Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Debbie McDonald <lbirke1@yahoo.com>]

Thanks Pete. Yes, I know that wonderful mold, long white but clumpish strata? is that it?  I used to pile leaves on my flower garden back in the city to overwinter plants that would normally not survive. I found that mold deeper down and I did not remove it of course, I used to take a handful and smell it:) wonderful, I'd put it up to someones face and say smell this and they look at me like?? I do that with my forest floor here, I grab up a handful and just love to sniff it, will I get anthrax someday, lol.  I had fairy rings/circles come up near there in the grass two or three times. Probably not connected

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From: pete <pete.rout@virgin.net>
To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thu, December 9, 2010 1:27:10 PM
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] learning curve

In the UK you would be advised not to put leaves of any description in compost (unless it is only a few). Leaves should be stacked damp and trod down.  In two years they will have broken down into leaf mould, which is one of the best soil conditioners.  It is also a very good ingredient in a sowing compost as it helps in root development.  Leaves are broken down by the action of fungi, not bacteria.
Pete

> 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.

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