Just a Little Blurb Today

So I honestly don't have much for you today.  I got a few to many Christmas sweets in my belly and that has made me a bit on the lazy side.

So instead of writing a big long spiel about something that has to do with sustainable living I will instead direct you to a article on Treehugger.  It about a autonomous house built in England that has no furnace for heating and is not connected to any of the grid utilities.  It showcases a standard of building that I believe will be so important in years to come as our resources dwindle and our demand increases.

I hope you enjoy it,

Cropthorne Autonomous House

Where Did Corn Come From?

Corn is wonder of the modern world.  We grow more corn today in American than any other crop.  Its uses are diverse, from feeding our cattle to providing the sweetener in our candies  It also is one of the main sources of ethanol that we grow in this country.

This history of corn goes back thousands years and all the way to Central America where it was first domesticated.  Most historians believe that corn was first domesticated in the Tuehucan Valley of Mexico after interbreeding was done by early farmers of the area.  Then through centuries of selective breeding keeping only the best of each season the modern varieties of corn were created.

Corn is not only the most important crop we grow today but it was important in ancient times. Historical evidence shows that corn was grown from North Dakota to Argentina and was found to be in great number of varieties.  The diversification was a result of the great distances the plant traveled as it moved with the native groups that lived in the Americas.  They continued the domestication process of the plant and adapted it to withstand the climatic conditions of their specific area.

All of this domestication and breeding of specific traits led to the creation of a great variety of corn that gave us all sorts of wonderful flavors and interesting looks.

But alas times have changed for corn and the all the wonderful varieties have gone to the wayside in favor of high yielding, flavorless genetically stale specimens.  The problem with the corn we are growing today is that it is wholly dependent on a fossil fuel based agricultural system.  It requires massive inputs of pesticides, and fertilizers to grow which is not a sustainable approach to growing food.  If we expect to grow a sustainable future we cannot continue to rely solely on a industrially driven monoculture that can be wiped out by a unexpected disease or insect.  We need to grow diverse varieties of crops to fight against unexpected disasters that are potentially in our future.  So if you want to build a truly sustainable life you should grow your own food, save seed and eventually develop your own varieties of plants.    

Disposing of your Christmas Tree In a Sustainable Way

Like many of you out there I put up a Christmas tree to celebrate the holiday season.  But when the holidays are done it is time to dispose of the tree and there enters a conundrum.  Some communities offer a eco friendly option for tree disposal in the form of a composting or chipping service that will turn that tree into a useful product for the garden.  But in many town across the nation that does not hold true.  So if the only obvious option you have left is to send your tree to a landfill sealed up in a plastic bag then its time to consider less obvious options.

Firewood

If you have a wood stove, fireplace or grill that you can cook with wood in then the first solution is a easy one.  With a simple camp saw you can buck a Christmas tree into usable chunks fairly quickly. I really like this option because I will take my Christmas tree and cut it up and then save that firewood to grill my 4th of July meal over.  There is a certain balance to that I really like.  The limbs can be saved for excellent kindling as well, once they have had time to dry out. 

Compost Material

This option is another great one if you have pile set up or want to create one.  Cut branches are excellent for this as they provide a continuous source of carbon to the pile and they add lift to the pile which lets in more air to help the compost along.  You could add the trunk sections to the pile as well but the larger the chunks the longer they will take to decompose.

Arts and Crafts

I like to take chunks of my tree and turn them into little wood carvings, coasters, trivets for hot pans and things like this.  To use a tree for this purpose you would want to the trim the branches off and put it somewhere it can season for awhile.  This is crucial  as members of the pine and spruce family are prone to cracking if worked before they are properly seasoned.

With a little thought you can turn the chore of disposing of the Christmas tree into a opportunity to cook good food, enrich your garden, or surprise your family with your artistic side.  The choice is yours but if I was you how could I turn down a opportunity to turn some simple wood into a beautiful item.

Heating Your House With Firewood

Despite the fact that heating your house with wood does release CO2 into the atmosphere it does essentially amount to zero emissions when you take into account that there are new trees ready to absorb whatever CO2 is emitted from your chimney.  So if you harvest the wood in an ecological responsible manner then then firewood can be a very eco friendly heating material of choice.

