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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Question About Hugelkultur Mounds
  • Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:20:30 -0500

Armed With A Mind Armed With A Mind wrote:
I appreciate the warning and am very wary of using wood ash in the
garden in too great an amount. After attending a biodynamic seminar last
year I realized just how sparingly it can be used. The speaker mentioned
using about a thimbleful of wood ash for a wheelbarrow of compost. When
I put it on garden beds I use only the lightest of dustings.

=================

I think the BDz go beyond common sense, practicality and real science with some of their notions about soil amendments, i.e. not using enough of them. I suggested using tandem load(s) of clean rock dusts from quarries near them, not a few bucketfulls.
When you are trying to improve quality of difficult soil, reduce or eliminate compaction, increase SOM, feed beneficial microorganisms
and perform adequate tillage to homogenize amendments applied, break hardpan in subsoil regions and the like then you have to get serious
about ensuring that your garden will produce. I would risk from a cupful to a coffeecan full of wood ash per barrowload of FINISHED compost; never add it while it is in the process of breaking down plus I would add more composted manures to it then also.

1 cu yd finished compost + .5 cu yd rock dust + .5 cu yd composted manure + rock phosphate + 128 oz greensand/azomite + 64 oz wood ashes
----- forgot the BioChar, add 256 oz of that too.




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