Re: [compost_tea] Re: Make it Good news1, THANK YOU !!!

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 14:01:50 -0800

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: w.reece speas
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 12:24 AM
  Subject: RE: [compost_tea] Re: Make it Good news1, THANK YOU !!!


  Hi Bob, lol , I dont know for sure where your headed joking or not ,I gue=
ss i'm a little nieve,

Reese:

I'm glad you are having success with ACT. However, unless you have added s=
ome kind of input into your tea, the basic properties of tea will not cure =
any fungal infection. We tried it on grapes and while it prevented fungal =
outbreak, it did nothing to plants with established fungal infestation. Th=
e tea can be applied after treatment and it will inhibit future outbreaks a=
nd also contribute to the overall plant health.

It is important to remember that AACT is not a pesticide (This includes fun=
gi, insects and harmful plants.) and should not be thought of as such. I a=
m glad and surprised that it worked for you as it did but it may also be th=
at the temperature changed and the environment became less attractive for t=
he fungus.

What I am basically saying is that there could be a number of factors outsi=
de the tea that could explain the fungal dieback. We have treated for fung=
us and the tea does work at inhibiting outbreak. When we did get a small o=
utbreak, it was easily handled through conventional means. Now, treating a=
 few plants within many acres is the correct use of pesticide. Sometimes, =
plants, just like people, break down and become opportunities for disease. =
 AACT gives the plants a better chance to fight off disease but it will not=
, of and by itself, cure any existing outbreak. At least this has been my =
experience and it seems to comport with everything that Elaine writes.

It would be an unfortunate misconception if AACT were viewed as a pesticide=
 or fertilizer. It is terrible as either. The market is full of fertilize=
rs that work far better as fertilizers (directly feeding the plant) but can=
not do any of the things that AACT does. The same is true for pesticides. =
 Remember, with AACT, you are adding microbes to the soil to help establish=
 a healthy soil food web or spreading bacteria/fungi on the leaf surface so=
 that they will "outcompete" pradatory fungi and the predators do not have =
a chance to become established.

The food web is more than just bacteria. It is fungi and nematodes and oth=
er critters. Some are predators and functional anaerobes and they are need=
ed in the soil just as much as aerobes. You are working with AACT to estab=
lish a soil ecosystem then using it occasionally to make sure the ecosystem=
 continues to work. Eventually, for turf systems, you can apply it as litt=
le as once a year or less. The plants will work with the SFW and take care=
 of themselves.

As far as business practices, I find it much better to take the conservativ=
e approach when making product claims. However, AACT did:

For turf:

Double root zone in turf (It actually got the roots much further. Four inc=
hes when we started to over four feet later. We were claiming eight to ten=
 inches but a construction crew dug down to fix something and found turf ro=
ots at the four foot level. I would never state to any customer that I cou=
ld get his turf roots to extend four feet. I would say we can double or tr=
ipple the root growth. This, of course, assumes they have a traditional pa=
rk root depth of 3 - 4 inches with occasional fibers reaching down to seven=
 - eight inches.)
More than double the root mass
Allow the conversion of thatch into food
Broke up soil by expanding root mass
Correctly balance the soil so the plants can more successfully fight off di=
sease
Allow us to cut back water usage by _at_ 20%

For grapes:

Inhibit the spread and outbreak of powdery mildew
Increase the sugar content of the grapes.

We did not soil soak with AACT so I cannot make any SFW claims. We did get=
 them on a composting program and after the rainy season, they will get the=
 benefits of that.

Ted Peterson
Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth



Received on Thu Dec 11 2003 - 23:27:19 EST

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