Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[mdnagel@verizon.net]

"A variety of organic materials provide everything soil needs."

But... what exactly IS a "variety?"  What if that variety doesn't include a 
key mineral?

In general I agree that we've got to adjust to using more basic approaches to 
caring for soil.  Soil tests, I'm figuring, might help identify deficiencies 
or excesses _before_ our crops tell us.  If one knows what crops he/she is 
growing then he/she should have a pretty good idea of what gets exported off 
the farm and, therefore, what needs to be replaced, which would significantly 
reduce the need for any outside soil tests.


-Mark Nagel
Everett, WA


Aug 23, 2010 10:22:51 AM, livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

>
>I ran into this on a tomato list and I don't like it. It's also a commercial.
>
>class="parsedLink" 
>target="_blank">http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/marion/Pages/SoilSamplingTesting.aspx
>
>"To grow good plants, you need good soil. The only way to tell what your 
>soil really needs is to take a soil test. Applying too much fertilizer could 
>be 
>detrimental to your plants. You could waste money or pollute the 
>environment. Adding 
>too little fertilizer or the wrong fertilizer could produce little or no 
>results."
>
>Apply fertilizer? Hundreds of thousands of organic growers have used natural 
>amendments or compost as the Rodale people urged for decades, and indigenous 
>people 
>for eons before that. A variety of organic materials provide everything soil 
>needs. 
>While soil tests can be useful I think that statement "The only way to tell 
>what your soil really needs is to take a soil test" is way over the top.
>
>
>paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>