FAQ

What is C-Gro?

C-Gro is creation's balanced formula from ocean water that has all the natural elements known to man, except some of the gases.  It develops healthy and energetic plants.

Is this product safe to use?

C-Gro is a natural liquid that is as safe to use as water.

Can C-Gro be used for all plants?

Yes, C-Gro’s formula is the same for all plants but application rates vary.  Please follow recommended rates closely.

Will I damage my plants if I apply too much C-Gro?

It would take an application error in excess of 25% to experience a detrimental affect to your plants.

Is C-Gro a fertilizer?

No, C-Gro is not a fertilizer but does have a lot of the nutritive elements that are in many commercial fertilizers. C-Gro is a natural liquid soil amendment that works in all plant applications.

Do I need to apply C-Gro often?

No, one application per year is all that is needed for annual plants.  A few perennial plants may require two applications depending on the health of the plant and its family.

Does C-Gro stimulate the plant to produce more growth?

No, C-Gro stimulates the soil environment so the plant will grow healthier and reach its genetic potential but not provide a “jungle” of growth.

Would C-Gro still improve yield if I use leading biological products?

Yes! The microbes in the soil are reduced by tillage and pesticide applications.  Biological products are useful and are applied to increase micro-organism populations that work to provide a healthier soil environment in which the plant can grow.  But micro-organisms alone may not increase yields due to the lack of some minor elements the plant needs. Remember, C-Gro contains all the natural elements know to man with the exception of the gases.  C-Gro acts as a catalytic trigger in the soil environment providing the balance of nutrients needed for the plant to be healthy and maximize its fruit or seed bearing potential.

You say C-Gro is all natural, then is it an organic product?

Yes, C-Gro is a safe all natural liquid product and will soon make the allowed NOP products list for the fast growing organic farming industry.

Is C-Gro affordable and can I buy C-Gro in a variety of quantities?

Yes, C-Gro is affordable.  House plants cost just pennies to treat once a year.  Farm crop application costs are much less than any pesticide or herbicide application cost to the farmer and C-Gro helps the crop withstand the stress of these applications.  C-Gro, Inc markets the product in several sizes from small containers for the homeowner/gardener to bulk deliveries for the large corporate farms.

WHAT IS COMPOST TEA?

C-Gro Compost Tea (CT) is an aerobically-brewed liquid extract made from high quality vermi-compost (worm castings). Properly made Compost Tea (CT) contains ONLY aerobic beneficial organisms especially: bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa that are essential for soil health and plant growth. Properly brewed Compost Tea (CT) has high numbers of these beneficial bacteria. 5,000+ bacteria per micro-gram (pin head size) is the bench mark. The CT brewer, the process of brewing and the formulated ingredients are essential for excellent CT.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING C-GRO WITH COMPOST TEA(CT)?

Healthy soil is more than just dirt—it is a living ecosystem in itself, full of all kinds of creatures necessary for healthy plant development. One teaspoon of healthy soil contains as many as 5 billion living organisms! These organisms need to be fed with a balance of nutrients (C-GRO) for the ecosystem to work as it was designed. Our C-Gro/CT program contains all the nutrients and organisms needed to inoculate the soil back to health.

Benefits include improved soil structure, retention of nutrients, cycling of nutrients into plant available forms, and reduced plant stress. The diseased soil organisms are displaced by beneficial organisms from the tea.

The C-Gro/CT program also breaks down compacted soils with continued use, letting roots grow into the soil more easily, allowing them to utilize more nutrients, and letting air into the soil so conditions are desirable for plants but not right for diseases to grow, or for toxic metabolites of anaerobic organisms to build up. All plants will gain health and vitality with continued use.

The C-Gro/CT program puts the micro-biology back into the soil that we have removed because of traditional over-development and chemical application practices. Historical biology has co-evolved with plants for billions of years, in the last half century current practices have damaged the soil and plant biology.

When applied to the foliage of plants, C-Gro/CT covers the plant surfaces and guards the plant from air born pathogens. Increased carbon dioxide from the respiration of the bacteria and fungi increases the time that stomata open which enhances the uptake of foliar nutrients into the plant. When C-Gro/CT is applied to the soil, it improves the soil structure, increases nutrient uptake, breaks down pollutants, guards against root and plant diseases and reduces water use.

