permaculture

["Charles de Matas" <cdematas@hotmail.com>]

I think double digging is a complete waste of time unless you incorporate 
organic matter into the soil.  Finished compost is the best thing, but add 
whatever is available.  I also add lime.  The whole idea is to introduce 
oxygen, so anaerobic conditions will not develop.  Care should be taken not 
to invert the soil.  I'm now learning the technique so I'm still not good at 
doing this.  I only intend to do double digging on a small scale, only at 
times of the year when the soil is not too dry and not too wet, then it's 
fairly easy even to loosen the deep layers.  I take my time when I'm doing 
it, I don't try to do everything in one day, so it doesn't become a 
laborious chore.

Charles


<<You do not want humus below the surface layers. When organic matter rots 
in
anaerobic conditions it makes methane which is toxic to roots. Methane
actually air prunes roots. If you mix organic matter with clay soil, moisten
it and bake it in the sun, you get a brick. I find that clay soils should be
disturbed once deeply and heavily composted and mulched on the surface after
that. This allows all the mucous generating organisms, like slime molds and
earthworms, to work below the surface creating air voids. The mucous will
hold on to water and release it very slowly, even in times of drought. The
air voids are the most important element, since roots want air more than
water or nutrition. When the air voids are disturbed by digging, the soil
settles and the voids disappear and the roots suffocate. In my opinion,
double digging is to be done on hard packed soil only once to loosen it and
the soil biota is left undisturbed afterward to continue its good work.

Kevin, on Gumbo Clay >>

> I'm in sand, so double-digging is not my issue.  But as I read about it,
I'm
> wondering why humusy stuff is not added while the double digging happens.
> Won't the clay eventually settle back as it was?  Why go to all that
trouble
> and not amend at the same time?
> Just some thoughts from the Sandhills of NC.
>
> Maureen

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