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Goodwood, Ontario, Canada

I understand that the use of a bacterial tea and how it creates bacteria that the protozoa eat. What I am trying to understand is when you would apply a Fungal tea. Is this all hit and miss or is there a benefit to timing when you apply the different teas?

3/23/2012 7:46:30 AM

President - GPC

Oh there probably is...but I dont know what it is. Have you ever looked at the compost tea under a microscope? If you can, give it a try.....itZ like star warZ.....if you make good tea. Both fungal and bacteria....I try to do both.....I even used mushroom compost and got some interesting creatures from that.....

Pretty much I think good compost tea put it on!

3/27/2012 3:40:56 PM

Seattle, WA

With ACT, you really want a balanced tea (all sets of organisms present and in good diversity and concentration). Think of it as a shotgun approach. Put out everything beneficial you can and let the plant decide what it wants around the roots. If it wants bacterial-dominated soil, then it will put out bacterial exudates. Any excess fungal spores/hyphae will just go dormant or become food resources for other organisms. This is a simplistic explanation of the microbial loop, but you get the idea....

3/27/2012 6:59:07 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

My CT is bacteria dominant ( I think )because I use worm castings and not soil in the brew.Some research suggests that that fresh earthworm casts are richer in available nitrogen, available phosphates and available potash than the surrounding topsoil. Worm castings also contain many beneficial bacteria and the number of beneficial bacteria in the ejected worm casting is much higher than in the material ingested by the earthworm.
Anyway, it works.

3/27/2012 8:20:16 PM

Seattle, WA

Andy, check out Tim's site (microbeorganics.com). All of his "fungal" microscope videos are shot with tea made from worm castings that ate horse manure. It is possible to get good fungal activity from worm castings, depending on inputs and care.

3/28/2012 1:17:09 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Thanks for the link Tad, nice clear pics. I would have bet my CT was bacteria dominant, can't tell without a microscope. I suppose a multi angle approach, including ACT ( what many of us are doing now ) is the best way to ensure good diversity-

3/28/2012 1:32:04 PM