There are 3 types of wood heaters that you can have in your home, the fireplace, wood stove and masonry heater/stove.  These three technologies all have their strengths and weaknesses and it depends on what your are looking for in a heating system.

Fireplaces

Fireplaces are beautiful to look at and have been a staple of home heating for thousands of years. The main issue that occurs with fireplaces is that they can be horribly inefficient when compared to wood stove and masonry stoves.  They will actually suck warm air from other rooms in the structure and make them cooler while only marginally heating the room they are in.

If a fire place is still the choice for you then make sure to use seasoned wood that burns cleanly and hot enough to throw a lot of heat.  You should also consider a fireplace design called a Rumford Fireplace.  These shallow fireplaces with a angled back increases airflow through the fire and out the chimney.  The design allows wood to burn much more cleanly and the angled back help reflect heat back out into the room better.

Wood Stoves 

Some of the first true wood stoves came around in the 18th century and they were immediately noticed to be more energy efficient than traditional fireplaces of the day.  There are many permutations of the wood stove but they all operate on the same basic principle.

Today wood stoves are very well engineered and have very high combustion efficiency which helps reduce the amount of fine particles that they produce.  The graph to the right shows the relative emissions of standard heating systems and as you can see the certified modern wood stove is vastly better than a fireplace.

They do have some disadvantages when it comes to safety and aesthetics.  The outside of the of the stove can become very hot and can easily hurt children or pets.  Plus many of them are very utilitarian in design and do not mesh with modern concepts of beauty.

Masonry Heater  

The advent of The Little Ice Age which precipitated a period of a severe and long winters was the primary driver behind the development of the masonry heater.  The colder temperatures put pressure on the existing forests and current heating technologies of the day which demanded a better system. What came about was a type of stove with a new design that could reclaim 90% or better of the heat generated by the fire and slowly released the heat into the space over the rest of the day.  This design also greatly increase increased burn efficiency of the wood which left very little residue and almost no chimney buildup.

Another perk of this design was the amount of wood that is used.  Most masonry heaters when used correctly will only have two quick very hot fires laid in twice a day for all day heating.  When compared to wood stoves or fireplaces that have to be fed all day long to maintain heat.  The major downside of a masonry stove is the size and the cost to have them built.  It will cost into the thousands of dollars for even the smallest one but the money is well worth it for a good masonry stove.  

Getting Ready for Spring Planting Today

Getting ready for the garden this coming spring is more about what plan you put into place this winter than it is about tilling the soil and planting the seeds.  Getting a solid plan into place can save you a lot of headache in the spring.

The first thing you should do is take a look at notes you should have been taking during the summer.  Good notes along with pictures will act as a record of what you had success and failures with.  For example I kept a log that I put in planting dates, germination dates, rainfall and production success of plant varieties.

Planning The Crop Rotation

You should always try and avoid planting the same species or even family of plants in the same section of the garden year after year.  This can lead to disease, pest and weed issues if not properly managed.  The modern approach is to spray the whole garden down with disease and insect killing chemicals and not give a crap about the consequences.  By using crop rotations you can reduce or eliminate the need for these chemicals and get a healthy garden from it.

Looking at Seed 

The first step to looking for good seed to try in your garden is to make sure the plants they grow are compatible with your area.  The last thing you want to do it try to grow something that wasn't meant to grow in your area.  

The second step is to make sure what you are growing is a heirloom plant that will produce seed that you can plant next year.  Many common vegetables and farm crops are hybrids which can grow some great produce this year but will not grow true to the hybrid characteristic next year if you save the seed.  By growing only heirloom varieties you can save seed and eventually grown plants that are adapted to your area.

The final item when it comes to looking at seed it to keep it reasonable what you order/buy.  You only have so much space in your garden and you shouldn't devote the entire thing to untested varieties of plants.  Every year you should always try something new until you get what you feel is the perfect mix for you but even then I still might devote a small part of any garden to new things.

