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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] cover crops

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: Barbara Money <bmoney9@verizon.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] cover crops
  • Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:38:16 -0400

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"





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