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GENERAL RULES Organic Soil - How to Build Up Nutrients
1. Bin composting has it's place. But usually, the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient method for breaking down organic matter is to bury it directly into the soil (sheet composting with incorporation). This method most often has the least loss of nitrogen through evaporation of ammonia. It may slow mycorrhizal fungus a little but the trade off is usually worth it. When to use which method.
2. Animal urine contains much higher levels of nitrogen and potassium than manure. During medievil times, farmers kept livestock inside their crop fields at night and in the winter. With modern portable shelters and portable feeding troughs, this is a way of distributing urine directly onto crop fields. If urine can immediately soak into the soil directly, it prevents nitrogen evaporation.
Oregan State University Soils and Soil Fertilty3. Manure is high in phosphorus. Work animal manure and organic matter directly into the soil during winter. Allow at least 2 weeks before planting. Wait 2-3 months before harvesting.
4. Work a small amount of partially decomposed hardwood chips into the soil before / after root crops. This will increase potassium and encourage fungus which will kill nematodes. Do not use too much wood chips or they will use more nitrogen than they contribute.
Garden-Ville - partially composted wood chips5. When plowing, do not just flip the soil. Thoroughly mix the previous crop residue and then water lightly. This aerobic decomposition is better than anaerobic. This will encourage decomposition, which will reduce disease, and also encourage rapid growth of the next crop, which will help control weeds.
6. Encourage the proper RHIZOBIAL BACTERIA to fixate nitrogen when growing legumes.
7. Encourage MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS to aid in nutrient absorption and soil mineralization.
8. Do not leave soil without mycorrhizal roots in it for long periods of time. Fava, vetch, flax, and barley are good non food cover crops.
9. Grow deep rooted mycorrhizal plants in your rotation to break up the soil and bring nutrients up from deep below: sunflower, okra, hemp, grass family (except corn), beet, turnip, carrot, salsify, parsnip, etc.
Farmer's Bulletin - Root Systems of Field Crops
10. Turn animals onto stubble to speed up decomposition.
11. If your soil is sandy, work in black clay soil. This will enable the soil to hold moisture and nutrients better.
12. If your soil has too much clay, work in some sand or loam. This will loosen the soil for roots and provide better drainage.
13. After spreading organic matter on top of the soil, and before working it in, spray a dilution of honey water on the soil which will speed up bacterial decomposition. This can also be used to speed up the decomposition of wood chips.
14. Spray on the surface again after working in the organic matter. This will also speed up growth of Azotobacter sp. These bacteria can fixate nitrogen from the air without the aid of plants. Any source of sugar will do, but honey is one of the easiest to gather cheaply.
FOR PASTURES AND PERRENIAL BEDS1. In the non winter season, allow cattle and poultry to naturally spread urine and manure on the forage pasture.
2. Grow deep rooted plants to break up the soil and bring nutrients up from deep below: alfalfa, chicory, sunflower, dandelion, red and sweet clovers, grass family, comfrey, narrow leaved plantain, etc.
3. Worms will drag organic material underground in perennial beds and pastures from the organic matter on top of the soil.
4. Leaves from trees and grass are best left in place to nourish the plants that grew them. Try not to repeatedly rob organic matter from plants that need it.
5. Encourage dung beetles to spread and bury manure in pastures.
***************************************** MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS
Mycorrhizal fungi increase uptake of nutrients for most plants, especially phosphorus.
Mycorrhizal fungi are a free naturally present fungi that have a mutualistic relationship with most plants. In this mutualistic relationship, carbohydrates are transported down the plant root, where the fungus steals some for their own growth. In return, the fungus frees up nutrients and helps pull them up into the plant. The fungus and the plant need each other to thrive.
