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organic Organics 101
- Thread starter CAPCOM
- Start date
Yeah, but do you apply anything to the surface, to keep it from getting sun scorched? Just askin'.CAPCOM said:
I probably wasn't very clear with my question. My thought would be to add compost to my already established raised beds, maybe 4-5 weeks prior to plant out, working the compost into the top 4-5", not to fill the beds from the bottom up. Frankly, I'm a bit confused about the payoff to going to the time and trouble of making compost, if I would still have to add other soil amendments, and/or fertilize during the growing season, anyway. I'm just throwing these questions out there for myself.
if I remember correctly, I think 2-3 inches top dressed is sufficient, but I forget where I read that
if I remember correctly, I think 2-3 inches top dressed is sufficient, but I forget where I read that
Did I hear this guy right? Two inches of composted leaves will supply a plant with everything it needs for an entire season?? No need for additional fert or soil amendments??? I don't believe it.
as with all things, it's an on going cycle. 2in of compost plus additional amendments each season sounds pretty straight forward to me. wouldn't even need to be strictly compost.
on the other hand, there is the back to Eden group that promotes wood chips only as an amendment.
as with all things, it's an on going cycle. 2in of compost plus additional amendments each season sounds pretty straight forward to me. wouldn't even need to be strictly compost.
on the other hand, there is the back to Eden group that promotes wood chips only as an amendment.
Yeah, but he says that "every agricultural study ever done says that two inches of yard waste compost...is all any plant needs to be fed and protected from disease for an entire season." Hard for me to believe, but, I'm new to this. Also, what sized bin would I need to produce enough compost to cover a 300s/f garden, two inches deep?filmost said:
THP member "windchicken" has proven, to my mind, that ramial chipped wood is ALL that's necessary to feed a plant. Hardwood seems to be the key. Check out his glog. No fert or anything else required. Just water. My dream...
I see I see. been awhile since I saw that vid, so didn't click the link. in any case I saw just do what makes sense and is feasible for you is my very humble opinion.
I live in the burbs of Japan and with limited space make due with what I can b/c half the time the info being passed around just isn't feasible.
I really would like to try the wood chips bit, but no where to source it cheap here ;-(
so your saying just hardwoods then ? oak , etc.Roguejim said:
I put everything together in the compost bin but 90% of it is yard clippings and some leaves depending on the time of the year. I have a static worm bin that is all compost with a few amendments added so no food scraps go into it.JoynersHotPeppers said:
I just had a Maple tree removed that they chipped the remaining stump and left it in place. I was able to recover 8 wheelbarrows full of chipped wood mulch. The pile was 2 days old and already VERY HOT which made me do a happy dance. I moved it to the backyard to allow it to breakdown on an unused bed.filmost said:
Just don't use black walnut.filmost said:
Yeah. Windchicken has been using shredded oak for a few years now. If you till the chips in the first time, you could experience some nitrogen tie-up. Windchicken added a bit of Osmocote that first season to offset this small problem. Following seasons, chips are added to the surface, and no more nitrogen issues. Windchicken knows a lot more, and enjoys explaining it to anyone interested. There is also an online study that was conducted by a couple of scientists in Quebec. Google "ramial chipped wood Quebec".moruga welder said:so your saying just hardwoods then ? oak , etc.
Jim, you live in one of the absolute best states in the country for nurseries and growers in general. I would think you could find someone to get a yard or two of finished compost. How far is Peaceful Valley garden supplies from you?Roguejim said:
They are in Grass Valley, CA I believe.
Sure, I can get all the compost I want to buy around here. I'm just trying to justify "one more thing" to add to what I already do. You see, every Fall, all that mulch that's on top of my raised beds gets worked back into the soil. New mulch is added to the surface. I'm not hurting for organic matter in my raised beds. Nutes aren't a problem except for the calcium, unless I'm misdiagnosing what looked like BER on one of my chile chilacas. I was stunned by this because of the bone meal and lime I had put down last October!
Maybe you did misdiagnose it but who knows? If only one pepper showed that it seems like all the other peppers had enough calcium doesn't it?Roguejim said:
I have found the yard waste breaks down way faster and I do add spent coffee grinds to it..I am not expert. The other stuff takes longer so I use them for different things.parker49 said: