How earthworms help farms

Here are the facts about earthworms for your farms.

In our consulting practice, we often discover soil which lacks important nutrients and other beneficial characteristics. Soil which lacks stable humus and active living organisms is difficult to prepare for growing plants which are able to thrive.

Compacted soil, water saturated soil, and soil which lacks microbial life and nutrient balance can not serve our needs as gardeners or growers.

Soil which seems to be sterile or dead can be revived by returning nutrient-available, stable humus to root zones.

An uncomplicated soil feeding plan, with appropriate action, can improve soils where growers have found it impossible to grow healthy plants. The plan includes amending well digested organic matter into at least the top six inches of soil where conditions had previously prevented healthy plant growth. Soil needs to be alive and full of beneficial bacteria, micro-flora, earthworms, springtails, and a wide variety of "critters," each of many species bringing unique benefits to maintain soil viability.

FOR EXAMPLE:

It is important for anecic earthworms to return to depleted soil, to do their essential work. Many species of earthworms provide services needed in soil for healthy and naturally energetic plant growth. Two of the essential earthworm types we find very helpful are: "eisenia fetida," the composting earthworm, and "lumbricus terrestris," the burrowing earthworm which aerates soil. Actions of both benefit soil tilth, soil fertility, enhance soil and plant disease resistance. The sustained presence of these beneficial soil dwellers is an indication of soil media values which can support plant root extension, plant growth stability, and conditions which allow the process of plant feeding osmosis to continue through the growing season, from germination through harvest.

Expert researchers at the Sustainable Agriculture Program, University of California in Santa Cruz, (the Agroecology Curriculum), Matt Werner and Robert Bugg, have presented scholarly research which provides proof of the importance of various living organisms in soil. It is clear to this researcher that soil must be of a certain quality to sustain the presence of beneficial earthworms and other organisms which provide long term benefits.

MAINTAINING PERPETUAL SOIL VALUE CONDITIONS:

It is important to maintain a balanced porosity in soil strata, to ensure suitable aerobic conditions and to maintain appropriate drainage characteristics. We have learned that soil compaction is prevented where stable humus is maintained in soils. Flooding is less likely where soil granularity is sustained. Adding well composted organic matter helps these valuable soil conditions to continue, and the earthworms help such values to continue.

In soils prepared to be acceptable and habitable to the anecic earthworm tribes, undeniable plant-root values exist. For this and other reasons, it is important to continue to process and prepare high humus soil amendments with two main thoughts in mind: 1. We want to ensure that soil is properly fed. 2. We want to invite, establish, and maintain populations of "lumbricus terrestris" and "eisenia fetida."

Earthworms are our friends and happy helpers in the root zone.

Guide to soil mixtures for bedding plants

Here are the guide to soil mixtures for bedding plants.

With so many soil choices, the key is to spend a little time researching the best type of soil for your goals. While versatile, ordinary potting soil isn't always the best alternative. Finding the right soil for your needs is easier than you may think.

As a novice gardener, I thought all I needed to start my very own indoor vegetable garden was some potting soil, seeds, and a pot to plant them in.

A quick Google search led me to discover a surprisingly wide world of soil types, mixtures, and uses.

Your gardening goals should dictate the type of soil you choose. Planting an indoor vegetable garden, for instance, requires a different type of soil than an outdoor garden. Ordinary potting soil is far too heavy for container gardening so I needed to either buy or create a lighter mixture.

A lighter mixture encourages water drainage, water conservation, and keeps the soil from compacting. Lack of compaction allows room for roots to grow and develop, which is especially important for seedlings.

Since the soil components were relatively inexpensive, I quickly and easily made my own mixture by combining one part Miracle Grow Organic Choice potting soil with one part Miracle Grow Perlite, one part Vermiculite, and one part Sphagnum Peat Moss. This created a light weight mixture perfect for an indoor vegetable garden.

When you decide you are ready to plant your own garden, make sure you look around and find the best soil options for your needs. Start your garden with the right foundation.

Soil Prep For Your New Lawn

Here is my thought about soil prep for your new lawn.

