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

["Soil Foodweb, Inc." <info AT soilfoodweb.com>]

> Hi The Grahams -

What exactly is corn gluten?

It is a complex carbon food resource, which is...... fungal food.  
Manufacturers add a fair amount of nitrogen to it, so that as the fungi, and 
some bacteria, use it as a food resource, they don't tie up all the of 
nitrogen in your soil and kill all your plants.

What's the correct ratio of nitrogen to balance the high C material?   Do you 
suppose the makers of the product checked this out before they sold it?  The 
balance used for the lawn is correct ratio for the grasses you want, IF.....

If you have a healthy foodweb in your lawn.  But, the ratio is correct for 
grass.  Not perennial plants.

What if all the organisms in your soil were killed, or dormant, or sick?  
Will addition of corn gluten work then?  No.  Corn gluten is just a food 
resource for the organisms that should be there.  Hard to see good results if 
you don't have the organisms present in the soil to do the work for you.  So, 
with the corn gluten you should?  Right, apply tea so you have the needed 
organisms
to do the job.

So, will addition of corn gluten to tea be useful?  It should feed fungi, 
correct?  The excess N will be taken up by the bacteria and fungi.  Once in 
the soil, as long as you have the protozoa adn beneficial nematodes and 
microarthropods, that N will be cycled into plant available forms.

But what is the form of N in corn gluten?  Will that N help Fusarium or 
Rhizoctonia?  Nitrate helps the Fusarium, ammonium helps Rhizotonia.  Better 
not be either of those forms.....

More questions?  Please e-mail.....

Elaine