Re: [compost_tea] "this camp v. that camp"

From: Lloyd Charles <lcharles_at_iinet.net.au>
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 13:47:35 +1000

jeff
this is a much better way to go ! the focus has moved from the people to th=
e problem!
even some good suggestions as to what we can or cant do to fix it.!
Thank you
Lloyd Charles
  I am getting a lot of posts off list about this "two camps" stuff. Many
  don't know what this is all about. If you are bored by this, simply
  skip the post.


  This is sometimes put as SFI vs BBC, the two proponent labs. But I
  think it all started because Soil Soup and Growing Solutions machines
  didn't show very good fungi when tested by SFI. SFI did lots of tests
  and figured out why the fungal numbers were low....one case was a
  bioslime build-up and the other was an mechanical slicer and a
  too-thick compost sock. Using BBC tests, no problems were indicated. In
  the case of the Growing Solutions machine, a simple fix corrected the
  problem. In the case of the Soil Soup machine, there wasn't a great
  fix because of the impeller.

  Then I started making homemade brewers as per Doc Elaine's article
  several years back. Using the same recipes, I would test my homemade vs
  the Soil Soup. I sent in tests "blind" and can still remember Dr.
  Elaine asking what kind of machine was I using because of the cryptic
  nomenclature I used. I kept sending in tests. I was able to improve my
  homemade brewed teas, but not the Soil Soup's.

  And just so you understand, once I found out the machine had a problem
  with the sock, I tested a tea with a nylon sock and got a little better
  results in the bacteria. I also added air to the sock using a bubbler.
    (I would have let the compost go free, but it will kill the motor of
  the Soil Soup machine in a jiffy if you do).






Received on Mon Aug 02 2004 - 00:16:49 EDT

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