Re: Sand v. O.M.

In a message dated 3/22/99 9:31:05 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jpritchard@mindspring.com writes:

<< Subj:	 Sand v. O.M.
 Date:	3/22/99 9:31:05 PM Eastern Standard Time
 From:	jpritchard@mindspring.com
 Sender:	owner-pumpkins@mallorn.com
 Reply-to:	pumpkins@mallorn.com
 To:	pumpkins@mallorn.com
 
 Wayne-
 
     I thought you wanted a "lively debate" and to "mix it up a little."
 After receiving your response, I got the impression that you were insulted
 by my response.  In a debate I always come on like a freight train, because
 I like to win on the facts.  I honestly meant no disrespect.  If my comments
 were taken that way I apologize.
 
     I am a first year grower and need as much information as anyone else, in
 the areas of cultural practices concerning A.G.'s.  But, I do know about
 heavy clay type soils in Ohio.  That is why I so strongly caution adding
 sand.
 
     My entire point in making the statement was to show all of the
 disadvantages of adding sand to a high content clay soil.  I was not making
 an assumption about a 100% clay soil.  My area of expertise is turfgrass
 management (golf courses).  I have been on several golf courses that have
 totally screwed up their soil profiles on greens by doing on site mixing and
 possibly not knowing exactly how it should be done.
 
     I am of the opinion that a grower should try O.M. first, and then go for
 more complicated measures after seeing that it is not working.  The motto is
 "proceed with caution" because you might be in for a surprise if you amend a
 soil without carefully weighing the options.
 
     John J. Pritchard
 
  >>
John,
   I just finished a private response to another grower when I came across
your E-Mail. I appreciate your response and I also regret firing back hard at
you. I remember in Stratigraphy classes 30 years ago, studying how the
addition of certain particle sizes into a sand or soil can actually decrease
porosity. With a beginning grower, I tend to keep an answer basic, which
sometimes dosen't really tell the whole story. I see it many times, and I'm
sure you've seen it too, where a beginner in any field asks a question and a
pompous "authority" starts spouting overtechnical B.S. to the person. This is
not teaching, rather the pompous "authority" is just trying to impress the
novice with his expertise. I think there is a place for both organic matter
and increasing the right particle size, or elevating a large raised bed on top
of a hopeless drainage problem. It does take time to correct a soil. It will
not happen in one year. You can't make the perfect soil in one shot. I have
gotten into trouble myself with soil additions. About 8 years ago, I fell into
the "more is better" syndrome with adding organic matter. I brought in trailer
dump loads of manure, leaves, coffee grounds, compost, sea weed and spoiled
hay into a half acre field. The application was so thick, I couldn't plow it
down into the sandy loam. I had trouble harrowing it. I finally got it mostly
in with a big tractor mounted rototiller. Later that spring I did a direct
seeding where I heated the ground to get the seeds to sprout . After 5 days
nothing came up. I checked the soil temperature and it was 120 degrees. I
turned off my heat source and came back the next day. Still 120 degrees!!! I
had added so much organic matter that the soil started rapidly composting,
heated up and killed the seeds. I had to go around in the field with a
temperature probe to find a cooler spot to replant the seeds. The areas of the
field that had received a lesser organic matter treatment did better.
Pumkinguy makes mistakes too. You can be a wealth of knowledge for all of us
and yes, you too will make mistakes trying to grow these monster pumpkins.
Hang in there with us and have fun. Maybe you can tell us more about adobe
soil.....I have never seen the stuff. I still think that even the wicked adobe
can be conquered on a small scale with the right ammendments.......See I never
quit. :)   I am not going to answer any more E-mails on this ....let's go grow
some pumpkins
                                                    Wayne (pumkinguy)

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