Le Potager du Sloth: Gardening without fatigue more than Bio

[bobbysolo67]

"A world of communications and balances...


Other fundamental articles, in free access, for those who want to better understand what happens in the wonderful world of a living soil, and why there is then little need for fertilizers, amendments, decoctions , pesticides...

http://agriculture-de-conservation.com/ ... de-de.html

et

http://agriculture-de-conservation.com/ ... -meme.html

It's technical without being really arduous or incomprehensible. But if you have never studied biology, etc... you will already have to make a little effort. That's good: it's raining like a cow pissing!


[Note that "Conservation Agriculture" is a non-organic movement among "big-box" farmers interested in soil; these articles are published in the journal "TCS: Simplified Cultural Techniques"]

[I am researching and starting to accumulate material in the event that my book will be a success and that I will be able to publish my "Traité d'agronomy applied au Potager du Paresseux"!]

On the site mentioned above, I also found this:

https://www.partnerandco.fr/

[Did67]

I have just found Persian clover there (frostbite), which could be interesting as a cover crop / green manure:

[Julienmos]

I just found Persian clover there (frostbite), which could be interesting as a cover crop / green manure

there are some in the mix I usually use (this one: https://www.samen-schmitz.de/Gruendueng ... Q9VjI.html

[Julienmos]

the EVs are not, it seems, terrible as a fertilizer for the soil, after mowing, since their C/N is rather low, around 15 I believe?

except perhaps if they are mown late, they have become tall and therefore with more cellulosic stems (if they are grasses, or phacelia, mustard...).

Which is not the case with me, because two winters in a row, shot down by frost in January or February, they were not very tall (usually sown only at the beginning of September)

For the moment, mine (which I only have on part of the garden) are still alive and very green (but are only 30 to 40 cm high)... not yet had frost at -10°

[Did67]

The "EV", I think we talked about it. There is often on some sites a caricature presentation. Let's go back to the basics:

a) The "EV", just like the "remains of crops" which are not uprooted and which continue to vegetate, or just like the "weeds" - weeds therefore -, by their development will "capture" mineral elements in the soil and incorporate them into their biomass; this is very important for nitrogen (N), which, nitrified during the second phase of hot AND humid soils (September / October...), would be leached ("leached" to speak pompously).

b) Note that during this phase, the "legumes" will be inefficient, the "negative feedback" causing them to find enough nitrogen; they "refuse" to deal with bacteria (rhizobia); tear off and check: they will have no or few nodules!

But suddenly, they behave like any other plants, "consuming" the N that would otherwise be leached. It's not so bad! It's a form of self-regulation of the living system, definitely very well done...

Do not focus on them for this reason of "symbiotic fixation", but rather as "rapid producers of biomass", resistant to drought... They could come into play if the soil had been "starved" of nitrogen, for example by intake of poor substances (wood, sawdust, dead leaves, etc.).

c) During their active growth phase, all these "working" plants (EV, weeds, vegetable remains, whatever), maintain, through their rhizodeposition, an intense microbial activity in the rhizosphere. So the ground is getting worse. The balances between microorganisms move from "harmful" (to human activity) to "useful"... Cleaning is done...

d) They protect the soil against the impact of rain.

e) After their death (either by freezing, or by crushing, or by covering with hay), the absorbed elements will begin to be released as the decomposition progresses (slow at first, since it is now January - February - March) and that all that "is in the fridge"!

f) Roots, as mentioned above, improve structure. Even if the "perforation" capacity that I mentioned is disputed by some, it is a fact that an abundant root hair will have a visibly positive effect on the "soil structure". That to do this the roots have "exploited" existing micro-fissures which they then widened or that they have perforated the ground is the sodomization of fruit flies - I indeed think that my expression "perforate" is improper; that it is a question for these rootlets, microscopic, of encrusting themselves in all the micro-fissures of the ground, then of enlarging them; and that seems indisputable to me - just pull out a grass and shake...

g) And indeed, as you say, this biomass is too little ligneous / fibrous to contribute significantly to the formation of humic substances. So the long-term effect is negligible.

The word "green manure" is therefore clumsy, compared to all the expected effects. For me, the key is c) and a)!

That's why I changed my tactics a bit. I only partially unrolled my hay last week. Promoting as much as possible, until the soil freezes, the "plants" - those that remain, those that want to grow well on their own (or those that I sow if I am not given a choice, the EVs!). The rest will be done when the weather is nice again.