We used to believe that all Brassica, spinach, beets, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa never formed a relationship with mycorrhizal fungi. We now know that some Brassica such as Hercules cabbage and Chinese cabbage can form a relationship with endomycorrhizal fungi. Another surprising finding is that perrenial grasses can form a relationship with ectomycorrhizal fungi, which we used to believe only worked with woody plants. Trichoderma spp. is a family of saprophytic fungi which are now widely used to stimulate Brassica growth. Brassica have also been found to greatly increase the growth of ectomycorrhizae. All plants can form mycorrhizal relationships under the right circumstances according to "Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, Second Edition, S.E. Smith and D.J. Read, Academic Press, 1997". Also, we now know that at least some mycorrhizal fungi can go through a saprophytic phase where they can maintain viability given adequate amounts of organic matter to feed on, until roots become available to form a relationship with. Given our imperfect knowledge, the best choice seems to be a balanced approach. Work in adequate amounts of partially decomposed organic matter and never leave the soil for long without roots. Also use a wide crop rotation. It appears that some Brassica tend to be anti-endomycorrhizal.
Improving pasture with Ectomycorrhizae
Dual nature of mycorrhizal fungus as saprophyte
Saprophytic phase of mycorrhizal fungus
Brassica and ectomycorrhizae Brassica inhibition of endomicorrhizaeCrops which encourage the widest variety of endomycorrhizae: Sorghum - Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (C4) Leek - Allium porrum (L.) Sorghum C4 type - advantage in hot sunny climates Crops which encourage the highest numbers: Pea Lentil Barley BeanThe more organic matter is worked into the soil, the more important it is plant a mycorrhizal cover crop soon after the organic matter has been incorporated into the soil. Without a new source of carbohydrates, fungal levels begin to drop.
Ideally, work manure and crop residue in during the fall and plant a cover crop such as flax or oats.
Try to work the soil as little as possible and as shallow as possible unless large amounts of organic matter are being introduced. This will help keep the mycorrhizal population intact.
Soil Food Web Plant Management Network Rodale Institute Agricultural Research Centre of Finland University of Manitoba All About Roots*************************************************************** Trichoderma sp.:A beneficial fungus that can be applied as a bio-control agent.
University of Connecticut - Trichoderma ATTRA - Trichoderma AGRIBUSINESS - Trichoderma NZPP - TrichodermaChitin (shell of crab, lobster, shrimp, snail, fish scale) -Will encourage Streptomyces actinomycetes which will suppress harmful fungus.
Ohio State - bio-controls EPPO - bio-controls http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/greenhouseipm.pdf***************************************** RHIZOBIAL BACTERIALegumes use rhizobium to fixate nitrogen, but many crops will benefit because most beneficial rhizobium will suppress harmful bacteria.
HOST PLANTS: Rhizobium leguminosarum var. Viceae - pea and fava Rhizobium leguminosarum lentil - lentil Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli - common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Inoculation of LegumesTemperature Affect on Nitrogen Fixation
Native rhizobium are available in most soils, but at such low numbers that they are not very effective. Inoculations survive at useful levels for only about 2-3 years, under good conditions, without the proper leguminous host plants. Good conditions are high humus, moderate PH, moderate moisture, and moderate temperature.
If planting by hand, soak seed for 24 hours prior to inoculation. This will open the pores for easier inoculation. Plant immediately. The presence of red nodules is proof that nitrogen is being fixed.
Peat:
Natural inoculator of Azospirillum brasilense, a phytostimulator for grains, legumes, and tomatoes.
Alfalfa:
Highest in nitrogen fixation among annual crops. Best if plowed under.
Vetch:
Can overwinter to zone 6. High fixation if environment allows overwinter with spring growth. Maximum nitrogen fixation just as it begins to bloom. Drops rapidly. Mixing with rye improves overwintering and summer growth. Must bloom before mow or chop or it may regrow.
Soy, pea:
food crops, high fixation.
Fava:
Best where moist and cool for 2-3 months and too cool for vetch or peas to actively grow. Fixation can be high but only in the right environment. Will continue to fix nitrogen to full plant maturity as long as the soil is 40-60 F. Plant will die when temperature < 10 F.