So you have decided to redo your lawn. There is nothing more important to your new lawn as how well you prepare your soil. This one part of the whole process can negate any future efforts if not done properly. In this article I will try to help you through these steps to aid you in having a luscious green lawn.

The benefits to preparing your soil properly will pay you back tenfold with good uniformity and density to less use of fertilizer and water. Let's not forget the most important part, less maintenance. There is a bit of a balancing act involved with growing a beautiful full lawn that you need to know in order to prepare your soil properly. The four factors in this balancing act are; air, water, nutrients, and sunlight. The sun typically will take care of its self so all you need to worry about is the air, water, and nutrients. These three factors all come from the soil which you are responsible for. Too much or too little of any of these and you will have problems sustaining a nice green lawn. Unless brown is more your color.

Now let's start to work. The first thing in soil prep for your new grass will be removing the existing overburden on the land. Weather it is rocks, weeds, or an existing (albeit frustrating) lawn, you have to remove it in order to get the ground right for planting. This is where most people get cheap. I cannot stress this enough, if you do not want all your hard work and efforts in planting your new lawn to be in vain then you have to prep your soil properly.

For a new lawn the recommended depth of new soil should be between 4-6 inches. So to start you need to remove all existing sod and any material in the soil that is 2 inches or bigger (ex. Stumps, rocks, debris). If you are doing a small plot then you could accomplish this step with nothing more than a spade shovel and a rake. But for a full large lawn you may want to go down to your local rental shop and ask to rent a few things. First you will need a sod cutter to remove all existing sod and roots. This will help prevent old grass and weeds from growing through your new lawn.

Once you have all the overburden striped off the land then you will need to have your soils ph tested. You can usually have this done at a local nursery or garden center in your area. While you are there you should ask them what type of soil you have as well. This bit of information will help you in deciding what amendments (fertilizer, lime, sulphur) you will need to put in your soil in order for your roots to grow into it well. Most likely you will need to add something to your soil in order to have an ideal bed to plant your grass on. Due to differences from place to place when it comes to soil type, temperature, and precipitation, I will not get into the different types of soils and amendments in this article since you can get all this info from an expert in your area.

Now it is time to go back to the rental store to rent a tiller and water/lawn roller. First you should start by tilling all the compacted soil in the area you stripped earlier, remembering to pull out any rocks or debris that are over 2 inches in size. After tilling is done you should rough grade the land so there are no low spots that will collect water. When rough grading you need to take into account the slope of the land. Make sure your lawn is not going to drain water to your house and if it does you need to fix this problem. If substantial grading is required you may need to consult with a local landscaping company so you get this part right. In some municipalities it is illegal to divert water runoff onto someone else's property so you may need to put in a retaining wall and/ or drain tile to deal with excess water runoff/build up.

Next step is to start spreading out a starter fertilizer and soil conditioner. Once again your garden supply store or nursery will best suited to tell you how much you will need for your climate and soil conditions. On a side note, if you have enough, compost can be used for a really good soil conditioned and it will save you money at the same time.

Once all soil amendments have been added you will have to go back to the till and till the amendments into the soil. Now that your amendments have been added, a little more rough grading will fill in any of the low spots your may have missed on the first pass. With that part done the last step is to roll the area with the water roller to compact the soil to a light firmness.

Your nursery or garden supply center may suggest to you that you will need to add topsoil to your yard in order to get the proper soil conditions. If that is the case you may be able to just till the ground and add your soil. This method should get rid of the need for amendments in your lawn. Like before, your nursery or garden supply center will know best for the area and you should listen to their recommendations over any other.

Thank you for taking the time to read through my article and I am sure with a little hard work and determination you too can have a lawn your neighbors will envy.

Sub Soil Compaction For a Paver System

What You Need to Know About sub soil compaction for a paver system.

The base of a patio is just as important as the patio itself. If prepared and installed incorrectly the base could lead to future failure of the paver system.

Depending on what part of the country you are in you will have to take different approaches to sub soil compaction for your paver base. There are a lot of different soil types but to keep it simple I want to focus on soil with high clay content.

