Soil Ecology

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

This is some of the best I have found.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Making compost tea extract
Date:   Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:44:44 +0200
From:   Stephen Steyn <ssteyn@wcaccess.co.za>

You lose diversity because you are feeding only some of the organisms.
Their numbers will then rise, so they will form a larger % of the
microbial community. Are these microbes better suited to the job at hand 
when applied to the soil or plant?  I’m not saying don’t add foods, I’m 
just saying do it in moderation, apply a range of foods in small 
measure, and most important of all have a large and diverse range of 
feedstock when making your compost. Compost is the driver of the whole 
process. Be sure to keep the temperature in range, be sure the moisture 
is in range, be sure the C:N ratio is in range. Use herbs and foods with 
low N as well as other foods with higher N. Woody plants tend to help 
control temperature and favour fungi. Fungi are not well multiplied in a 
brewer. Compost should be allowed to mature. Simple rules, judgement 
required.

LCE is no different from ACT. A jet of water is better at removing
microbes from compost than placing compost in a bag and not even having
a bubbler in the bag.

With regard to humic acid. Humic acid is a poor chelator. Its molecule
size is much too large to gain ready access to plants through their
leaves (stomata). Fulvic is the chelator for leaf application. Humic is
a fungal food. It has a high CEC. Its right place is in the soil.

SS

(disclaimer: Well, that’s what I think anyway)