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Riverfalls, wi. 54022

I'm new to compost tea. Am a gardener at a university. Trying out tea on selected beds in hopes of eventually using tea on all flower beds. How long does it take before I see any significant results and what results shall I expect. IE, does it take a year of use? I foliar spray and try to follow up with soil saturation. I use a Growing solutions brewer and apply tea with a 20 gallon Filmco sprayer. Any ideas, suggestions for a newbie greatly appreciated.

6/25/2009 12:49:00 PM

Seattle, WA

Negril,

I don't think there's any time frame on seeing results. Since we're dealing with organics and live micro-organisms, it's hard to say when you'll see results. This is going to be highly dependent on the quality of your soil food web and the micro-climate in which you're applying.

I've had customers tell me they saw results within a few hours (I tend to think this may be a placebo effect though) to others who say they can't see a difference after a year or two.

Typically, people tell me they see results within a week or two after the application. In regards to giant pumpkins, the feedback I've gotten is that the pumpkin has better color (more orange) and the stem and fruit are healthier and stronger. Also have gotten some reports that it's helped in combating fusarium in the patch.

Cheers,
Tad

PS: As far as ideas and suggestions, I'd suggest getting a copy of "Teaming with Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels. Harvard yard just completed a study on compost tea, which I can send to you if you message me at tadhussey@yahoo.com, and the Woodland Park Zoo Rose Garden has been using compost tea for years now with great success here in Seattle.

6/26/2009 10:36:09 AM

Riverfalls, wi. 54022

Thanks, Tad. I'll email you soon for the study.

6/26/2009 3:16:24 PM