Disclaimer 1: I have yet to try my latest batch of compost, as my Spring planting is still 3 weeks away (high desert, CA).
Disclaimer 2: I am only 2 years into transforming a patch of sandy desert into a lush food forest... I am expediting soil building (details below)
Ok, so the end goal is to evolve into a Jeff Lawton type system, with chop and drop, self-mulching, etc., etc.... I'm not there yet, so I am expediting the process. Here is what I've done...
For the past year, I've been fortunate to convince tree trimming companies to dump their wood chips on my sandy, barren soil. Wood chips is a bit of a misnomer, as it includes the leaves, needles, and a good portion of "green" in the mix. However, it's still predominantly carbon heavy. Todate, we've probably had 200 cubic yards of the stuff (awesome). My two prerequisites are that the loads don't include any aleopathic material (primarily eucalyptus and pepper cuttings... a small amount of this is acceptable), and that these trees weren't given fossil-based fertilizer, or weren't in the vicinity of any Round-Up, etc., etc.
Fortunately, I have a good relationship with one of the drivers, and nearly all of these loads came from rural areas, and the property owners have indicated to him that these are mostly trees left to nature's device. Could there be some residue? Perhaps, but I'm going on their word. Additionally, after a conversation with Jeff Lawton, he told me that nature has a way of rendering the bad chemicals inert, provided that we're dealing in small quantities...
Now, what in the heck do I do with all this high-carbon organic matter!!? I help it along, that's what... Here is an example of one scenario:
1. I filled a 100 x 80 foot bathtub-like basin with almost 2 feet of this stuff
2. I waited for 3 days of rain to get moisture down to the original ground level
3. I brought in 40 cubic yards of spent mushroom compost (very low salt variety)
4. I spread the mushroom compost across the whole field (about 4-5 inches thick)
5. I spread 3 55lb bags of volcanic rock dust and other minerals over the field
6. I spread a few hundred gallons of a special diluted mix of:
- 3 gallons of seaweed extract
- 2 gallons of black strap molasses
- 1 gallon of humic acid
- mycelium spores
- 10 gallons of actively aerated worm tea
- 3 5-gallon buckets of biochar that I've saved from my pyrolosis runs (very low ash)
7. I spread 4 wheel barrels full of dried chicken manure (my chickens, all organically fed)
8. I used a rototiller to mix the ingredients all together... The tines never came close to the original sandy base
I ended up with a homogenized mix of yummy goodness... I waited 2 days before I came back for my final treatment. I then thoroughly drenched the soil with my hose (well water) and used my feet to compact the loose mix. When not compressed, your foot would sink into the chips about 5 inches (too loose). The drenching and compacting cycle took 5 days, as my well water level and pressure needed to recover after about an hour of straight drenching. When fully saturated and compressed, the ground feels like you are walking on a stiff mattress... Exactly what I was after. Also, because of the nature of this mix, I know there are vast amounts of air pockets for oxygen to move freely. I just didn't want it to be too loose, primarily to retain some water-wicking characteristics.
The mushroom compost comes from a facility here in San Diego that has an extremely low salinity level. It's pH neutral, and able to hold vast amounts of water -- the exact opposite to the wood chips. My hypothesis is that by mixing a water-holding substance in with the wood chips, the breakdown process would happen much faster. I am stunned with the results. It's only been 2 weeks, and I've been peeking "under the hood." I am amazed...
The wood chips are not just damp, they're fully saturated with water, and are already showing signs of breaking down. There is mycelium everywhere (to be expected). It already has a rich, earthy smell. It's been dry and hot here for the last 10 days or so, and only the top 2 inches are dry -- the rest is still very damp and humid.
Initially, I thought I would just wait a year for this mix to marinate well, but after inspection, I think I'm going to plant some nitrogen-rich, soil-building plants from Peaceful Valley... At the end of this growing season, I'll start my first chop-n-drop after I harvest the peas. From this point on, I'll shift into a more "permaculture purist" methodology...
I'm left with 2 feet of fantastic soil now on a large plot -- enough to feed my family about half of our caloric needs for the year. Can't wait until next year when I plant food crops. By then, my soil should look much more like nature intended with the one year of the soil food web doing their thing.
How much did I pay for all this? Not much... wood chips were free. mushroom compost was free (had to pay the driver $300). The various other mixes ran me about $600. So 100 x 80 foot field, 2 feet deep ran me about $900 and a few weeks of hard labor... I'm more than pleased.
I'd be interested in hearing any feedback from other permies.
Thanks!
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