[compost_tea] Re: Tilling is sometimes necessary!

From: David Hall <dchall8_at_texas.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 06:56:41 -0000

>From what I've seen on the gardening discussion boards over the past
few years, tilling is not necessary under any of the circumstances
I've seen mentioned on this board. After discussing the various
theories and methods with both amateurs and professionals in the
turf care business, the consolidated wisdom of the recent ages comes
down to four basic techniques. The super compaction and soggy areas
are almost universally cleared up by [in order of importance] a
combination of [1] deep infrequent watering (maybe starting with a
black soaker hose left on trickle for a few weeks); [2] mowing grass
as high as possible (or even letting grass grow for months without
mowing); [3] protein-based organic fertilizer and/or organic top
dressing (prolonged use of sawdust is particularly good); and [4]
the total cessation of insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide.

What you are trying to accomplish with these methods is to deepen
your plant roots below any hardpan you might have developed from
previous poor watering habits. Not coincidentally, these methods
favor proper microbial growth at each "zone" under the surface.
Deep roots cannot grow unless and until the moisture is deep. So
deep infrequent watering is paramount to softening the soil. Tall
grass supports deep roots by sending more carbs to the roots. When
you continually clip the grass off short, the roots develop near the
surface only. One method used by grass farming livestock graziers
to develop their pastures' organic material is to deep cycle their
grass. They will grow it very long (maybe 4 feet tall or more) and
then cut it very short (4 inches or less). What this does is
essentially pump roots several feet into the soil and then kill off
the deepest roots. This leaves the dead roots to provide "organic
matter" feed for the microbes at all soil depths to munch on. And
the idea of using sawdust to soften the soil will rankle some
folks. Doesn't everyone know that sawdust lasts forever and
will "remove" nitrogen from the soil? Well, not everyone knows
that. When sawdust is used as a topdressing only and not tilled in,
it cannot remove nitrogen from the soil. What apparently happens
instead is the fungi that decompose sawdust become extremely adept
at decomposing sawdust and it starts to disappear more quickly year
after year. One writer reported that after 10 years of sawdust, he
could plunge his arms up to his elbows into his formerly ceramic
quality clay.

The wise people of the Internet have mentioned the following
problems with tilling. Some have been mentioned elsewhere on this
list. Tilling...
1. Pulverizes the soil aggregate structure caused by beneficial
microbial glues leaving a fluffy mineral dust which the bacteria
must start over with to reform a structure.
2. Eliminates the earthworm tunnels which provide air and water
deep into the soil.
3. Eliminates fungal hyphal tunnels which provide air and water
deeper into the soil.
4. Shreds fungal hyphae killing them off.
5. Brings the bottom dwelling microbes to the surface to die.
6. Sends the top dwelling microbes to the bottom to die.
7. Blows carbon dioxide out of the soil and temporarily replaces it
with oxygen.

So what's happening with a soggy low lying area? Likely as not all
the fungi have been killed off due to the anaerobic conditions
caused by standing water. Tilling in compost would seem to solve
the problem but it doesn't for reasons 1, 5, 6, and 7 above. A
suggested repair would be to first eliminate the low lying area by
leveling (if it is in the middle of an otherwise flat area). If the
low lying area is in a naturally rolling area, then flattening is
not a good idea. Instead the selection of deep rooting plants or
water loving plants is more appropriate. Usually the plants that
work would be called weeds, but if you use them right, they can look
pretty nice. Some of the clovers make better weed choices than some
other weed choices. Clovers at least can be contained. If you want
really deep roots, try alfalfa for a few years. Alfalfa has been
reported to send roots into coal mines a hundred feet underground.
In any case, compost should be top dressed (not tilled) in
appropriate amounts.

David Hall
San Antonio, TX

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "hi_yield1" <hi_yield1_at_y...>
wrote:
> Good point Chris,
> Oliver, if you are trying to garden in a low lying area and you
have
> little if any drainage either down or away from where your
planting.
> You need to till deep enough(adding coarser material) to break
through
> or deep enough to keep the root zone out of the watertable. I think
> both adding enough organic matter to create a raised bed and
tilling
> in would work best. Take care
> Hi_Yield1.
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, chris reid <reidchris_at_e...>
wrote:
> > Oliver,
> >
> > Does the lay of the land have any effect on how much water is in
> your clay
> > soil? In other words, when it rains, is all the rain pooling in
> one low
> > spot or what?
> >
> > Also, if you want to get a soil test, maybe you can get one from
> Colorado
> > since Nevada doesn't offer this service. CSU does homeowner soil
> tests.
> > There is a charge, but I don't know what it is. You can contact
> the lab
> > manager -- see the link below:
> >
> > http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/SoilCrop/service.html
> >
> > A description of how to take a soil sample is included below:
> >
> > http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/SoilCrop/Soilsub.html
> >
> >
> > Chris Reid
> >
> > -


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Received on Thu Dec 04 2003 - 02:36:59 EST

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