My area consists of mostly a clay mix soil. For a patio or driveway we will excavate a few inches of topsoil followed by sticky clay. It seems like this clay is pretty hard and a stable enough base for a patio. The fact is that when water is introduced it is a slimy mess and will squeeze different directions to escape pressure. Having a heavy paver system place on top of it can lead to failure over the years.

How do we manipulate the soil so that it is a stable enough platform for pavers? Simple, through proper compaction.

Every Hardscape contractor has a vibratory plate to compact the base and set pavers into sand. The problem is this type of compactor is not sufficient for the sub soil. A vibratory compactor does just that, vibrates. It exerts a a low amplitude and high frequency. Most range from 1500-5500 Hz. On Grade 8 gravel and other base materials is shakes the stone to fit into each other through the many small hits it produces. Clay is not angular like the base stone and will not settle into itself through vibrations.

A rammer or jumping jack type compactor is what should be used to compact clay. Rammers use low frequency(700-2300Hz) and high stroke blows to compact material through force. It is like taking a sledge hammer and smashing it into the clay compare to a plate compactor which just drops a small weight many times.

By using a rammer in clay type soil you are essentially beating the trapped air and moisture out of the soil. You will see the ground drop an inch or two after ramming. You might even see water come to the surface.

Most contractors in my area do no compaction of the soil before putting in a patio or even driveway. I see paver systems that have failed all the time due to improper soil preparation. Most likely you will not see it in the first couple of years but eventually you will. Areas where you see it the most are around the perimeter of the house 3-4 feet out. After the house is built the foundation is backfilled with chunks of excavated clay. There is all kinds of air pockets when the backfill and they do not compact. 6 months later a Hardscape contractor comes by to put in a patio or driveway and does not compact this soil either. After a rotation of seasons you will see that 3-4 ft band sinking. If the contractor took the extra step to compact the soil this problem would not have occurred. But back they come to perform warranty work.

Yes a rammer can be an expensive tool but in the long run saves you warranty costs and keeps you customers and you image happy. I even use the fact that we compact the soil as a selling point. Most homeowners don't know much of a paving system and are happy to get a quick education on it. This gives you the opportunity to show why you are different and why your paver system might cost more then the other guys.

It Starts With the Soil

Here are my thought and tips for gardening.

Gardening as we know today is not what it was in the centuries past. Planting food was essential for survival. Ornamental gardening evolved for modern times pleasure.

Farmers looked to the colors and tempers of the sky, animal behavior and to plants and trees to determine the best time to sow the seeds. The rhythms of the world and the seasons served as their guide. They devised techniques that served them well and passed it on to future generations Soil "Light enough to root, firm enough to stay." Success in the garden starts with the soil. Roots need plenty of room to get water and air. The soil should be able to store enough supply of nutrients for the roots.

A gardener must know the condition of the soil before planting. A poor patch of ground can be transformed to produce a lush garden with the proper soil treatment and amendment.

Soil categories:

Sandy: light masses of particles that don't hold together. Roots can easily get water and air, but not enough nutrients. It is good for alpine plants and some herbs like lavender, tarragon, thyme and root vegetables like carrots, onions etc.

Clay: mineral particles stick together with few spaces for roots to get air and water. It stores nutrients well but it's difficult for roots to get at them. This soil tends to get waterlogged and has hard cracks when it's dry. It is good for deep rooted plants like mints, comfrey, beans, potatoes. pears and the like.

Loam: Mix of small and large particles offer satisfactory drainage and stores nutrients well. Most garden plants grow well.

Simple ways of testing soil: Put a sample of soil in a screw-top jar. Add water, shake well and let settle. Sand settles at the bottom of the jar, clay soil will have a thin layer of water topped with thick soil.

Hand testing: Pick up a handful and roll it between your finger and roll it into a ball. If it won't stick together, it's probably sandy. If it feels gritty but forms to a ball, it's likely loam. If it's sticky, rub the surface to a shine as you rub your thumb; you have a handful of clay.

Soil Improvements: Poor soil and bad drainage: dig in compost in the fall and spring. Or use mulch on top of the ground to keep the moisture while nutrients seep slowly deeper. Dig in rotted manure into the ground for vegetables and among ornamental plants. Don't use manure on carrots or deep,long rooted plants as the roots will feed on the manure instead of going down the soil. Manure is a good fertilizer, use only well rotted manure.

