Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[<pbunch@cox.net>]

Composting mimics the process of nutrient recycling on forested lands. 
Instead of leaves falling from trees and decaying to release nutrients one is 
allowing other vegetable matter to decay and release the nutrients it 
contains. In addition to the major and trace nutrients needed by the crops 
the decay leaves organic matter in the soil. This organic matter retains both 
water and nutrients longer than most mineral soils. It also is used by 
bacteria, fungi, insects and other critters that improve the soil in many 
ways. Sandy soils benefit greatly because they drain rapidly and the water 
and nutrients are rapidly removed from the layer where most of the roots are. 
Also the nutrients don't stick to sand particles as well as they do to clays. 
The organic matter acts like clay particles because it has a quality called 
high CEC or cation exchange capacity just like most clays. It is like a 
nutrient magnet. The plants can extract the good stuff while the water is 
less capable of doing so. That is why people are so insistent that we add 
organic matter.

Phil

---- Debbie McDonald <lbirke1@yahoo.com> wrote: 
> But humans already tilled the land. I researched online when I first moved 
> to E 
TX. There were articles about the small towns, and how fertile the soil was. 
They called it sandy loam. The trees were cut, the sandy loam turned to sand 
in 
my opinion. Various crops were grown. The soil was raped. When the forest 
decayed constantly, it kept it's mineral content right. When man started to 
export from that land, the minerals were never replenished. How does 
composting 
overcome that.? Or if the animals graze it and are moved away, same thing. I 
have this sandy soil,  I need to know. 

  I have one of the books by Prince Charles about his land Highgrove. In that 
book that I have, they talk about oak leaves not being good for compost as 
the 
high tannic acid content would not be good. I have not found answers to that 
here.




________________________________
From: Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com>
To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tue, December 7, 2010 2:47:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] learning curve


For healthy soil and the finest soil do three things:

1. Add organic matter
2. Add organic matter
3. Add organic matter

Do not purchase anything from anybody at anytime for the garden/farm except 
seed 
and be careful doing that.

This is so simple but with high Tech thinking, it is too simple.  I have 
never 
seen nature till the jungle; I have never seen nature till the forest; 

I have never seen nature till the praire [man did and what a mess].

Ken