Spring Update 2000/Bacteria Farts


Spring Update 2000/Bacteria Farts

Spring in running about two weeks early so far this year, tilled the Pumpkin 
Patch on March 10th .  This will not change my plant date though or the 
Pumpkin would outgrow its protection.  Target date is April 13 - 17th using 
the Direct Start Method.  My soil test showed that I made big improvements in 
my Potash levels and improvement in my Micronutrients, pH was 6.8.  Based on 
info from this list I'm going to try and boost my Iron levels way up.  Right 
now they are at the very low end of the scale considered acceptable.  I 
attribute the big improvement in the Potash to the Bradfield Plus.  I tried 
the traditional types of chemical Potash supplements alone but did not get 
much improved soil tests.  There is suppose to be additives it in to make it 
work better, all as I know is it seemed to help.  I tilled in Urea, Bradfield 
Plus, Greensand and an Iron supplement this year.  I did not till in Dog Food 
but after seeing the worm population as a result of last years Dog and Cat 
food additions that may have been a mistake.  Tonight when I forked over an 
area it was teaming with earth worms, many young ones indicating they were 
from late last year.  In the twenty-five plus years I've been working this 
patch I've never seen so many.  I will be adding Cat Food in trenches mixed 
with Bradfield Plus later, I found that this method got the best results on 
tomatoes I tested it on.  This Fall I will go back to adding Dog Food with 
the Fall tilling.  I will be planting the Living Dead again and possibly the 
Burke 1092, not sure what the back up will be yet.

Good luck to everyone, hope you all grow the world's second biggest Pumpkin.  

PS: Just thinking, you know how you can smell good soil, it has that great 
earthy smell.  That earthy smell indicates a healthy living soil.  What you 
actually smell is a gas given off by beneficial bacteria.  So does that mean 
the earthy smell is Bacteria Farts?  So go out and smell your soil tomorrow!



George Brooks
North Tewksbury, MA USA
Approximately 25 miles Northwest of Boston 
in the Merrimack River Valley
Zone 5N
Personal Bests
617.6 1991
641 1993

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