Compost Lucky for those who are able to make their own compost. Grass cuttings, manure, young weeds, mixed with fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, old flowers, prunings and farmyard manure are good for the compost.

When to work the soil: "Till the soil on midsummer's day, not feast, aye famine will come your way. Till the soil in April showers, you will have not fruits nor flowers." Digging the soil when it's dry loosens the crumbs and can destroy its ability to hold water. When it's too wet, you compact the soil making it hard for water to drain. Farmers work the soil at dawn and finish by midday and return early in the evening. Working on wet soil, do not stand on the soil you are working on.

Planting Plant after 4PM, as the sun sets and its heat intensity decreases. This gives the plants a chance to settle in as the day cools. Bury hair around plant roots or in a trench around the plant. This deters pests that try to crawl over. Hair is rich in minerals and micronutrients. Bury banana skins just under the soil specially around roses and herbaceous plants. It supplies magnesium, calcium, phosphates, silica and sodium. Keep the fat after roasting meat or poultry. Plants love it and deters vermins. Bury the fat at least a foot deep, mix with crushed garlic and work into the soil.

Using junk pots: Containers, old pots and cans can be good for container gardening. Remember to make holes at the bottom for water to drain.

Line wicker containers with moss or plastic bags to keep the soil and moisture in.

Old barrels or tubs are good for potatoes or strawberries for limited space.

Metal containers conduct heat and cold so well that plants could fry in the heat and freeze when it's frigid. Line with plastic or bubble wrap to protect the roots. Tape the serrated tops of cans before planting to prevent cuts and scrapes. What's growing in your yard:

"Gold under thistle, silver under rushes, famine under heath."

STOP! Don't go merrily pulling out the weeds without identifying them. Weeds carry a message about the condition of the soil and the surrounding area. Take a closer look at your soil before you do anything. "Nettles today, fruits tomorrow." Nettles like a rich and damp soil, their roots go crawling deep to bring out the minerals. Pulling them out leaves the soil with a ready supply for your plants. If you leave some in, it stimulates growth of nearby plants and makes them resistant to diseases.

Weeds can help to identify poor drainage, acidic soil, low fertility or lack of iron. Clover and wild mustard add nitrogen and minerals and suppress weeds. They bring the minerals up to the surface, and also helps clear some pests. Don't let the mustard go into seed.

Dandelions, mustard and pigweed thrive in fertile and balanced soil.

Farmers used to add rusty nails in the planting hole to provide extra iron. Yellow leaves while the leaf vein is green shows lack of iron in the soil.

Moss and fungi indicate poorly drained soil. Dig out those buttercups. They rob the soil of potassium and other minerals, secretions from their roots poison nitrogen producing bacteria. This is a large family of plants and includes delphiniums, peonies and clematis. The beds for these ornamental plants need constant feeding and replenishing.

Practise good weeding- know how and when to get rid of those annoying weeds. "Pull wet and hoe dry." When it's wet, weeds are easier to pull out. But using a hoe in the wet encourages weeds to spread out as you cut the tops off. Cutting weeds in the early summer encourages growth. Wait till they go into seed, when their energy is on the seeds.

Do not use hay or straw as weed mulch, the weeds contain seeds that can create a whole new problem.

Happy gardening.

Reference: Garden Folklore that Works by Charlie Ryrie

Soil PH and Your Health!

The effect of soil PH.

The information in this article, he knew at first hand. It is from my experience of growing up in Iowa Farm. My aim in this article is to get you to think about the food you eat when it comes, and if it really is as healthy as you think it is.

Earlier in the article have received information that the pH value of the land must be 7.0 or higher. Farmers to take soil samples to their local Co-op to have them tested for levels of potash (potassium), phosphates, and lime. They do this after harvest and before replanting. This article, our concern is the testing ground for chalk. If the level of Sid's land is low, the soil is acidic. It is easy to repair! Farmers to add only the quantity of powdered lime and white test results that they should show.

