Introduction to Compost Tea Arboristicka Akademie

On 20th October, Treework Business Development Manager and resident Soil Advisor Simon Parfey delivered a presentation to the Czech arboricultural organisation, Arboristicka Akademie.

The event formed part of an ongoing series of lectures that have been delivered to members to educate them in different and more specialised areas of arboriculture.

In this particular case, the topic of Simon’s lecture was “The Science of Compost tea and its use on Trees”.

The first section of the talk explained the background behind compost tea, including using soil microbiology to drive beneficial changes within the soil. Simon then showed images of soil microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. He explained the essential nature of their role in helping to cycle nutrients to tree roots.

He then discussed some of the technical aspects to be considered if you are producing Compost Tea. The section included a deeper look at the requirement for mature and biologically active compost, which you can use to initiate the process of brewing. Simon also covered the importance of testing the source water properties and quality. The characteristics of water can influence the end solution, and so this step is vital. Simon also explained the need to maintain high levels of hygiene throughout all stages of compost tea, from production through to application.

Simon closed by providing some examples of compost tea and its use on trees. He shared some of the data Treework has collected over the years of conducting this type of research.

Simon said, “It was a delight to share our knowledge and some of the information we obtained from this work. There appears to be a growing trend of interest in natural treatments for trees. So, it is encouraging to see the interest and desire to understand more about the tree-soil connection grow.”

You can see more about the event that Simon took part in here: https://www.arboristickaakademie.cz/310-arboristicka-akademie-oak-on-line-arboristicka-konference-6-cast/