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Re: Soil Solarization

Square Foot Gardening List - http://myweb.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Doreen-  Thank you for expanding on this subject. I wonder how it will work
up here in zone 3a. I will think about it some more and decide whether to
try it for my asparagus bed. Again, thankyou Kevin and Doreen.
bill missen.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>
To: "Square Foot Gardening List" <sqft@listbot.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2000 9:26 AM
Subject: Soil Solarization


| Square Foot Gardening List - http://myweb.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
|
| Here is a simple, step-by-step how-to on soil solarization:
| http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/solarization.htm
|
| When I lived in hot, humid, disease-laden Texas, I routinely solarized my
| square foot beds in late July into early August.  It was too hot for
| anything but okra and sweet potatoes to grow, and I have no interest in
| either crop.  I believe the annual solarization helped to retard
soil-borne
| diseases immensely, because I had healthier soil and much less disease
| problems than other gardeners in the area who did not solarize.
|
| The Fluffster says that adding a shovel of compost, etc. will help
| retain............  According to researchers at the University of Florida
| who have experimented with solarization extensively, worms burrow deeper
| into cooler soil during solarization.  They return almost immediately when
| the top layers of soil cool.  Many beneficial microbes such as mycorrhizal
| fungi and rhizobium go into the spore stage when the soil heats up--just
as
| they do when the soil freezes.  Compost in any garden soil is ideal, and
do
| add it.  But, add it before you solarize--make it part of your soil
| composition.
|
| If you live in an area where nematodes are a problem, solarization is for
| you.  That's why the Univ. of Florida experimented.  Nematodes are a huge
| problem in the sandy soils of Florida where commercial growers produce
| strawberries, salad crops, tomatoes and much more during Winter months.
| Previously, they were fumigated soil with methyl bromide, which isn't good
| for the soil (it kills everything including beneficials) and it leaves a
| residue that may or may not be a carcinogen.
| Doreen Howard
|
|
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