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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Soil test

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  • From: "Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Soil test
  • Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 20:35:48 -0500

Bill and all,
Yes, sandy soil has a low CEC because it is basically inert, the silica can't absorb or hold nutrients. Western clays have a very high CEC because they have layers that not only attract cations to their surface, but adsorb them in between layers. Eastern clays have had many of these binding sites filled by hydrogen, and have a much reduced adsorption capacity, mostly they just absorb. Cations are alkaline ions, and the best ratio to have in your soil is something like 70% Ca, 15% Mg, 5% K and under 1% Na. (Don't quote me on this, my book's still out on loan.) As most poisons are alkaline in nature, clays have long been used to protect from them. Kaopectate will absorb toxins from a bacterial infection of the gut, so you don't have anymore symptoms. Acorns do not need leaching if you cook them with enough clay, preferably western clay with a very high CEC. There was a National Geographic article showing flocks of macaws eating clay during the time of year when their main food is seeds with lots of toxins designed to ummm... keep things from eating them.
If you had a high CEC soil that was well balanced, you could "mine" it for many years without adding nutrients... but the person who inherited it would have a hard time fixing it back again. Donna




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