Amending Soil

[tmays]

Got a long way to go, but been slowly adding leaves to my garden and plowing them under. I usually do this in the fall, but came across these leaves already bagged on FB marketplace recently. Using the ‘52 cub with Fasthitch plow. One day I’ll get the garden amended. Of course, it never sends but this clay based soil got to be changed!

[Don McCombs]

Thomas, if those are oak leaves, be sure to test your pH.

[Eugene]

Tillage radish. Inexpensive clay buster.

[tmays]

Thomas, if those are oak leaves, be sure to test your pH.

Everything I’ve read points to a possible nitrogen deficiency. Never seen anything pertaining to ph. Of course there is tannic acid, but my understanding is that it is usually not a problem. But I do need to check the pH. In fact, I need to do a soil test. We go the organic route, so it’s been a slow go to get it to where I want. I should just splurge and get a couple loads or more of organic compost.

[tmays]

Tillage radish. Inexpensive clay buster.

I do that. But in the past, garden supply folks I buy from don’t have enough seed. And not that it does what radish does, but I plant greens also that I plow in in the spring. But the freeze this year killed off my whole tillage crop. This year I intend to order some in bulk.

[ScottyD'sdad]

pH is most important soil test. Ability for the plants to use the fertility in the soil is based on the pH they like best, usually 6.5 to 7. for most veggies.
I have a chart that shows the fertilizer availability at various pH.
Ed

[SamsFarm]

Leaves are a carbon. Carbon is looking to bond with nitrogen. Each time you add leaves and plow them in they are bonding with your readily available nitrogen.
Tying up your nitrogen to help aid in the decomposition of those leaves.

At least thats how I understand it!

Sure they are a great addition of organic matter, but at a cost.

The cost being that if you are not adding the appropriate amount of nitrogen with your leaves, then your ground nitrogen is being bound to the leaves and unavailable to plants until the decomposition process is complete, then it becoming a slow release of nitrogen back in the soil.

Further complicating things, as mentioned above is the acidic part as mentioned above.

You'll need to be doing something to combat rise in acidity too!

[Super A]

Thomas, if those are oak leaves, be sure to test your pH.

Everything I’ve read points to a possible nitrogen deficiency. Never seen anything pertaining to ph. Of course there is tannic acid, but my understanding is that it is usually not a problem. But I do need to check the pH. In fact, I need to do a soil test. We go the organic route, so it’s been a slow go to get it to where I want. I should just splurge and get a couple loads or more of organic compost.

pH is tied to nutrient availability. In other words it can be in the soil but the low pH binds it up so the plant can't get it. Soil test regularly (use your state's lab, not a test from the garden center) and lime according to recommendations. Be sure pH is right before you do anything else.

Where you can really get in trouble with N availability is using stuff like fresh sawdust with a high carbon : nitrogen ratio. Leaves should be less problematic.

Al

[Eugene]

Tillage radish. Inexpensive clay buster.

I do that. But in the past, garden supply folks I buy from don’t have enough seed. And not that it does what radish does, but I plant greens also that I plow in in the spring. But the freeze this year killed off my whole tillage crop. This year I intend to order some in bulk.

I get my seed from MFA, a local farm store. They have bulk seed on hand. Pick up any amount I need. Considerably cheaper than orders.

Acreage, have about 1/10th acre rock and clay planted to fruit and nut trees. Soil tests, good, lacking humus. Mow it and broadcast kitchen vegetable scraps on it. Spring, have picked up old hay bales, free, haul off.

Edit for spelling.

[Don McCombs]

Chicken or turkey litter is a good natural source of nitrogen. You need to put it on in the Fall, so it has a chance to mellow over winter.

[tmays]

Fellers, I run two garden plots. Four actually, but one is for taters and one is for my wife to grow stuff that we don’t plant a lot of each plant. This plot you see is taking a break while I amend it. Will be adding compost as I can afford it. These leaves happened to be already bagged. All I had to do was pick them up and spread. I will continue to do this in the fall and they will be composted by spring. I do need to start shredding the leaves first.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Leaves are a carbon. Carbon is looking to bond with nitrogen. Each time you add leaves and plow them in they are bonding with your readily available nitrogen.
Tying up your nitrogen to help aid in the decomposition of those leaves.

At least thats how I understand it!

Sure they are a great addition of organic matter, but at a cost.

The cost being that if you are not adding the appropriate amount of nitrogen with your leaves, then your ground nitrogen is being bound to the leaves and unavailable to plants until the decomposition process is complete, then it becoming a slow release of nitrogen back in the soil.

Further complicating things, as mentioned above is the acidic part as mentioned above.

You'll need to be doing something to combat rise in acidity too!

The nitrogen tie up ia short term, easily compensated for by adding a small mount of nitrogen. Some wood ash, if you have it will neutralize acidity, tooE Ed

[Super A]

Chicken or turkey litter is a good natural source of nitrogen. You need to put it on in the Fall, so it has a chance to mellow over winter.

Rolling down your window and taking a big whiff as you travel on the backroads most anywhere in eastern NC right now would disprove that statement......

Litter is good, but the amount of N per pound isn't that high. We apply it here in tons per acre, rather than pounds. My theory has always been that the micronutrients and the organic matter help as much as the N, P, K. Over-applying can get you in a mess too.

Storing it, hauling it, and spreading it can be a huge PITA. When I was actively helping on the farm, I liked fall applied litter simply because there was no rush to get a crop planted on time. In the spring, the company was always running late loading out the birds, or the cleanout crew was a week (or two) behind, or it was raining every other day. You do loose a little bit of its zing as far as N goes spreading in the fall but I'd rather be able to plant on time. None of these factors are that big a deal in a garden situation like tmays has, but if costs were the same I'd rather use commercial fertilizer and be able to plant on time.

Sorry for the ramble.

Al

[Eugene]

Chicken or turkey litter is a good natural source of nitrogen. You need to put it on in the Fall, so it has a chance to mellow over winter.

Rolling down your window and taking a big whiff as you travel on the backroads most anywhere in eastern NC right now would disprove that statement......

Winter in central Iowa, farmers would hall sludge from the Des Moines city sewage system and spread on fields. Warm days and the smell was intensive.