[UrbanCropCircle] notes from November meeting/information about upcoming meetings

[Susan Helf]

Dear fellow gardeners,
At the UCC meeting on Monday, Nov. 1, Ingela Wannerstrand gave a
presentation
on soil and how to amend it. Here are notes from her talk, courtesy of Paula
and Jade.
At that meeting, the group also discussed taking a trip to Cedar Grove
Compost next spring.

*The December 6th* meeting will be a potluck and creative garden gift/seed
exchange.
At our *Jan. 3rd *meeting, we will focus on garden planning and.
On *Feb 7*, we will put together our group seed order.


Susan

*Soil & Soil Amendments:*

One good and easy way to get an idea of what type of soil you have is to use
the jar test method:
1.  Collect a soil sample from the site you want to test.  Make sure to get
a vertical sample so it contains
soil from ground level as well as about 6" below ground level and in
between.
2.  Put your soil into a mason jar, filling it about 1/3 full.
3.  Fill the rest of the jar with water, leaving some space at the top.
4. Shake vigorously for at least a minute to separate soil particles.
5. Put your jar in a place where it will not be disturbed for several days.


When most all of the soil particles have settled in the jar, there should be
at least 3 distinct layers of particles.
1- On the bottom will be SAND (the heaviest)
2- On top of the sand will be SILT
3- On top of the silt will be CLAY
4- Any ORGANIC MATTER will settle on the top layer and will usually appear
darker in color.

*Soil Types:
*
Soils with a lot of CLAY hold water well (e.g. don't drain well), and also
are hard to get to absorb water once they have
dried out.Soils with a lot of SAND can be good for root crops because they
are usually not as compacted and easy
for the roots to push through. A LOAM is usually a good mix of all three
types of soil particles: sand, silt and clay

*Feed the Critters:*

One important aspect of maintaining soil health is to make sure to feed the
microbes that have beneficial relationships with
the plants we grow.  One example of this is the use of inoculant when
planting legume crops.  The inoculant introduces rhizobia
bacteria into the soil, which the legumes need in order to fix nitrogen from
the air into the soil.  The nitrogen is then made
available to subsequent crops that are planted in that area.

N-P-K:
These are the nutrients that all plants need in abundance.  The
three numbers listed on the fertilizer packages refer to the
amount of N-P-K in that package's mixture.

*N- Nitrogen*: Promotes leafy growth in plants.  The hardest of the 3 to get
and the fastest to go.
Sources:
     Cover crops (esp. legumes)
     Compost- good to add nitrogen over time as it breaks down
     Bloodmeal- Fast way to add N to soil.  Can be added to crops that may
need a boost during the growing season.
     Compost tea
     Alfalfa meal & cottonseed meal
     Manure

*P- Phosphorus:* Promotes Fruiting and Flowering in plants.   Phosphorus not
move through the soil, so it can be hard for
plants to access.   Mycorrhizae in the soil play a major part in helping to
make phosphorus available to plants.
Sources:
     Bonemeal- Add at planting time
     Rock phosphate-  This will break down overtime, so it's a good thing to
add to a new bed to ensure phosphorus
     availability for several seasons.

*K- Potassium*: Also called potash.
Sources:
     Kelpmeal- Also provides trace minerals
**
*Soil Amendments:
*
One good recipe for amending soil of a planting bed before planting to
ensure your plants will have sufficient
nutrients:  Add *compost, lime, bonemeal & kelpmeal.*

*Cedar Grove Compost or Worm Bin Compost*:  Especially rich, Good to dig
into soil, but not for mulching woody plants.
Add to soil in the Spring and/or any time before planting.  Can be used as a
mulch on perennials that die back.

*Lime: Mix into soil when planting*.  Dolomite Lime becomes available over
time and contains magnesium,
which plants also need.  If a fast-acting lime is needed, Super-sweet is a
good option.

*Woody Mulch:* Good for mulching woody shrubs & trees.  One good source of
this type of mulch is
'Chicken and Chips': Chicken manure mixed with wood chips/shavings.  You can
make your own or alternatively
mix some compost with wood chips, shavings or sawdust.
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