Market Farming

[Martin Koenig <koehoe AT earthlink.net>]

We have just discovered a symphlan investation after scratching our
heads for weeks over a raised bed where two plantings of beets (both
seeds and seedlings) failed to germinate or thrive.  My farm partner
read Steve Solomon's book (on gardening west of the Cascades) and the
section of symphlans described our situation perfectly and when we
looked for symphlans in the soil, we found them.  the debate we are
having is this--are they a problem when uncomposted carbonaceous
material is added to the soil (like compost with some uncomposted wood
chips) or ANY umcomposted organic matter (as Steve Solomon thinks).  We
had gotten some very old horse manure composted with wood chips last
fall and added it generously to three raised beds.  There was some newer
compost in some of the batch with some visible wood chips.  In the other
two beds we are growing things that are not affected by symphlans
(parsnips, skirret, salsify).  I want to stay away altogether from wood
chips and just use our own compost in our new beds but my partner is
wary of adding much compost at all.  I think our soil needs the compost
for the microbial life, she wants to focus on amendments (rock
phosphate, greensand, a nitrogen source) to grow the crops.  Any
thoughts out there, particularly from those of you West of the
Cascades.  Any experience dealing with symphlans would be helpful.
Thanks!

Margaret
Blue Moon Farm, WA