Re: [compost_tea] shipping samples to SFI

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2003 15:39:34 -0500

Thank you, everyone, who has responded to the question about shipping to SFI.

We've recently done a special for SFI e-zine readers, where the price is 50% of usual. We want everyone to do a last tea application to their soil, and make sure it is good. You do need to sign up for the E-zine to get the coupon though, ok?

This is the time of year, in the northern hemisphere, to be getting down that last tea application to the soil, to get the proper set of organisms on the residues of your plants. If you make sure the good guys are decomposing the plant residues left from harvest, then you deplete the disease-causing organisms, especially the fungi and will typically reduce foliar diseases by 70% next spring, and reduce root diseases by as much as 90% next year.

Now, in the southern hemisphere, things are in full swing for spring. But it is still time to be doing a soil drench application, because if that 30% of the foliar diseases made it through the winter, then you need to start combating them now. Make sure the disease causing organisms have a tough time finding food, because someone else beneficial is there first. Make sure you get down the protozoa, nematodes and encourage the microarthropods in your soil by giving them the fungi they need to be happy (full tummies, lots of reproduction, lots of kids to feed), and consume the spores of the disease-causing fungi. That way the diseases don't spread to your leaf surfaces.

So, spring or autumn, tea is still a first order of business.

To test the tea, get a plastic water bottle (drink the water), rinse with a sample of your tea, then put in several dips of tea from around the whole tea brewer. Paul Wagner recommends taking a little bit of tea when you first start to transfer the tea to your sprayer, another bit a third of the way through the transfer process, and another bit at two-thirds of the way through, and a final bit at the end. Mix those together, fill your clean, tea-rinsed plastic bottle a bit less than half-full, seal, put in plastic bag (selable), as Autumn recommended, put in shipping container, and send overnight mail to SFI.

New York or Corvallis? Doesn't matter - whichever is less expensive and fastest. The point is to know that you are making good tea.

We're still working on the handbook for the little microscope, so you will be able to test each batch of your tea. Stay tuned! I'm sorry it is taking so long, but trying to find the time to do the development, on a shoe-string budget, means it will take time.

I'm happier with the molecular probes for E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, N2-fixers, and Pseudomonas. They will be in the final testing process the next two weeks, and we should be able to offer the 3 hour turnaround time on these bacteria by the first of December.

Again, thanks to all of you who responded to the question about shipping samples to SFI. And yes, we are helpful on the phone. Please let me know if you ever get a non-helpful response from one of us - me included.

We had an employee that was not being helpful, and according to comments back to me, was abrasive to clients. That person no longer works at SFI, so it is important for you to let me know about these things. But please, remember, just like you, we don't respond well to destructive criticism, or four-letter, vulgar comments, no matter what the circumstances.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
SFI Corvallis, OR
SFI Port Jefferson, NY
SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
SFI Hilversum, The Netherlands
SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
www.soilfoodweb.com

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Received on Sun Nov 02 2003 - 15:59:47 EST

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