Re: [compost_tea] Re: Inclusion of clay in compost

From: Stephen Steyn <ssteyn_at_wcaccess.co.za>
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 22:45:27 +0200

Hi Steve Diver;
Thanks kindly for your very informative reply.

You're right. I had the incorrect name and therefore the incorrect site. It=
's the CMC course which my composter attended. My composter advocates the a=
ddition of 10% clay to the material to be composted. It would appear from =
your missive that you approve or even recommend the use of 10% clay in the =
compost pile - with the usual caveat that conditions in the compost pile ar=
e optimal and the food source optimal etc. I was hoping someone would be ab=
le to enlighten me as to the desirability of using clay and the purpose of =
the clay in the composting process. I guess your reply answered this part o=
f the query.

I don't have a compost extractor (compost tea maker or aqueous compost extr=
actor I guess you would call it - the local composters call it an extractor=
) however I am preparing to purchase one from a local supplier. My last mes=
sage gave some assumed specs of the extractor namely an air pump which deli=
vers 2500lt of air a minute at 2 bars supplying air to a vessel with a wat=
er capacity of 1000lt with about 2.5 m of 75mm pipe covered by bubbler mem=
brane in the bottom. The air pump is used to serve up to 4 of these vessels=
 simultaneously. I believe the bubbler membrane is supplied by Bob Baars fr=
om Compara while the other components are locally sourced as per his specif=
ications. By the way, I have attended a talk by Bob Baars which dealt with =
organic farming versus chemical farming, soil biota composition, composting=
 and the use of compost and related matters.

My second and related question. A jump to the left if you like.
Last week I watched as some labourers were emptying an extractor and notic=
ed a substantial deposit in the bottom of the vessel. I am therefore posing=
 the question: Is the deposit not the clay fraction which has never been in=
 suspension but simply migrated to the bottom of the vessel and probably ne=
ver been sufficiently agitated to remain in circulation during the extracti=
on cycle? This could possibly mean that it was not stripped of its nutrient=
s and biota. Is the use of clay then the best way to make compost for extra=
ction purposes given the problem that it precipitates to the bottom of the =
vessel rather than staying in circulation during the extraction cycle?

I hope you can help with the query and thanks once again for your kind repl=
y to my previous mail. I will visit your site and study your material on CM=
C.

Kind Regards
Steve Steyn







Received on Fri Feb 04 2005 - 17:51:34 EST

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