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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Soil Mystery
  • Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 08:14:51 -0400


On Jun 22, 2006, at 4:47 PM, Andrew R. King wrote:

I have an area on my property that is a mystery to me. I am hoping one of you might have an idea, what the problem is. In early spring I had soil tests done. The results for this area came back showing the PH, N, K & P were ok. I planted peas and chives. Both did so poorly I tilled them in and had another soil test done. The results came back the same. I then transplanted basil to half the field and direct seeded dill to the other half. The transplants did great but the dill I direct seeded did poorly. Any Ideas?
<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Andy King</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Sunflower King's Farm</x-tad-smaller>
<x-tad-smaller>Trumbauersville, PA</x-tad-smaller>

Chives are onion family. Did you plant them intermixed with the peas? Maybe they really didn't like each other; many people say they don't. If they were on different sides of the field, though, I doubt that was it; as a few rows of greens inbetween them seems to be enough for me, so if they were in separate patches I would think at worst the immediately adjacent rows of peas and onions might not have done well, but the others should have been OK.

Did the dill germinate poorly, or come up well and then not grow? Dill's a slow and sometimes fussy germinator, for me at least; if the soil baked dry and hot it might not come up.

Did you get micronutrients on the soil test? Maybe something there is out of balance.

That's all I can think of right now unless it was weather. We've been having flood and drought alternating, which has caused some problems; though most things, so far, are OK. And at least the flood filled the irrigation pond back up, making it easier to cope with the droughts. Gotta go set up some irrigation lines now; and harvest for market --

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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