we keep lhe avenge pH value so lemma 4 5 and m,
we ean giow a wide iange ol plnnls and ieai aouaiie
oigaiusins i/ealeium ii piesenl ll we nano ~ihe range
io pH sin 5, mosi negoiaoles gmw well in gaidens.
oiiiside ihese ianges lless ihan pl-l m oi inoie ihan
pl-illlm, only spsoalised loadeiia oi highee oiganisins
e-an sope, Moiewei, soil humus is nsell a ounei as is
ialeiuin lhmel, humus will gmw planis ai sauilaeioiy
levels even il ihe pH changes. so ihai limed and
inulehed gardens iaiely show plani delisieney

sympmms

 

8‘9
SOIL COMPOSITION

We ihink ol soils as mineiul eonipounds, oui ihe pie
diagiain in Tabk u wlll aliei ihai impiession, i: does
nol, o4 eouise, iepieseni any one 5011, bu! is an avenge
son ol liguie loi a good loain wnh adequaie huinus
cuiside ihe pie, I have noied some ol ihe possiole
ianges olvai-iaiion lioin peais no sands inold dunes

THE HUMUS CONTENT or SOILS
Solk in naiuiesan vary liom a humus mmem iii 2% lo
elase |o low las peaisl ln gardens, 40% pi more
humus he‘ps oloeh hesey melal uplalie by planis,
holding heavy i-neials bound in eolloids Many
(umpbslvkd iii mulehed gaiden soils eonhain ill—3m
humus lsome inneh moiel ne ellesi oi adequale soil
humus is born physieal, in elleeiing good waiei
isienlion and in pievenhng eiosi ,and eheinisal via
eolloid lonnaiion lhe laiealidoivn pioduels oi humus.
ineluding ihe inineial sonieni oi ihe dollar planes, {arm
the readlly-avalhblc and oiologiially aeiive
oomponenis or soil ihai are oi value lo newlyr
eslaohshed planis ll ihese plains aie peiennial D'(
pan) mukhrpmdncing, and il we Nmm lood wasies
io ihe garden lineluding niine and well—pamposied
Lien-s) ihen veiy iihle humus loss oeeuis.

0n ihe oioad scale, humus ean only he piovided by
0»: mos and (he abovhgmund mass oi grasses, iiees,
and planli Prilne grasses and hioadleai iiees sis
paiiieulaily eileeiive ai lhis pb. when we aeiaie
(plough) soils we mm up humus and nxldlse ii {a
eaioon dmxlde. ihenee lo ilmnsphem li is lost
ouining lhe vegeiaiion is worse. wilh s hosi ol
addinonal polluianis lieipenes, eieosaies, niiiogen.
and du§| panislesl, and a rapld loss oi soil humus
wheio soils aie noi iilled oi ouined, soil humus lasis a
long lime lhundieds iii even ihousands ol yeaisl and
piovides loi a complex soil liIe

 

 

ORGANIC SOIL ADDmVES

Mulehing is heie defined as eavenng ihs- soil suiiaee
wilh l5 eni oi inoie nl nigame inaieiial as a loose
luneompaeiinxl mukh, s on ol ughlrmlh’d sawdusi

does nai quamy! Mulching is moie generally applied
in loose dun ”mulzhies“, plas filter mulehes, and so
on, and ihese may have specilie loeal value in soil
amendmeni, hlltlng, sienhsanon, weed suppiession,
oi pesi Ndumoll, em as heie mm deied. she oliyen nl
mulehing is lo add plani nul enls, huliei soil
hmyelah—u‘es, pieneni eiosion. piomoie soil llle, and
restart soil snueniie

rlasiis mulehes, soil gels (polyicryhmmes),
heiisu-ide-iisaled soils, and oiganie oi naniial mulch:-
inay all aehieye ihe aesuli ol pievennng eiosnin and
helping soil trnmb sknldure develop. On|y long
penods oi naniial mulihes snoihse numem supply,
and eomplex ihe so lile, None can he yudged over one
oi twn seasons, a ean ialie 3-5 yeais to meals a
balanced soil undei inuleh liom a eompueied oi
mlnedml soil Even longei perims aio neiessaey lo
develop hnnnis in peiinaneni maps nsiesoad ioi yield
on lhe oioad seale, wheie added muleh is nol famed lo
ihe sue, oui deiived lioin liee wastes and
ipccla‘lydown siop lgieen manuiesl piodueed on ihe
sileiisell.

used in aieas such as we| liopiis and and lands, an
on dry soaise sands, mulehes may proVE io lie
ephemeral leyen - iheii eilecls soniinuel, as miss
iennnes, and leaching .eduee ihe mulch in home ands
in undeigiound sioiages n lungl and oielena ln
panieulai, wakr nosoipiion I pmhed undei muleh.
both as held ciop muleh and Imponnd gaiden inulih,
lhus Mater needs an reduced leaneiie Conaehei, in
Wesiein Auslnllz's nmaiive Cflrdmmlg, i979. ieponing
on zxrenslon ii-ials in Nigena, iesonls “7i osiiei waiei
inlilnalion on lime iii no llage and mulehed plois
L'ndei mulzhv emssine soil iempeiaiuie ianges are
bulleied. being eoolei ay day and wannei ai nighi or
in wmlei Seed gel-ininaiion is enhaneed, and one. ”1r
Vang ieini. maioi nuiiienls (N, l-. K) iemain a!
saiislaeloiy levels. Only under inuleh does ihe
populaiion ol impoilani soil oiganisins, sueh as
eanhwonms, HICRISQ»

Mulehes need some selesiion lo. minimal weed seed,
minimal residual liioeides, and loi besl eneei on
speeiheeiopslleoled asioweoyeniw eompaiisonsl,

i-lasiie mulehes lolacli [or heal and weed (onlmlv
silvei loi aphid iepellaneyl have a moie hnnied nale,
iniponani in the shoieieim, inn olien eipensive oi
impiaeiisal in pooi eouniiies oi ioyecied by pawns
who suspeei that inany plasiies ielease peisisleni
shemipal polymeis ol unkmwn elleei on lhe soil hie.

Muleh is an eieelleni way lo add nuniems lo solls
ihe "cm!" desay loses linle nniogen, while [limuv
lanng soil lile generally Theie me some pioolems wILh
soinpoii, wheio ”ho!" laeioliiel heaps heai up and
niiiogen lainmonial losses are severe Cold heaps
(poled oi silagel do noi lose niiiogen, oni neiihei do
may kill weed seeds OM peieeni oi supoiphosphaie
added iii a hoi eoinposi heap pievenis ammonia
eseape Chinese menosis gel lhe oesi ol ooih worlds
by hisi building an ieiaied heap wulh liainooo poles as
holes iu male aii iunnels ms is lhen eoiieii-d

 

 

 

 

 

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