RE: [compost_tea] Using my own compost, not a good option ? ?

From: Tom Jaszewski <tomj_at_livesoil.com>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 18:15:38 -0700

It certainly is frustrating if are trying to manage all parts of the tea
paradigm from the outset. Most home composts are probably not suited to
brewing high quality tea.

At home I continue to compost and even produce some reasonably good soil
amendments. When I brew tea I really want some measure of consistency and
use tested vermicompost and measured nutrient recipes in a well-designed
brewer. There are homebuilt systems that work very well. A simple 5-gallon
bucket with a dual port air pump and a couple of bottom rings of porous
tubing has proved to be an inexpensive brewer with very good results. 5
gallons can cost as much as $1.00 in materials, a bargain from my
perspective at recommended rates!

I really don't agree that it's to early for agriculture to heal its ailing
soils. Hang in there and make a simple brewer use tested compost and with
good recipes you'll have success, see results, and learn the process.

Tea IS making a difference in agriculture!

Personally I live in a wooden house and barbecue salmon regularly. I did
make it to 49 with a powder blue 1970 VW bus. But continue to be annoying.


Tom Jaszewski
www.livesoil.com
702-595-7012

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Bosko [mailto:mjbosko_at_jmtsystems.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 4:32 PM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: [compost_tea] Using my own compost, not a good option ? ?

Well, I just read through the faq at http://www.intlctc.org/faq2.htm and I
found it to be an enthusiasm buster. It reads to me that without buying a
high quality brewer, using someone else's 'high quality' compost, it's a
waste of time, or harmful to my plants and potentially my family (human
pathogens / root nematodes)??

Being that it appears that most of our home-created composts are mediocre at
best, I feel it important for encouraging more interest in tea brewing, to
spend more time explaining how folks can create higher quality composts. I
didn't see any of that on the site.

Its too early for all of this to become so industrialized. Reading that
site, it seemed as if it were somewhat written by tea brewer manufacturers
to promote brewers. I think its great if you have a brewer that does a
great job - those that want to spend the money can do so. But, I'm still
feeling that if we don't buy one of these brewers, and use better compost
than we make ourselves, we might as well go back to chemical fertilizers.
Ack!

Well, here's to hoping I don't get flamed for these comments - but I think
its an important note to express, otherwise we're nothing but 'tree hugging
salmon savers' to the outside world - and unfortunately, no body listens to
those types anymore. They're considered just an annoyance, a loophole to
get over. I'd rather see teas break into the Ag and garden world in a way
that people listen to, can see and don't figure for marketing hype.

Ok, swing away, I've ducked behind my yet untested nor tried homemade
brewing barrel.

-Mike







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Received on Thu May 08 2003 - 21:39:24 EDT

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