Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Emery Mitchamore <emitch@att.net>]

So, when we have piles of brush, we should chip them into mulch, right?  I have such a pile, but I hate chippers, so I was hoping for an alternative, but charing sounds like a big hassle too.  I guess we don't get enough rain to make Hugelkulture, because nothing has happened to the brush pile in the 4 or so years it's been there.

On Nov 12, 2009, at 1:37 PM, Tradingpost wrote:

Not to sound argumentive, but in my view Ken is 100% correct. On average, our agricultural land is sorely depleted of organic matter. Now Ken and I both concur on no-till and for the reason you name, among others. You mention the expense to process those huge mounds of "waste." A little reflection would bring us back down to earth on it. Biochar cannot be cost effective on any significant scale. But we do have enormous amounts of organic waste in this society, and composting it or working it into the agricultural soil doesn't require serious expense or burn fossil fuel directly or send up smoke pollution. The whole biochar thing reminds me of a book, "The $64 Tomato". I've never seen anything about biochar that improves on the cost effective composting and organic techniques of pioneers from Sir Albert to the Rodales.

The question was "Which would be better for the soil, biochar or

chippings?"  If done properly, the BioChar is much better and longer

lasting.  How else can we deal with the sticks and brush that even the

goats won't eat?

False choice. Wood chips don't belong in the soil anyway; unlike cellulose, lignin takes too long to break down and robs nitrogen from growing plants. Wood chips make great mulch, and mulch pays for itself in weed control, yield, soil improvement, and irrigation costs. We have to take in the Big Picture.

We're always trying to improve our techniques and materials but the soil basics remain the same. Sir Albert didn't have our UV greenhouse plastic in his time, when he was developing the Indore method of composting in weeks instead of months. But I'm glad to have it today. I still search the secondhand stores for books I don't have yet from Rodale Press, tho I have dozens of them already. No sense in reinventing the wheel.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net


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On 11/11/2009 at 2:48 PM Zachary Domike wrote:

Biochar is cutting edge investigation, so might be considered "Fringe:"

Frankly, I am disappointed at the way the Biochar discussion has played

out.  Ken should know that there is an appropriate method to agricultural

techniques, or there is an inappropriate shortcut. Ken mistakenly

describes biochar as "burn up organic matter that the soil needs.?"

Proper charcoal production is a process that evaporates the vapor from the

carbon then shuts down the oxygen, so - when done properly - emits

relatively little carbon. The sad truth is that -worldwide- most

agricultural smoke comes from "burning waste" that could be profitably

used as Biochar.  The hurdle is that biochar needs good technique, and a

deep understanding of its value in the soil to justify the expense to

process those huge mounds of "waste."

Organic matter takes a long delicate process to change into humus.

Delicate because it is so sensitive to oxygen and humidity and temperature

and acidity and the correct mix of micro-organisms, and it burns up

(oxidizes) in direct sun.  (Turning the soil with a tiller exposes the

organics to more damage, which is an important, but separate, argument for

no-dig.)

Soil science is new, as those who read Dr. Elaine Ingham know.  But

charcoal has a long history as a filter, and works in a similar way on a

microscopic scale in soil.  Distributed in the soil, charcoal holds all

sorts of elements and compounds which are then selectively available to

roots.

The question was "Which would be better for the soil, biochar or

chippings?"  If done properly, the BioChar is much better and longer

lasting.  How else can we deal with the sticks and brush that even the

goats won't eat?

I hope Marty's technique is clean and produces the most excellent soil

amendment!  Let us know the results?  Thanks to Bobby G. for his clear

description, so Marty knows what will be his benefits.  

Sincerely,

Zack

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E. E. "Mitch"  Mitchamore

www.hillcountrynatives.biz