competition with aerobic organisms.

The list of papers specific to compost tea and compost have been summarized by Steve Diver, and are listed on the ATTRA website, www DOT ATTRA DOT org

When buying a tea machine, you should ask the manufacturer to provide information about oxygen during the tea brewing cycle in the compost basket or bag. You should insist on being given molecular analyses of diversity, and total and active bacteria and fungi, and protozoa, present in the tea made under standard conditions.

The METHOD is critical in making tea
In order to have the organisms in the tea, brewing conditions must be correct to produce the end product desired.
The biology that is active and performing a function will be very different, depending on:

Temperature of brewing, the foods added to the brew, oxygen concentrations in the brewer during production, the initial compost used, and therefore which species are present to be extracted and finally the length of time tea is brewed.

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