Hi Gil, I'm wondering why you recomend gypum instead of lime for adding calcium. Do you just put the gypsum on top of the soil or do you incorporate it?
Thanks, Daniel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gil Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 2:32 PM Subject: Re: Perfect Orchard > Hi! Per Garp/NH, > Has it occurred that you may not have a suitable site for what you want to > do? > > By this I mean would it be better to obtain a more suited site? > > If you are stuck with the site:- > > Hard pan usually means several things are involved. Clay, not enough soil > carbon, reduced soil biota activity, lack of air/ oxygen in the soil, water > saturated soil for at least part of the year, not enough calcium in the > soil, heavy traffic, either machinery or stock on wet and depleted soil. > > Clay has the ability to cling together and form tough blocks. Great for > making adobe or pise houses. Increased soil carbon and increased soil biota > will help, but in the short term use one to four tonnes of gypsum to the > hectare, will break the clay and allow water penetration and largely break > the pan without ripping. If you trench, you will most likely loose your soil > into the lower regions and bring the clay to the surface. It will also tend > to make a place for water to lay and rot the roots. I would not do it. Try > gypsum first. > > Soil carbon and soil biota activity are inter-related. In Oz we have very > low soil carbon and are for ever looking for ways of adding carbon. Coal > dust from a coal washing facility/ some fly ashes from power stations, > composts of high carbon materials etc can be used if available. With all > these it is most important to have enough nitrogen in the soil to allow the > soil biota to use these. Growing legume cover crops is the best way to do > this. Do not get sucked into chemical nitrogen, most of it is not in a form > the soil/ plants can use. Other wise it is a matter of growing as much cover > crops etc and allowing it incorporate. This may be just mowing and allowing > to lay on top, or incorporating with tillage. If chopped finely and sprayed > with the compost preps, they will break down and enter the soil surprisingly > quickly. My preference is low till/ no till. To get the soil biota going, > some dilute molasses or other sugar sprayed in the cut cover crop with the > preps will really help. > > Soil oxygenation will tend to come with the use of gypsum and improved soil > carbon and soil activity. One can use a chisel plough, but I prefer to let > the soil biota do it. > > Water stagnation may be site related, but if it is related to the pan, it > will improve as the effect of the above comes into play. > > Calcium will come from the application of gypsum. The test for enough > calcium is to walk around in really wet weather. If you have to clean your > boots to get in the car, you do not have enough calcium, so add more gypsum. > > As far as traffic impacted soil, try and keep the loading as low as > possible, particularly when wet. Also I note that the soil does not compact > as much if the full BD cycle is carried out. > > Gil > > COYOTEHILLFARM wrote: > > > Perfect Orchard what would it be like. > > > > A very practical question, > > please describe an ideal plantation of an Orchard starting from scratch. > > In my case with a hard pan, and we will plant Hybrids grapes (cold hardy > > types) > > > > We will start digging a 3 foot wide trench 3 foot dip for the purpose of > > loosening up the hardpan, and as long as we plan to plant. > > In our case we also need to drain the field from stagnated water, > > > > Ok, what do we do next ?? > > > > Hardy and decease resistant grapes. > > Mulch or not > > Cover crop or not > > What type of cover crop > > Companion planting with the cover crop > > Grassing animals in the vineyard > > > > and more > > > > Thanks, for your input. > > > > Per Garp/NH > > >
