[compost_tea] Re: observations & thoughts on soil structure

From: dkemnitz2000 <dkemnitz2000_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 00:50:23 -0000

--- I have a good troy rototiller I don't use much any more. I've
learned that it mostly "plants" the weed seeds. Dennis



In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "John Cowan" <vivax_at_n...> wrote:
> I was preparing an area of the property for planting strawberries
today. A
> few years ago I had sowed strawberry clover seed around and now the
mat of
> clover was incompatible with my plans. I careful forked the soil
and pulled
> out clover plants many of which had tap roots about 16 inches long.
What I
> found most fascinating was examining the soil structure. The ground
does not
> have lots of organic matter but there seems to be a lot of
activity. Gently
> breaking apart clods reveals worm tunnels big and small. Sometimes
I would
> find a nightcrawler in a clod with pieces of green grass and clover
wrapped
> around him in his tunnel. Bits of organic matter in the soil
sometimes were
> covered with white fungus as were some of the tiny roots from dead
annuals.
> Applying pressure to clods would result in a pile of granular bits
(the
> macro aggregates?)
>
> I gave up rototilling earlier this for reasons extracted from
Elaine's
> writings. It is not a big deal but you have to be creative in
planting seed
> and managing non-crop plants.
>
> Beside the "evils" of rototilling especially in clay soil, I have
major
> reservations about incorporating large quantities of uncomposted
manure into
> soil. Let's say you apply 100 pounds (dry weight) of manure per 100
sq. ft.
> That is about 20 tons per acre. At nominal 1% nitrogen, that is 400
lbs. of
> nitrogen/acre. I have read that up to half the nitrogen in manure
can be in
> the form of ammonia. If this was true, it would mean that you are
apply a
> huge quantity of essentially chemical nitrogen to the ground. Sure
the OM is
> going to buffer the negative effect somewhat but overall this
cannot be good
> for soil diverse soil microlife for a number of reasons. Further,
the
> ammonia transfers to the clay colloid kicking off the calcium that
helps to
> keeps clay from totally tightening up. So much for a health soil
food web.
> Sometimes not doing is better than doing. Of course, composting the
manure
> with some woody material then tilling that in the late spring would
have a
> far more positive effect.
>
> Just my perspective,
>
> John Cowan


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Received on Fri Nov 28 2003 - 00:28:06 EST

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