Lastly, the use of the C-Gro/CT program will reduce the need for high priced time release fertilizers and fungicides. As an example: it is estimated a 40 percent reduction in fertilizer use and chemical cost for golf courses when the full program of C-Gro/CT is used.

HOW DO I USE COMPOST TEA?

C-Gro/CT can be applied on foliage, twigs, branches and trunks (the entirety of the plant), drenched into the soil, injected into the soils established roots, or used as root dip for bare root, starter plants and cuttings. It also can be applied through established irrigation systems (fertigation).
FOLIAR: When using just CT as a foliar application to leaves, twigs, and branches, tea must cover at least 70% of leaf surfaces. Apply until coverage is thick enough before it drips off the leaf. Finer mists will attain better coverage and a better spray pattern. Organic wetting and adhesive agents can only be used to assist in leaf coverage.
C-GRO/CT SOIL DRENCH: When using as a soil drench, C-Gro/CT needs to be applied so it moves down into the plant’s root zone.
C-GRO/CT SPRAY: When using as a topical soil application, post application watering of 0.1”/A with chlorine free water is advised. Chlorine kills bacteria.
C-GRO/CT INJECTIONS: Deep root injections will need specialized injection equipment. This type of application is normally for fairway lined vegetation.
C-GRO/CT DIPPING: Dip and plant, use full strength.
C-GRO/CT FERTIGATION: Application through established irrigation systems requires positive displacement irrigation injection pumps. Initial C-GRO rates of 4 gal/acre are advised for turf. CT rates of 20 gal/acre are advised 4 times per year.

WHY ARE CONTINUED APPLICATIONS OF COMPOST TEA IMPORTANT?

Environmental conditions and equipment use, although they vary, commonly include numerous negative impacts that kill the microbial populations on an ongoing basis. This includes air pollution, dust, prior or current pesticide and herbicide use, drift and overspray, synthetic fertilizers, saline water, water pollution, chlorine, current building and agricultural practices that ignore soil life, over or under watering, compacted soils, unusual freeze, drought, flood, etc.

Periodic applications will build the beneficial microbes that suffer or can be killed under the above abuses. (Consult with C-GRO for specific recommendations)

WHEN DO I USE COMPOST TEA?

C-Gro/CT may be applied almost any time of year, except when soil temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

C-Gro/CT can be applied at any time of the day in large enough droplets of water to prevent harmful UV radiation from reaching the organisms. C-Gro/CT is full of living entities, and when sprayed in most favorable conditions provide the most favorable environment for the microbes to establish and colonize. When fine mist applicators are used, avoid the time of day with intense heat and sunlight. Programmed periodic applications are essential and critical to establishing and maintaining beneficial microbial populations in building a healthy soil. On turf we recommend a minimum of three applications per year.

HOW LONG CAN I STORE C-GRO/CT?

C-Gro can be stored for one year if properly stored in a cool, dark location. Compost tea must be used within 48 hours after brewing for the maximum use of microbial populations. Adequate microbial populations can drop after 48 hrs to a point where the tea is ineffective or may turn to anaerobic (no oxygen) condition.

Professional applicators can extend the life in compost tea a few hours more by using aeration in the container, agitation, and additional food sources in measured quantities in their equipment.

HOW LONG DO MICROBES LIVE IN THE SOIL?

Colonies of beneficial microorganisms continue to live in soil as long as they are provided good conditions and natural food sources. Stressful conditions in the soil will make microbes go-to-sleep and become inactive, but not death. These organisms may wake-up again after very long periods of time.

Of course, contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and air pollutants reduce the organism’s lifespan. Chemical applications can reduce organism populations up to 25%, depending on the chemical used. In which case, repeated applications are needed to build the soil populous if continued use of chemicals is the practice.

CAN I USE TOO MUCH CT?

No! Microorganisms manage their own populations based on food sources and cultural conditions, so that the needed quantities and diversity of microbes are maintained. Repeated applications of compost tea alone offer a greater diversity of beneficial bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa, leading to improved plant vigor and improvements in soil health.

WHAT TYPE OF COMPOST IS USED IN BREWING OUR COMPOST TEA?

C-Gro uses vermi-compost (treated worm castings), in simple terms, it is a mixture consisting of decayed organic matter and microbial colonies, produced in a well-balanced ratio of carbon and nitrogen built by red wiggler earth worms. C-Gro’s Compost Tea is a liquid extraction through a water aeration process. We use only pathogen free vermi-compost’s beneficial microorganisms and soluble nutrients in our brewing process.

Vermi-compost adds the organisms which build soil structure necessary to develop percolation, and allow air passageways to be opened up as well as the foods to feed these organisms. Compost can be over-applied which means that water and air cannot penetrate the soil, whereas compost tea cannot be over-applied, unless to the point where the soil is water-logged.

Many organisms grow in compost tea, resulting in bacteria 16,000 times greater than bacteria in vermi-compost. This, therefore, increases microbial populations in less time in the soil than would be found with the use of compost alone and it is easier to apply.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COMPOST YOU MAKE OR BUY AND VERMI-COMPOST THAT IS USED IN C-GRO’S COMPOST TEA?

YES! Because compost has varied components, it is all different and some commercial brands may carry salmonella or e-coli pathogens from animal waste. Our treated Vermi-compost used as an ingredient in making C-Gro’s compost tea is very specialized. This vermi-compost is tested at accredited labs to verify the microbial populations are high and are pathogen free.

WHEN I USE C-GRO/CT, DO I STILL NEED TO USE COMPOST OR OTHER ORGANIC FERTILIZERS OR AMENDMENTS?

Possibly, if you have sandy or aggregate soils. Organic materials are constantly being consumed as food by the microbes and plants so fertilizers need to be replaced. A certain percentage of organic matter is necessary in all soils, the level differing with each environment. However, almost all soils are in need of higher organic matter. Adding certified fertilizer aids in building organic matter in the soil.

Furthermore, the addition of compost or certified fertilizers to the soil will increase the biological results of an application of compost tea, because the organisms in the tea will now have additional foods to consume once they hit the soil.

WHY ARE MICROBES IMPORTANT?

Bacteria and fungi manufacture nutrients in the soil. Protozoa and nematodes make nutrients available to plants and turf; both groups also aid in blocking plant surfaces so non-beneficial organisms cannot gain access, and in consuming potential disease-causing organisms. Given the proper foods, and habitats in the soil, beneficial microorganisms out compete non-beneficial microorganisms. All four groups play critical roles in building soil structure, maintaining aeration in the soil, improving water retention and thus sustain health of plants and soil.

HOW OFTEN DO I APPLY COMPOST TEA?

30 gallons per acre of a high number (5,000 microbes per micro-gram[size of a pin head]) diverse compost tea equals 1 ton of manure per acre per year. Like any living organism, beneficial microbes have life spans that could be unlimited if not impacted by negative forces or outside pollutants. Environmental conditions alter these life spans, as do soil conditions.

Once the soil is in a condition of health, a good rule-of-thumb for turf is three yearly applications, spring, summer and fall. When first beginning an organic program using C-Gro/CT, we recommend higher initial applications of compost tea - up to four to five times the first season if conditions are perilous. If disease is severe, tea applications may need to be weekly, until the threat of disease attack is subsided.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MANURE TEA, A COMPOST LEACHATE, A COMPOST EXTRACT AND BREWED COMPOST TEA?

Many people confuse the first three of these liquids as compost tea; as often they are erroneously called or referred to as being compost tea. The most common mistake is confusing compost tea with a leachate - a steeped solution that basically is compost soaked in a bucket of water and allowed to ferment for a matter of days or weeks. This is not compost tea and may contain pathogenic anaerobic bacteria!

To help clarify the differences we have listed the following definitions and differences:

Manure Tea: is basically a water extract of manure with soluble nutrients. This is typically high in nitrates, salts, phosphorus and potassium. Without using antibiotics in the animal feed it can contain high amounts of harmful bacteria. Fungal biomass will be extremely low; it often contains root-feeding nematodes, and almost always contains human and/or animal pathogens.

