Soil

[Susan BBPM]

Correct. Pots are manipulations where the inputs are not controlled by nature. In the soil the bacteria, through enzyamatic dissolving, can even break down rocks and minerals. The plants exchange carbon for this service, and the bacteria are a fertilizing food source for fungi. I do not know if you noticed, but the fall leaf drop is supplemented with fresh greens and other storm droppings across a year in the forest. 1 application of compost is not enough, nor full cycle naturally speaking. And there is nothing in coir or pear moss to eat the compost, so it breaks a natural cycle.

Demonstrated symbiotic relationships such as the endo (inside) and ecto (outside) mycorrhizal connections to roots systems are part of the voodoo legends surrounding the mysterious yet natural no dig concepts. I say that because I have never seen a plant dig a hole for its seed.

On the other hand when I have let my garden run free it turned into a less productive environment. Too much uncontrolled competition is the problem with natural selection and modern productivity expectations for gardening.

If you lower your expectations or plant more seed it is less work but takes more room. Again I have never seen a tree with a bank account to own a deed so we all try to be economical gardeners. The various themes about different types or methods of gardening are usually combined on the internet and it causes confusion.

Indoors and Hydro, pots, raised bed, in ground planting all have a cycle that is different some ways to each other. Recognizing those differences requires a certain distance or perspective and it seems a human condition to see the trees rather than the forest. Then again I have seen trees in very large (Huge!) pots so technically one might point out that there are transitional moments between methods. But mostly it is simpler than all that.

No dig is a old offshoot of the forest floor. Recently it aquired a sexy new marketing campaign via the internet chat rooms. But what works in one area will not in another. My weeds can grow faster than a squash plant and that is impressive.

So the store bought (cheap) compost I buy works primarily because of the slow release fertilizer they put in? It's just a medium for keeping moisture levels constant and to supply fertilizer to the plants?

One thing I've tried this year (and so far it seems worthwhile) is to cut the bottom off of large pots and place them on the soil. I've used this for potatoes - so a cross between container grown and in the ground. It's worked extremely well - I've had my best crops from these tubs. Better than in ground, container grown and raised beds.

But my main reason for doing this is I figured I could treat them like garden beds - instead of emptying them out and replacing the compost each year I plan to put a few inches of fresh garden compost on top.

 

[DirtMechanic]

So the store bought (cheap) compost I buy works primarily because of the slow release fertilizer they put in? It's just a medium for keeping moisture levels constant and to supply fertilizer to the plants?

One thing I've tried this year (and so far it seems worthwhile) is to cut the bottom off of large pots and place them on the soil. I've used this for potatoes - so a cross between container grown and in the ground. It's worked extremely well - I've had my best crops from these tubs. Better than in ground, container grown and raised beds.

But my main reason for doing this is I figured I could treat them like garden beds - instead of emptying them out and replacing the compost each year I plan to put a few inches of fresh garden compost on top.

Haha! Raised Beds!

 

[Susan BBPM]

Haha! Raised Beds!

Raised beds work fantastically for me.

Last spring I used some 4 inch pieces of wood to make lots of square and l-shaped beds on my front lawn. There has been weed filled lawn there for 20 year and prior to that a field. The lawn is a mix of clay and builders rubble. I put in 4 inches of the cheapest compost I could buy and planted it up with summer bedding some perennials and some veg. All did wonderfully well - I didn't fertilize at all.

In December I added a very thin (2 inches at most) layer of garden compost on all the beds.

This year I planted some more bedding plants and in two of the 4 foot square beds I put some left over onion sets and seed potatoes. The flower beds look fabulous - and I harvested 100 lovely, big onions and a good 20 kg of potatoes.

The compost has mixed in with the soil and there's now nice looking soil going down about 8 inches.

I have quite a few deep raised beds in my back garden (levelling off a slope), and more informal beds where I just threw down cardboard and a bit of compost then planted up. Beans, corn, summer and winter squash, potatoes, peas, beets, carrots - and lots of flowers - all doing great. 3 months ago it was just grass and weeds on clay.

I chose raised beds because I didn't want to dig, but in our climate you often need them to get the roots out of constantly wet soil.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Raised beds work fantastically for me.

Last spring I used some 4 inch pieces of wood to make lots of square and l-shaped beds on my front lawn. There has been weed filled lawn there for 20 year and prior to that a field. The lawn is a mix of clay and builders rubble. I put in 4 inches of the cheapest compost I could buy and planted it up with summer bedding some perennials and some veg. All did wonderfully well - I didn't fertilize at all.

In December I added a very thin (2 inches at most) layer of garden compost on all the beds.

This year I planted some more bedding plants and in two of the 4 foot square beds I put some left over onion sets and seed potatoes. The flower beds look fabulous - and I harvested 100 lovely, big onions and a good 20 kg of potatoes.

The compost has mixed in with the soil and there's now nice looking soil going down about 8 inches.

I have quite a few deep raised beds in my back garden (levelling off a slope), and more informal beds where I just threw down cardboard and a bit of compost then planted up. Beans, corn, summer and winter squash, potatoes, peas, beets, carrots - and lots of flowers - all doing great. 3 months ago it was just grass and weeds on clay.

I chose raised beds because I didn't want to dig, but in our climate you often need them to get the roots out of constantly wet soil.

That sounds both wonderful and very familiar! One thing @Chuck taught me was using sugar to soften that deep soil. Molasses works but sorghum molasses may be cheaper in the south. It is a carbon feed for all those little buggies and a weak but consistant application will make a hyphae water wick 10s of feet deep.

 

[Susan BBPM]

He (or someone) mentioned that to me. I need to look into it some more.

 

[DirtMechanic]

He (or someone) mentioned that to me. I need to look into it some more.

It is a great tip for the people of the clay

 

[headfullofbees]

The beautiful red earth of Cyprus, which is high in iron is ideal for tomatoes as well as potatoes, with just a few nutrients added at fruiting stage.
Yia su

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The beautiful red earth of Cyprus, which is high in iron is ideal for tomatoes as well as potatoes, with just a few nutrients added at fruiting stage.
Yia su

Strange when they originate on the other side of the world isn't it. How do maize and Acapulco gold do?

 

[headfullofbees]

Amaizingly well.

 

[Lmbauer2017]

He (or someone) mentioned that to me. I need to look into it some more.

Here’s a thread showing the progression of turning my pure clay front yard into a workable garden (a good read but verrry long and still ongoing). The post linked is Mr. Chuck’s first mention of the molasses. It’s been about 1.5 (or two?) months since and now I can dig the soil with just my fingers. Unreal…

Post in thread 'I may need to till my no-till garden'
https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/i-may-need-to-till-my-no-till-garden.25766/post-230956

 

[DirtMechanic]

Has anyone compared the price of fertilizer to sugar? Of course they will think you are making moonshine when you haul off 25 or 50 pound bags of sugar.

 

[headfullofbees]

Has anyone compared the price of fertilizer to sugar? Of course they will think you are making moonshine when you haul off 25 or 50 pound bags of sugar.

Has anyone compared the price of fertilizer to sugar? Of course they will think you are making moonshine when you haul off 25 or 50 pound bags of sugar.

Best do both then!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Wife: Honey, why is there a space heater and 5 gallon buckets in the bathroom?

Me: Close the door! The Sake is sleeping!