Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["mcoldiron" <mcoldiron@crcom.net>]

I'm trying to move toward organic vegetable farming as much as possible.  I 
still till the soil like a regular farmer, but am trying to find a way not 
to do it so much and conserve water.  I live in a very hot and arid part of 
west Texas with an annual rainfall of 18 inches or less.  The soil is a 
sandy loam.  Due to the unpredictable rain here I want to try using mulch 
and drip irrigation.  The well water isn't good, so it'll have to be hauled 
in.

I have questions about mulch?  It's so windy here until the end of June, 
that anything other than wood chips will just blow away.  Can I use wood 
chips for mulch?  If so, what will that do when I plow them under each year? 
Will their decomposition tie up the Nitrogen so I can't grow anything for a 
year or two?  What about planting, won't the chips interfere with the 
planter?  Sure could use some very basic "been there done that" advice.

Thanks
TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Bowen" <don.bowen@earthlink.net>
To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" 
<livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 11:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] pickup trucks?


> >  Mine will get about 13.5 to 14 MPG on the highway, 9-11 towing, but that
> > was towing about 6000 pounds, and as much as 2 tons on the ruck itself.
>
> I have the lighter 1500 version, 5.2, 5 spd.  It gets over 17 unloaded on
> the highway and around 15 running about town.
>
> I pull a 7000# travel trailer and with favorable wind I can get over 12.
> Usual is a bit over 10 but a head wind on steep grades brings me down to 
> 8.
> I am now parked in the Ozarks for the summer.
>
> Don Bowen      KI6DIU
> http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html
>
> _______________________________________________
> Livingontheland mailing list
> Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland


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