[Julienmos]

1) During their phase of active growth, all these plants "in operation" maintain, by their rhizodeposition, an intense microbial activity in the rhizosphere.

2) After their death (either by freezing, or by crushing, or by covering with hay), the absorbed elements will begin to be released as the decomposition progresses (slow at first, since it is now January - February - March) and that all that "is in the fridge"!

3) That's why I changed tactics a bit. I only partially unrolled my hay last week. Promoting as much as possible, until the ground freezes, the "plants" - those that remain, those that want to grow on their own (or those that I sow if I have no choice, the EVs!). The rest will be done when the weather is nice again.

4) Roots, as mentioned earlier, improve structure. Even if the "perforation" capacity that I mentioned is disputed by some, it is a fact that an abundant root hair will have a visibly positive effect on the "soil structure". That to do this the roots have "exploited" existing micro-cracks which they then widened or that they have perforated the ground is the sodomization of fruit flies

1) so now, in winter, that this growth is greatly slowed down or stopped (cold), the microbial activity must be too?

2) for the EVs, if by chance they survive a mild winter, what do you think should be done: crush them, mow them... but probably not uproot them I suppose?

3) maybe show all this in a next video? ( a long time ago...)

4) But I totally agree, I have no problems with that... although in slightly clayey soil, I see that it grows, and rather well, so they must finding their way, my roots (even the carrots, they weren't bad last year, and few forks compared to 2016)

[Did67]

I took the time to watch the 3h video recommended by sicetaisimple!

That's it, I started!!! [but not finished]

On what I saw (a little over 30 minutes):

- we agree on the essentials (even if for my taste, he puts too much emphasis on bacteria in his presentation of his soil - I speak, in my visits, rather of a soil that works well thanks to a balance to be found between bacteria and fungi, without forgetting the worms, of course)
- I'm not surprised to hear him say that at 3, 1 m² of mounds, it's too much, from the point of view of the time it takes
- all the more surprising since he then explains that the mounds are made with a tractor!
- this therefore underlines a "defect" for me that is prohibitive of the mounds; for my part, I did not understand why it makes mounds ??? (maybe it will come?) I would be tempted to say that after this observation, it would have been a long time since I gave up!
- I found it funny that he also uses the term couscous; you have to believe that this comes spontaneously to agronomists when they touch "naturally structured" soil!
- we have the same analysis on "mulching": "defects" of straw [depressive effect, does not feed bacteria enough so no aggradation - I am delighted to hear that from the mouth of a professional , because people don't believe me, straw is so popular!], interest of hay, which is more balanced...
- not impressed at all by his tomatoes [to be polite and not to say that I found them very skinny!]

Comments to follow in next issue.

[sicetaitsimple]

That's why I changed my tactics a bit. I only partially unrolled my hay last week. Promoting as much as possible, until the soil freezes, the "plants" - those that remain, those that want to grow well on their own (or those that I sow if I am not given a choice, the EVs!). The rest will be done when the weather is nice again.

Interesting to see the "tactic" gradually evolving. Aren't you afraid that this gives some perennials time to "restore their health"?

[Did67]

Excellent remark: in fact, after 3 or 4 years of phenoculture, there are hardly any left in my house! It's very surprising how the ground is invaded above all by "creepers" of the Veronica type, chickweed, oxalis - and some grasses, some nettles - which I'm not afraid of, some plantains... Everything has become "nice" my house !!!

[Nevertheless I put a spade on a few rumex plants - wild sorrel -; at least one plant must have flowered and infested the “top” plot of onions; so there, yes, not masochist, I dug up as long as its main root was still a big string and I didn't wait for it to be a rope!]

But when the situation is less favourable, we can "boost" nice plants that we sow/oversow (sow on top): mustard, phacelia, clover... They will control the scene...

I'm going to make a video of one of the boards being returned to pretty much a prairie state! But as I mate the meadow, it does not worry me for a second! Of course, in this place, no seedlings, but plantations (too many roots).

[sicetaitsimple]

Excellent remark: in fact, after 3 or 4 years of phenoculture, there are hardly any left in my house!

Happy man! This is perhaps a downside to underline concerning the use of EVs and more generally of weeds in live cover: yes, but if the initial "housekeeping" has been done well.