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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] another picture of humus growing in Arizona

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] another picture of humus growing in Arizona
  • Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2006 23:44:35 -0700


What I'd like to know is what kind of soil was she trying to improve to
begin with, was she just adding compost and nothing else, what kind of
compost, was she mixing it with the soil, was she keeping it moist enough
to "cook" and get the biologicals going, and did she ever try grasses or
legumes to build mycorrhyzal activity for humus building. Her use of your
biologicals isn't the problem, but the photo shows about three inches of
topsoil built over 4 or 5 years. In my book that would qualify as years
totally wasted. Again, I don't question the effectiveness of your
biologicals, just the futility of trying to make productive soil
economically out of dead alkaline desert sand or caliche. Frankly, I'd just
move somewhere else. Anywhere else!

paul tradingpost@lobo.net


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

On 12/4/2006 at 9:32 PM Soilsecrets@aol.com wrote:

>Hi Bob,
>
>The picture I sent showing a farm in the desert of Northern Arizona is not
>
>really a commercial farm, but rather is a CSA Organic farm. They grow
>only
>for members! It's about 1 difficult hour drive outside of Snowflake as
>the
>roads are extremely rough. The farm is completely off the grid which is
>why
>they use solar powered well pumps to get water. Another interesting
>point
>about the site is that for 15 years this person practiced an intensive
>double dug
>lasagna technique to try and develop the soils. And in fact even
>developed
>a DVD and a class for the local community college called 'Double dug
>lasagna
>for building your soils'. She did this and also had huge compost piles
>always in the works, adding the finished compost to the soil. She also
>used
>Compost tea faithfully. But after 15 years there was still not that much
>humus
>soil formation found on the site. Her production was ok, but not great
>and her
>water needs where high. She has now used our protocol on the site for 4
>to
>5 years and there is now a thick A horizon of humus rich topsoil and her
>watering needs have dropped significantly. While this is exciting for me
>to see,
>it does not surprise me as we've replicated this success in desert areas
>all
>over the world. Check out this photo of the soil. I'm sorry if the image

>does not email across for you, it's the only way I know how to send
>pictures.
>
>Michael Martin Melendrez
>_www.soilsecrets.com_ (http://www.soilsecrets.com)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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