The Town of Qualicum Beach is inviting one of its flower beds to have a spot of tea.
That would be compost tea, to be doled out by Kathleen Millar, of Cultivating Soil Solutions. Millar urged the town to consider a test plot. The plan, she said, involves the application of compost tea to a plot at the corner of Harlech and Beach, rather than the chemical fertilizers commonly used.
The move, she said, would improve the health of the soil, including its microbial residents, leading to less need for watering, less mowing and higher fertility at the site.
Commenting on the request, Councillor Jack Wilson suggested utilizing a more barren location, in order to show how the technique can improve marginal ground. The site chosen, he said, is already lush. Wilson’s suggestion didn’t fly however and council agreed to the pilot project.