From past experience I know the two reasons why the soil becomes depleted of calcium. The first reason could be that people are running in the soil test does not do their jobs. Farmer depends the accuracy of the test soil. He happens to farmland that the test came back with good results, despite never testing was in operation. Crops were planted. A few weeks later, my father noticed that weeds were not healthy. (Although weeds do not grow well in acidic media!) Father Earth called scientists, and the test results showed our farm soils were acidic (low calcium).

The second reason for making the soil is acid greed. I do not know how much time or money to a farmer does not keep a guard because of his bases. This is because all the farmers I know do not care for their land. But I know that if the soil is kept basic agriculture will have a much better yield per acre. I'm ready to do more research to understand if the less help the agricultural yields in some way. It is possible that the smaller crop, or lack thereof, could drive the cost of agricultural products to consumers.

U.S. will have a lot of fresh food from other countries. I do not know if the U.S. demands, or even have a country guidelines ordered countries to sell us food. Therefore, we must be more responsible about what we buy. When they act on groceries, you can tell who came fresh food, which country? Typically, we are all too busy worrying about where food came from. This brings us back to where I started the first articles about pH! Check levels of pH, and do it regularly!

Tips for Top Notch Garden Soil

Some tips for your garden soil.

1. There is an easy way to check if the compacted soil. If you have a lot of rain, surveyors simply stick a red flag on earth. If you push it to land at least 12 cm without a fight then your soil is good. If it does not move past the first few inches, you should add organic matter to your beds.

2. The best way to condition your soil is absolutely free for you! Fall to gather all the dried leaves from your yard. Fill the trash can half-way and crush them with a weed eater. Then paste it into your garden, and it becomes humus, the Holy Grail of garden soils.

3. Discover your floor is easy with this little trick. Get a big handful of dirt and place it in a glass. Add about 2 / 3 quart of sterile water and a teaspoon of dishwashing soap. Shake it and then leave it at night. If you are in the morning it should be is divided three ways. They want the land for about 40% sand, which are below, 40% silt, and 20% clay. The ideal mix is clay.

4. Here are some important tips for improving soil: root not in the back, by digging deep beds. The experts say that it destroys the tiny organisms that keep your soil spongy and light. Instead, you must provide a thick layer of compost and mulch each season. After several years you have rich topsoil, without the process.

5. This is a fantastic way to start a new bed, rather than in Tilling. Lay cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper where you want your bed. Cover a little fertilizer and coffee around (you tea bags for free at your local Starbucks), and water it until it is completely wet. Do this in autumn and leave it until spring. Until that time, the land is hard rock becomes softer and you will be covered with a thick layer of a rich and wonderful topsoil.

6. This is a good and cheap food that the plant experts will tell you, never. Horse feed is located at your local farm supply store, and the combination of molasses and corn on soil, your plants of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, they need to succeed. Put some of the holes, during planting or sprinkle it over your bed.

7. Tip is short, but it is very important. Do not use the rock salt to deice of a patio or sidewalk, near your bed. It is toxic to the earth. Instead, use cat litter or granular fertilizer.

8. If you can not wait for your drying beds for spring (which should always do! Jobs bed wetting compacts the soil and the plants suffer from) which they have dark plastic for two or three sunday. This keeps them dry and the weeds will choke. Although this can be an eye, while there, you are the first in the beautiful spring flowers!

9. I hate everyone, from the dirt under my nails after gardening. The best way to avoid this is to scratch a piece of soap before. No place for the world to go and wash your hands afterwards is a breeze!

10. You always want to water the earth before you lay down mulch, will ensure that the water directly to The Roots. Water it again mulch to prevent it from blowing in the wind and compact the soil.

The Effect Of Tilling Your Garden Soil

Another facts about compact soil.

A gardener is a dream world, of course, is light and that they only dare finger in. A ground that it only scratches without effort is a furrow in the vegetable seeds. The truth is that tilling the garden soil to the point where these conditions are met can do more harm than good.

Garden soil is full of life. It is a complex community of insects and micro-organisms. They are a positive part of the ecological preservation of a healthy soil. These micro-organisms which aid in the decomposition of organic matter in the soil and add nutrients back into the ground. Earthworms, along with other ground dwelling insects are part of the ground maintenance. There are tunnels through the soil and aerate Tilling course. Together with the more organic matter and nutrients in the soil by the breakdown of waste there. This is the natural process that a healthy soil.

Tilling of garden soil can damage or even kill the beneficial insects and other micro-organisms in the soil. The floor also includes ways in which plant roots and earthworms tunneling. So, what is air and water of these areas? The bottom of the earth is destroyed, does this mean for the soil to compact. Another thing that happens when land is cultivated, it brings to the surface weed seeds, to the deeply buried to germinate. These dormant seeds to the surface will enable them to grow and now the never ending problem of weeds in the garden.

A not-to-garden is a garden, a good healthy soil structure with lots of organic material, food for beneficial insects and micro-organisms in the soil. In return, these insects and micro-organisms, the Tilling soil for your course and nutrients to the plants to thrive. Only through a continuous top dressing of organic material such as compost ill add the food supply for these beneficial insects and micro-organisms to survive and hard work for you in a healthy garden soil.

A environmentally healthy way gardening. Organic Gardening is away from the garden in harmony with nature. Cultivation of a healthy and productive plant in a way that is healthier for you and the environment.

Compacted Soil Causes Lawn Lament

Here's the fact about compact soil.

Comedian Dave Barry once, "I over the years, complaints, 2, and the grass some facts about the administration: If you, learned you do not feed manure and water the grass, will die. If you feed, water and fertilize the grass, will die. "

If - you - to do his evil - - curse - - you - in fact, when the grass is a very important truth. It is also about the status of the soil. If the clay soil, over time, can be dense as a brick. The point is a brick and see the grass grow. Brick, and so go through the surface of roots and water or fertilizer, a sueopneun is obvious. These Barry, soil compression, strong growth, prosperity and turn on or die, you can not even give water and fertilizer to the lawn to struggle.

Clay soil, so it is good for pottery includes the smallest particles. When, in the appearance of clay can still edit it. Children and lawn area, an outdoor life of the car when a compact of the year, as it can turn into a brick.

Sometimes the soil of your lawn is not the same place. In some areas more dense than other regions of the earth can nature. Place to experience more traffic, it is the pain of a high rate of compression. Why it does not go away, the grass can permanently bald attractions, will be explained. Strip the criminal of the worst bad parking, adjacent to driveways, especially in winter when the snow is pain. And children's corner with a bike, or perhaps can lead to compression packing for the trail is cut into a shortcut.

If you have a lawn sprinkler system can be compressed on how to run the water too quickly can see the thinking. The grass is notoriously compressed to absorb the water, so it applies to any surface, atmosphere and not reach the majority of grass-roots level is slow. Because it transports water to the root of this unnecessary waste of resources and can interfere with fertilizer.

Your lawn is the best way to deal with compression Aerating. You can rent the machine at regular intervals on the surface of the grass about the size of a lipstick extract the plug. Each hole, because it is hard to overstate the highway to be carried to the water and fertilizer in the water.

With the hole open, you can apply for top dressing lawns. You are specifically designed to work with Topper grass or compost can be used as a general 24-21 to 24-21 materials, can be purchased. Inches deep in the grass, use the material. Then rake the compost well, so that water will fill this hole miniature sum of products that can be slowly absorbed into the surrounding soil from caving into the hole to avoid them are forced.

When the top - aerate and previous grass dress, it increases the density of the grass reseed. The grass roots, seeds and enough space for water to leave a small amount.

You compressed the soil in a small remote island can do the same thing. a spading fork or by using hand tools to make a hole to live - aerating are. This tool has tines similar to the machine, but you have more than two feet to the area again, with good grass, you must Celestial. Then the top - the dress - the seeds can help fill in bald quickly. Is a turn off until the child, the car and the puppy is on!

If you get the results of the soil can then be condensed on the lawn every weekend, but the slave can send. Dave Barry's like, you can sing the blues. If you have a question, you can go to the grass and the soil is to try to sharpen a pencil stick. Before that, the compression of the soil is to blame if the pass is to destroy. And the only way I can restore the lawn can be aerating.