helen atthowe

Beautifully said! Thank you!!!  
Helen

Dian, I like your idea of growing your own fertilizer cover crops over the septic field! I have never had great luck growing native legumes for cover crops, but pretty native ground cover legumes for Eastern Canada could include: Canada Milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis), Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea), Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense), False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa), Round-headed Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata), Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis). Remember that some of these legumes can be toxic. For example, Lupines contain alkaloids that are known to be toxic to humans and animals, including possible dogs. Again, I like your idea of growing alfalfa in beds and/or a mix of annual and perennial clovers over the septic field.

Oscar, My book covers in detail how to choose cover crops based on soil nutrient and texture needs in Chapter 4.  I talk about cover crops for different soil conditions on pages 68-70 and then on pages 70-75 I list common annual, biennial, and perennial cover crops and give their soil and environmental requirements. In chapter 7, I talk about specific cover crops to suppress different diseases and in Chapter 8, I present cover crops to suppress different weeds. Another great source of cover crop info is the USDA SARE on-line publication: Managing Cover Crops Profitably. You can download a PDF from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Network.

Jon, I don't add or use mycelium in my gardens, except to add organic residues as mulch that are filled with fungal mycelium as they break down. So far, I have been able to create habitat for fungi and they come naturally. Bacteria and parasitic nematodes also suppress pest nematodes and like organic residues additions and moist soil. Good luck!

Hi Jeff, Raspberry plants do well planted in the spring. Choose varieties that do well in your climate (usually from a local gardener or nursery). They prefer well-drained, fertile soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8 and grow poorly in heavy clay or poorly drained soils. Raspberries can be really competitive once established, so I plant them away from other perennials, berries, and my annual veggies.

Josh, that is a bit question and depends on the climate, soil types and fertility, and water availability. If you have good texture and fertile soil, a diverse grass area (not a monoculture of one or two grass species), not too many competitive weedy species in your grass, and a source of irrigation, I would do a combination of heavy mulches and cover crops in different sections of  your grass area to build up the soil without disturbing the microbial community already there. I would test your soil and choose a cover crop mix based on your soil nutrient and texture needs. Then I would mow and lightly till-in your cover crops while also leaving un-tilled, undisturbed heavily mulched areas near the tilled areas. Eventually, you can also choose to leave some of your cover crop mix in areas as living mulches and or ground cover for perennials. It is worth doing the homework to know your soil and site very well before you choose cover crops, living mulches, and soil amendments. Good luck building your soil organic matter and microbial community.

Hi Jon, Very funny! Paul was a student of mine 20 years ago, but never an influence! But I have had a lot of important influences. My greatest influences were:  Wes Jackson from the Land Institute, where I did a year long internship 40 years ago and learned about plant ecology and perennial polycultures. Fukuoka, who taught me to keep the  soil covered always. My brilliant late-husband, Carl Rosato, who inspired and helped me to experiment with no-till methods. Eric Brennan, USDA Research Horticulturist, who has done some great organic systems and cover crop research. Michael Phillips, author of the Holistic Orchard. Several university soil scientists whose soil microbial ecology research helped me see the soil in a whole new way. Good question! Our influences shape the way we think and help us to see the world differently.

Thanks Mary, I think I may have missed your question. Can you ask again?

Cat, My Eastern Oregon farm was in the cold high desert and most vegetable and tree fruit crops did well for me as long as I had a good irrigation source. In my book, The Ecological Farm, I list the "special ecological Preferences " for each of the most common vegetable and fruit crops. That might help you pick crops to match your climate, soil type, and water/irrigation.

Liam,  compost and mulch are good options for your fragile sandy-clay soil. I would also consider a deep-rooted cover crop/green manure, like a mix of salt-tolerant camelina and sweet clover. Sweet clovers are deep-rooted and are the most salt-tolerant legumes. Soil microbial abundance can temporarily decline if you use camelina alone, but camelina is very salt-tolerant.  Cover crops are vital because they add growing roots to the soil, which adds an important ecological dimension that mulches and composts don't add.