Q. When will I start to see results?
A. Depends on the steady delivery of food to your organisms. The faster and more frequently Compost Tea and Liquid GV are applied to your landscape, the quicker the results. Most clients who use Compost Tea start to see a difference in the health of the plant or tree after one application. After 16 consecutive weeks of Compost Tea, your water requirements should be about ½. The client pictures at www.landscapehouston.com illustrate the benefits of finished compost, Compost Tea and Vitamins.
Q. How can I tell if I am over-watering?
A. Easy – the leaves start to have iron chlorosis.
Iron chlorosis is when the leaves start to get dark green veins and the leaves start to turn yellow.
People like to water at this point – they seem to think the plant is unhealthy and it needs more water. They water the plant and yellow leaves appear. They water more. Then the yellow leaves fall off and green leaves turn yellow. Add more water – maybe a little plant food – the biggest numbers they can find stuff - because they need something “strong” to bring the plant back to its former vigor. Bowing to our “a little must be good so a lot must be better mentality” the plant which is now sitting in water gets shocked just like when you shock a pool with high doses of chemicals. The green leaves go into shock and they turn brown. Now the plant owner waters a whole bunch more. When the deceased plant is removed from its setting – the roots are rotten and stinky from sitting in funky water. For some pictures of over watered leaves visit the Test Results page.
Q. What are some watering tips?
A. Initially- set the grass to water for no more than 5 minutes per day, plants 3 minutes per day. Adjust accordingly after doing a finger test to the soil. If water starts running into your gutter before the time has expired you will need to water less and more often.
If your soil is still dry after running the irrigation for 5/3 minutes per zone – water for more time but run the system less days.
Example – you want to water your grass 20 minutes per week = 2” of water per week.
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun – 3 min per occurrence (aggregate of 21 minutes) OR
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun 5 minutes per occurrence (aggregate of 20 minutes)
OR
Tuesday, Thursday 10 minutes per occurrence (aggregate of 20 minutes)
Only water what your soil will accept – if you have been using synthetic chemical fertilizers – your ground will not accept much water – and most of it will run off. As you add organic matter (finished compost and Compost Tea + Liquid GV) your soil will start to accept more water. You will need to change the settings on your irrigation controller as the soil becomes more accepting of water. Today you may water 2 minutes twice a day – in a few months you may only need to water once a month for 10 minutes per zone.
Q. How can I check the soil moisture level?
A. Finger Test:
The simplest method is the finger test.
Stick your finger into the ground until it is knuckle deep and pull it out – just like a toothpick in a cake. If your finger tip is wet – do not water.
Contractor method:
If you hear a water and sucking sound when you dig up a plant – the plant is sitting in water.
Moisture meter:
Most personal horticultural and professional agricultural practices are in line with synthetic chemical requirements for sustaining plant life – maintain a mid range level of moisture in the soil. The same rules do not apply to compost tea.
Q. How does Compost Tea stop erosion?
A. Erosion occurs when the fungal biomass that held the soil together is removed.
When the fungus is restored, the soil has the density to stay intact during a heavy rain storm.
A finished biological compost does not wash away during a heavy rain.
Fungus in the soil helps to establish vegetation quicker so houses don't fall off cliffs and pools don't slide towards bayous.
Q. What does a fungus look like?
A. Anybody who has picked up a pile of wood chips has seen the white or yellowish strands that hold the chips together. These are fungi.
Fungi can also be seen as the white strands that are attached to plant roots when the plant is pulled from the ground.
Mushrooms denote the presence of fungi and are also fungi food.
Ever seen a yellow patch that looks like a cat threw up on top of a fresh compost application? This is also a type of fungus. It is a good type. Leave it alone and it will disappear in a few days.
Q. How much Nitrogen does a plant need?
A. Plants can use about 8 to 10 pounds of Nitrogen per year.
If the N number (N-P-K) is higher than 8, 95% of the Nitrogen will end up in the air or water supply, with only about 5% turning the plant green.
Nitrogen is Protein. Plants and humans are only one atom different.
The source of the Nitrogen determines whether the Nitrogen is synthetic (urea and ammonium nitrate) or organic (fish and beans).
Q. How much Nitrogen does grass need per year?
A. Most grasses grown in Texas will only accept 6 pounds of Nitrogen per year.
If the bacteria in your soil are working for you, they will break down the thatch and turn it into the Nitrogen needed to keep your grass green.
Q. What does N-P-K mean?
A.
N = Nitrogen (or Protein) - it helps plants grow. Too much N will thin the lignin in the cell wall and cause the cell wall to collapse under environmental stress.
P = Phosphorus - it helps plants flower.
K= Potassium - it helps plants weather environmental stress (heat, drought, cold)
Q. Do I need to add N-P-K fertilizers if I am using Compost Tea and Vitamins?
A. NO. Compost Tea contains the biology that will feed your plants and grass the correct amount of N-P-K and trace minerals, so you should not add any more.
Granular Vitamins sold during Spring 2005 had an N-P-K of 4-1-1
Granular Vitamins sold during Fall 2005 had an N-P-K of .7-1.5-1
Q. How can I get rid of poison ivy?
A. The best way to remove poison ivy is to pull it out.
It can be wind born or from bird poop.
If pulling it does not seem like an option – cut out a 6" chunck of the vine near the base.
Make two plastic baggies for each end of the cut.
Put a little bit of Round up in each plastic baggie and tie it to the cut part of the stalk.
The poison ivy will take in the RoundUp through the vascular system killing it.
Pull the dead poison ivy out with gloves – so it does not seed itself.
If you are looking for a spray application – any of these should work with repeated usage:
Vinegar
bad compost tea (anaerobic bacterial tea or manure tea)
pure grain alcohol – like everclear
Q. Seeding a yard?
A. Order 3-5 gallons of Compost Tea and soak the seeds in the tea overnight.
In the morning, spray the seed and tea mixture over your yard.
For better results, add a 1" layer of compost across your yard to give the seeds good soil to germinate in.