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  • From: Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Test
  • Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:47:35 -0800

I searched online for "purple dirt" and found several types, one formed from amethyst mine trailings, one formed from silver mine trailings, and another: soil contaminated with benzene. None of these sounds like yours. Anything is possible on a tiny scale somewhere. Somewhere in Utah, there's a soil that's blue from vanadyl sulfate, for example, where the predominant mineral matter is vanadium-based. But how common or relevant is that?

If you knew a little chemistry, you could predict the possibilities without having to search the Internet for ad hoc examples.

There are only three reasons I can think of, but maybe Bev has another.

1. Young soils haven't had the time to have their supply of alkaline metals leached out.

2. There are heavier, less common alkali metals. No CRC Manual with me, of course, but I'll bet some might have not-so-soluble compounds that can't leach as readily.

3. The most likely cause is ammonium ions resulting from the anaerobic breakdown of nitrogenous material, thus this "muck" you spoke of. This is "unstable" alkalinity, because the moment you aerate such a soil, a different set of bacteria take over, converting the ammonium cations to nitrite and nitrate anions.

Mind you, I'm no expert on soil science, as if anyone _really_ were. I just happen to know that there are only so many types of positive ions, and it's easy to go through the possibilities systematically.

Incidentally, we decided to leave tomorrow (Friday), and spend two glorious nights in San Francisco, hopefully at the Lone Star Saloon, then travel up the coast the rest of the way on a fairly rainless Sunday, up north. Screw those Siskiyous. I don't mind driving on the _inside_ lane up the coast. :)

Bill
S. Oregon coast

Lynda wrote:

Not necessarily. Bodega gets an average yearly rainfall of over 55 inches. Purple Dirt tests off the charts alkali.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Jones" <billj AT harborside.com>


snip<

Of course. But take away the plastic sheet from the greenhouse, and
after one year of leaching with 60" of rain, the alkaline deposits will
be gone, obviously. It should be obvious to anyone that there is indeed
a relationship between pH and rainfall levels.


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