North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

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]