Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] Fwd: Re: [SANET-MG] Soil minerals and nutrition

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Market Farming <marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: Re: [SANET-MG] Soil minerals and nutrition
  • Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:37:59 -0500

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Soil minerals and nutrition
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:26:58 -0500
From: Elaine Ingham <soilfoodweb@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>, soilfoodweb@AOL.COM
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

I want to make the point again that people should not confuse SOLUBLE nutrients with total nutrients. The total pool includes what is soluble. But do not be mislead by chemistry reports where the only portion, and a minor portion, of the total nutrients in a soil are reported.

I have yet to find a soil - and by that I mean something that actually meets the definition of soil that Hans Jenny put forward - that lacks any nutrient when TOTAL nutrient levels are considered.


Any soil can lack nutrients in the soluble pool. But the function of a healthy food web of organisms is to solubilize nutrients from not-plant available into plant available, or soluble forms. So if the biology is properly balanced, soluble nutrients will be adequate to supply the plant, and will be constantly replenished.

Where sand, silt, clay, aerobic organisms and adequate organic matter is present to feed those organisms, the nutrients required to grow plants are present.


Elaine R. Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page