[compost_tea] CT

From: chris reid <reidchris_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 07:38:43 -0400

Bill Halstead responded to my earlier Fruit Club note as follows:

Message: 24
   Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 07:24:52 +0100
   From: "Halstead" <halstead_at_mail.telepac.pt>
Subject: CT

Hi Chris,

Like Judy and her fellow Fruit Club members we believe what we see and are
unable to explain by any other means other than that we are getting these
results after using CT. that has not been used before .Not scienentist's but
practical growers who will always be the end user.

We have to consider that the results that people are attributing to the tea
have not been demonstrated to have come from the tea. No testing is being


Does this matter in our circumstances?

Plus, the recipe is changing each time, so is it clear which recipe has
helped produce the results that people feel they are getting?

Are you suggesting that it is going to be possible to guarantee that one is
going to be able to make an identical brew each time? Surely that is
impossible.


What if the recipe that seems to have helped get the apple scab under
control is not as fungal as the next recipe created?

In these circumstances this does not matter

Please don't be discouraged --

I for one will not be, what I have seen I believe and will try to improve
on.

 Regards,

Bill



Bill,

No offense intended -- In keeping with the purpose of the group --
specifically "science over anecdotal 'evidence' -- testing is an okay thing
to do and discuss here. It is my understanding that while True Believers
may be members of this site -- we may all be True Believers at some level --
the purpose includes specifically avoiding "seeing is believing" as
sufficient evidence that something works.

Judy's recipe documents her latest brewing technique. Someone else in the
group may choose to pick it up since it sounds anecdotally like results are
coming from its application and have the results tested. They are anecdotes,
possible results that others may want to further test.

What's good enough for you or me is never at question here -- that's up to
us. The point is, anecdotal evidence should not be confused with "proof"
for the purposes of this website.

My understanding of the purpose of this group, as quoted from the website
for the group, is as follows:

"There is now clear scientific proof of the value of using compost teas in
horticulture and agriculture. This site serves as a location for discussion
and dissemination of information about compost teas, compost tea making and
related activities. It is the list administrators' intentions to protect the
integrity of the science of compost teas and their benefits by promoting
science over anecdotal "evidence." Please review materials at
www.soilfoodweb.com and order and read the Compost Tea Manual published by
Soilfoodweb, inc and available at their website."

You said it must be impossible to create identical brews. You're right --
technically. However, by adding similar amounts and ingredients, and
brewing under similar conditions, one is more likely to get similar results
that could be used for the same purpose as previous teas. For example, one
is more likely to get a slightly fungal tea if that is what happened with
similar ingredients/conditions the last time. So, if I wanted a foliar
application, I would want a bacterial tea with slightly fungal
characteristics. If I were doing a soil application and wanted something
more fungal, I would change the ingredients to favor the fungi.

Others may wish to comment on their actual experience with whether similar
ingredients have produced similar tea characteristics.

Glad you will try to improve on what you've seen and believe. We all are
trying to improve, I think. Using testing is a way to shortcut trial and
error and have better results sooner. Talking to others about their results
is another way. Testing is probably faster, but you might get lucky by just
talking to others, and the tradeoff between time and money is a necessary
one for some people. For those who grow crops and tend landscapes for a
living, time IS money. It would seem that not spending the money on a test
ends up costing money as it takes more time to figure out what is going on
and how to fix it, or the wrong action is taken to fix a problem and it's
ineffective.

Chris Reid







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Received on Wed Sep 10 2003 - 13:36:08 EDT

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