Homestead mailing list

[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

Lynda wrote:

> I'm in a drought area which is different than a desert area.
>
> The acidity or alkali nature of an area is determined by what was there, 
> what is there and what the water brings and what the water leaves behind. 
> I'm knee deep in Doug Fir and Ponderosa pines and about 6 types of oak. 
> Very acid area.
>  

But this is not innate acidity, which is caused when there are no alkali 
metals to counterbalance the aluminate anions that form in clay soil.

> Head on down to Sonoma County, over between the Russian River and Bodega Bay
> and you'll find a place locally called Purple Dirt.  Tons of rain during
> part of the year and then absolutely no moisture the balance of the year.
> As the soil dries out each year it accumulates more and more salts.  You
> can't get much more alkali.
>
>  
That describes our weather perfectly, but our soil is acidic, as rainy 
areas tend to be (well documented).  There must be another explanation.  
Is that soil low lying and poorly drained?  That's consistent with 
anaerobic decomposition of nitrogenous materials.  Water would have to 
drain away for it to lose alkaline cations.  Otherwise there's no place 
for alkaline compounds to escape to, like the low spots in the greenhouse.

BTW, the most interesting thing I ever read about blueberries is that 
their roots are specializedto the point that they cannot absorb 
nitrates, only ammonium ions, which is consistent with the anaerobic 
environments where they grow.  So fertilize accordingly, should you use 
chemical fertilizers.

Bill
S. Oregon coast