Getting Everything Clean 

Winter is the perfect time to clean and sanitize your seed starting equipment.  Everything from the seed cups, trays, lights and tools used to plant should be sanitized to prevent any transmission of diseases from year to year.  Many seed starting manuals recommend heavy washing and solution of bleach but I believe that a good hot water washing and drying should be sufficient.        

Science of Sustainability- How Do Seeds Germinate?

The ability of seeds to endure harsh conditions and only germinate when the conditions are good is a miracle of the natural world.  A seed is essentially life in a pill form that is just waiting to spring into action as soon as it can.

The process by which a seed germinates is a simple one with lots of fancy terms used to described it. To sum it up when a seed is exposed to water at the correct range of temperatures the seed will absorb or drink up water.  This water enters the cells in  the seed and swells them up with water.  At the same time the metabolic activity of the seed starts up and puts a whole sequence of events in play.

 
First to emerge is the radicle of the plant which develops into the primary tap root of the plant.  Then as the seed continues to expand the first shoot and cotyledon comes out the top of the seed.  The cotyledon is the structure that contains the first leaves of the plant and this will soon open up and expose them to the sun and air.

Once the cotyledon opens up and the first true leaves are exposed then you have a plant in its true form.

What can affect germination? 

Germination can be affected by quite a few factors that exist in the natural world.  Water is the crucial agent that starts the germination process and as such it is the once that can affect it the most.  To much water and you can restrict oxygen from entering the seeds cells as they are growing and this will slow or kill the seed as it germinating.  As I am sure you can imagine the opposite is true as well to little water and the see dries up halfway through the germination process.

Temperature is also a key factor in germination success.  It needs to be warm enough on a consistent basis in the soil for the seeds to get the hint that now is the time to germinate.  Temperature can also affect germination in other ways as well.  For example some seed types need prolonged exposure to cold temperatures before they will be able to germinate in the spring.  Other seeds will need to be soaked or put through a process called scarification which weakens the seed coat enough for water and oxygen to penetrate it.

Stay tuned for more Science of Sustainability topics      

Science of Sustainability- Long Term Effects of Cultivation.

Cultivation has been a tried and true practice for agriculture since its beginnings.  But in recent years we have begun to understand what the long term negative effects it can have on your soil.  The negatives are not little ones either and repairing them will take long term changes in how we conduct agriculture.  While there are many different consequences to much tillage I am just going to quickly gloss over three of the most common ones.      

Soil Compaction

Soil compaction occurs when soil is compressed under weight from either a machine or animal.  Now some compaction is a natural occurrence and it is remedied by natural methods.  But when you introduce tillage into the equation it alters the balance between the soil compacting forces and the   soil loosening forces.  Now if you have ever seen a garden after it is freshly tilled you will notice that the soil is light, fluffy and very loose.  This fluffy top layer however covers up what is happening beneath the tilled layer.  When an area is under constant tillage you can loosen the top part of the soil but beneath it will be forming a plow pan layer.

A plow pan is a layer of soil that gets super compacted from being constantly run over by heavy machinery or organisms, but is never loosened because it forms beyond the reach of the tillage equipment.  While this layer is beyond the reach of tillage equipment it is not beyond the reach of most roots.  Plants put roots down deep in search of water and nutrients and when they hit this layer they can't get through it.  This cuts them off from things that they need and this can really hurt plant success.        

Loss of Organic Matter

Cultivation is the primary driver behind the loss of soil organic matter.  The decay process is hindered in the soil by how much oxygen is available to microorganisms.  When the soil is cultivated oxygen floods into the system and stimulates the microorganisms to do what they do and that is break down organic matter.  What happens is the rapid consumption of the organic matter which then reduces soil health and also releases CO2 back into the atmosphere.  Through continuous cultivation you can destroy even the most fertile of soils and are then forced to supplement the soil with a growing amount of fossil fuels nutrients.      

Reduced Populations of Soil Organisms

How would you like it if a tornado, wildfire, earthquake, and a flood all hit your house at the same time.  It would ruin your day and that is in essence what we do to soil organisms every time we till the soil.  So in a traditional industrial agriculture operation that would be twice a year at the minimum.  You can imagine that this might effect how successful certain organisms are at surviving. The larger the organism the greater the impact that tillage has on them.  But the larger organisms like earthworms are critical in processing decaying organic matter and they also loosen and aerate the soil with their movements.  When you reduce the population of these little guys you are directly impacting how loose, friable and nutrient rich your soil is.

Their is a place for tillage in the garden or farm and should be a tool that you have available.  But by keeping in mind what the long term consequences are you may be able to do something to mitigate them. There are options out there like cover crops and mulching which can accomplish many of the same things that tillage does without the same problems.

Stay tuned for more Science of Sustainability topics.

Two Documentaries to Inspire You to Change Your Life

Over the years I have read and watched as many sustainable lifestyle books and documentaries as I could in order to find what I could be doing in order to live a more sustainable existence.  While I couldn't begin to narrow down my favorite books as there are so many.  I do have just two documentaries that I can place among my favorites.

No Impact Man   

This documentary follows the life of Colin Beavan as he takes himself, his wife and two year old daughter on a journey to live a no impact life in New York City.

I like this documentary because it starts off as a idea just to live with as minimal impact as possible but it changes into full examination of the modern family and the lifestyle they live.

He and his wife discover by the end of it that living with no electricity and eating only locally grown food while challenging at times comes with its own rewards as well.  In my opinion this movie is a must see for those that want to live a no impact life and those that like a good story about a man, a women and a crazy idea.

I will tell you right now though that this film is not primer on how to live a green, sustainable lifestyle.  While you do see some of the techniques that Colin uses its more about the inter personal conflicts and overcoming the challenges of trying to do this in a modern day city.

Garbage Warrior    

This particular films follows the exploits of a oddball architect living in New Mexico as he strives to make homes out of garbage.  Now it't not as disgusting as it may sound.  He successfully builds homes that provide heating, cooling, water filtration, food and comfortable living all off the grid. Each home is built as it's own self supporting entity that can provide for a family.  

Sounds like a great idea but the local building inspectors and State government do not agree.  So our architect leaves the comfort of his unique life and goes to the state capitol to try and get permission for him to build these homes.  I don't want to ruin the movie for you so I won't say what happens but it is easy to see the brilliance of this man and the validity of the arguments that he makes throughout the movie.

I really love this film for its take on the housing issue that really needs to be addressed in this country. We build housing without regard for climate, sun orientation or environmental cost and that is something that we simply cannot afford to do anymore.  If we even took some of the techniques used in the movie to heart we could significantly reduce the impact that our housing has on the planet.  

But that's enough from me if you have never see these movies and you have even the smallest interests in protecting the Earth then I think they deserve a viewing.

        

How To Improve Your Soil Year Round

When it comes to your soil you can usually never do enough to improve your soils ability to provide you with beautiful, nutritious, sustainably grown food.  I say usually because it is possible to overdo everything if you really put your mind to it.  But with a well thought out plan you can easily and consistently improve and maintain your soil at its peak performance.  I find the best way  to lay out a soil improvement plan is to do it by the season.

Spring    

Excellent cover crop mix of  rye grain, vetch, fuba bean
and red clover

Assuming you already have your garden layout planned, early spring is a great time for some soil improvement.  I would start off with a manure/compost application across the whole garden as soon as I can begin to work the soil.  Give that a couple weeks to incorporate fully into the soil as manure can be a little "hot" in both temperature and nutrients when first added to the garden.  If you tried seeding directly after a good manure application if could affect seed germination success and cause you to have to replant.  After a few weeks have past you can start planting cool season crops like carrots, beets and radishes assuming it's not to early for them.

For gardens where you will be planting transplants or warm season crops like peppers watermelons and tomatoes I would also suggest planting a cool season cover crop that has a legume in it.  This not only catches any nutrients that may be lost from the manure but it also adds organic matter to the soil through the roots and mulch that can be created from the tops of the cover crop.  Again you will want to terminate the cover crop 2-3 weeks before planting as that will give it time to decompose a little and provide a good bed for seedling transplant.

