Re: Soil Organic Matter Content
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Soil Organic Matter Content
- From: b*@pacific.net (Vickie Brock)
- Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 18:35:43 -0300
MARV___What you say below is true. Most gardeners and farmers only use a
layer of 1 in of compost__ unless your soil is just starting out---- than
the benefits can be greater to add more. It seems simple to obtain a 10%
level of organic matter but the problem is its hard to hold that level as
the O.M. in soil is always changing thanks to those worms and
microbes..........its tricky because it depends on the type of organic
matter used. You might shoot for 14% now and land at 10% come planting
time.......it all depends at what level of decompsition the material is
when applied to the soil............brock
>Well, lets consider the amount of organic materials required for a garden.
>This will probably result in some controversy.
>
>I have seen several posts here about how much organic matter is necessary or
>desirable in the pumpkin patch. It seems to me that some people are adding
>way too much. In the northern states soil is usually made up of around 5%
>organic matter. In the south, because of higher temperatures it is usually
>around 3%. Having spent a little time looking into this, I believe garden
>soil should not be made up of more than 10% organic matter. There is great
>benefit from organic matter but over this amount may have a negative effect.
>If your organic content is 10% then you probably have enough and don't need
>to add more compost etc. The breakdown of compost in the garden increases
>potassium possibly to an excess and depending on the content of the compost
>may use up valuable nitrogen. Also there tends to be more disease in gardens
>with high organic levels. I plan on keeping my organic content at around 10%.
>Paula Zehr each year adds a thin layer of cow manure to her garden and plants
>some winter rye. That's it. I think I understand better now why that is all
>she does. Along with these amounts of organic materials some chemical
>fertilizer is of course necessary and the amount is based on soil test
>results. Any comments?? There should by all counts be an organic backlash!
>
>Marv in Altoona.
>
>PS: My deer fence is completed now except for attaching the plastic fencing.
>The garden looks like a tennis court. No complaints yet from the neighbors.
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