Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com>]

They did not do it right.  Do three things:  1. increase organic matter and 2. increase organic matter and 3. increase organic matter.  Grow it as green manure crop or bring it in such as manure, hay, straw,etc.  Whatever is free.

 

Always keep the soil mulched.  gm/cc or the others or the left over from the harvest crop. Straw from wheat for example.

 

When first going no-till, you might want to add a lot of OM and dig it in. This will speed up the process but not again. 

 

I do not care how many inches of rain I get, there is no runoff.  It goes into the soil due to high organic matter content. 

 

Dieter, the above applies to your question. Without irrigation, I do not know how to do it. Drip irrigation will reduce water use by up to 70%.  I can tell you how to make your own drip line if anyone is interested.  One way by Honduran farmers and the other by El Salvador farmers. It has advantage over factory made in a way.  Outlets can be cleans out.

 

I am glad to anwer any questions.

 

 

Ken Hargesheimer

yarrow@sfo.com wrote
Can you expand on that? Do you mean the gardener gave up too soon or resorted to chemicals or didn't have a crucial tool or piece of information?

I've heard anecdotally about a relative of an acquaintance who tried going no-till (not organic, and no soil building) but stopped after 5 years because yields of bell peppers went way down. I'd guess that's common -- to do it partway, expect yields to go up before committing to the whole thing, then quit when yields go down (for predictable reasons).

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