Summer

Summer is the time when the most activity takes place in the garden.  This time is also a great time for soil improvement as you can use a variety of techniques to help your soil out.  The number one thing you can do is cover your soil up with a nice layer of mulch.  Keeping it covered helps the soil stay moist and constantly supplied by organic matter and nutrients.  The organisms that live in the soil will love this constant supply of organic matter and will repay you by releasing nutrients and aerating the soil through their movements.  If you feel really ambitions you can interplant a cover crop like clover which can contribute nitrogen to the soil right where you need it   

You can also do a top dressing of composted manure which again will add a ready supply of nutrients for your growing plants and will increase the amount of organic matter for next year.

Fall    

Fall is the second best time for soil improvements that there is on the calendar.  The steps to take are similar to springs with the exception that you don't have a planting time table to worry about.  I would again add manure/compost and mulch as needed on the garden.  Fall in my opinion is the best time for soil improving cover crops as well.  By planting them as early as you take a summer crop off or by even under planting them with the summer crop you maximize the time they have to grow.  The key is to get as much growth as possible before you get a hard frost.  But they are something that you need to watch closely as well.  If you have a long, warm fall they might start to flower and go to seed. This is something you want to prevent because if they are allowed to go to seed they may become weed problems the following spring.

Winter 

Finally we have winter which after all the tools have been put away and the garden is all in order is the easiest time of year.  All you should be doing here is making sure the garden stays covered by a good layer of mulch.  By protecting your soil and the organisms that call it home all the work you put into it this year will not be wasted.  They will continue to do some good work for you all winter long so it is best to not disturb them any more that you have to.  Take this time to plan next years garden and enjoy some well deserved rest as well.        

Sustainable Transportation- 4 Season Bicycle Riding

I will admit I am a little obsessed when it comes to some aspects of green living.  One thing that really annoys me is that people use cars for every little thing that they need to leave their house for. Automobiles are wonderful things that have given mobility and freedom to the poorest among us, but they come at a cost.

The cost of a automobile is not only found in the fuel but also the manufacturing, maintenance, use and final disposal of that vehicle.  When you add it all up vehicles are one of the most polluting and environmentally damaging items ever constructed

With that in mind and my desire to live a more sustainable life I try to limit my vehicle use to as little as possible.  For example if I want to go to a movie, the library, run a few little errands etc. I will take my bicycle.  This saves me money, not only in gas and wear and tear on the car but it also cuts down on wasteful spending because I am only do/buy so much when I am riding a bicycle.

I have a few numbers now that I want to throw at you to help my case on why you should consider riding a bicycle more.

The average annual cost of riding a bicycle is 308 dollars, this would include bicycle maintenance, safety items for you and other misc expenses of a bicycle.  Now if we compare that to the average annual cost of owning a car which would be around 8000 dollars a year the difference is clear.

Now there are some things that bicycles are just not practical for and I am well aware of that.  If you need to pick up large items or lots of groceries then sometimes you just have to take a car. But I want you to really think about what you do use your car for on a daily basis.  You are probably imagining things like going to work, the movies, picking up milk from the grocery store.  Well depending on your specific circumstances many of those daily events could be done by bicycle. I bet with some serious consideration quite of few of them could if you really put your mind to it.

Even if you just rode your bicycle to work everyday you could significantly cut down on on your carbon footprint.  It would save gas and wear and tear on your car while at the same time improving your health and fitness.  For me at least I make it a goal to take my bicycle to work everyday that I feel safe doing it. Sometimes the winter weather gets the best of me and I decide I will feel safer with four wheels under me than two.

So to sum up this whole long confusing post take that bicycle off the wall and put it to use on a daily basis.  Once you get into the groove of it you won't regret leaving your car parked at all.

Science of Sustainability- Maintaining Soil Fertility

For thousands of years soil fertility was maintained using a natural fertilizer widely available  around the world.

This fertilizer is known as poop.

