Re: [compost_tea] Foliar responses to tea

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 00:50:35 EDT

If a foliar application of tea can improve foliar nutrient uptake, it is
through a series of specific occurances, which are not "everyday" in nature. If
you getting the beneficial organisms growing on the leaf surfaces, you can get
an within-hours response, but it is not seen that often, because of what I
just said.

What conditions are needed to get that rapid response? Stressed stressed
plants lacking the nutrient you add to the tea in a chelated, or biologically
activated form. The plant ALSO has to be putting out foods to feed bacteria and
fungi. Then, the biology you just added have to be able to grow and elevate
carbon dioxide on the leaf surface, and that can cause the stomates to open.
The biologically activated forms of nutrients move into the plant.

It is not a "works everytime" response, as you can see. You have to meet the
proper conditions.

I would really appreciate everyone NOT just taking a sentence of something I
say and using it mindlessly without paying attention to the conditions I have
stated are necessary in order to get that response.

you are doomed to failure unless you know why you are doing what you are
doing. Think things though. Understand the system before you start messing with
it.

Why would you not put tea on a stressed plant? Tea may be the only thing
that would have a chance to bring a plant back if it is too stressed.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com
SFI Oregon, USA
SFI Australia
SFI New York
SFI Europe
SFI New Zealand

"Hope is not a feeling. It is not the belief that things will turn out well,
but the conviction that what we are doing makes sense, no matter how things
turn out." -- Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic





Received on Sat Aug 09 2003 - 01:08:36 EDT

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