[compost_tea] Re: Forest Soil & Wheat, Molassees

From: Kirk Leonard <kirk_at_oregonatural.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 19:45:16 -0700

Using forest or woodland soils or duff for inoculation or cultivation of
fungal composts seems valuable since fungal organisms seem rare in new
soils and composts. This doesn't need to lead to destroying forest floors
if we cultivate them in fresh composts well. I'm with Mike H and Frank on
this.

I'm not in favor of digging up forest soils, but it sure seems like we could
cultivate them appropriately and gently. Forest soil inoculants and
leafy materials left to rot with some duffy additions seem promising for
fungal resources, composts or mulches, especially with grape and berry leaf
wastes where I live (maybe pumice, maybe not?) and other, older crop wastes?

CT will not increase soil OM, "Bgunzy." That's not a question. Soil OM is
only built with composts, mulches or green manures, cover crops, probably
not grasses. ACT enhances soil OM and helps prevent foliar diseases.

I agree with Frank on fungal sourcing: "What other sources for locally
adapted foodweb populations, including the vital fungal species, should we
use? Is importing everything from Alaska really the answer?" Local composts
and forest floors seem more promising.

Mikes (so many!) and Dennis... you guys seem to be thinking of wheat as a
cover between saleable crops. Ya, it's a good cover crop many places and a
good soil carbon source but wheat always makes good foods, too. I know
wheat market prices are down, but are they down so far the wheat grain
itself doesn't count? Or seed oats? If it's "organic" - meaning grown with
no
inorganic fertilizers or "-cides"- why wouldn't it be worth more today?

Bill H: Your tale of RoundUp and meter deep digging confirms the superior
value of compost tea and cover crops, seems to me. Are you suggesting
RoundUp is good? We don't need Roundup or Stinger in this world. Dow can
do better. We can do better. What are you suggesting?

For Mike B and others who might be curious, I learned A.Ferox is called
Cape Aloe hereabouts. Better than A.Vera, maybe. We're gonna try some
outdoors in our temperate zone and are growing other aloes, too.

And goshdarnit, does anyone out there have a better distinction between
blackstrap and sulfured molassees? Is molasses being properly labeled
today? There's bunch of ways to make it, most of them organic, and good
without additives, eh?

Kirk












------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/sOykFB/k9VGAA/ySSFAA/0PSxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe_at_yahoogroups.com

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/




Received on Mon Jul 21 2003 - 00:11:37 EDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Tue Feb 07 2012 - 14:29:23 EST