That's right I said poop.  I know that to the modern sensibilities the idea of using poop to grow food is probably a little uncomfortable.  But when you compare it to the the other option we have been using it really doesn't seem that bad.

Soil under modern agriculture has been reduced to a being a sponge that is there is absorb artificial fertilizers and pesticides instead of a living breathing structure.  While chemicals can produce a amazing crop with great yields it has been shown that they suffer in flavor and nutrition.

The growing trend of organic farming has brought about a new interest in maintaining soil fertility without the use of chemicals.  This can be done with two different but very complimentary techniques.

Manure

The first technique is the most obvious one and that is to spread manure onto your garden or fields.  Manure is great because it is basically ready to go plant food that can easily incorporated into the soil and placed right at the roots of the plants.  Manure can be delivered a couple of ways to where you need it.  The common option used by many farmers is to load up manure and use a spreader to fling it all over the fields.  While this method is effective it does require frequent trips and a big investment in time and money every year.  A better option in my mind is to fence in areas that need fertilizing and then allow animals to graze the crop residue.

This can work on the smaller backyard garden scale as well if you have chickens.  By allowing them to feed in the garden after all the goodies have been removed they will not only fertilize the soil but will also clean up the garden for you.

Cover Crops

The use of cover crops have multiple benefits for someone trying to build a sustainable life.  They aid in maintaining soil fertility by reaching down deep into the soil and pulling nutrients up into the soil close to the surface.  The nutrients are then trapped in the cover crop vegetation and released when it starts to decay.  The other benefit to cover crops is they can work as great feed for animals to graze on which promotes fertility through manure deposits.

Between these two techniques you can indefinitely maintain a healthy, high fertility soil that will grow great food.

Stay tuned for more Science of Sustainability topics

Wrapping Up Christmas Presents the Green Way

So here we are again at another Christmas season.  A season know for its family gatherings, good food and general merriment all around.  But it is also a time of tremendous waste as we wrap up all the presents we get people in all sorts of pretty paper, bows and ribbon.  The problem with all that nice wrapping paper is that goes right into the trash after it is ripped off the presents.

For those of you like me the thought of spending money on what is essentially a throw away product is difficult.  It exemplifies exactly what is wrong with our consumer, materialistic throw it away society.

But people expect to have wrapped presents and like many things during the holiday season
its not optional.  

While wrapping presents may not be optional what you wrap them in is.  There are lots of options out there for those that are trying to be more green.

Reuse Something

Old Wrapping Paper

This particular tactic really only works you have people like my father opening presents.  He very carefully cuts the tape holding the paper and pulls it off in all one piece.  But lets face it how many people do you know that do that?  There is also the option of recycled wrapping paper which can be purchased online or from stores.

Newspaper

My personal favorite is the use of old newspaper.  The paper is nice and soft and easy to fold and tape.  It can make some parcels interesting to wrap depending on their size as newspapers come in only a few sizes.  I would always challenge myself to find a interesting story that would catch the eye of the person unwrapping it.  Plus you can always expect a few "so you used newspaper to wrap your present" comments which make a great launch platform for a green living rant.

The nice thing about newspaper is that once all the tape is peeled from it you can throw it in the compost bin or add it to your garden as mulch.

Create Something New

If you have kids or your a kid at heart and you want to get into the holiday spirit in a good way wrap the presents in craft paper.  By wrapping the presents in a plain brown or white craft paper you can then draw and color them with holiday themes.  The wrapping itself would make a great home made present and you can simply burn,recycle or compost the paper afterwords.  If you do chose to compost them make sure what was used to color them is biodegradable or otherwise Earth friendly.

Other materials that could be used include fabric from thrift stores, natural materials like bark or leaves or whatever you want I suppose.  The options are endless for someone with a little imagination and the Earth is plentiful with natural materials.   

   

Please take some time this holiday season to think of the Earth and how you can be a better steward of the land.  If we all are  more aware of our actions we could make a impact for the betterment of the Earth this holiday season.

