Compost Tea: Explained

Wait a minute,
what the heck is
Compost Tea?
But first.. We must look at the
Compost
The Quality of the
compost is all about the
LIFE
We want Aerobic
conditions to maintain
that life
 TEDIdeas worth spreading
How our microbes
make us who we are
Rob Knight

Meet your microbes

Jonathan Eisen

They are ancient ( 4

million years old)
Aka, The HERD

www.soildoctor.org
There is a soil party going on!
A teaspoon of
good garden soil
contains billions
of microbes that
were only
recently
discovered.

These microbes
make the soil a
sponge and also
cycle nutrients
so plants can
thrive.
brewer,

Soooo, How?
 Steep
Compost Tea =
Extracts
Aerated Compost Tea
Organisms do all the work in the soil
They perform all the processes of:
making nutrients plant available;
building soil structure;
suppressing diseases and pests
Plants feed bacteria and fungi through root
exudates, and dead plant material.
Highest numbers of bacteria and fungi are around
The roots.
Bacteria and fungi solubilize mineral nutrients from
rocks, sand, silt and clay.
Bacteria and fungi are eaten by protozoa,
nematodes,microarthropods, and earthworms
(predators).
Two questions to think about when
managing our soils.
What can a Forest teach us?
What are the 4 essential things we as
humans need to survive as a species?
Pivots, Drip lines
behind seeders, seed
treatments, airplane
Why does soil need organic
matter?
To feed bacteria, fungi, which feed predators
and thus cycle nutrients
Together these organisms build soil structure
(keep soil aerobic)
Hold water and nutrients so they dont wash
away
Source of nutrients to be made plant-available
Compete with, inhibit and consume diseases
and pests
Its like a bank account, and we
dont have an over-draft option
Living Soil Is NOT DIRT!

Compacted soil

Living soil quickly becomes dirt, with no

oxygen, water, or life to
the basis of all life, is support plants.
filled with abundant,
microbial, and fungal
organisms that work
together to feed the
plants by gathering
water and creating
 Healthy A Healthy
Healthy Soil
Food =
=

You!!
 The more you let the HERD do their jobs,
the better success we will have. Save time,
reduce inputs and water requirements. And
most important keep more sheckels in your
jeans
And Remember
SOIL does not like
being treated like
DIRT
Thank You
Mike Dorion
The Compost Kid

mike@livingsoil.ca

403-605-6669

www.livingsoil.ca

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