Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Barbara Money <bmoney9@verizon.net>]

When I did a soil test (admittedly not terribly accurate) Phosphorus was 
low to medium in most of the garden areas, medium to high in one small 
area which happens to have some red clover growing. Not a lot, but some. 
(A lot of other weeds as well.) Plus, I was told by someone with some 
gardening know-how that too much nitrogen will keep turnips from 
forming. I know animal manures have some Phosphorus; it also has 
nitrogen. I used a fair amount of manure this year, old, well-rotted 
stuff. I didn't see any evidence of herbicides having been used on their 
feeds; everything germinated well, except for the turnips (spotty, and 
took a long time to get going), carrots (ditto, had to re-seed), and 
swiss chard (had to re-seed). Onion sets didn't grow beyond 2", most 
much less. I watered regularly at planting, until the drip irrigation 
was set up; then watered from the well only when the rain-collection 
tanks were low. I know there's nitrogen; the corn is 7 feet high or 
more, the peppers are dark green and slow to blossom, the squash vines 
are taking over the town, though they are blossoming well, and I will 
end up with quite a few butternuts.

Why wouldn't deep-rooted cover crops bring up phosphorus that isn't 
available in the vegetables' root zone? I thought that was one reason 
why one used them. Oh, I should say this garden area was last used as a 
horse paddock, and by rights should be full of phosphorus (smile). 
Though that was 2 years ago, and was let run to weeds since. I did plant 
squash last year where the turnips are, and it was manured well then 
too. Hmm, different horses' poop last year, the squash didn't bear well, 
and the other area I used it the brussel sprouts didn't make 
"sprouts"... the horse owner used it on her garden which was 
astoundingly bountiful. Could it be the seed? I hear most seed companies 
are owned by Monsanto and its kind.

Barbara M,
Foster, RI

--
"Animals Are A Gift"