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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Hard soil inside the High tunnels
  • Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 15:37:01 -0700


But don't add any kind of sand to a heavy, clayey soil. It turns out more
like concrete. Use compost of any sort rather than sand, or add better soil
to the mix.

paul AT largocreekfarms.com
http://medicinehill.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 11/23/2004 at 2:20 PM Bill Shoemaker wrote:

>I think it might be possible that the tunnel is part of the problem re:
>hard
>soil in Hi-Tunnels. We've experienced the same thing in our tunnel at the
>research center. I think at least two things are contributing to the
>problem. First, lack of moisture from Fall til Spring means the ground
>thoroughly dries out, especially with the warm temps that often come during
>the day inside the tunnels. In our area we can't provide moisture because
>of
>the constant freezing conditions, which would break up the pipelines and
>water control systems. Second, we use a tiller to prepare the soil, which,
>by the way, is a very black silt loam soil, not usually a soil with
>friability problems. Tillers break up soil too much, leading to collapse of
>the soil structure, unless roughage (compost, green manures, aged manure,
>other organic matter) is added. So I've come to the conclusion that soil
>management, and especially moisture management, is a critical issue in
>tunnels. I'd almost like to see tunnels that can be opened up in the off
>season to allow natural sources of moisture to enter the tunnel. We lift
>the
>roll-up sides all the way for the Winter.
>
>By the way, the sand discussed earlier is called mason's sand around here.
>It's also called sharp sand because it has sharp corners, unlike beach
>sand,
>which is highly eroded and very round. I used to be a concrete finisher and
>when it was explained to me they said the sharp edges work better in mortar
>and concrete because the cement "grabs" it better. In soil it likewise
>works
>better structurally.
>
>Bill Shoemaker
>Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
>Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center
>
>
>
>>It's unlikely the hoop house is the reason for poor soil condition. What
>is the soil like growing *outside* the hoophouse? Have you had the soil
>structure tested? Is it caliche? It may be that it's just not enough
>compost, or that it will take much longer and much more mixing with the
>right amount of moisture present. Not all soil can be amended enough to
>make
>good growing medium. Due to its structure, some soil has been compacted
>too
>much before trying to compost and grow in it.
>>
>>paul AT largocreekfarms.com
>>http://medicinehill.net
>>
>>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>>
>>On 11/23/2004 at 9:30 AM robert schuler wrote:
>>
>>>Hoop house growers around here plant on plastic covered raised beds
>>>with drip. There is little compaction after the plastic is in place.
>>>Bob.
>>>Sunny Meadow Farm
>>>Bridgeton, NJ.
>>>
>>>Marlin Burkholder wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> While this "High Tunnels" thread is going strong, I have yet
>>>> another question I would like to insert. In 2000 I built my
>>>> first permanent hoophouse. I chose the site primarily
>>>> because of it's proximity to the house and water supply and
>>>> because it fit well into the building landscape. The soil
>>>> on the site was of high sticky clay content, not my best
>>>> soil. I reasoned that because of the high cation exchange
>>>> content of dominantly clay soils, I would eventually be able
>>>> to build it into a highly productive soil by the diligent
>>>> application of compost. It is now four years later, and
>>>> despite what I thought was a valiant attempt to improve the
>>>> soil by yearly deep digging in of compost and earthworm
>>>> castings, I am still a little underwhelmed by the quality of
>>>> the soil inside that hoophouse. Rather than acquiring a
>>>> soft crumbly structuture, the soil has gravitated more
>>>> towards an aggregate of hard gravel sized clay lumps mixed
>>>> with a dark brown dusty, almost gritty residue which I
>>>> presume to be the remains of the compost applications.
>>>> When I began to dig up the beds this fall, I found the soil
>>>> to be tight, and it dug up as head sized mottled red and
>>>> brown clods that were difficult to break apart. I ended up
>>>> loading up most of these clods into a wheelbarrow and
>>>> dumping them outside the hoophouse. There they will be
>>>> exposed to freezing temperatures this winter which I hope
>>>> will soften them up. I then replaced this soil with an
>>>> equal volumne (about 15 wheelbarrow loads in 220 square
>>>> feet) of fresh compost and worked it in once again. Despite
>>>> all my efforts, I still feel like I am working with dirty
>>>> gravel instead of real soil. Could it be that the lack of
>>>> normal freezing and thawing of the soil inside the hoophouse
>>>> during the winter, and the baking effect of summer's heat be
>>>> the cause of the hard soil? I have had some kind of mulch
>>>> (old hay or cardboard) on the soil during the summer, and
>>>> usually a pretty good gound cover of salad greens during
>>>> much of the winter. I walk on the beds as little as
>>>> possible. I wonder if this isn't a common problem for
>>>> hoophouse growers. Marlin BurkholderVirginia Shenandoah
>>>> Valley
>>>>
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
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