Having second thoughts about back to eden

[Chic Rustler]

I'm having second thoughts about this back to Eden thing. The nitrogen lock up is getting frustrating. I can't get legumes to grow! They seem to need as much fertilizer as squash and tomatoes!...which btw I have to fertilize weekly.

I'm really thinking of tilling it all in this winter. All the nitrogen is locked up anyway. Then maybe if I tilled in a few truck loads of horse crap I may have something.


The delayed sprouting sucks too. Seeds don't want to germinate early because it takes longer for the soil to get warmed up because of all the mulch.


So far the only upside is less watering and no tilling. But guys around town who are tilling have plants that are way bigger than mine because they started earlier and better nitrogen...i guess.


Today I mulched all the plants with some well aged, broken down rabbit manure. Hopefully it will help things along.

 

[baymule]

For a nitrogen boost, get some fresh chicken poop (under the roost) and put in a bucket, fill with water. Stir a couple times a day for several days. Strain out, pour in a pump up sprayer and spray plants at the roots. Or pour in a watering can and water at the roots. If you need a lot, use more buckets.

Since rabbit manure is "cold" and can be used fresh, do that and capture the urine soaked manure. The urine will give plants a boost. Well rotted aged compost has lost the urine.

I use sheep manure right out of the sheep lot. I never compost it. Since I deep litter, I use chicken poop right out of the coop. I don't pile it up, I apply it straight to the garden. The chickens have already composted it for me.

horse manure should be composted because it carries weed and grass seeds. But I have cleaned out the barn and dumped it straight on the garden too. I guess I don't follow the rules.......

 

[Chic Rustler]

I've been using the rabbit manure tea. It does ok. But it's so slow!

I might try the chicken manure. Main thing is I need to commit to memory not to think legumes don't need fertilized. My heavy feeders are doing ok, but they have been getting fertilized every week since I planted them.

 

[BarredBuff]

Legumes need fertility--- just not nitrogen. They still need the other macro nutrients and the micronutrients. I would be cautious with chicken manure because it may be "too hot."

As a side note, the biggest key to a great garden is building up soil organic matter. Growing cover crops, applying manure and compost, and mulching during the season is the best way to build that up. However, it must be tilled in to improve the organic matter present in the soil and then microbes and worms will begin to break it down. Over time, you will find the soil holds water better, has more fertility, and a better tilth. It takes time.

The lack of TLC for the soil organic matter over the past four years is my greatest challenge this year since returning home. We can just try our best and hope it works out.

 

[tortoise]

Have you done a soil test? Would be a shame if nitrogen is not the issue and then you till in the wood chip and add a nitrogen issue that wasn't there before.

Another possibility is moving the chips to inbetween the rows. Then when they break down sufficiently into beautiful BTE soil, then use them for planting rows. Put new chips on the previous planting area for walking aisles. I may try this in my garden to get started in BTE-ish and avoid some of the problems people seem to have in the first 1 - 2 seasons.

 

[Beekissed]

Takes patience for any no till heavy mulch system to get going. It's recommended to add some nitrogen rich fertilizer for the first few years until the chips are mulched down. That's why Paul uses his chicken compost liberally, even after years of having chips on the soil.

I've had second AND third thoughts about BTE and have moved on over to the hay mulch instead. I'm well pleased with it as it doesn't filter down into the soil when you dig holes for your seedlings, so it doesn't lock up any nutrients except for right on the surface where it makes contact...even then it doesn't lock up as much nitrogen as wood does as less is required to bond with the carbon found in hay. Plus, the worms are busy eating it and leaving their worm castings right at or under the soil level, which is nutrients enough.

I wouldn't till it in....then you are locked into adding nitrogen for years until all that wood is composted in the soils, which could take years. That's one of the biggest mistakes I've seen people make with this method...no patience, get in a hurry, till the chips in and ruin that garden plot for years to come.

 

[Chic Rustler]

well I reckon I'll just stay the coarse then. But next year I'll be digging holes to fill with compost and planting the legumes in that.

 

[Britesea]

If you feel too frustrated about the nitrogen lock-up, pee on it. It'll help with nitrogen AND express your frustration, lol.