“Producing more food with fewer resources may seem too good to be true, but the world’s farmers have trillions of potential partners that can help achieve that ambitious goal. Those partners are microbes.”
- A Report from the American Academy of Microbiology, Entitled “How Microbes Can Feed the World,” December 2012
Terra Buena: Home of the Custom-Tailored Microbial Tea
What Is Terra Buena Microbial Tea?
We believe microbes make bigger and healthier roots, and bigger and healthier roots equal bigger produce! Our tea is a water-based bio-fertilizer wherein beneficial microbes—mainly bacteria and fungi—are extracted from a variety of organic substances and combined to create the perfect natural fertilizer. Some microbes come from protozoa, arthropods, ciliates, and nematodes.
Terra Buena is an oxygen-rich (aerobic) “living solution,” where all the microbes that make up the “Soil Food Web” play specialized roles in providing specific nutrients needed for a plant to thrive. These microbes are extracted from their sources by a high-pressure commercial air pump called a Vortex Bio-Reactor. The extracted microorganisms are then subjected to water temperature and an oxygen-rich environment, along with the addition of a proprietary food source and catalyst.
Oxygen content in the water and the correct food source must be present for exponential microbial reproduction. Given the right conditions, bacteria are capable of reproducing every 20 minutes. The entire brewing process takes approximately 24 hours.
Why Choose Microbial Tea?
Microbial teas are used to improve seed germination. Science has shown that they can promote earlier seed germination and faster growth. Another benefit is their role in restoring soil biology, where fumigants or nematicides have removed or sterilized all living soil microbes.
We strongly recommend a microbial tea “drench” on the bare roots BEFORE planting, along with the application of another dose approximately four to six weeks AFTER planting. This is to encourage microbial diversity and establish the necessary colonies of microbes in the rhizosphere.
How to Apply Microbial Teas
Microbial teas are in liquid form. They can be applied in many ways—as a foliar spray, drench, or it can be injected right into the irrigation mainline. We recommend a minimum rate of 5 to 10 gallons per acre for each application through drip irrigation or micro-sprinklers.
Terra Buena brews 500 to 1,000 gallons daily. For large orders, we prefer to do the application free of charge. Our product can be used in different areas: