forest floor screefings use in gardening

Hi, I've witnessed it used in ramiel beds. I just went for hike and got surface screefings from around spruce trees into one bag; from around maple trees into another; another with a general deciduous mix and another with pine mix. My thinking is to use these to kick off at least tow barrels of compost tea, one deciduous & garden based and the other for conifers. My only hesitation is I feel the deciduous screefings were too close to conifers -- that i should go to where the forest or a feral grove is decidedly (near solely) deciduous. It's...not early but I've still time to adjust. Any ideas welcome and will read around here more. Thanks, OgreNick

Nick Dimitri wrote:Hi, I've witnessed it used in ramiel beds. I just went for hike and got surface screefings from around spruce trees into one bag; from around maple trees into another; another with a general deciduous mix and another with pine mix. My thinking is to use these to kick off at least tow barrels of compost tea, one deciduous & garden based and the other for conifers. My only hesitation is I feel the deciduous screefings were too close to conifers -- that i should go to where the forest or a feral grove is decidedly (near solely) deciduous. It's...not early but I've still time to adjust. Any ideas welcome and will read around here more. Thanks, OgreNick

I confess I had never heard the term "ramiel" before so I looked it up. Interesting! I found this short article that explained it and contrasted ramiel with pine chip mulch--also very interesting. It makes me want to finally buy that chipper I've drooled over for so many years! It definitely looks like it would be a great way to improve soil fertility and increase the quality of soil texture at the same time. Will you get those same benefits by using only the compost tea?

One thing I would avoid, however, is gathering leaves beneath walnut trees as well as conifers--the juglone in walnut leaves and bark is allelopathic and may inhibit growth in the beds.

I made sure to steer clear of cedars when gathering my forest flr screefings. They're also allelopathic. .... geez, i see why peops quote what they're responding to here, cuz i can see your quote of me but not what you wrote on this here partic page. I have a chipper and will do both: beds with the Ramiel set up and those dressed with the compost tea, periodically. I used air pumped compost tea last year, but this year will try two: one bacterial based, with deciduous for the gardens, the other fungal based for conifer starts. Got me work way cut out for me >>> May we all spring FWD! OgreNick  

hau Nick, What makes you want fungal strong compost tea for conifers?
Usually Conifers are more towards the bacterial side of beneficial organisms than they are the fungal side.
It is the deciduous trees that utilize more of the different species of mycorrhizal fungi.
I am curious as to the reference to Ramiel, what does the fifth archangel have to do with gardening? he is one of the 4 angels of hell.
Most folks I hear using this reference are referring to the detritus layer of the forest floor.
It mainly consists of shed vegetative parts, such as leaves, branches, bark, and stems, existing in various stages of decomposition above the soil surface.
This 0 horizon is home to many bacteria and some fungi along with all the other microorganisms we want in our soil for balance.

Aerated compost tea is the only way you can get high numbers of bacteria, fungi, springtails, amoeba, flagellates and all the others.
When trying to slant the tea to any one particular organism you will need to provide a large excess of the foods for that organism in the brewing bag.
fungi feed on bacteria as well as lignin by the way.

Redhawk