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#31
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"PocoLoco" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:44:54 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:25:37 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! They already do that in New England and I would imagine in most of the US. In the spring, it's just a disc and harrow, then rest the field for two/three days, then plant. Doug is right about the gardening thing. Even when they turn a corn field to a hay field for "resting" for a few years, it's strictly a disc and harrow, then plant. In the corn/hay fields I hire out, even five years or so, it's turned into a hay field and the hay fields are turned into corn fields. Every ten years or so, a bean crop is planted and just quickly turned over (disc and harrow) in the Spring. That's about 125 acres of each turned over every five years on average. I still see a lot of plowed fields, but maybe that's just because corn stalks would be hard to turn over with a disc and harrow. I left the farm many years ago, so techniques have probably changed somewhat. Take a closer look at what they're doing. Or, ask. |
#32
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"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:19:05 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:44:54 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:25:37 -0400, PocoLoco wrote: You mean all that time I spent plowing the cut corn stalks under the ground (about 9" deep) was *wrong*. You could make a lot of farmers happy if you could convince them that plowing was a waste of time! They already do that in New England and I would imagine in most of the US. In the spring, it's just a disc and harrow, then rest the field for two/three days, then plant. Doug is right about the gardening thing. Even when they turn a corn field to a hay field for "resting" for a few years, it's strictly a disc and harrow, then plant. In the corn/hay fields I hire out, even five years or so, it's turned into a hay field and the hay fields are turned into corn fields. Every ten years or so, a bean crop is planted and just quickly turned over (disc and harrow) in the Spring. That's about 125 acres of each turned over every five years on average. I still see a lot of plowed fields, but maybe that's just because corn stalks would be hard to turn over with a disc and harrow. I left the farm many years ago, so techniques have probably changed somewhat. It's amazing what they can do with some of this new equipment. The farmer that hires out my fields has this monster disc/harrow deal with opposing discs (at roughly 20º to each other) that just chops stuff up and harrows at the same time. Looks like this, only three times the size. http://www.caseih.com/products/serie...id=105&RL=ENNA I want one. :-) No more lawn. :-) |
#33
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"Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes, puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll probably require repetition the following autumn. Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know. And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to try the leaves first. |
#34
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Just remembered....you said California. Maybe no falling leaves in the
autumn? According to my massive library of hippie organic blather, dried seaweed is supposed to be a great substitute for leaves. |
#35
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"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 13:09:25 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Just remembered....you said California. Maybe no falling leaves in the autumn? According to my massive library of hippie organic blather, dried seaweed is supposed to be a great substitute for leaves. Doug the Gardner - who 'da thunk it? Now you understand why certain animals are on my Sopranos-style hit list. |
#36
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"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes, puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll probably require repetition the following autumn. Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know. And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to try the leaves first. Someone told me to mix sand with the clay, but something tells me that would be a good way to make bricks. |
#37
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"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... Just remembered....you said California. Maybe no falling leaves in the autumn? According to my massive library of hippie organic blather, dried seaweed is supposed to be a great substitute for leaves. LOL. Kelp is plentiful. Maybe I should try that. You non-californian's have such amusing views on California. I married a jersey girl and I still get a smile whenever her parents ask if we're ok because of something that might have happened in LA (over 600 miles away). My deciduous photosynthetic unit in my backyard showed it's first color change last week (during our 90 degree weather!). Go figure. |
#38
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"Bryan" wrote in message ... "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Bryan" wrote in message . .. "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... 1) You're not supposed to turn over the soil. The soil exists in definite layers. The layer at the top BELONGS at the top, not buried or mixed with the layer that's a foot deeper. It contains more of the microorganisms that make organic gardening work so well. If you screw it up, it can take 2-3 seasons to recover, and there's NO way to speed up the process using soil amendments. I didn't know that! I never thought of that! Hey! How about that! I've got a yard full of clay. The kind of adobe that sticks to a shovel like some kind of tenacious creature from another planet. I was going to rototill amendments into the top six inches or so of an area that I want to turn into a garden. I guess I can still do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the top alone once I get things rolling. Bryan, search in the rec.gardens newsgroup for the words "clay soil" in the subject line, in a thread begun by me. I've got a friend whose soil is suitable for making pottery, and I was looking for suggestions to assist her. I got some good ideas from a few people. The best one was almost effortless. Assuming you're in a climate where the ground freezes, puncture with a pitch fork, to the depth of the fork. Don't try to actually move big clumps of clay - just make a series of holes. Cover with a LOT of leaves. If it's a small plot, it may be economical to cover the leaves with chicken wire to keep them in place. Or, hose them down just enough to give them some weight. They should mat down and stay put after a few days. You should see some improvement in the spring, although it'll probably require repetition the following autumn. Do NOT add peat moss. Clay already holds plenty of water, as you know. And, a few people recommended adding gypsum of some sort. A real garden center will know where to get it. But, the guy I consulted here said to try the leaves first. Someone told me to mix sand with the clay, but something tells me that would be a good way to make bricks. Yeah...that sounds wrong to me, too. What it needs is organic fluff. Once that's there, worms and other union members will begin to help more. |
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