posted 1 day ago
For the most part things seem pretty healthy. I have a few elderberries planted in three places, one group, the oldest, had leaves that weren't as green as normal and had decreased yield last year. Tomato and vegetable harvest in general was poor. A couple of younger apple trees and a pear tree did not grow as much last year as they had previously, but no obvious signs of deficiency.
Until three years ago I was the one that used chemical fertilizers, then I started learning about the soil life and have been trying to change. Since then I have been mulching heavily, mostly using wood chips but also with leaf mold/ground leaves, pine straw and even lots of dead/partially rotted wood. As originally stated I use limited, (all I can make), amounts of compost and biochar, but I have a little over an acre planted in trees/bushes and it only goes so far. I have used limited amounts of compost tea.
I actually ask my county extension agent if it would be beneficial to add gypsum to my clay soil, she waffled about it but wanted me to do the soil test. The last one was 4 years ago, at that time I added the recommended amounts of potassium and phosphorus, triple super phosphate and potash.