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  • From: Jennie Lee <tulipcreek AT dixie-net.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Growing bed preparation
  • Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 09:39:06 -0600 (CST)

Hi all -
thanks, Alex, for your observations. I went to a soil session you did at the 2000 SSAWG conference that was immensely helpful to me - you're an excellent teacher and I really appreciate the thoroughness of your explanations.
My soil test reported Iron 46 ppm - my suspicion on the yellowing is low N b/c the plants responded immediately to being doused with fish emulsion. However, when I sent my soil test in to the lab (about 6 weeks before I planted), the N was 115 ppm - which should have been plenty for tomatoes. That's why I didn't add any N at planting time and was wondering about the window between tilling and planting.
As for the rototilling, I'm fairly convinced that all I have is clay subsoil. One of the many abuses my field was subjected to before we owned it was a thorough bulldozing - any soil structure once intact was completely destroyed by the time we got it. However, my husband is building me some chicken tractors which we're going to start playing around with them this summer. Based on what I've learned about soil so far, Andy Lee's idea of "uppening" the soil seems to me to be my only viable option. Hopefully, the chicken tractors will be the beginning of the end of my career in rototilling. I hate that damn tiller - but I did 1/2 acre with a dirt rake and a cultivating tool one year and don't know that my back could stand up to that in the long run. In terms of energy and efficiency and the health of my very fragile clay soil, permanent beds are obviously the way to head - its just that I'm not quite there yet for this growing season. Thanks for the tips.
Jennie Lee
Oxford, MS
zone 7a
From liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com Thu Apr 3 11:10:53 2003
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From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
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Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Growing bed preparation
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Jennie, clay farming is new to me, too. The single biggest help I have
found for rebuilding fertile soil is old hay. I'm grabbing as much as I can
and begging area farmers for what they have (though due to last year's
drought, even the old moldy hay is being fed to cows.) Where I have piled
the old hay, the clay has softened into a rich brown loam full of earth
worms. Truly amazing, and surprisingly quick--about 8-9 months. Just
something to keep in mind...

My major field is dotted with old square bales I never got around to tearing
apart to distribute over the beds last fall. The earthworms overwintered
under them and the soil temps under the bales stayed in the 50's....I could
have planted sweet corn in Feb. Now I know why straw bale houses are
worshipped for their insulating qualities and will be utilizing this alot
elsewhere on the farm.

Liz Pike
Laughingbrook Farm
Westfield NC
http://www.laughingbrookfarm.com





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