Fredy Perlman wrote:what is happening in the soil during winter?
"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht
Kc Simmons wrote:I would assume root systems don't have an "on/off" switch to become active/dormant at will (?), and I don't know how the fungi, bacteria, etc would respond to fluctuations.
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Trace Oswald wrote:Not so much soil building as preparing for soil building, but winter is an excellent time to start making your charcoal for next spring's biochar. It works especially well if you have animals and can add it to their bedding, but if not, it can easily be added to your compost in the early spring.
Jordan Mathis wrote:To what degree does the freeze-thaw cycle work to create space for springtime fertility by breaking down otherwise inert or inorganic material?
I mulch heavily in the fall, and even though the top layer doesn't have much activity (I live in Oklahoma so we freeze and thaw tens of time over the winter months.) things break down rather quickly and thoroughly in the mechanical sense.
A build too cool to miss:Mike's GreenhouseA great example:Joseph's Garden
All the soil info you'll ever need:
Redhawk's excellent soil-building series
Jordan Mathis wrote:To what degree does the freeze-thaw cycle work to create space for springtime fertility by breaking down otherwise inert or inorganic material?
I mulch heavily in the fall, and even though the top layer doesn't have much activity (I live in Oklahoma so we freeze and thaw tens of time over the winter months.) things break down rather quickly and thoroughly in the mechanical sense.
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Ever optimistic tree hugger. Dreams of food forest on our Pinelands plot.
Some places need to be wild
First, lots of useful plants like things at least a little acidic, and reducing the acidity isn't that hard. Second, there are many things that people worry about composting or adding to a bed which I suspect are location specific.Will using the oak leaves make the beds too acidic?
Visit Redhawk's soil series: https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil
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Some places need to be wild
Some places need to be wild
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” — Abraham Lincoln
Eric Hanson wrote:Rita,
I utilize as many Oak leaves as I possibly can. The acidity they add is truly minimal. Resistant Permies soil scientist and expert RedHawk did a nice thread about the “acidifying” effects of Oak leaves and even pine needles. I will just cut to the chase. Even a whole bunch of pine needles will just barely increase the acidity.
I utilize a LOT of Oak leaves and they add only goodness to the garden soil.
I hope this helps a bit. If you need any more information I will try to help.
Good Luck,
Eric
Fredy Perlman wrote:Because tree roots go dormant in winter, and soil bacteria are "most active" at temperatures above 40 deg F, what is happening in the soil during winter? None of the books I'm reading are answering this, and whether there's anything one should do to contribute beneficially. In some climates we must be able to make some progress in the slower season.
Heaps continue to compost over winter, especially where temps are often above freezing. Here it's often in the 20s at night but in the 30s or 40s during the day,
I do know that you shouldn't add anything much warmer than the soil itself (a liquid fertilizer/tea kept in a greenhouse is OK) because it will shock the existing microbiology.
Is there any point in urigating over winter? If not, what to do with all that fertilizer that accumulates? That would be a lot of airtight containers...
Under 8 inches of leaf mulch, couldn't one create an oasis for the soil food web to holiday in?
Some places need to be wild
Eric Hanson wrote:CJ,
Did you mean 120 degrees?
Yeah, I can believe that growing in AZ heat and aridity is quite a challenge. For starters I will suggest the obvious—get organic matter into your soil somehow. By the way, what is the soil like? Is it sandy, rocky? Is it the dreaded Caliche? At any rate, organic matter can only do good.
Regarding that dreadful heat, is it possible that you could put up some screen-like material to cast just a little shade and not fry your veggies? And that lettuce is really a cool weather plant. Might you try growing it in winter? My region gets plenty hot, but it is not a desert and I really can’t grow lettuce except for spring and late fall.
Just a couple of suggestions,
Eric
Jen Fulkerson wrote:Cj I live in N. Ca. zone 9b and we get temp of 100 to 105 in the summer, and it is hard. I would mulch to help keep the ground temp down a bit and put up some shade cloth up so your plants get morning and mid day sun, but get some protection from the afternoon sun. It is the most brutal. Also make sure your are planting seed, or transplants for your zone. Seed packets are easy just read the info and usually you know if and when you should plant that seed in your area. Be careful about the seedlings you buy. I have noticed at a lot of the places, like Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's That they often have things for sell that are not going to grow, or at least thrive in our area. If your new to the gardening game look for a local nursery. There you will have a better chance of a knowledgeable staff, and plants that are actually meant to grow in your area. You may spend a bit more, but at least at ours the people are so friendly and helpful it makes a difference, and it's just more fun to garden with a bit of success. Good luck to you, keep at it, there is something special about eating fruit and veggies you have grown yourself.
I utilize a LOT of Oak leaves and they add only goodness to the garden soil.
Ever optimistic tree hugger. Dreams of food forest on our Pinelands plot.
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