RE: [compost_tea] Re: chelating minerals with ACT

From: Tim Kiphart <kiphart_at_ev1.net>
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 08:57:26 -0500

Inoculating the compost pile is probably a better, long-term solution to
mineral balancing. Rock powders could be added to ACT as a fertility fix,
but I question how much chelation would occur during the 24 hour process.
Your minerals would be right there for the biology "once you hit the
ground". The quantity of powders being added to the ACT might also be
difficult to put into solution. How bout using a liquid formulation?

Have you done an Albrecht CEC or Reams soil test? You mention adding Mg
(dolomite). Are you sure those sticky, red tropical clays need Mg?
Usually, if it sticks to your boot, there is too much Mg present.

Pura vida.

Tim

 -----Original Message-----
From: vanilla_at_racsa.co.cr [mailto:vanilla_at_racsa.co.cr]
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 10:36 PM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: chelating minerals with ACT


  My exposure to and understanding of the principles of anaerobic manure
  tea is to chelate specific minerals for deficienct soils. The
  methodology I have seen is; the practitioner combines rock minerals
  like NPK, calcium, magnesium etc with manure in a sealed drum that is
  left alone for a period of several weeks and then applied to the soil.
  This is something along the line that Will Brinton is promoting. My
  question is anyone experimenting/investigating with this approach in
  compost tea.
  In other words if I wanted to improve my magnesium and calcium balance
  can I put these minerals in rock powder form in my tea and have the
  microbiology digest the minerals, ala earthworms style, and have the
  minerals available in colloidal form, de una vez, for my plants and
  soil? Dr. Ingham insists that we need to get our minerals balanced
  first for the microbiology to be fully effective. Following up on the
  rock powder additive practice of many ACT users my query is - has
  anybody researched the results of mineral additives. I am experimenting
  with bentonite ( a montmorenilite sp? clay, which BYW has disease
  suppression properties of its own) to my teas and the clay blends very
  well into the tea, unlike the results of mixing calcium carbonate with
  water which tends to clump. I also apply the bentonite as a skin to my
  compost piles, a biodynamic practice. Or should we be innoculating our
  compost with dolomite and let the critters digest the minerals first for
  use later in the compost tea?

  Hank
  Costa Rica.



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Received on Sun Jun 13 2004 - 11:19:00 EDT

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