Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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

If weeds grow there, so will comfrey.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net


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

On 5/31/2007 at 7:09 PM E. E. Mitchamore Jr wrote:

>Comfrey is often recommended for the reasons you mention.  However, I've
>been wondering whether it will perform as desired on my 6" of clay over
>500' of limestone.  Will Comfrey roots find the cracks in the rock like
>natives do?  I don't know where you go to learn this kind of stuff.
>
>E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>
>Trying not to be guilty of Hubris, but
>Certainly guilty of Ignorance.
>
>www.hillcountrynatives.biz
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Harvey Ussery 
>  To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org 
>  Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 11:42 AM
>  Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] What to do when the mulch runs out?
>
>
>  > When you don't bring organic matter in, but produce it on site, how do
>you assure that all the minerals are present and being replenished in
>sufficient quantity?  Periodic soil tests?
>  > 
>  > E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>
>  Grow lots of comfrey (and other dynamic accumulators--but comfrey is one

>  of the best). Comfrey's roots grow 8-10 feet into the soil, tapping into

>  reserves of minerals that may not even be present in the top of the soil

>  profile, and making those minerals available to more shallow-rooted
>plants.
>
>  I am propagating comfrey to the maximum I have the time to do so (it's 
>  extremely easy to propagate)--I have far more of it now than a couple of

>  years ago, when I started the big push to fit it in along the borders, 
>  under fruit and nut trees, out on the poultry pasture (where the birds 
>  can self-harvest it), in every nook and cranny. A couple of days ago I 
>  harvested a dozen wheelbarrow loads or more to mulch my potatoes.
>
>  ~Harvey
>  -- 
>  Harvey in northern Va
>  www.themodernhomestead.us
>
>  "Earth's plant communities have been doing their job for at least 500 
>  million years; only extreme hubris would lead us to believe we could do 
>  a better job through an agricultural science not even one hundred years 
>  old."  ~Stephen Harrod Buhner, The Lost Language of Plants
>  _______________________________________________