Lynn and I have been reading through a box of old OG magazines that we bought at the library and while cross referencing to the internet, discovered a very informative site at www.jgpress.com. The article we were reading explained how compost is a good deterrent against brown rot in peaches, blight in heirloom tomatoes and can actually control some pests. The website listed above is from the publishers of BioCycle Magazine and also has information on setting up a commercial compost supply business.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 12, 2001

Answers

Response to Compost as a desiese control in the garden [Gardening (Composting)

Since posting this, I went deeper in their site and found a very informative piece on the benifits of spraying with compost tea. I knew of the benifits of tea as a fertilizer, but was surprised that the microbes also protected foliage against pests.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 12, 2001.

Compost tea will also fertilize the plant through the foliage. The most beneficial aspect of compost is the strength and vigor it produces in the plants. Depending on its composition, there is very little that compost could do to rid a plant of disease OR pests that is not directly related to the health benefits.

If the plant is already in bad shape, compost tea on both ground and leaves will be better than a straight compost being worked into the soil, which could jolt an already taxed plant into producing more growth at the expense of healing.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 16, 2001.