Homestead mailing list

["Frank Fries" <frank.fries AT imagewireless.ca>]

There have been a number of comments that suggest that some of you live in 
areas where the soil is not very fertile.  I think it was James who 
mentioned in a reply to Ivy, that it would take a number of years to get the 
soil built up to bring a garden up to production.

In my area, if you break some land (break up the sod/grass), the soil is 
fertile.  You will just have to work to keep the grass from taking the land 
back for the first couple of years.  To maintain the fertility over time you 
do need to keep putting back the nutrients you use (keep adding organic 
matter back).

I know that in some areas, that initial fertility is not a "gimme".

Have any of you read anything on the internet about "terra preta" soils ?

These were soils discovered in man made patches in S.America, that are 
dramatically more fertile than the areas around them.   They were created 
thousands of years ago and remain fertile now.  Some soil scientists are 
formally studying this and many "amateurs" are experimenting with trying to 
recreate the same thing.  It appears that the reason it works "may" be 
related to the beneficial environment created for soil micro-organisms (or 
maybe not).

You may find it quite interesting - if interested do a quick google.