Re: CULT: Organic Matter

At 09:44 AM 5/20/97 -0600, Bill Shear wrote:
>Most of the nitrogen content of the soil is transient - etc.
==============================================================
I completely agree with your comments Bill and would like to add a few
observations from my experience.

We grow on about 3 acres of sandy loam soil on slope which is probably a
bit greater than optimum. Our summers are hot and dry and we usually have
constant snow cover in the winter to a depth which prevents deep
penetration of frost. The result is that the soil thaws from below before
the snow melts and thus it soaks in so there is no run-off erosion problem.

Our fields get virtually no commercial fertilizers. I can't give you
figures for the nutrient or organic content of the soil. I simply go by
results and observation of growth. If a spot appears to need a quick boost,
I will apply some fertilizer sparingly. This probably averages out to about
10 lbs. per year total. We grow three crops - Iris, Hemerocallis and Lilium
in rotation. Because  of the rotation and our dry climate we have no need
to apply fungicides. The only insecticide which we use is a specific
aphidicide in the lilies if we get a build up of aphids there and need to
knock them off quickly. 

One thing which I abhor is bare soil. At any time when there will be a
period between taking one crop off and planting the next, we plant oats
which is plowed under before ripening. Virtually the only thing which we
bring in to add to our soil is the manure from two neighboring horses. I
don't believe that this adds much in the way of nutrients but it is
valuable in terms of the carbon which is added to the soil.

Tons of composted material goes back into the soil so the only thing which
comes out are the actual parts of the plants we sell. Over the years this
seems to have reached an equilibrium which not only sustains itself but is
self healing. We keep hearing warnings to never put anything in a compost
pile which has any disease symptoms when in fact a good compost pile is a
sterilizing system. You can put a lily bulb with a bad case of fusarium rot
in a compost pile and dig it out later to find no sign of the rot.

I am not a doctrinaire organic grower whatever the term "organic grower"
may mean. We do use herbicides and  have not figured out any way to avoid
this and still produce plants at a price which people are willing to pay.
There are some things which I probably would never consider using but when
nothing else will work we will use stuff from a bag or bottle. The point is
that it is never our first response and in fact is almost never necessary.

Too often we set out to garden as though we were at war with nature when we
should be on the same team. The answer to nearly everything is in the soil
and how you treat it. Get away from the idea of feeding a plant. Improve
your soil and let it feed the plant. 

Sometimes it may be wise to simply not try to grow a certain plant. We used
to live on the coast in a maritime climate and the amount of fungicides
applied to hybrid tea roses in a climate like that is mind boggling. In my
opinion they are simply the wrong plant to grow there. It is always our
nature to try to push back boundaries but it is also wise to know when
defeat is staring us in the face. Some environments grow good cacti and
others grow good ferns. Some bearded iris will thrive in one part of the
country and not in another. I assume that 'Beverly Sills' must grow well
somewhere but it sure won't here so it went into the compost pile. 

I apologize for the length of this tirade, it was going to be a simple
statement of concurrence but turned out to have a length of its own. I
guess I need an editor.

John Montgomery
monashee@bcgrizzly.com
Vernon BC Zone 5	Which is not in the Garden of Eden but is perhaps close
enough.
John Montgomery
monashee@bcgrizzly.com
Vernon  BC  Zone 5
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