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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

The problem here on the East Coast, and to extent in the plains, is that
for a few centuries now, the land has been farmed and micronutrients are
often depleted.  The soils may still be fertile and such, but many of us
are trying to reverse damage done in the past and are adding nutrients
back, so fertility is rather relative.  From an agribusiness
perspective, the land here is very fertile. It is acid from pine trees
and granite decomposition, but it will grow things. From my perspective,
it needs work, because I want the most nutritious veggies possible.  My
front pasture is a good example.  For decades and decades, cotton and
corn were grown there.  It was overworked and most of the topsoil eroded
or blew away.  When we first moved here, a neighbor told me that once a
fire came through and that my pasture looked like bathroom tile to the
point he was amazed that grass grew out there at all.  His MIL owned the
land at the time, and he said he started adding manure and such to the
soil, and simply cutting the hay and leaving it in place.  At that
point, 10 years ago, I had about an inch-two inches of topsoil in my
front pasture that was very rich and supported quite a diverse number of
plants.  I've also had animals out there, and made sure there was a good
cut biomass, and now I have almost 6-8 inches of topsoil again.  I know
because I planted some trees out there a few months ago and was rather
amazed that my practices were making such a difference.
In the garden, my soil is super fertile.  I add kitchen waste, compost,
manure, etc. etc. and have for my stay here.  I plant cover crops like
buckwheat that add biomass and pull deep nutrients to the surface.
At any rate, when some of us talk of fertility, depending on what we are
doing, fertility is relative.

Frank Fries wrote:
> 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.
>
>
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--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius
will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge