Steve Walsh

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since Nov 16, 2017
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Recent posts by Steve Walsh

So most animals breath out co2 so they eat carbon foods. So pigs would help speed up woody plant matter decomposing as they can eat it.

Another question if you don't mind.

I want to setup a lot of "very large" ponds to farm fish.

I know for fish farming they mass produce hundreds of thousands of fish usually 1kg per 100l of water but I want to do it naturally so I'd need more water.

How can I calculate how many ponds I would be able to fill based on my rainfall?

I get an average of 20 inches a year here.

And ideally I'd like to have 10 separate ponds laid on to catch all available water with around 7.5million litres each.

I won't be able to aerate the water as I'd need a lot of electricity I assume to aerate that large volume of water so will have to rely on natural method.

But also if these ponds are sealed will trees and plants around the ponds still get enough water from rainfall?

I'm in the process of trying to design my idea and I think Im set on a design now I just want to make sure it would work
7 years ago
Sorry for all the questions guys it just seems your all full of knowledge and I like to understand the bigger picture and inner workings of the soil.

What happens to the carbon in decomposing wood then?

If plants get carbon from the air what happens to the carbon in the soil/wood?

Maybe the fungi use some of it? I assume mushrooms contain carbon but I can't see how small organisms like fungi can use so much carbon?
7 years ago
Ah right that opens my eyes a lot!

But don't plants breath out co2 at night? Is it simple a case of they breath out less co2 than they take in?

Also is there any mulch which is better for micronutrients or a way to increase micronutrients?
7 years ago
Can you help me understand where you say that most nutrients come from the air?

I thought the only nutrient that we could extract from the air was nitrogen?

I will do a soil test but I'm willing to bet that the micronutrients are practically 0.

So I need to figure out the best way to replace those too.
7 years ago
What would be the best option for mulch?

It seems no matter what I can think of it's extremely expensive to get enough mulch hauled in for 100 acres

Bark chips online around 150-200 pounds per cubic meter
I'm trying to work out the best way to start on this field.

It might be worth me hauling in a large supply of mineral rich organic matter spreading it and then doing a crop of clovers and then comfrey before starting any sort of earth works or planting fruit trees.

Do you have any recommendations?
7 years ago
Thanks that helps quite a bit actually.

Another thing I need help understand is that nutrients in the soil will get used up over time from us removing fruit how do you keep the nutrient quantities up in the soil?

Do we constantly have to haul in mulch?

Even if we use animals they are eating nutrients that are already on the land.. they then produce the nutrient rich manure but it hasn't gain any extra nutrients than what were already there has it?
7 years ago
I've been reading a lot about permaculture over past few weeks and I have one question that I can't seem to understand and I'm hoping someone can explain it to me.

If I build up a good amount of organic matter in my soil in the forest garden the garden can then retain a lot more water like a sponge.

What I don't understand is that surely this would deprive the soil of oxygen (waterlogged soil) which is obviously not good for the plants.

If this is not the case can someone explain to me why this is?

I'm starting on an empty field soon which has had nothing but commercial grain for the past 5 - 10 years and there's nothing but clay soil. I want to understand what the organic matter does exactly and how I can increase it the fastest on this field.

Thanks for any help
7 years ago