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  • From: "Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>
  • To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Building Soil
  • Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:37:48 -0600

Murph said, "I roto-tilled the lawn without examining the soil first.

2 inches of bogus loam on top of SAND.

Now the top 6" are 80% sand 20% loam.
Fortunately, some weeds even live in this."

When I moved to my present location, most of what is now orchard had a soil that would best be called Yellow Blow-Sand. Weeds just barely grew in it. Being at the edge of town along side a busy road, I put up signs reading, "Leaves and Pine Needles wanted." There is a moratorium on burning in the Fall, which is the case most years. Since there is a yard-waste dump near here that charges a fee to take leaves, and I take them for free, I got LOTS of leaves (between 30 and 60 cubic yards) that I spread (atop the snow) throughout the Winter. When I put my gardens to bed for the season, I tilled adding extra nitrogen for the soil bacteria to break down the leaf matter. Nowadays I accept fewer leaves and needles just using them for mulch.
There isn't as much garden any more and I've got between 8" and 14" of rich black dirt. I still have to grow tomatoes and peppers for salsa and hot pepper jams. So far this year we produced in excess of 15,000 jars of jelly, 3,000+ bottles of fruit syrups and an uncounted number of jars of salsa and I grow all of that fruit.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
For Christmas gift baskets:
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]



  • [NAFEX] Building Soil, Jim Fruth, 12/13/2007

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