Perennial Alfalfa, clover:
high fixation, best in pastures
Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.
********* ORGANIC FERTILIZER AMENDMENTS
Minerals are one of the most important parts of insect and disease control. But, these amendments should be used only as a last resort. Unlock the nutrients you already have with fungus, bacteria, and PH neutralization that occurs naturally with organic matter. Be sure to test soil before adding any amendments. Adding excess amendments can actually lock up nutrients.
PH scale and mineral availability
Mulders Chart
Mulders Chart
Logan Labs - soil testing
Remineralize.org
ATTRA - amendments
Agricola - ideal soil
ACRESUSA - paramagnetism
ACRESUSA - paramagnetism books
Paramountgrowth.com - paramagnetism
Fromthesoilup.com - paramagnetism
Subtleenergies.com - paramagnetism
Paramagneticrock.com - paramagnetism
Phosphorous sources - for flower, fruit, and seed.
Bone or rock phosphate - needed if soil is alkaline,
plant directly in it
Held in soil by clay.
Protozoa, bacteria, and fungi release via mineralization.
Nitrogen sources:
Bacteria fixate from the atmosphere
and held in soil by clay.
Protozoa also release nitrogen.
Used for leaf growth.
Blood meal.
Potassium sources - for root growth.
Trees can absorb potassium more easily than most other plants.
Partially decomposed hard wood chips should be worked into the soil for potassium.
Work small amounts into the soil after root crops. Do not use too much
or nitrogen levels will be decreased.
Rock potash.
Potassium can be held in soil by clay.
Potash for Organic Growers
Micro nutrients:
Calcium - dolomite, limestone, bone
causes soil to be fluffy and well aerated
excess may inhibit growth by making soil too alkaline
Silica - granite dust, sand
Zinc - granite dust
Molybdenum - rock phosphate
Trace minerals - granite meal, greensand (glauconite)
, kelp meal, glacial rock powder
Boron - Borax (only add if known deficiency)
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SOURCES:
Glacial gravel powder - trace elements
Remin - rock dust from Australia
Granite dust - trace elements
Greensand - trace elements
GAIA Greensand analysis
Basalt rock powder (lava) - trace elements with phosphorus and manganese
Basalt Rock Powder
Zeolite (clinoptilolite) - formed from volcanic rock and ash
moderates release of water and nutrients
Zeolite - Wikipedia
Kelp - trace elements
Composts and fertilizers
Oyster shell - calcium and trace minerals
Rock phosphate - phosphorus and calcium
Bone - calcium and phosphorus
Rock Potash - potassium
Dolomite limestone - calcium and magnesium
Synthetic trace elements - allowed only if soil test determines there
is a single deficiency that cannot be corrected by rock powders without
throwing other minerals out of balance.
Synthetic Trace Elements
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MATERIALS FOR MAKING POTTING MIX
Mix these materials with local soil and allow time to decompose.
Do not keep turning. Let nature do the work for you.
After a few weeks plant a cover crop such as barley to help feed mycorrhizal fungus.
If you do not want to use in the early spring, plant another cover that can be easily
and quickly removed, such as leek.
Remove in layers to give the insects time to retreat.
Hard wood chips - grows a fungus which will kill nematodes.
also high in potassium. Cattle urine will provide the
necessary nitrogen to speed decomposition.
Willow wood chips - root stimulant
alfalfa will stimulate growth with octacosanol
high in silica - strengthens against fungus
comfrey - cell proliferant
horseradish greens, garlic, mustard seed
- suppresses fungus
thistle - high in silica
if allowed to grow to full maturity
silica strengthens plants against fungus
allow plants to mature, but not seed, before mowing
burdock leaf - oligosacharides
encourage beneficial bacteria
Stinging nettle - growth stimulant, fungicidal
Garden for Nutrition Index