Science of Sustainability- How to Increase Soil Organic Matter

Soil organic matter is added to the soil through the addition of decaying plants and animals.  But to increase soil organic matter can be a tricky proposition when you are using the soil for gardening or farming.  The very tools used to plant, weed and harvest a crop will work against you if your goal is to add organic matter.  Organic matter present in the soil is a combination of carbon and nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and what ever else might be floating around in living things.  The nutrients/minerals are used by all living things as building block for various structures that are contained within them.  If you look at silica for example, it is used by plants to,

• improve wear tolerance
• improve disease resistance
• better upright growth and rigidity
• increased root density

But not only do decaying plants and animals leave behind nutrients they all deposit carbon into the soil.  Soil carbon is the single largest repository of carbon on Earth and that carbon is used as fuel for soil organisms.  That smell that you experience when you walk through a freshly cultivated field or garden is the smell of the carbon being released into the air.  When that happens you are actually decreasing the overall health of the soil so cultivating should be kept to a minimum.


That brings me right into the heart of what I am here to talk about.  When you want to increase the soil organic matter and still have a working farm or garden there are 3 steps you have to follow to do it.

Step 1- Reduce or Eliminate Soil Cultivation

I put this step 1st because it flies in the face of conventional agriculture wisdom.  For thousands of years it has been know that you must cultivate and work the soil in order to be able to grow food on it.

Wrong... mostly

Ok a initial working of the soil is usually needed to break up large soil formations and reduce and eliminate competition with your food crop.  That is fine and I can agree with that 100% you can't plant a summer squash seed right into your grass and expect it grow.  Even if it does sprout the grass will probably out compete it and smother it.  Once you are past the initial breakup and loosing of the soil if you expect to maintain soil carbon you can't cultivate it.  If you work on developing a healthy soil with lots of organic matter and soil organisms, they will do the cultivation for you.  I know that not cultivating the soil will be hard on long time gardeners and farmers but after a few years you won't miss it.

Step 2- Leave all the Crop Residue or Add Mulch/Compost 

The next step after hanging up your cultivator is to make sure the garden or field stays well covered with compost or mulch at all times.  You may have to remove it to plant seeds but as soon as you can put it back.  Soil does not like to be naked and by keeping your soil covered and "happy" it will give you healthier and more productive plants.  The crop residue/mulch/compost will continuously add carbon and nutrients right to the roots of the new plants.

Step 3- Plant Cover Crops

There are a few classes of plants out there that are known for their ability to add soil carbon and nutrients at impressive rates.  By using the right cover crops within your garden or field rotations you can significantly increase soil organic matter.  This step is especially crucial because it puts soil carbon right where it needs to be in the soil.  As cover crops grow they push roots deep into the soil profile and when they die the roots should be left to decay and deposit the organic matter underground.  The more roots you can have in the ground the better off your soil organic matter will be.  Plants in the grass and legume families are great cover crops because when used together they add both soil carbon and nitrogen to the soil.

Below you will see a link to one of the many cover crop mixes available on sites like Amazon.  I would always recommend using some sort of cover crop as the benefits from using them far outweigh the detractors when used correctly.

By following the 3 steps I have outlined above you will be well on your way to keeping or increasing your soils organic matter.

Stay tuned for more Science of Sustainability topics.    
                      

Science of Sustainability- Why is Soil Organic Matter Important?

Organic matter is a essential part of soil that gets overlooked in many conversations about soil. While most people will be talking about soil pH balance, its composition or how well it grows crops they will leave out organic matter.

This is a mistake.

Home compost a.k.a organic matter

Organic matter when you get right down to it is one of the most important parts of the soil when it comes to doing what soil does best and that is grow things.  Now when soil is first formed it has no organic matter as it form out of a rocky parent material that has been broken down.  But as you get the first hardy inhabitants like lichens they begin the process of adding organic matter to the soil.  Time goes by and the lichen give way to grasses, trees and forests as the soil builds up over the millennium.  All this organic matter is what makes soil useful to us.  Without it, it will be impossible to grow the food we need.

