Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Smittyctz6 <cityhomesteader@gmail.com>]

I suppose with the right type of soil life softwoods can be added to the list of wood chips. I have had Spruce chips break down in my Wood path ways very quickly. I had to get a load of wood chips within a year of putting down spruce..But it had a lot of needles shot thru it..

On Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 5:15 PM, Andeanfx <andeanfx@midrivers.com> wrote:

Does this process work with conifers or does it have to be deciduous trees?

 

 

Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Smittyctz6

To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 10:56 AM

Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?

I see your point.. Fast is best for you..Too bad you didn't have a nice hunk of land to set aside for a wood chip pile. I'd send you some of this compost via Snail mail overnight to get you started. It is sort of like making sour dough, the right culture and boom you have Bread or in this case composted wood chips.
BTW I have .42 of a acre on a south east running slope. my composting operation is down over a steep bank that abuts my neighbor's yard. I have to fit things in tight so my terraced garden can take up a goodly part of the remaining yard, Down the slope it bottoms out into a small woods that I'm turning into forest garden, probably be done when I'm dead LOL  Oh and BTW again.. I am 56 with a hearet condition and diabetes plus I ache like a son a gun most days.. But I have a heart to grow things..I think my FATHER put it there when HE made me..  (c:

On Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net> wrote:

Well, I started this list to learn more, to have my views challenged or improved, as well as to spread what's out there on the Internet. You guys have tossed out the conventional wisdom on wood in soil and apparently your results speak for themselves. Good. My limitation is, (at my age) I have to plan in terms of soil building for *this market season* - not the following seasons. Which means fast composting. That is, learning and passing on techniques many people can do to get growing right now, typically with little space and funds, as food hazards multiply and unemployment keeps spreading.

Above all, don't let me discourage anybody from disagreeing or improving on what we know.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

Many types of jobs will cease to exist: public relations executive,
marketing directors, et cetera. I think work will be very hands-on,
and a lot of it will revolve around food production.
   -- James Howard Kunstler, 2003

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

On 11/14/2009 at 8:01 AM Smittyctz6 wrote:

>Not to be little your wisdom my friend, but some one forgot to tell ole ma
>nature that wood doesn't belong in the soil, because she has a mighty host
>of digesters that work ceaselessly turning wood into soil.  I use her as
>not
>to offend others in my belief that the Creator made all this happen.  But
>I'm off track.
>Whether you believe in billions of years or thousands of years wood has
>been
>breaking down into soil. I have been doing the same thing on a less grand
>scale for 14 years and the results are amazing in my own personal garden
>and
>landscape. The wood I put in the soil was gone within 2 years of putting it
>in after I composted it for one year with Compost and manure.  Now it takes
>only a half year from newly chipped wood to half finished compost ready for
>the beds. The original soil filled with the right microbes and Macrobes
>came
>from a old rotted log. Wood has it's decomposers as do all living things,
>even us.. So all told I have wood in the soil break down within 3 full
>years. With no problem?  I must be a wizzard!!  LOL
>
>
>Paul wrote:
>"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."
>
>--
>Bruce Smith
>InHisThyme Homestead
>
>@{--+----+------+------------
>
>A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will
>bring
>heaven to your soul.  ~Author Unknown
>

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--
Bruce Smith
InHisThyme Homestead

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A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.  ~Author Unknown

---

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-- 
Bruce Smith
InHisThyme Homestead 

@{--+----+------+------------

A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.  ~Author Unknown