Livestream Podcast with Compost Expert Elaine Ingham

[Powelly]

There are some people smoking cannabis in the video for some reason - So be aware that this may be considered not safe for work
 
https://livestream.com/accounts/11524690/events/6070654/videos/132023292/player?autoPlay=false
 
Take away points:

• Compost teas are only really useful if you do not have organic matter in the soil already
• Brew compost teas in the same area as your plants so that they get the same temperature swings
• Compost should be made locally for the same reason as above - you want the organisms in the compost to be able to thrive in your set of conditions

 

[LTCM]

I have not listened to the podcast, but I have researched compost tea, including Elaine's methods, and she does a great job.  I'm always amazed at how many people I see doing compost teas wrong.  They literally are flooding the system with sugars which creates a bacteria imbalance.  Don't forget the fungi people!
 
Besides that, there are so many misconceptions about compost tea.  Compost teas are a foliage spray, not a soil drench.  If you have a well functioning soil system already, you aren't going to be increasing or diversifying the microbes in your soil.  The amount of microbes your soil can support depends on the soil itself, not the amount of tea you are adding to your plants.  If your soil is already well established, you cannot easily change what you have because any efforts are you just peeing into the ocean - outside of pots, maybe.
 
But yea, starting with a clean slate without any organic matter is a different story.