On the path to 6 consecutive years of No N, P, K Required

[Meadowlark]

Background
For the past 5 consecutive years, my spring starting beds have tested " No N, P, K required" without the use of any synthetic fertilizers. For the past thirty years or so, this same soil has had zero pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides applied...and any other "cides". It is my intent that year 6 will continue this. The starting beds for Year 6 were preceded by crops in 2024 followed by Sunn Hemp cover, followed by Rye/Turnip/Radish/Clover mix.

Spring 2025
The spring planting here kind of starts about mid-March exception being onions which went in Oct.15 and potatoes which I normally plant Valentine's Day. To be ready for the mid-March planting, I need to start now, today.

Shown below is the starting point...the entire area covered with the remains of the winter/fall cover crop of Rye/Turnip/Radish/Clover mix.

The first step is to mow it down with lawn mower...takes about 5 minutes or so.

The next step is to disc the cover in...note a lot of turnip and radish roots.

Still a lot of root pieces showing so made a second disc pass total time required about 30 minutes to this point

Time to let Nature do its thing. I'll wait two to three weeks now for this organic matter to be absorbed and then disc again.

At about four weeks I will run a soil test...stay tuned for results.

 

[redback]

Do you have compost heaps/bins?
Do you mulch or top dress?
You have probably answered these questions before, but I have forgotten.

 

[pepper2.0]

Do you have compost heaps/bins?
Do you mulch or top dress?
You have probably answered these questions before, but I have forgotten.

Knowing @Meadowlark and his gardening, I have to place my bet on all the above lol

 

[Meadowlark]

Do you have compost heaps/bins?

More like piles. I push up cow manure, urine, hay droppings, and some topsoil into piles with my bulldozer, and the pile heats up and turns into rich amendments. I use this as a general soil amendment mostly between plantings, i.e. between a crop harvest and cover crop planting and between a cover crop planting and a crop harvest planting.

I also make what I call "Super Duper" compost.

When the above piles are ready happens to usually correspond to when I have green Sunn Hemp available. If you aren't familiar with this stuff, I encourage you to check it out. It is amazing.

At any rate, I layer the green Sunn Hemp cuttings with the above composted cow compost in large 200 lbs tubs.

The result is something unequaled in a commercially available product. Run this through a sifter and it is dynamite, absolute dynamite.

I make 600 to 800 pounds of this annually and use it in special projects, e.g. seed starting, ornamental transplants, etc.

Do you mulch or top dress?

Not much, I find I don't need to. The slow release of the compost feeds each crop usually through harvest.

I might add each of the above "cow manure compost" and "Super Duper" compost test out at "No N, P, K required"....soil test results available on request.

Generous use of these completely obviate the need for any synthetic fertilizers.

Questions welcome.

 

[pepper2.0]

how long does it take the sunn hemp to grow? I always rotate my gardens and have at least one that is inactive for the season to beef up with fert but not sure if the hemp will do much here in Canada. Basically July and august are the only two hot months here. Last year I planted a ton of crimson clover, tilled it on and re-planted it to till again in the spring this year. Also put a bunch in compost containers.

 

[Meadowlark]

how long does it take the sunn hemp to grow?

In my climate, it is absolutely amazing. You need 10-12 weeks at warm temps to gain full benefit. If temps are lower and/or time shorter, I don't know but would suspect just less production.

At full maturity, 150 lbs of nitrogen added per acre is not unusual. No Joke, this stuff is the real deal in the right situation.

 

[pepper2.0]

In my climate, it is absolutely amazing. You need 10-12 weeks at warm temps to gain full benefit. If temps are lower and/or time shorter, I don't know but would suspect just less production.

At full maturity, 150 lbs of nitrogen added per acre is not unusual. No Joke, this stuff is the real deal in the right situation.

I could probably pull that off, can't be much different then the top shelf cannabis I grow lol

 

[redback]

If you aren't familiar with this stuff, I encourage you to check it out. It is amazing.

Thanks for the lead. I haven't seen it - I will get more serious about finding it.
I was a hobby farmer with a tractor once and I couldn't remember if I had compost or mulched. I think I had large piles of cut grass that turned into humus if you left it for a year. I had a chook (poultry) run with three separate pens that I rotated and planted out when the chooks had cleaned up. All my kitchen scraps went there.
Thanks for the answers and I look forward to progress reports.

 

[Meadowlark]

I could probably pull that off, can't be much different then the top shelf cannabis I grow lol

In your climate, you might consider alfalfa. It is a garden soil super food. It is a bit hard to grow here but I used it a bunch until I found Sunn Hemp which is perfect for my climate and needs. I still use it some in rotations.

A lot of people will actually buy alfalfa pellets that are sold at Ag. stores as animal food. They use it in their gardens. It really is a super food for soil.

 

[redback]

Lucerne (alfalfa) is a permanent crop here and is very good in compost, as mulch and as chook food. Despite our heatwave and drought my lucerne is still growing without irrigation. Very deep roots are its secret.
I presume when you say you use it in rotation - you mean as a green manure that you plough in when immature.

 

[Meadowlark]

...I presume when you say you use it in rotation - you mean as a green manure that you plough in when immature.

Bingo! again .

Additionally, I like to mow it several times in place over time (chop and drop) before discing and get more organic matter that provides more nitrogen to the soil.

 

[Tundra20]

In your climate, you might consider alfalfa. It is a garden soil super food. It is a bit hard to grow here but I used it a bunch until I found Sunn Hemp which is perfect for my climate and needs. I still use it some in rotations.

A lot of people will actually buy alfalfa pellets that are sold at Ag. stores as animal food. They use it in their gardens. It really is a super food for soil.

wow just had a guy tell me i should add this and was gona ask everyone on here what they thought
can this be added to my rasied beds thru out the growin season ??

 

[Meadowlark]

Are we talking about the alfalfa pellets? If so, sure. That is a great way to use it. I've done that many times.

 

[Tundra20]

yes sorry i didnt make that clear i will be getting some