[Terrapreta] TP Secondary Benefits

[William Carr]

I just noticed something....


This season I did the TP Trench Method in a 20 ft long by 3 ft wide  
plot and then planted some tomatoes there.


I was expecting secondary benefits;   that heat-treating the soil would

a) kill the inimical bacteria in the soil so I could re-introduce  
healthy microflora; and

b) unlock some of the trapped N and K into bio-available forms.


I think I may have chanced on a third benefit.


Many of the tomatoes first planted in the “Control” patch were killed.


I surmised the problem might be cutworms and, since I had a large  
supply of cloned seedlings, replaced the lost plants and wrapped the  
stems with aluminum foil cones.



The replacement plants also died !     Sheared off at soil level.


Also, even some older, established plants were damaged by having  
branches lopped off,  up to 12 inches above soil level.



So I tried waxed paper collars, and out of desperation planted more  
seedlings in my protected, fenced off area I use for beans ( on the  
theory it might be a raccoon ).



Want to guess what happened?


Most of those plants also died.   It seems that my garden has a  
terrible cutworm infestation this year.    Or ....  Ninja Raccoons,  
equipped with fence climbing equipment.


So I planted the last of my seedlings, powdered the ground around them  
with diatomaceous Earth, and as of yesterday evening had only lost one  
more seedling.



Then I happened to glance at the TP patch and wondered why those  
plants were immune.


Some of the plants that were killed were damaged a foot above the  
ground, but these were untouched.


Because they had thicker stems ... or because the heat from the  
burning coals killed off all the cutworm larvae in that soil ???

Hmmm.


William Carr