Re: [compost_tea] Re: metal chelates-application rates

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 10:02:45 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Norsen
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 8:20 AM
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: metal chelates-application rates


Ted - is there more than one specie of fungus? Do they all live well togeth=
er? Bob

Bob:

You are joking here right? Is this like the Rodney King thing? 'Can't we =
all just live together?' (I know it's 'get along.') Elaine has discussed f=
ungi and beneficials and their role. I think she is 100% right that it's a=
bout outcompeting. Tea is a preventative not a cure. She has never indica=
ted that spraying tea on an infestation will kill a fungus. It might hinde=
r further spread but I can't remember anywhere where she made even the slig=
htest indication that tea could cure any outbreak of even simple fungal pes=
ts. I did work with mildew on grapes. We had suppression but we also had =
local outbreaks that we treated with fungicide.

You seem to be suggesting that tea "cured" and "eradicated" the infestation=
. If that is a fact, you have really stumbled onto something. Now the pro=
blem I have is this: If I follow your recommendation based on your stateme=
nt and the orchard I spray it on dies or suffers loss of crop, can I hold y=
ou responsible? If the grower sues me can I call you into court to defend =
your statements? Can I say: "Bob on the comost tea list assured me it woul=
d work?" If I call Elaine, she is going to say she never indicated that tea=
 is a pesticide or operates in any way like one.

Ever since I made the boneheaded statements, when I first promoted compost =
tea, about tea controlling snails and slugs, I have been very careful to fi=
gure out exactly how tea works. I haven't got it all yet but I am getting =
closer. I know a lot of things it will not do and some things it will do. =
 Disease eradication is not one of the things it will do in my experience

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE



Received on Thu May 06 2004 - 13:51:38 EDT

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