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compostteas - [Compostteas] Re: More on Fungi & Keeping Teas

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Subject: Compost Teas: 24 hour, EM, IM, BD & fermented plant extracts

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  • From: Soilfoodweb AT aol.com
  • To: compostteas AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Compostteas] Re: More on Fungi & Keeping Teas
  • Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 17:49:05 EDT

Scott asked more than I answered in the last e-mail -

Scott asked-
You say that springtails are fungal feeders so does that mean that where I
see 1000's of the little fellows springing about there are also lots of
fungi, even though I can't see the white threads or hyphae?  

Elaine replied -
Probably.  In order to keep that number of springtails happy and running around, you have to have LOTS of fungi for them to eat.  

Scott said -
When I lift the hay mulch the springtails are there by the 1000's, so I'm wondering if I
should put that hay in the "hay teabag" and a couple of kg's of soil from
the top two inches of the soil in the "compost tea bag" and thereby
"capturing" lots of fungi. Once extracted they can then feed on the humic
acid, seaweed and rockdust  in the tank. Am I on the right track???

Elaine replied -
I'm confused.  Hay bags?  Soil in the compost bag?  You don't really want dead springtail bodies floating in your tea, so lift the compost and let the springtails escape before putting them in the tea bag.  But remember, you want to make sure the fungi the springtails are eating are beneficial fungi.  So the hay has to be completely composted before you use it.  

The soil you are talking about is the soil under the composted hay?  I'd just put the compost in the bag, not the soil.  You get clay and small particles that make spraying a pain when you put soil in the tea.  

Scott said-
In an old forest nearby, I found lots of fungal threads under the litter but
no springtails. I'm puzzled by this. Can those threads be harvested and
multiplied in the tea?

Elaine replied -
A lack of springtails doesn't mean no fungi.  Lots of other critters eat fungi.  Some recent work by Andy Moldenke suggests that enchytraeids eat fungi.  As do sow bugs, and earthworms, and beetle larve, and millipedes and centipedes and .....  a zillion other critters in the forest floor.  Low springtails may just mean someone else got there first.....

You can take that old growth forest soil and extract the fungi into the tea.  Ron Stewart does that all the time in his tea.  It's a great source of lots of diversity.  But make sure you choose a HEALTHY forest.  

Scott said -
Supposing I want to keep some of the tea so I can spray it on the diseased
leaves 5 to 7 days later, will it still be OK if I strain some tea into a 20
litre bucket and keep it aerated with an aquarium aerator during that time?
What about the temperature? The nights are beginning to get cold (7 to 10
Celsius).

Elaine said -
Don't strain it, ok?  The fungi get strained out too.  Keeping the tea cool helps slow growth down, and keeping the tea aerated means you keep the good guys growing.  I'd add a little fungal food on day 2, and 4 just to keep the fungi happy.  Don't let the tea freeze, ok?  

Hope this helps!

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com



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