A easy definition of organic matter is any living or dead material that is either incorporated or is on top of the soil.  A continuous organic matter supply is critical for soil to function in a sustainable fashion.  It has a few key functions that allow for soil to be fertile over the long term,

1. Acts as a nutrient sink.
2. Retains water
3. Provides food for soil organisms.  

Nutrient Sink

Everything living thing is a storehouse of nutrients/energy that we have borrowed from the Earth and the Sun.  When a organism dies the nutrients that are tied up the body get released into the environment to be used by something else.  It is the ultimate form of recycling with nothing going to waste.  Now as something decomposes it adds decayed organic matter to the soil which are essentially little nuggets of plant available nutrients just waiting to be used again.  That's why when you add compost a.k.a decomposed organic matter to a garden the crop you plant there does better than if you hadn't added any.  The higher the the percentage of organic matter in the soil the more fertile the soil is.

Retains Water 

While I cannot give you exact numbers on how much water since it changes from place to place I can tell you its a lot.  The organic matter essentially acts like a giant sponge absorbing and releasing water at a slow place just as the plants need it.  If you have a healthy soil with lots of organic matter it can absorb higher amounts of rainfall before the soil becomes saturated.  This leads to lower erosion and better yields from crops because the plants have a steady water supply.

Food for Soil Organisms   

Worms, bacteria and fungi need to eat to,  When they eat the dead organic matter they break it down even faster and concentrate the nutrients even more.  You may have seen or heard of worm bins which are worm powered composters which can eat up to half their weight in food a day and produce incredible compost.  The organic matter is essential food for soil organisms and with enough organic matter you will have a lots of them improving your soil.  

So take away points from this is that organic matter is important and maintaining and adding to it should be a goal of any person interested in sustainable/green living.

Stay Tuned for more Science of Sustainability topics     

Science of Sustainability- Preventing Soil Erosion On Your Land

If you wish to build a sustainable homestead then it is critical that you know how to control soil erosion in all its forms.  Just a quick recap if you didn't read my last post soil erosion is caused by wind and water moving the soil from one place to another.  It will depend on your location and management practices which type of erosion is more devastating to your land.

If you live in high wind and dry areas like the Great Plains of America then wind is your primary concern as it can take exposed soil and carry it off .  During the Dust Bowl areas that were hit hard by it lost over 5 inches of topsoil by 1938.  When it takes 1000 years to form a inch of soil losing 5 inches can be devastating to local ecosystems and agriculture.

But back to the focus of this post which is preventing soil erosion from happening.  The method to prevent soil erosion is a simple idea on paper but can be hard to do in reality.

Soil doesn't like to be naked...

This make look trashy but I'm actually helping my soil.

What I mean by that is that if you want your soil to perform at its best in all conditions it needs to be covered by a protective coating of organic matter.  It prefers to have living perennial biomass like grasses but it will take whatever it can get.  So if you want to prevent soil erosion from both wind and water keep your soil covered with some sort of vegetation.

It works on both because wind and water move in the same way as described by a branch of physics called fluid dynamics.  As wind and water hit obstructions on the soil i.e plant matter it slows them down.  The slower the movement, the less erosive power the wind or water has.  It is relatively easy to keep all your garden beds covered with plants or a mulch layer but when you start dealing with farm size agriculture then it gets trickier.  The best thing you can do is minimize tillage of the fields or go no-till and leave as much organic matter on the field as possible.

The nice thing about keeping soil covered is that when it does start to move it will get stopped and dropped back to the soil surface as it runs into plant matter.  So technically soil will be moving around on the field but it won't get very far because every direction it goes it runs into something.

But keeping everything covered in plant matter is only part of the battle you also have to plan according to local topography, climate and soil class

You don't want to garden on slopes as they just give water a running start on eroding away your soil.  You get one bad rainstorm and you will watch your garden wash away.  You can mitigate this issue by building terraces on sloped fields which reduce the steepness of the slope.  But if you can avoid exposing soil on slopes I would recommend it.

You soil class is also key to fighting erosion.  Some soils are more likely to erode then others and knowing your soil and its erosive potential can save you a lot of headache.  To learn more about your soils erosive potential do a texture test on it to figure out what class of soil it is,

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