permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Soil minerals and nutrition
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:26:58 -0500
From: Elaine Ingham <soilfoodweb@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group 
<SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>, soilfoodweb@AOL.COM
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

 I want to make the point again that people should not confuse SOLUBLE 
nutrients with total nutrients. The total pool includes what is soluble. 
 But do not be mislead by chemistry reports where the only portion, and 
a minor portion, of the total nutrients in a soil are reported.

I have yet to find a soil - and by that I mean something that actually 
meets the definition of soil that Hans Jenny put forward - that lacks 
any nutrient when TOTAL nutrient levels are considered.


Any soil can lack nutrients in the soluble pool.  But the function of a 
healthy food web of organisms is to solubilize nutrients from not-plant 
available into plant available, or soluble forms.  So if  the biology is 
properly balanced, soluble nutrients will be adequate to supply the 
plant, and will be constantly replenished.

Where sand, silt, clay, aerobic organisms and adequate organic matter is 
present to feed those organisms, the nutrients required to grow plants 
are present.


Elaine R. Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.