Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

There's a popular misconception that organic is a single set of strict
rules to be followed. There is a growing body of research and more or less
consistent information and rules of thumb about healthy soil and
sustainable growing. But in fact there are as many ways of growing organic
as there are gardeners.  I have my own methods but can't say my exact
approach is found in any book, and I have an extensive library to draw on.
This is where discussion comes in. We swap stories and articles and kick it
around, and we work out whatever seems to get results. We don't all have
the same materials or soil to begin with, or our time or health may limit
us in some ways. 

We've had ongoing exchanges about beds in past months. You might want to
dig (pun intended) into the archives. We can go into the general guidelines
if you want, though we may not all agree exactly. (I thought I made a
mistake once but I was wrong ... ;-)

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 10/22/2006 at 6:11 AM charlotte plummer wrote:

>Could I put in just plain old rabbit manure .  That is organic matter
>isn't it.  Charlotte
>
>Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com> wrote:    Dear LOTLers,
>   
>  Mark off your bed, plant it in a winter cover crop or bring in organic
>matter, free. to use as mulch.  Put the mulch as deep as you have OM.  No
>digging, no tilling, etc.  
>   
>  Next spring, plant the bed.  Simple, easy.
>   
>  Ken Hargesheimer
>