Fantastic books on identifying microorganisms

[Bullfrog44]

Got these at the hydro show. Now I just need a scope. Met the author, she was really nice and very smart. She is a doctor and knows Jeff Igham (sp) and works with him. She has written 3 books on the subject and I am stoked to have bought them all.

Now I need a scope. Does anybody know of a scope that is powerful enough and takes digital pics so I can share it on line?

 

[newhousegreen]

thanks for info.Dr Ingham is deffinetaly the top.Searched the Soilfoodweb and have to say its pretty heavy read,but very logic.Compost teas are the world of itself.But is is so nice that these organisms simply live and we can learn so much from them.

hello

 

[CT Guy]

Did you ask Carole what her PhD was in?

Yes, those books are co-authored with Dr. Ingham. I think you were confusing two people....Jeff Lownefels and Elaine Ingham.

I think Jeff's book is a good start (Teaming with Microbes) if you want to learn about how these organisms relate to gardening and your gardening practices.

If you want to learn how to identify the organisms, it's much better to see them moving around like they would be under your scope. That and the fact that I know Dr. Ingham has misidentified things in her books (they're just wrong).

However, most of the info in the book would be correct and the photos are nice. I'm not trying to bash your purchase.

If you are looking for a quality cheap microscope, you may want to consider these:
http://simplici-tea.com/microscope.htm
http://microbeorganics.com/#Microscopes_for_sale

and for identifying the microbes, this is what I use:
http://simplici-tea.com/microscopedvd.htm
http://microbeorganics.com/#Microbe_Identification

 

[DARC MIND]

^^^^^
what he said!!

 

[GoneRooty]

^^^^
what they said.

Heard too many things about Dr Ingham being wrong about too many things.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Well, that sucks balls! JK, doesn't discourge me at all. I need to know all I can from as many sourses as possible. The best part is I can keep in touch and ask her questions. I am a pain in the butt like that, always curious.

CT - I did not ask what her PH D was in, thought it might be rude, lol. I am sure I will find out soon enough when reading her books but you want to shed some light? Also, you are so right, I mixed up Jeff Lownefels with Dr. Ingham. More of a typo than what I was actually thinking. When I finish reading the book, you guys can tell me what is wrong. At that point I might be able to understand what your talking about, hehe. Having read Teaming with Microbes I feel I have a solid start.

BTW - My next purchase is a nice Microscope. I want one that can take digital pics, got a link?

Edit: Has anybody seen the TEA's they sell? It is stored in a bag that lets air in but not water out. She says they have taken culture samples for up to a year and the microbes continue to die, be eaten, then multiply. She claims the microbial life is similar to cultures taken after the initial brew. Anybody seen this?

 

[mad librettist]

get your scope separate from the camera. that way you can upgrade piecemeal.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Hmmmm...... Do I have to get a scope that is compatible? Or does the cam sit on the eye piece or something. It has been 15 years since I have used a microscope. Wait, does my jewelers loop count, jk.

 

[mad librettist]

i use a scope I got from microbeorganics. it is trinocular, the 3rd one being the camera port. there is a button I can use to let light into there, which lets me take pictures but also means less light reaching the eyepieces.

 

[Microbeman]

I'll hafto get a look at the microbes in a bag. CT Guy, can you pick some up and ship it to me?

Bullfrog; I've discontinued selling cameras because I am dissatisfied with the recent quality. You can get elcheapo cameras for $50 to $300 but a quality set up will run over $1000. Mine cost $3500.

I'd be interested to see the new book on microbe IDs. I've posted a free 'book' on my webpage plus other resources. A few years back when I politely and privately pointed out errors in Ingham's microscope manual I was told I have a bug in my brain. Perhaps things have evolved and improved since then.

 

[CT Guy]

I'll hafto get a look at the microbes in a bag. CT Guy, can you pick some up and ship it to me?

Bullfrog; I've discontinued selling cameras because I am dissatisfied with the recent quality. You can get elcheapo cameras for $50 to $300 but a quality set up will run over $1000. Mine cost $3500.

I'd be interested to see the new book on microbe IDs. I've posted a free 'book' on my webpage plus other resources. A few years back when I politely and privately pointed out errors in Ingham's microscope manual I was told I have a bug in my brain. Perhaps things have evolved and improved since then.

I had a box of her "microbes" kicking around somewhere but don't even remember what I did with it. I'm sure it's expired by now, am kicking myself for not getting around to looking at it under the scope. It was quite a few years ago.

I can probably get another bag. I'm guessing it's a lot like the Tera Worm product you looked at, but I really have no idea. She buys a couple hundred lbs. of compost from KIS each year. I wonder if that's what she uses it for?

As for her degree, I think it's in something like sociology. It's certainly not anything related to horticulture, which I find as a bit misleading. Nothing against her personally though, and she's done a good job of promoting Dr. Ingham's work.

I do know that if you buy one of her brewers, it works like a franchise though, where you sign contractual agreements to use only their compost kits (which are really expensive) and you are assigned a territory. I found all of that a bit too much for me....

 

[Bullfrog44]

I do know that if you buy one of her brewers, it works like a franchise though, where you sign contractual agreements to use only their compost kits (which are really expensive) and you are assigned a territory. I found all of that a bit too much for me....

This is what I found to be super dumb also. They really missed the big picture.

 

[h.h.]

As I pointed out, there are contradictions to what Ive read here compared to the 2006 edition of Teaming With Microbes.None the less, I found it the excellent read it has been promoted as.
That describes a lot of books. Lots of wrong opinions, lots of mistakes. Many we don't have the knowledge to catch.
"Diversity", as touted by Jay, seems to be the key word here. In the case of Ingham, me not knowing one microbe from another, I've resisted reading it knowing the technical part was wrong. I don't want to learn incorrect stuff. I would certainly study Microbeorganics information first.
Always question.
Some I have read lately that were good are;
The Soul of Soil Grace Gershuny
The Complete Compost Gardening guide Barbara Pleasant and Debra Martin
Compost Tea Making Marc Remillard
and of course Teaming with Microbes.
All of these can be downloaded electronically making it easier on our forests as well.
While I would love to have a scope, I feel it would be a waste, at least for me, without a well rounded background.
Hell, these guys have already done the research for you. It's as easy as following directions. Shake and bake...
Read her book, get details on what is questionable, then share your experience.

 

[Bullfrog44]

h.h. You make some fantastic points. For sure I just added Compost Tea Making by Marc Remillard to the list. You also pointed out that maybe I should start again with Microbeorganics or another read of Teaming with Microbes first. All valid points.

 

[h.h.]

As far as reading questionable material, I would want a good background first.
As far as buying a scope, if I had the money, I would have had one a long time ago. I can do without one though.You might recognize the interviewee in Remillard's book. Impressive I have to admit.
I thought it an excellent companion to Teaming.