Compost Tea

[Knowledgequest]

[ QUOTE ]
Cliff Notes by Rebecca: Best tree root health=Spread out mulch zone and fert and mycorrhizae and adequate water and pore space are what's needed. Compost tea maybe most helpful in poor soils due to increasing number of microbes in poor environment for microbes. Very interesting talk. Thanks for sharing that link.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are welcome, Rebecca. To further illustrate the limitations of aerated compost tea; Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch @ Morton Arboretum.
http://www.isapodcast.com/pod/ISA_SoA023_052011.mp3

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

[ QUOTE ]
Let rain and irrigation run through that compost layer and there you will find a useful tea.



[/ QUOTE ]

If this is true, then how can you discount the possible benefits of mimicking the process through ACT?

 

[Knowledgequest]

Rocks and Trees, If you are a practicing arborist I trust you are fully aware of the fundamental differences between a layer of compost and pouring compost leachate on the ground.

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

Not just a "compost layer", but the process of rain or irrigation running through the compost. It just seems to me and my simple mind that if it's good for the tree/plants, and occurrs naturally, then it's worth it to continue developing a system of duplicating the process rather than the alternative of chemical ferts. It seems reasonable that in addition to mulching, if there is a way to stimulate microbial activity, it could be a good thing.

I am a practicing Arborist, but do not currently use CT. I have though seen seemingly postive results from CT application in conjunction with mulching or a natural organic layer already underneath.

 

[Knowledgequest]

Give a listen to the two lectures by Dr. Smiley and Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch I posted above. ACT is extremely limited and I hope the guys out there brewing and selling this stuff are being honest about what it can and can not do.

 

[MR_TEA]

AACT, does exactly what it is designed to do, That is; return and maintain a healthy soil food web, to otherwise dead or poor quality soil. And within thoughs perameters it is not limited.


Rocks and trees, Top dressing with compost is a valid way of returning micro organisms to the soil and if it rains it will act as a Compost extract (not leachate) helping said organisms move deeper into the soil. Compost Extract and AACT is just a faster way of achiving the same effect as a Compost top dress.

The difference between Compost Extract and Compost tea is with the brewing process.

Compost extract- in a tea brewer you are seperating all living micro organisms from the compost into an oxygen rich liquid solution (water). The benifit to this is that it is very stable and can last much longer than AACT. The applications of an extract; 1. to maintain an already healthy soil food web 2. in a turf aplication where topdressing would take to long.

Compost tea- Doing the same as an Extract, seperating all living micro organisms from the compost into an oxygen rich liquid solution (water). However, with Tea you are adding Foods for the organisms to grow and multiply, enhancing the orginal Microbial count of the compost.

 

[fireaxe]

Is compost extract supposed to increase the micro-organism population or provide materials to the already existing microbe populations?

We (humans) have an entire population of critters on our skin. We get bombarded by millions of bad guys every day. Public restrooms are scary... We do not get sick because our personal population is established and they got it under control. I do not do this for a living, just was taught it once. It seems that if we are trying to introduce microbes into an ecology that already has an established colony, the attempt would be futile most of the time. This was reflected in some study of mycorrhizae done a few years ago. This conclusion was also supported by my observations of the results of the treatments that I performed. Either did nothing OR destroyed the balances that were present at the time of the treatment.

If it is done to provide "support" or food for what is there, seems like feeding a guy for a day rather than teaching him to fish. We do it all the time and solve nothing. Makes us feel good that he isn't starving today and makes us feel like we are contributing.

There are tons of issues with the urban environment. We need to allow the trees the opportunity to adapt to the hand they are dealt. From what I have seen, most of the time, they manage quite remarkably.

Trees being greener? WTF.. How's your tan? Get some Bronzer on... You'll look healthier. What are the long term effects of laying in the sun? There are a few.

Sorry if the analogies are goofy.

 

[MR_TEA]

Compost extract, works the same as compost tea, the only difference is that the microbial population in an extract isn't increased by the addition of food.(not to say it can't be increased by adding foods.

It will add to the exisiting microbial population, it is also providing new organisms for the exsisting ones to feed on or vise versa. That process as we all know produces Nitogen.

Are all urban/suburban trees "personal population" established to the point where it can fight off all pathagens? not forgeting most of said trees are in an anaerobic environment

will compost tea make trees green? eventually, it might take years for the soil web to get cranking and produce enough N to have a visual difference.

 

[Knowledgequest]

[ QUOTE ]
Rocks and trees, Top dressing with compost is a valid way of returning micro organisms to the soil and if it rains it will act as a Compost extract (not leachate)

[/ QUOTE ]

Mr. Tea, you make it sound as if ACT is superior to intact compost.

Leachate - water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents.
– Oxford Dictionary

This means ACT contains only a fraction of what is in the intact compost itself. (Bryant C. Scharenbroch, William Treasurer, Michelle Catania, Vincent Brand)(et, al)

[ QUOTE ]

AACT, does exactly what it is designed to do, That is; return and maintain a healthy soil food web, to otherwise dead or poor quality soil. And within thoughs perameters it is not limited.

[/ QUOTE ]

ACT is extremely limited. It has a very narrow window of opportunity.

Mr. Tea, If you subscribe to science based arboriculture, then support your decision to brew and sell the stuff with credible data/research. I posted research by Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch @ Morton Arboretum and Dr. Smiley @ Bartlett Tree Research Lab showing the outright weakness and extreme limitations of ACT as it pertains to tree health.

Your turn.
Support your argument with said same. Post here the data/research that led you to decide ACT is the end all beat all for the urban tree. Please make sure whatever you decide to post, at least, contains the word "tree".