Bad soil, very bad soil
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SeniorBalloon
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Bad Soil......
Comments (2)Hi Karen, If my hoyas are bought in soil that doesn't work for me, I repot into my own mix, regardless of the time of year. I have never had a problem. That's just me though. Good luck, Gabi...See MoreSoil Solarization... Good or Bad?
Comments (8)I wouldn't write solarization off as being totally useless, as their may be some spots where it could be appropriate for specific uses. It's used to mainly kill off weeds and sprout/kill weed seed, if done properly. But what about other effects? What does it do to the soil flora and fauna? Does it kill everything? Killing off soil microbes would seem to be a counter-productive thing to do. On the other hand, it's kind of hard to think of a weed issue that a good layer of mulch wouldn't handle better. Mulch will not only shade out weeds, but it will help maintain soil moisture and ameliorate wide temperature swings, and let the microbes and worms work at a steady pace. And it feeds the soil as it stabilizes it. One problem is simply getting enough mulch. It's hard to find free anything around here. One of the local dairies sells composted manure, but despite having a small mountain of it, the price doesn't make it easy to take a lot of it if you are on a restricted budget. Leaves are often loaded with parts of plastic toys, plastic bags, car parts, dog poop, etc. Straw and plain old grass hay costs a minimum of $3.50/bale. Alfalfa is like gold. Like Len says, don't get caught up in the philosophy of permaculture. You do what you can do, with what you've got. Just think about what affect it will have, and do the least damage you can. Even Bill Mollison has said in his books that using a tractor or tiller to break up some sod (or incorporate lime or other minerals) or to rip certain areas is just one of those things. Just don't keep doing it, as it ruins the life of the soil. Solarization is probably the same. If you've pulled up all the poison hemlock, solarizing it may be a perfectly good way to kill any seeds and the roots you didn't get. Permaculture is a guide, not a religion. Sue...See Moresoil amendment question [bad clay soils]
Comments (8)Whatever your "landscaper" used for "topsoil" was probably about 95 percent mineral (the sand, silt, clay part of soil) and 5 percent organic matter and what your soil really needed was organic matter. Whether cottonseed meal, or any other meal, would help would depend on the Soil Food Web and how active they were. Things like cottonseed meal need to be digested before the nutrients in them are available to plants and if the soil has little organic matter the SFW is not there to do that. First you need to look closely at that soil to determine what it needs and that requires a good reliable soil test for soil pH and major nutrient levels and balance. Then these simple soil tests may also be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. kimmq is kimmsr...See MoreGood yard slowly going bad! Help needed with Logan Lab soil test.
Comments (26)Another little update and another question: Yard is greening up nicely. Section F1 is trailing far behind B1, but I'm not concerned at this point. Since I last checked in I've continued with the plan and added a 24-25-4 starter fertilizer. I supplemented that with Milorganite at 1/2 label rate. Next up in the soil plan is the epsom salt and potassium sulfate this weekend. I *could* put that down, but I'll be aerating in 2 weeks though,at the same time as my next starter fertilizer and Milo application. So if I wait and apply the epsom salt, the potassium sulfate, and the fertilizers at the same time, they'll have the benefit of deeper soil access. Should I worry about applying those at the same time though? Is there the potential to burn the grass?...See MoreSigrid
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