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Nh

Good morning all. I am just wondering when I can apply my first batch of compost tea this season...is there a "too early" date.....Does 2nd week of june sound reasonable? Thanks, Rooster Butterfield

3/7/2009 7:32:03 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Rooster, I am new to compost tea this season but my understanding from reading thru the older posts is that you can add tea as a drench prior to planting to give the soil biology a jump start. I plan to apply as soon as all of my spring ammendments are added and tilled in. Jim

3/18/2009 12:32:36 PM

Seattle, WA

You should definitely consider a soil application prior to planting. As soon as your soil temps are above freezing you can put out your first application. If you're on a budget or time constraints, you can wait a bit until it warms up to minimize microbial loss due to temps. However, what organisms do survive in your initial application will only help to improve your soil quality and establish themselves come planting time.

3/20/2009 2:01:43 PM

Nh

Thanks Tad12- Your information on this board has been very helpful for me. Keep up the great work! Rooster

3/21/2009 6:50:57 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Tad, soil temp here in Ky. is above 50F...if I brew ACT, should I brew at 70F, or at the ambient temp? (Warmer during the day, and cooler at night)?, or try and brew at the soil temp? Thanks again for all yer help!!! Peace, Wayne

3/21/2009 9:40:16 PM

Seattle, WA

Wayne,

Dr. Inhgam insists on brewing at ambient temps. you'll be applying the tea. She states that you want to select for the organisms that will be most successful at surviving at the current soil temps.

That being said, I haven't seen any data to support this, nor refute it.

Another theory is to brew at 70 deg. F. so as to get the highest concentrations of beneficial microbes and then any microbes that are put out will either remain active, go dormant, or die and become food for suviving organisms. Since soil temps. can fluctuate throught the day in some extremes and certainly throughout the seasons, these organisms are very hardy and will become active when the conditions become right for them.

Since I don't have any data either way, I'd follow Dr. Ingham's recommendation, though on a purely logical level, the 2nd theory makes a lot of sense to me. If you do brew at colder temps., (60 and below), you'll want to extend your brew cycle to a minimum of 36-40 hours. This is where a microscope comes in handy!

~Tad

3/22/2009 12:01:09 AM