High quality soilsWASRe: Holy Organic

[Guest guest]

>XXXXXXXXXXXAs It's not quite that simple, is it? The soil food web

>probably is nearly non-existent on " low fertility soil " although it

>would depend on exactly what is causing this " low fertility soil " .

>You probably have defined these terms(hi and low fertility)

>previously. As of now we're doing a lot of generalizing cause I don't

>know your def'n.. High fertility soil has bio diversity (based on

>studies on unplowed grasslands and forests)that includes 25,000

>bacterial species per spoonful. The anaerobes produce acids, and

>volatliize N and S and probably other elements and therefore lower ph

>which kills the plants roots causing compaction. This in my opinion

>makes it " low fertility soil " .Dennis Kemnitz

I think this is an important point. In my limited experience growing

plants, there is no one soil that is " high fertility " for all plants. Now my

lawn is unplowed, and has lots of worms, and lots of bacteria. But it

doesn't grow collard greens well. If I plow it and remove the plant roots,

the collards grow well, but the soil leaches away and eventually dies.

Soils that don't get much rain are " high nutrient " by some definitions,

because they have lots of minerals, but they also compact a lot, because

the lack of moisture means they don't get many earthworms or humus.

But they grow great cacti.

We also had an interesting experience where we tried to fertilize

a blackberry bush. Now they grow GREAT in vacant lots and hillsides

and just about anywhere, but the instant our great fertilizer touched

them they about died. They don't like rich soil, or manure, or compost ...

I'm no farmer, but from my limited experience, I can't think of any soil

that works " best " for a wide variety of plants. Every plant wants something

different ...

-- Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

Maybe blackberry is one of those pioneer plants that thrive in poor

soil, but do improve the condition of the soil over time. I'm told

that mesquite is also a pioneer plant.

Darrell

>

> We also had an interesting experience where we tried to fertilize

> a blackberry bush. Now they grow GREAT in vacant lots and hillsides

> and just about anywhere, but the instant our great fertilizer

touched

> them they about died. They don't like rich soil, or manure, or

compost ...

>

> I'm no farmer, but from my limited experience, I can't think of

any soil

> that works " best " for a wide variety of plants. Every plant wants

something

> different ...

>

> -- Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>Maybe blackberry is one of those pioneer plants that thrive in poor

>soil, but do improve the condition of the soil over time. I'm told

>that mesquite is also a pioneer plant.

>

>Darrell

Hmmm ... how about fireweed? THAT stuff will grow as soon as it has

no competition ... anywhere ... I've heard it can be used instead of flax

to make linen.

-- Heidi Jean