Can you over-do the Organics?
 

Hi guys,
I have a couple of days off here, and was going to put in another plot, and
help my brother in law who just bought a home put a garden and some beds in
there.

I was wondering, is it possible to OVER-DO the organics? We have access to
some fresh horse bedding, cattle bedding from a local auction place, a lot of
free stuff from the landfill (all the wood chips and grass and leaf clippings
they pick up in the fall).
I was thinking that we might just till as much of all of it as possible into
the soil. Then let it "rest" for a couple months (or maybe until next season).


Does this "shotgun" approach to gardening work? The soils in question are
already pretty good, but it would be nice to build it into that stuff you see
in all the books! Also, in "Square foot gardening" (by mel bartholomew), he
said that the first thing he tells any new gardener is to get some vermiculite
to improve structure and drainage.

What do you think, just go ahead and bomb the garden plot with a ton of
organics, let it rest, then plant it? that's how top soil forms in nature.

How long does it take for the breakdown to re-release nitrogen?
any thoughts?
thanks
john

Can you over-do the Organics?
 

On 29 Jul 2003 13:05:24 GMT, (Bpyboy) wrote:

Hi guys,
I have a couple of days off here, and was going to put in another plot, and
help my brother in law who just bought a home put a garden and some beds in
there.

I was wondering, is it possible to OVER-DO the organics?

I don't think so. I'm growing stuff in 100% spent-mushroom
soil, in pots - 100% organics. Everything grows wonderfully
in it, except carrots - too much nitrogen for carrots. The
roots all forked. But everything else I've grown in it has
done very very well.


We have access to
some fresh horse bedding, cattle bedding from a local auction place, a lot of
free stuff from the landfill (all the wood chips and grass and leaf clippings
they pick up in the fall).
I was thinking that we might just till as much of all of it as possible into
the soil. Then let it "rest" for a couple months (or maybe until next season).

snip



What do you think, just go ahead and bomb the garden plot with a ton of
organics, let it rest, then plant it? that's how top soil forms in nature.

Sounds pretty much ideal to me.

How long does it take for the breakdown to re-release nitrogen?

Don't know, sorry.

Pat

Can you over-do the Organics?
 

Thanks, I have about a 4' stack of bedding now in the drive way and a trailer
full of stuff from the land fill.
I'm just going to go for it, till it under, then adjust it in a couple of weeks
after a soil test.

john

Can you over-do the Organics?
 

in article , Bpyboy at
wrote on 7/29/03 6:05 AM:

I was wondering, is it possible to OVER-DO the organics? We have access to
some fresh horse bedding, cattle bedding from a local auction place, a lot of
free stuff from the landfill (all the wood chips and grass and leaf clippings
they pick up in the fall).
I was thinking that we might just till as much of all of it as possible into
the soil. Then let it "rest" for a couple months (or maybe until next
season).

Everything you are doing sounds good. I wish I had such easy access to
organic material without much driving.

On the other hand I am very a happy inorganic grower. I try to use
reasonably pure chemicals without any organic material in it except for
chelates. By inorganic, I mean no carbon bearing compounds at all. I guess
that I would use carbonates, but I do not need them at this time.
I grow hydroponicly.

My biggest problem right now is that my squash is sucking up water and
inorganic nutrients nutrients so fast, that it is difficult to keep up with
it. It is showing in the growth.

Organic is fine, but not necessary.

Can you over-do the Organics?
 

I live in the city (a small one, but inside the city limits) and my garden
these days is on top of an old swimming pool that was filled in. But you would
be amazed at what you can find at the land fill. Ours here just has these
enormous stacks of wood chips, lawn clippings, and stuff like that, and they
even go as far as to re-run it through a chipper into another pile every couple
of months to help it break down and age better. It isn't really "compost" per
se, but really helps the structure. And manure, well, find a freind with a
horse or two, or a friend with rabbits, or whatever. It really is all over the
place, and I think the most the whole thing cost (manure delivered even) was to
drink a couple of cold ones with my friend who brought it over for me, and some
fresh veggies too.

small price to pay!

thanks for the advice
john

Can you over-do the Organics?
 

Bpyboy wrote:

Hi guys,
I have a couple of days off here, and was going to put in another plot,
and
help my brother in law who just bought a home put a garden and some beds
in there.

I was wondering, is it possible to OVER-DO the organics? We have access
to some fresh horse bedding, cattle bedding from a local auction place, a
lot of free stuff from the landfill (all the wood chips and grass and leaf
clippings they pick up in the fall).
I was thinking that we might just till as much of all of it as possible
into
the soil. Then let it "rest" for a couple months (or maybe until next
season).

That rest will work wonders by giving natural processes a chance to "do
their thang".

Do note that how you treat the soil is just one part of a larger picture
Growing things 'organically' means controlling pests and diseases
organically, too. . This means allowing time for pest / predator
populations to build to a stable level and for previous applications of
bagged fertilizers / spray-on death to break down in the soil.

How long does it take for the breakdown to re-release nitrogen?
any thoughts?
thanks
john

Nitrogen depletion, while real, is not a real problem. There are certainly
plenty of readily available sources of organic N (blood meal comes quickly
to mind) with which to compensate in the event that the N levels go too low
for good growth. Some of the N will always be locked up in digesting
organic material for as long as you maintain a soil with organic material
in it. Probably, however, you will never, in practical terms, be aware of
it. I do not know the time to re-release. The answer is complicated by the
fact that some of the released N will in turn be picked up by other
organisms.

The cattle and horse bedding will be fairly rich in N. I doubt if you will
have to add any external N for quite some time.

Bill
--
Zone 5b (Detroit, MI)
I do not post my address to news groups.