Compost teas introduce life into sterile soils and growing media when compost application is not practical.
Sadly most sports turf rootzones are relatively low in the organic matter needed to support microbial life even though a lot of microbial food leaks from the roots during photosynthesis so fairly regular applications are needed. In an 80/20 rootzone you will need about 100 litres of compost tea per application.
Frequency of application depends upon what you want to achieve. To clean a chemically compromised rootzone with iron bands, black layer, barriers of fines and root breaks will need up to 10 applications per year starting in spring. If you have a relatively healthy rootzone and want to get good early growth, help manage dry patch and strengthen the grass in autumn five or six applications appropriately timed may suffice.
In summary compost teas are a simple inexpensive way of getting soil biology, chemistry and physics to work in harmony for healthy sustainable fine grass growth.
Why do we need living soil
Typical sports turf root zones that have been used as a receptacle for chemicals over the years are effectively dead see picture of typical dead rootzone, these rootzones contain the limited biology suitable for poa annua, a grass that survives because of constant seeding and high nutrient water and pesticide inputs.
All plants rely on relationships with soil microbes that promote healthy growth. These symbiotic plant microbe systems, in which grasses, except poa annua, apply about 20% of its energy to root formation and leaks about 30 per cent of the energy they produce through their roots to feed the microbes forming the soil food web, have evolved over millions of years. In return the microbes convert the proteins and carbohydrates that leak out of the root back into plant food available at the right time for optimum plant growth.
Soil microbes have a range of mechanisms to protect the grass against pathogen attack, aid in the decomposition of toxins, and produce plant growth hormones. The net result of this is that grass grown in a healthy food web is stronger, needs less inorganic fertiliser and water, suffers less from disease, fairy rings and dry patch and tends towards perennial grasses not poa annua.
Compost tea allows you to match the correct biology to your grass from the day the seed germinates, so exceptional growth can occur.
Sadly most sports turf rootzones are relatively low in the organic matter needed to support microbial life even though a lot of microbial food leaks from the roots during photosynthesis so fairly regular applications are needed. In an 80/20 rootzone you will need about 100 litres of compost tea per application.
Frequency of application depends upon what you want to achieve. To clean a chemically compromised rootzone with iron bands, black layer, barriers of fines and root breaks will need up to 10 applications per year starting in spring. If you have a relatively healthy rootzone and want to get good early growth, help manage dry patch and strengthen the grass in autumn five or six applications appropriately timed may suffice.
In summary compost teas are a simple inexpensive way of getting soil biology, chemistry and physics to work in harmony for healthy sustainable fine grass growth.
Why do we need living soil
Typical sports turf root zones that have been used as a receptacle for chemicals over the years are effectively dead see picture of typical dead rootzone, these rootzones contain the limited biology suitable for poa annua, a grass that survives because of constant seeding and high nutrient water and pesticide inputs.
All plants rely on relationships with soil microbes that promote healthy growth. These symbiotic plant microbe systems, in which grasses, except poa annua, apply about 20% of its energy to root formation and leaks about 30 per cent of the energy they produce through their roots to feed the microbes forming the soil food web, have evolved over millions of years. In return the microbes convert the proteins and carbohydrates that leak out of the root back into plant food available at the right time for optimum plant growth.
Soil microbes have a range of mechanisms to protect the grass against pathogen attack, aid in the decomposition of toxins, and produce plant growth hormones. The net result of this is that grass grown in a healthy food web is stronger, needs less inorganic fertiliser and water, suffers less from disease, fairy rings and dry patch and tends towards perennial grasses not poa annua.
Compost tea allows you to match the correct biology to your grass from the day the seed germinates, so exceptional growth can occur.
Compost tea is a liquid extract of compost containing.
• Enzymes and amino‐acids
• Bacteria, fungi, protozoa and beneficial nematodes
• Water soluble nutrients and organically bound nutrients
• Enzymes and amino‐acids
• Bacteria, fungi, protozoa and beneficial nematodes
• Water soluble nutrients and organically bound nutrients
Making the compost tea
Each batch you make will be different depending upon the ambient temperature, pH of the water used, brewing time, compost quality and nutrients added. It is best to make tea at the ambient temperature so you grow the microbes that will survive in the soil temperature to which they are applied
Step 1 - Fill the brewer with the desired amount of water. If using chlorinated water run the air pump for an hour or two to release any chlorine in the water.
Step 2 - Add the nutrients to the water.
Step 3 - Add the compost to the basket or for smaller brewers into the water.
Step 4 - Brew for the required time.
Step 5 - Switch off the brewer and allow the compost tea to settle for 20-30 minutes.
Step 6 - Decant the compost tea via and extra filter if necessary to your spray tank or irrigation tank and apply as a soil or foliar drench.
Step 7 - Thoroughly clean the brewer.
The final brew is 100% organic and can be mixed with other organic products, we will still apply our normal 'inorganic' fertilisers, wetters and growth regulators to ensure the turf is healthy.
Compost Tea- brewing in progress
Elsewhere we have tidied up the soil on the 14th, creating a small mound. We have also started collecting up dead turf from the badger damage and reseeding the bare areas.
