Re: The Perfect Soil
- Subject: Re: The Perfect Soil
- From: &* <d*@stratuswave.net>
- Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:17:39 -0500
List,
I would like to see as many as possible that come to this list give their
versions of what is the most important factors you look for in your soil? It
would be good for teaching and Commonwealth of AG growers
Mine are:
1) Plenty of compost/ old composted horse/cow/poultry/pig/rabbit manure (Some
have more N so careful and check before hand. I like 6 yards of horse manure
(old) per two plants.
2) Shredded leaves about 80-90 medium to large black plastic bags full per two
plants.
3) Fall prep should also include adding cornmeal I add 20 lbs. per 1500 sq.
ft. plot for 2 plants the first year and half that every year after. It helps
to build beneficial microbes. Molasses 8ozs. sprinkling can the whole patch of
1500 sq.ft. Any other ammendments i.e. gypsum, lime, soft rock phosphate,
greensand, Potassium, humus).
4) Till in and throw a cover crop on top. Trouble with disease? Try a brassica
like mustard seed mix or meal (natural fumigant) or oil seed radish. Need N
try alfalfa. Trend: Hay mix and a legume (beans, cowpeas etc.)
5) Spring Prep: Trow on some more compost maybe a yard over the whole patch,
First and only till in spring around 2nd-3rd week ad bloodmeal, bonemeal,
humic acid, kelp meal etc. Mychorriza at transplant, as well as bioorganisms
such as Bacillus S. and Trichoderma H. and Streptomyces G. I like to also
follow the Agro-K program for soil prep about a month before transplant.
Don Chambers
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Lee" <josephlee@doctors.org.uk>
To: <pumpkins@hort.net>; "Brian" <brian8t@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 5:24 PM
Subject: Re: The Perfect Soil
> Hi,
> I'm thinking of trying some bio-char in my soil. Does
> anyone have any experience/advice?
> Joe
>
> On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:36:04 -0600
> "Brian" <brian8t@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Here's my 2 cents, I like my clay soil here in North
>>Mississippi. I amend it
>> with compost from the horses next door, only amend. When
>>it gets over 95
>> degrees in July & August, I need all the water retention
>>I can get. When I
>> put the garden to bed in November, I spread what manure
>>and compost I had and
>> tilled it in. I'll be putting lime on the soil before I
>>put out my sweet corn
>> in March/April. After the corn is done in June, in go
>>the giants.
>>
>> Brian Taylor
>>
>> P.S. Good luck to all you Yankees and the cold I keep
>>hearing about. Sounds
>> awful. I'm a Damn Yankee, because I'm from Iowa, came
>>to the south and
>> stayed! So I know what you're going thru. Yuck!
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net
>>[o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
>> Hatcher, John
>> Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 2:56 PM
>> To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
>> Subject: The Perfect Soil
>>
>> Now is the time of year we're all trying to get our soil
>>prepped and
>> perfect. Well, all of us geographically challenged
>>growers below the
>> Mason-Dixon line, anyway.
>>
>> I read Dave from Minnesota's description of what he does
>>to his plot
>> with interest. He basically excavates most of the soil
>>from his pit and
>> starts with 100% organic material. I do the same thing,
>>but on a
>> smaller scale.
>>
>> But I was surprised to hear that Dave goes for good dirt
>>down to 2 or 3
>> feet. I thought the roots of a pumpkin were much
>>shallower. Maybe mine
>> are, because the good dirt isn't deep enough, or I don't
>>water
>> correctly, or something.
>>
>> My question is: how deep do you folks try to prep the
>>soil - how deep do
>> the roots really want to grow?
>>
>> Thanks a lot,
>> john hatcher
>>
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