Going Organic - Page 7 - LawnSite.com™

Pristine1 · #61 02-05-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phasthound

As long as the ground isn't frozen, you should be OK.
Does it ever thaw in Maine?

Yeah, for like a week in late July and early August....then its back to snow plowing!!!

Actually, I am right on the coast, so our mowing season starts about the 3rd/4th week of April....depending on temps. So I was thinking that an app. in May would be my first.....compost topdressing would happen from the 1st/2nd week in April into May.

Pristine1 · #62 02-05-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDUtah

poor poor leftover compost... it's all alone

That also crossed my mind....what to do with the left over compost??? Feed it to the worms in my soon to be vermicomposting ad-venture!??

Pristine1 · #63 02-05-2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treegal1

well...........as soon as its above 40F, IMO ( hold on while i put on the flame suit) the compost tea, brewed or extracted is going to have nutrients and biology in it at almost any temp. how active or dormant the biology is??? its still there., try and brew at the soil temp. I think the real answer is what is the plant/grass doing, is it dormant or is it alive and growing, there by up-taking nutrients that it needs to grow. yes at low temps the thermophiles are going to take a hit but the mesophiles are going to still be there. some mesophiles, said to be psychrotolerant, exhibit slow growth at lower temperatures, they include soil microbes that must be able to survive temperature extremes. hope this helps some............

This is a lot of help. The grass usually needs a first mow by late April. I would guess/hypothesize that if I have good soil to begin with, then the grass will green up nicely, and then with the apps of CT a few weeks later, it will continue on.

Gotta go pick up one of the kids and get her to soccer!!!! I'll check back later....thanks to you all for all of this great info! I know that this will take off with the right marketing.

Kiril · #64 02-05-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treegal1

dang it man, rod said you know it all

I can safely say I know what I know.

Kiril · #65 02-05-2009, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pristine1

That also crossed my mind....what to do with the left over compost??? Feed it to the worms in my soon to be vermicomposting ad-venture!??

Treat it just like any other compost.

bicmudpuppy · #66 02-05-2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiril

I can safely say I know what I know.

And I will also attest that you think you know what you think you know and sometimes what you think you know take a different tangent from what I think I know so that what I think I know is different from what you think you know, but you think you know what you think you know and I think I know what I think I know................................(and it just gets uglier exponentially)

For those that doubt, there are pages in the irrigation forum that prove the above

Kiril · #67 02-05-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bicmudpuppy

For those that doubt, there are pages in the irrigation forum that prove the above

.......... indeed,

ICT Bill · #68 02-05-2009, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pristine1

So brewed, we are basically creating our own concoction. Extracted, we only get what the compost has??? If one were to extract, then what makes the microbes active once they are applied?

One other question that I have is this: Up here, we don't begin to see warm (65+ degrees) regularly until late May. How will that affect the application of the microbes? Will the colder temps kill them, or do they just move a lot slower?

I ask that because I am trying to put together a bus. plan for this and just want to know when I would realistically be able to apply CT.

it really makes no difference, the microbes that are able to be fermented in the brew are the same ones that would typically be available at that temp

no worries, as a good friend of mine says

YOU CAN' DO IT WRONG YOU CAN ONLY DO IT BETTER