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Skipping the Thistles Stage.

 
Andrew Winsor
Posts: 58
Location: Aberdeen, WA
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posted 10 years ago
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My understanding of Thistles is they require 3 conditions to germinate. compaction, a large supply of nitrate and a lack of calcium.
I would like to skip over Thistles stage in the repair of my soil, I am thinking I will add Gypril (Pelleted Gypsum) or Dolomite Prilled.

I am unsure how much to add per half acre. I am located in Aberdeen Washington west of the cascades and the story around here is everyone has a lack of calcium in the soil.
Clearly one way to get just the right amount of Calcium would be to let the Thistles grow and to chop and drop them,
but I have my non-gardening reasons to just try and skip over the Thistle repair.
 
R Scott
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Location: Kansas Zone 6a
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posted 10 years ago
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This is one of those areas that a soil test may help.

Generally, it is impossible to get too much gypsum--at least around here.

How big of an area are you trying to deal with?

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

 
Andrew Winsor
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R Scott wrote:This is one of those areas that a soil test may help.

Generally, it is impossible to get too much gypsum--at least around here.

How big of an area are you trying to deal with?



3301.08 m²
0.00 km²
0.82 acres
0.33 hectares
35532.51 feet²
 
R Scott
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Location: Kansas Zone 6a
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General rate here is 1-2 TONS per acre, and some go higher for pelletized (as it is less likely to wash away). That is Kansas clay.

So you are looking at 1600 lbs for the low end.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

 
Andrew Winsor
Posts: 58
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R Scott wrote:General rate here is 1-2 TONS per acre, and some go higher for pelletized (as it is less likely to wash away). That is Kansas clay.

So you are looking at 1600 lbs for the low end.



OMG at 16$ for 50lbs that is $512.00 and a crap load of time.
 
Adam Klaus
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Location: Appalachian Rainforest of NC, 2200' elevation, 85" precip, Zn 7
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Andrew Winsor wrote:\I am thinking I will add Gypril (Pelleted Gypsum) or Dolomite Prilled.



There is a huge difference between the two. In my soils, dolomite would be disasterous, whereas gypsum is very valuable.

I would definitely not apply any soil minerals without a soil test first. A soil test from Logan Labs would cost $20. Money very well spent.

With gypsum it is the hauling and spreading that is the real cost. Tonage is not easy to handle efficiently unless you have lots of labor, or specialized machinery.

All that aside, if your soils are low in calcium, that will be a major limiting factor for desirable species, and overall plant productivity. Legumes, in particular, need calcium to grow well. Calcium enables transport of all other soil minerals, so low calcium will result in mineral deficient forage. This is a big part of the problem with soils in the Deep South, and a big part of why the populations there have been historically malnourished. The Appalachia hillbillies werent dumb, they were malnourished.

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R Scott
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Location: Kansas Zone 6a
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This is part of the reason I am switching to free choice mineral for my cows. They naturally eat the minerals that I am deficient in and just happen to deliver them back to the land in nutrient.

But that will take a few years to stabilize.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

 
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