Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["henry walden" <henrywalden@lycos.com>]

Paul, I approach my soil similarly, every year adding manure and compost, I 
don't screen and I do use a tiller. My point here is twofold 1) that I would 
not be able to amend much more than about 2000 sq. ft. in this manner (aprox. 
4 cubic yards of manure required), whereas with intermitant feedings with tea 
I could  feasibly maintain a larger area more economically, and 2) that I can 
also make a blend that introduces other nutrients without emphasizing 
fertilizers with excessive salt. Or?

Ed

 

P.S. say hi to Barb from Doro



---------[ Received Mail Content ]----------
Subject : Re: [Livingontheland] compost tea
Date : Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:40:35 -0700
>From : "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
To : livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org


Ed, Bobby G.'s method sounds ok (Wisconsin soil there must be very different 
from mine), tho for myself I have questions about the leachate content of 
soluble salts. I also want the manure and/or plant fiber to go into the soil 
rather than just what will dissolve out into the water, to build up the level 
of organic matter and retain moisture better. And for a larger garden or 
market garden it may be more practical to work it all into the bed to begin 
with. Since other amendments need to be worked in as well, it's better for me 
to do it all at one time. Moisture, warmth, and mulch then provide the 
conditions for the right kind of microbes to break down and combine all the 
materials in the soil in a natural way. 

The amendments vary depending on the grower, soil, climate, etc. We have thin 
topsoil with little or no organic matter content, so I amend accordingly. The 
horse manure I use is aged, pulverized and screened to break down faster, and 
alfalfa meal provides the nitrogen to aid in manure decomposition, and trace 
minerals. Both add organic matter (fiber). Usually I'll add in a little rock 
phosphate or bone meal and greensand. It's all mixed in a wheelbarrow, half 
full for a 3'x8' bed, spread evenly on beds, and worked in twice with a 
shovel instead of a tiller. There's no waste since it all goes into framed 
beds instead of the aisles we walk on. Same with water and mulch, nothing 
wasted on aisles. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net 

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

On 1/28/2010 at 11:52 PM henry walden wrote: 

>This is great, it sounds really effective, simple, and economical. How 
>much manure are you using, roughly 5 shovels full or so? Steer or horse or 
>other compost? I suppose any compost would be useful. Especially the fact 
>that a 55 gallon drum covers 1000 feet that's a bunch, how often, etc. ? 
> 
>Ed 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- 
>Subject : Re: [Livingontheland] compost tea 
>Date : Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:50:38 -0800 (PST) 
>>From : Bobby G 
>To : livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org 
> 
> 
> 
>--- On Thu, 1/21/10, livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org 
> 
>re: Compost tea 
> 
>For what it's worth, I do use the compost tea. It's oxygenated the entire 
>time by virtue of being circulated through a cheap sump-pump and back into 
>the 55-gallon barrel. There's so many bubbles in there, I don't know what 
>else you could do to aerate it. 
> 
>The compost is held in a burlap bag inside the 55 gallon drum. Otherwise, 
>you plug up the sump pump. I suppose you could use what they call a "trash 
>pump" for dirty sump water, but I just used a conventional pump. 
> 
>Once you're done aerating it (some ppl recommend 24 full hours, but I just 
>do it for half a day) then you can apply at a rate of 55 gallons does 
>about 1,000 row feet MOL. Use a regular garden hose fitting, brass. 
> 
>I had good results on everything I applied the tea on. 
> 
>Just my 2 cents. 
> 
>Bobby G 
>Central Wisc. USA 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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