Dear Per
Now that you have given your location and soil description it
is easier to make a suggestion.
Have your soil chemistry analyzed by Brookside Lab. or similar
then work on balancing your cation exchange to suit grape vines.
Drain as mentioned and form up windrows to plant on. grape roots like to be
warm. I would be a bit cautious about sheep and goat manure as they tend to
make the ground harder, or at least that is my experience. Horse manure has
the most soil loosening effect, followed by cow. This is of course to be
composted and prepped. Then be generous with the Horn manure and barrel
compost. You need to get the soil life going which means you may need to
drain to avoid waterlogging at any time.
If you really do need to loosen the subsoil mechanically I
suggest that you look at gelignite, I have seen it used to good effect under
trees that were stunted by hard pan. In this way the topsoil would remain on
top.
Go and have a look at what Steven Storch is doing and perhaps
get some advice from him.
Best of luck,
Peter.
----- Original Message -----
From: "COYOTEHILLFARM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: Perfect Orchard ??
> I appreciate this comments,
>
> We are here permanently, Hardpan is very common in the Eastern US, in NH
> winery's are Uncommon.
>
> Gypsum has been suggested in the past but only a hand full of it in for
each
> grape planting.
>
> Hardpan in the NH is a sand like product with a bunch of stones large to
> small, it act much like quicksand when water soaked, water have a hard
time
> penetrate it and that's way I need to drain my fields as grapes do not
like
> wet feet's.
> We do not have any clay, as far as what I have seen.
>
> On top of the Hard pan we have 1 to 2 feet's of good top soil Some time
more
> some time less pending on location and past cow manure deposit.
>
> We have consider ripping the hardpan whit a 2-3 foot "Hardpan buster" type
> of equipment but have fund that it is harder to do a good job of that type
> of equipment, a 3x3 dug ditch seems more functional. ( But more costly)
and
> then the gypsum can do it's job !?
>
> I plan to cover the rows with wood chips, (and add goat and sheep
manure)as
> a soil help and to prevent grass and competition. (I like to see chickens
> and Guinea fouls in the fields)
>
> Please describe the full BD cycle.
>
> Thanks
> Per Garp/NH
>
>