Compost Leach ate: is the product you get from draining water through compost. It contains soluble nutrients but very few organisms unless it is cycled through the compost many times. If it is cycled enough times adequate numbers of organisms may be leached from the compost to protect leaf and root surfaces. This is not usually the case, however, so most leach-ates contain only soluble nutrients and few organisms.

Compost Extract: is the product you get when adding water to compost so the compost is in excess water, which then drains from the compost. Typically this means the compost is over-saturated. Typically an extract contains only soluble nutrients and few organisms.

C-Gro Brewed Compost Tea: is a water extract of tested compost that is properly aerated using a specific recipe so that the maximum beneficial organisms, (beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes), are extracted from the compost and given the right environment to increase in number and activity by providing soluble food sources and the nutrients present in water. The quality of the compost will determine how large a diversity of these beneficial organisms will be present.

C-Gro vermi-compost tea does NOT contain ANIMAL pathogens, whereas manure tea does. Compost leach ate and extracts should not contain human pathogens either if the compost used is mature and has gone through a heat process. Compost leach ate, extract, manure tea and compost tea all contain soluble nutrients removed from the compost that can benefit plant growth, however, the manure teas’ level of nitrates can be too high and can burn plants. Only compost tea contains a complex set of balanced, beneficial organisms that are extracted from the compost in addition to the nutrients extracted from the compost and the food sources that are used in the brewing process to feed the beneficial microbes.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE APPLIED ENOUGH COMPOST TEA?

When applying to foliage, a minimum of 70% coverage rate is recommended from scientific field data to best block access to the surface of the leaves or bark by pathogens. By using CT as a foliar, it will block pathogens to obtain plant exudates, and will not allow adequate predator-prey interactions on leaves and stems so disease causing organisms will be consumed and thus prevent them from causing disease. Remember, apply to foliage only until it is just about ready to drip off the leaf to the soil below.

For soil applications, use a drench to the root zone of plants and surrounding soil. It is recommended to do the soil drench before the foliar spray as foliar rates are lower. Do not worry about applying too much to first time soils. Water immediately after so as to carry organisms into the soil.

HOW DO MICROBES ATTACH THEMSELVES TO LEAVES?

Bacteria in CT have a glue slime layer just like the bacteria on human skin and easily attach themselves to the leaves. Fungi grow around things and bind themselves to the plant surfaces like string on packages or spider web patterns. This process of attachment can take a short time - about 20 minutes - if the organisms are plentiful and active.

IS C-GRO/CT HARMFUL TO HUMANS AND/OR ANIMALS?

No, it is user-friendly. Humans and animals suffer no ill effects from C-Gro or compost tea - remember, this is not a chemical application this is an all natural liquid application. However, if a human were to drink compost tea, he would probably feel somewhat uncomfortable afterward and possibly suffer some constipation. Consuming C-Gro produces no ill effects.

When sprayed on a golf course people can play golf directly after applying C-Gro/CT. Also C-Gro/CT does not pollute water sources (streams, ground water, wells, rivers, wetlands, etc.) or harm fish or wildlife. In fact, the addition of the humic acid extracted from the compost and all the organisms removed from the compost should be beneficial for returning a portion of the nutrients and organisms needed by lakes, rivers or streams.

DOES THE KIND OF WATER I USE IN BREWING CT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Yes. If you use chemically treated supplied water sources, fill the brewer and let it aerate for ½ to 4 hours depending on water source and concentrated quantity of water treatment. Follow this procedure before adding ingredients to brewer. This will de-gas any chlorine and other additives from water. This is very important because chlorine, for example, will kill all the biology in your tea. You should not be able to smell or detect any chlorine (like a swimming pool). If using well water, make sure it has been tested for mineral content, high nitrate levels and harmful pathogens.

If the water contains too high PH (7.2 or higher), correct it with vinegar, citric acid, or possibly a drop or two of phosphoric acid. If too acidic, add baking soda or lime. Water brewing PH is best to start at 6.5 PH.