Understanding soil science and why it matters

[clarkinks]

Many use these systems already but don’t fully understand how they work

The old books are inspiring gardening material

Since I was a kid producing food was always part of my families life. Naturally through the years I was inspired by a few authors that not to many people have heard of nowadays that you might enjoy. Ruth Stout was the first author who comes to mind http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ruth+stout I liked her personality and her unique at the time gardening method. Many of us still use deviations of her method to this day. She was a composter and …

Soil Secrets

This year I’ve switched up my normal cow manure, magnesium, bone meal, biochar, top dressed with wood chip amendments for soil improvement. I’m incorporating in sea minerals, azomite, and mycorrhizae fungi. What methods are you using to improve soil this year? I’ve found fish emulsions far to potent for my fruits because of the high nitrogen content. The list below is materials I ordered for test crops. http://www.amazon.com/Root-Naturally-Endo-Mycorrhizae-Oz/dp/B00HVKKOEE/ref=pd_sim_lg_9?ie…

Berms and swales - terracing - creating water ways

Many understand and use concepts such as ponds to collect excessive rainwater. This post is about advanced concepts i use of not just collecting it from the fields but directing it to centralized points and using as much of it as possible. This video discusses the concept of berms and swales [HOW TO BUILD SWALES - and harvest water] [DESIGNING SWALES - Geoff Lawton visits The Weedy Garden - Swales Part Two.] [DIGGING SWALES FOR A FOOD FOREST - Part Three] …

Hugelkultur

Interesting concept known as Hügelkultur is growing as water becomes less plentiful in many areas. Many people use part of this method already. Here is a link to learn more https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/many-benefits-hugelkultur The idea of using wood in the ground is foreign to me as it locks up nitrogen. Perhaps it’s not a bad thing if done correctly. " Hugelkultur, pronounced Hoo-gul-culture, means hill culture or hill mound. Instead of putting branches, leaves and grass clipp…

[Richard]

There are bits and pieces of facts in these discussions, but as a whole they are soil pseudoscience.

[clarkinks]

@Richard

We know many of these soil concepts like those presented in acres usa are highly effective. Biochar and buried wood both are natural ways to concentrate water and improve soil nutrients over time. Azomite appears to have some usable minerals , but I would encourage many to use caution on this and sea water minerals etc. Sometimes there are better and less expensive ways to get better results. What I discovered is typically many trace minerals only need applied rarely on old farm ground like here in Kansas. Many soils are fine with npk and necessary deficiencies.

[Richard]

Trial and error is not science. You have misused the term. But this is not to disparage trial and error – certainly useful things have been discovered by that methodology.

[alan]

I have two soil science text books on my shelf that I read a couple of times years ago. Such books are likely available if you order them from your local library, what you want is agronomic soil science. This is the most practical way towards achieving a fundamental understanding of soil science. You need a means of collecting and organizing all the moving parts in your mind, and to achieve holistic understanding you need to study holistically. It is much more difficult to achieve meaningful understanding by piecemeal study.

You join that academic understanding with field experience to develop your own private recipes of success if soil and plants are your obsession. That and sharing experiences with others that are similarly obsessed.

This was the most popular soil science book 35 years ago and remains the most popular by far of any ag soil text book. The science hasn’t changed much in all that time. You can probably find a used copy for pretty cheap. The Nature and Properties of Soils Authors: Nyle C. Brady & Ray R. Weil

[steveb4]

i encourage you to go on permies.com and read Dr. Bryant Redhawks writings on soil science. he has a doctorate on the subject. lots of good info. there.