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Fri, Aug 5, 11 at 11:46
| Hi all-
I have woods adjacent to my property. I was wondering if I could rake up some of the decomposed leaves and twigs in the woods to make compost tea. I haven't yet gotten to building a compost bin (lots of good ideas in this forum), so I thought I could use what was already in the woods for compost and compost tea. Any drawbacks? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by mustard_seeds 4 -Onalaska Wisconsi (My Page) on Fri, Aug 5, 11 at 15:49
| You would probably make good compost tea using the duff from the woods, but removal of duff is generally highly discouraged. The duff serves as a bridge between the above ground living vegetation and the soil, and it is a crucial component in nutrient transfer/cycling. If you remove the duff from the woods, you can disturb this cycle and harm both the vegetation and the soil. It does not take a large amount of compost to brew tea, so if you really want to make some tea I bet you could find somebody with good compost who could give or sell you a pail. And you can get your pile started in the meantime also. What are you going to use the tea on? Welcome!! Rachel |
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| Thanks Rachel! I'm glad I asked before I went and did it. I never realized that raking the duff could cause problems. I was going to use the tea on my lawn. I'm attempting to go organic with my lawn care. It seems like a great way to go and I am finding a lot of good tips here and in the other forums. |
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- Posted by beeman_gardener 5 (My Page) on Sat, Aug 6, 11 at 22:20
| Might I suggest you try to find 'Worm Casts' from a local nursery, mine cost just $7 for a large bag full. Using them to make Activated Compost Tea and spray of drench the soil with the outcome. |
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