[Terrapreta] Forestland management

[MFH]

Greg

 

Many thanks for detailed reply. I doubt if I can add much to the directions
you are taking. In particular, Aquaponics can feed your family.

 

For pumice I quickly googled "pumice, colorado" and several sites advertised
bricks that were a pumice/cement mix so its obviously available in the State

 

>From the websites you listed re Colorado soils, similar rising salts have
caused devastation in many previously prime farming areas in Australia.
Basic reason is that once the trees with deep tap roots were removed, the
water table rose, bringing with it a mix of undesirable salts. Best solution
is to re-establish the tree cover.

 

A couple of useful plants for your conditions may be Pigeon Pea and Tree
Lucerne. Some more information:

 

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/seeds/info_sheet/tagasaste.html

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/seeds/info_sheet/pigeon_pea.html

 

Best of luck - it's a wonderful challenge.

 

Max H

 

 

  _____  

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Greg and April
Sent: Monday, 21 April 2008 8:27 AM
To: 'Terra Preta'
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Forestland management

 

Max & Tom,

I'm going to combine your posts. and take the questions one at a time, with
the answers in Blue.

Location?    Colorado - specificaly, the land I'm looking at is around
Calhan.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: MFH 
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 2:31
Subject: RE: [Terrapreta] Forestland management


Greg, some comments on your aim to convert sand into soil. Pardon me if you
already know most of this.
 
Bear in mind that I don't know where you are or what materials may be
available within reasonable distance, or at what cost.
 
a)       you don't need soil to grow plants, as proved by hydroponics.
However I believe that food grown in active soil is far more beneficial than
artificially-grown.

Understand - that's why I'm figuring on Aquaculture in the greenhouse for
many vegtable crops rather than hydroponics.    While the base medium is
fairly inert, the water is very biologicaly active - for an idea of what can
be done, try:
http://www.fastonline.org/images/manuals/Aquaculture/Aquaponic_Information/b
arrelponics_manual_email.pdf 

( if you don't what to know how to build a small system, jump right to pg 92
and see what several small systems can be come when combined ) 

b)       first step is a soil test - maybe all essential elements are
deficient, but maybe some are there in reasonable quantities. 
c)       this will also give you a pH result and pH is critical. Sea water
is moderately alkaline but I'd assume even your low rainfall has leached
this out 

 

Yes and no.    In some places it is locked in.    For a quick look at what
Colorado farmers face, check:  

 

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00503.html 

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00521.html  

Not just high ph, but saline and sodic issues - in some cases where there is
clay, it is still loaded with sodium, calicum and even magnesium salts, and
the low rain fall and high ph prevents the leaching of the salts out of the
root zone.


d)       If your land slopes, consider swales to concentrate moisture and
nutrients   
e)       if you don't have any surface water (e.g. creeks), look at a
storage pond at the end of the swales, with plastic liners or clay or
diatomaceous earth. Anything to capture the 3" of rain if and when it
happens

 

Aware of this possability, but as arid as this area is, they might be of
more use as salt collection areas rather than water retention.    Had
another idea that I'll speak on in relation to clay below.


f)         the single best additive is clay - will help to bind the sand and
add to water retention

 

Agreed, there are some high quality bentonite mines about 500-600 miles
north, so the possability of having some trucked in, is not out of the
question ( yet ).    I had the thought that digging a deep furrow on the
contour lines, and filling it with clay, creating a "dyke" if you will.
The excess water durring storms being absorbed by the clay, then planting
trees just to the south, shading the "dyke", keeping the water from being
baked out of the clay, while the trees tap the water traped by the clay.


g)       equally good is compost. If you're near a town you may be able to
encourage restaurants to keep their food scraps separate, for example
h)       any animal manure is a great additive to the compost pile, e.g.
from a dairy
i)         even un-composted, animal manure is a good additive straight on
to the plot

 

Agreed, althow I am planning to pasture most of the animals.


j)         if you're near a coast and seaweed is available, pile it on
k)       avoid woody waste, e.g. sawdust and shavings - they suck N out of
the soil
l)         pumice is also a great additive and has some properties similar
to charcoal. Its available in some parts of the US

 

Not sure where I would find any around here.


m)     char will be of enormous benefit but for quick results you'll need to
add an NPK fertiliser. Test information indicates that char is great at
storing nutrients but if they are not there in the first place this may take
a very long time

 

This is why I'm thinking to add the char to the beding of the confined
animals, so it starts absorbing the nutrients right off.


n)       probably better for your situation not to grind the char to fine,
so as to maximise moisture retention

 

Possably - I was also thinking on using larger pieces ( pea to marble size
as the growing medum in the growbeds of the aquaponic set up )


o)       use zero-till practices. This helps to retain moisture.
Unfortunately ZT is best when herbicides are used and if you're aiming to be
organic this is difficult.

 

There are some other posabilities, that I'm exploring - specificly using pig
tractoring to initialy clear parts and then planting quick growing plants
just before the monsoon seasion hits.


p)       avoid fire like the plague

 

Yes and no.    Depending on how and when it's used - it can be a great tool
or a great liability.    I know of a few farmers that alow the local
volenteer fire dept to make use of a fallow field at the end of the fallow
period.

 

I'll be honist, historicaly natural fire, was a common occurance in summers,
and the fields that have gone wild, always just snap right back after a fire
occures.


q)       start a serious worm farm, using composting worms, particularly if
you have an economical nearby source for food scraps, animal manure, or even
carcasses like from a broiler farm
r)        don't waste your own poo - use composting worms to convert. They
will remove all pathogens. Asians have used human waste for thousands of
years. I believe that this hasn't had any detrimental side effects because
the soil has remained active and not been killed by fertilisers, herbicides,
pesticides and fungicides.

 

I was figuring on a slightly different system, using our waste to fertalize
a section of field that was used to grow materials specificaly for
composting ( and charing ).


s)       For an area that you don't want to grow food on for a while, cover
with old carpet (preferably wool or cotton), cardboard cartons etc. All
sorts of activity starts to happen in the moist layer under

 

I was planning on planting to crown vetch, that has roots like few others -
that sink real deep, and while it put's up with lot's of drought, it will
make use of the water from sudden storms, and will grow a 18" or so and
totaly shade the soil.


t)        Use "green" soaps and keep all your grey water to irrigate with.
Keep your wee separate and mix with the grey water
u)       Plant legumes - cover crop, shrubs and trees
v)        If you have rabbits and chickens and pigs and whatever, have night
houses for them to concentrate their wastes

 

Figured on inoculating char this way, although I was going to pasture pigs
after the cows ( but bring them in a night - figured that any coyote would
think twice when having to deal with a mother hog when trying to get to the
chickens.


w)      If you end up with water storage use sub-surface trickle irrigation
 

I already make quite a bit of use with soaker hose - it does a great job at
minamal effort.


If you can let me have some more specific information I'd love to be able to
offer more specific advice. Certainly you can achieve great results. The
Israeli's in particular are amongst the best at making deserts bloom.
 
Max H
 
 

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