Re: [compost_tea] fungi activity

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 15:08:16 -0800


  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Paulette Mouchet
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 2:02 PM
  Subject: RE: [compost_tea] fungi activity


  I was thinking about this issue in terms of OTHER folks who feel the need=
 to
  adjust soil pH in spite of what WE (not they) know about biology.
>> If you PH is off, your plants will not grow. Either too acid or to
>> alkaline and your soil needs to be adjusted.

  If one of these folks tells me they are going to add sulfur to lower thei=
r
  soil pH, I have three options. First, smile and nod.

>> Why don't you just suggest lime? Sulfuir has too many negatives.

  Second, go into a long explanation about soil biology and how it works, a=
nd
  why they don't need sulfur, and why the expensive soil test they just had
  done is wrong, and why the lab report is wrong, and why they need AACT, a=
nd
  what AACT is, and how to make it, etc., etc., etc.

>> Be careful here. If a lab reports acidic pH say 3 - 5 and the plants =
appear healthy, you may surmise that the lab may be wrong. However, I have=
 never had a lab come back with pH at either extreme where there wasn't a s=
oil problem that was reflected in the plant/soil life. If you get lab resu=
lts, ignore their recommendations because these are based on conventional p=
ractice. I use A & L in Fresno, CA.

>> Becasue of the variabiliey of ACT, they could not recommend it because=
 they can't be sure that each and every batch will be the same. Chemicals =
don't have that problems. The numbers in the lab report are important. If=
 you don't know how to interpret them, contact someone who does and have th=
em decipher the report for you.
  If you ever get a grower to feel that his lab reports are useless, how wi=
ll you ever convice him that yours are not equally useless?

  I believe there is a road to travel between chemical gardening and
  biological organic gardening.

>> I try to get people off chemicals. If they have a stockpile, I try to=
 work my program so that they don't lose their investment. For pesticides,=
 I recommend that they minimize use. Use ACT globally and pesticide locall=
y to eradicate any outbreak. I try to get them to quit using pesticides as=
 preventatives. However, for outbreaks, pesticides work. Period. ACT is p=
owerless to stop any outbreak.

  Remember, there are whole computer programs that analyze weather conditio=
ns and soil properties assicated with chemical inputs and tell growers when=
 to apply which chemical. ACT has no such analog.


  Ted Peterson
  Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth



Received on Tue Jan 13 2004 - 19:03:04 EST

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