Interesting bit on Compost Tea

16 years ago

So I was reading through a recommended book from this forum, "Teaming with Microbes" and in their discussion of brewing compost tea and how to produce various "blends" they say if you are trying to go for a more fungal dominated tea vs bacterial then about 3 days before brewing mix in some SBM or bran flakes among other options to your compost that will give the fungi a head start. Make sure there is a little moisture (just enough to squeeze out a drop or two, if you tried) and by the time you are done you should visibly see the fungal hyphae (looks like fine hairs) weaved within. Why would you do this you ask? From reading this book you would rather have a fungally dominated soil base as opposed to a bacterially dominated base for most anything perennial including grasses or trees. Otherwise for garden vegetables and other annuals you would shoot for the bacterial majority. Just found that interesting and will try that for a batch this weekend.

Comments (5)

billhill
16 years ago
Interesting Fescue. Thanks. Keep your tips and information coming.
fescue_planter
Original Author
16 years ago
OK I reread sections of the book and feel the need to reclarify one bit. Perennials like shrubs and trees do prefer a fungally dominant soil but grasses prefer a slightly bacterially dominated soil. Sorry of my blunder in reading but I think I will still applicate fungally dominant compost tea once in a while, every third application I think. The book alludes to the FD compost tea being more helpful in cases of, say, powdery mildew. To go futher in depth, what plants prefer has to do with what kinds of nitrogen is supplied. Fungus supplies nitrogen in an ammonium form and bacteria produce a nitrate form. Grasses and annuals like the nitrates (scotts fertilizer) and trees/shrubs like the ammonium. Another great reason to keep the mulch* around your trees as they end up being great fungal food and too difficult for bacteria to thrive on. If you go to the extreme case of the old natural forest floor the soil is extremely fungally dominated which is what the big trees love.

*The book says to avoid cedar mulches as a chemical natural in them is toxic to some plants.
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chris_ont
16 years ago
*The book says to avoid cedar mulches as a chemical natural in them is toxic to some plants.

Drat. Does it say which plants?
fescue_planter
Original Author
16 years ago
OK even though the book does make this statement, some sources that I have just googled refer to this as a myth. BUT here's the catch, many of those sources also stick to the notion that cedar mulch is a natural barrier from insects and fungi (and trying to put a positive spin on it in the process). If you are an organic gardener and count on your shrubs/trees getting their nutrients naturally then you want that fungal growth in the soil as it feeds the plants with the type of nitrogen they prefer. Also, as another statement on the beneficial qualities of certain fungi, the book repeatedly refers to a certain type of fungus that can be extremely beneficial to the root system acting as a symbiant growth. This fungus is called mychorrizal and it can have some seriously beneficial effects to your plants by aiding it in collecting water and nutrients in exchange for the plant's natural root exudants. This of course can happen naturally but you can evidently buy the spores at nursuries to apply to either seedlings or transplants. If anyone has any experience on that I'd like to hear.
billhill
16 years ago
fescue - mychorrizal fungus is a group of fungi common in organically rich soils. The link below has a little more information about fungus. This sight is great to explore. Lots of good stuff for us organic guys. And yet another good reason for spreading good quality compost.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Biology - Fungus