Re: [compost_tea] Snails Day 4

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 08:55:08 -0700

Long fungal strands in the compost. Lots of white actinomycetes. Some par=
ts of compost clumped together with fungi. It may be the wrong kind but i t=
hink I have enough. I made the compost using existing compost I had then u=
sed the procedure I posted to get as much fungal diversity from my local ar=
ea. Part of the compost I brewed with was Euc and that stuff is also loade=
d with lots of fungi.

I followed the procedure I outlined as far as inputs were concerned because=
 this was the procedure Bob said worked. The only thing I didn't try was A=
laska Humus. I called Jeff to order some but he hasn't returned my call.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: soilfoodweb_at_aol.com
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 7:43 AM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Snails Day 4


  Ted, please take a step back, and deal with step one. Not a criticism he=
re, just taking things first things first.

  Make sure you even have fungi in your compost. A good, decent level of f=
ungi.

  Home test? Add the oatmeal, humic acid, fish hydrolysate (all three in s=
mall amounts, ok?) to your compost, and wait overnight. Observe the result=
s.

  1. No obvious fungal growth? Find some real compost, compost that has f=
ungi in it.

  2. You see fuzzy wuzzy growth? You have compost that isn't really compo=
st, because you have mostly bad guy fungi. Inocluate your pile with some b=
eneficial fungi, with whatever local source you might be able to find that =
you KNOW has good fungi (talk to Highlands Soil & Water in Salinas and Mont=
erey -or New Era Farm Service - they both make compost with good amounts of=
 fungi - check the SFI website. Actually, Highlands' compost is SUPER high=
 in fungi, just like Leon Hussy's compost - the KIS brewer -, or Alsaka Hum=
us)

  3. If you see "santa's beard" then, ok, you have some ok fungi. May st=
ill want to improve the species diversity by adding some additional fungal =
sources, like Alaska Humus.

  4. Thick threads of fungi growing IN THE SOLID PART OF THE COMPOST, not =
fuzz on the outside of the pile in any way. This is the primo stuff. If y=
ou see these guys, you have the fungi.

  Can you tell us what you actually see in your compost? Look at the compo=
st.... don't need a description of the tea, or the brewer, or anything else=
 at this point. OK?

  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
  SFI Culiacan, Mexico
  SFI Jerome, Idaho
  http://www.soilfoodweb.com

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Received on Mon May 17 2004 - 14:39:26 EDT

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