Re: compost
"M. & L. Doster" wrote:
>
> A couple of thoughts about compost:
>
> Seems to me that adding compost to the soil is more important for plants
> that are not true medit.-type plants. Compost seems to help especially for
> plants adapted to wetter climates in contrast to true medit. plants. True
> medit. plants seem to grow quite well without compost (although they might
> grow slightly better with compost?).
>
> For areas with medit. climates with hot or warm summers, it's difficult to
> accumulate organic matter in the soil. The heat allows microorganisms to
> break down the organic matter somewhat quickly, so organic matter tends to
> disappear. I think this is in contrast to temperate climates and medit.
> climates with cool (or cold) summers (such as the central coast and San
> Francisco Bay Area in California).
>
Mark
I am sure you are right in thinking true Medt. plants do not demand a
lot of organic matter in their soil. In fact some at least (lavenders,
for instance) not only don't need compost, they actually seem to get
"indigestion" if given such a rich diet and far from being improved by
compost indulge in a lush type of growth which makes them floppy and
disease-prone and often leads to an early daath.
I guess their nutrition is specialized to depend on hardy organisms
(most probably some kinds of fungi) which are adapted to live in such
lean soils. The application of compost rich in nitrogen may actually
kill these off or at least render them ineffective.
Not every plant enjoys living the high life like a rose or a lettuce.
Iam having success growing some lavenders, herbs and other Med. plants
on a very dry and stony sun-facing terrace just in a deep mulch of
chipped wood, which judging by the "toadstools" which come up in it
hosts numerous different fungi. The main thing the mulch is there for is
to avoid the need for either weeding or any watering. It has not been
enriched in any way and would be largely carbon, I should think, so is a
pretty lean medium. The lavenders look wonderful and are flowering
stupendously this their first spring after planting. It remains to see
how long they will keep healthy, but I have hopes.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
