RE: [compost_tea] Soil Sampling

From: Mike Bosko <mjbosko_at_jmtsystems.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 09:24:22 -0700

I love youth baseball, coach every year and have been in charge of our town'
s field maintenance. I think proof is in the pictures, take some before,
during and after shots as well as your other tests. Also, baseball players,
coaches, parents and fans like a clean turf.

If you can reduce weeds w/o adding chemicals that the kids eat while sliding
into third, they'll really like you. Another thought would be a "hoop
sample" test. Throw some hula hoops out to get a random sample of the plant
types found. Try to reduce the weeds while encouraging the turf. That's
proof that parents/cities would like to see.

Also, in those samples note how many divots, or areas (size and number) of
bare dirt there is. Try to decrease the size and number of these divots and
increase the turf (expect Jonny out in left field to bore his own divots
tho - gets pretty slow out there sometimes -grin)

I'm not so sure they'll care much about how the b/f increases - except in
concern that their fields now contain more bacteria and fungi - not knowing,
or caring, if its good fungi/bacteria, active or sleeping - I just think it'
ll throw a red flag in their thinking that their taxpayer's kids will be
playing in a "bacteria" riddled field. I'd personally (definitely) use the
b/f/om counts for your own knowledge base, but the tests I've suggested
above to prove to the city/parents that AACT works while not negatively
affecting the health of the players.

Clean, pretty, flat fields - that's what ball field's need. Oh, be careful
not to get the infields growing nice green grass either - nothing encourages
a sprayer happy city maintenance guy more than grass in the infield !!

Hope that helps,

Mike


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Norsen [mailto:bnbrew_at_yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 8:51 AM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Soil Sampling

Your program sounds great to me, Kevin. keep doing what you are doing ! Bob

kevin john richardon <kmagic_at_backpacker.com> wrote:
We just recieved notice that the requisition is accepted and to proceed with
our first Muni Parks and Rec job; Hip Hip! Applying TEA tomorrow to three
baseball parks. COOL.

We want to develop a data set which will reflect the improvement
applications of TEA make to the playing fields. Before applying, we will be
taking soil cores from left, center and right field of each ballpark. We
will then pull cores three weeks after the initial application and three
weeks after each subsequent application (Full Season Applications are made
three times a year, 50 Gal TEA / acre and appropriate amounts of microbial
foods are put down with approx. 2K Gal H2O per application; dilution
dependent on weather and mood).

This soil sampling aught to help validate the continuation of the program.
Data gives people confidence to say, "Yeah, that stuff IS doing SOMETHING.
The field is BETTER."

What should we test for to demonstrate improvements?

My thoughts are :

*Total Bacteria and Fungi (I think Active will change over the coarse of a
season and I would like numbers that reflect consistent progress, thats my
thoughts on not testing for Active ?)
*pH (does SFI test pH ?)(should I do this myself somehow)
*OM (does SFI report OM % ?)
*Root Mass, Depth (SFI ?)(or is this just a visual thang)
*Soil Structure (How is this qualified ?) Porosity?

Any other suggestions? Feedback welcomed and appreciated. Samples to be
taken tomorrow and sent to SFI.

Peace, Kev

Kevin John Richardson
Local Solutions
19025 Villages Scenic Pkwy
Anchorage, AK 99516
(907) 522 0679 Land
auto forwards to :
(907) 317 8455 Cell
kmagic_at_backpacker.com




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Received on Wed Aug 13 2003 - 21:10:34 EDT

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