Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [nafex] Fruit trees -- high water table

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Lee Reich <leeareich@gmail.com>
  • To: mailing list at ibiblio - Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Fruit trees -- high water table
  • Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2017 11:36:59 -0500

Just a short comment on Rivka’s last paragraph. Wood chips are relatively
high in carbon with respect to nitrogen, so will temporarily tie up nitrogen
— but only if mixed into the soil. Laid on top of the ground, breakdown is
gradual, and at the interface of the mulch and the soil. A dynamic
equilibrium then exists where tie up of nitrogen is offset by its slow
re-release into the soil. This is not just theory; I’ve used wood chips as
mulch for decades, always with good results, and have talked to others with
similar experiences. The same could even be said for sawdust, which I’ve also
occasionally used as mulch.

Lee Reich, PhD
Come visit my farmden at
http://www.leereich.com/blog <http://www.leereich.com/blog>
http://leereich.com <http://leereich.com/>

Books by Lee Reich:
A Northeast Gardener’s Year
The Pruning Book
Weedless Gardening
Uncommon Fruits for every Garden
Landscaping with Fruit
Grow Fruit Naturally

> On Jan 7, 2017, at 11:20 AM, Road's End Farm <organic87@frontiernet.net>
> wrote:
>
> If the primary problem is the acidity level, not the drainage, I actually
> wouldn't be too worked up about that. It's much easier to raise pH than it
> is to lower it. Lime will need to be applied from time to time, but it's
> unlikely to be needed every year. Getting it worked through the soil takes
> time, especially if you're not tilling; but you could probably get some of
> it worked in while digging planting holes.
>
> Get a good soil test done on the specific site -- that's how you know how
> much to apply; there is definitely such a thing as too much -- and get
> another one done about every three years, to check when and whether you
> need more. For orchards generally you should do a subsoil sample as well as
> a sample taken nearer the surface. Your county extension office should be
> able to give you instructions for taking the samples, and may even be able
> to do the tests.
>
> Check what type of lime you should be applying -- some limes are high in
> magnesium, for instance, and some soils are already naturally high in it
> also -- you need a complete soil test, not just one for pH. And check what
> pH is recommended for the particular species you're planting -- quite a lot
> of fruits (and for that matter vegetables) either prefer or comfortably
> tolerate a slightly acidic soil.
>
> Composting will also help; but I wouldn't dump a lot of wood on the site
> and plant shortly thereafter -- in the process of breaking down the wood
> will temporarily tie up a lot of nitrogen. If you've got an area you expect
> to plant in eventually but not for some years, you could spread
> high-cellulose stuff over there. If you'd be living there and heating with
> a wood stove, note that wood ash will also raise pH, as well as return some
> other nutrients to the soil.
>
>
> -- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
> Fresh-market organic produce, small scale
>
>
>
>
> __________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page