Carbons No-Till Try Out

[LoveBud80]

So a quick question on the covercrops, how long do you grow them out before cutting it back and how long after that can I use the soil? I have 3x 50lt pots and a 800x800x500 raised bed that I have prepared and used a green manure seed pack on. Just itching to get something in there

 

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[DoNothingGarden]

I've found that there is no difference whatsoever when you start a cycle relative to when a covercrop gets chopped or planted.

[Carbcon]

Gee, got a million updates to do here, and I will.

I kind of agree with dng on the comment above, would there be a bit extra available once the chopped decomposes?

 

I'm playing with aeration as im unhappy with one batch.

 

Got some rice hulls for the first time and should have enough for a new 60l batch and amend the heavy soil.

 

The plants grow well in this mix but drainage is down so gotta be careful watering, I think the casting content is too high and then I cut the soil with peat and didn't bring up the aeration.

 

There's a pot or 2 that are gonna get maximum till!

 

No till-no way!!! !!

 

Anyway, here's a pic of how rice hulls come, not mailed, bought in person. I must be getting old cos I reckon this packaging is OTT.

 

Must be for ease of stacking or something.

 

I live in the countryside, no bin collections here so I am acutely aware of the waste I create.

This cardboard and bag will be reused but ya know, they sell soil in bags only.

 

Also, everybody seems to be using the word "artisan" with soils at the moment, Small batch mixed by hand by a qualified person is close to the definition.

 

What would you call something that is smaller batch than commercial with the inputs coming from a closed loop?

 

More artisan?

[DoNothingGarden]

Gee, got a million updates to do here, and I will.

I kind of agree with dng on the comment above, would there be a bit extra available once the chopped decomposes?

I'm playing with aeration as im unhappy with one batch.

Got some rice hulls for the first time and should have enough for a new 60l batch and amend the heavy soil.

The plants grow well in this mix but drainage is down so gotta be careful watering, I think the casting content is too high and then I cut the soil with peat and didn't bring up the aeration.

There's a pot or 2 that are gonna get maximum till!

No till-no way!!! !!

Anyway, here's a pic of how rice hulls come, not mailed, bought in person. I must be getting old cos I reckon this packaging is OTT.

Must be for ease of stacking or something.

I live in the countryside, no bin collections here so I am acutely aware of the waste I create.

This cardboard and bag will be reused but ya know, they sell soil in bags only.

Also, everybody seems to be using the word "artisan" with soils at the moment, Small batch mixed by hand by a qualified person is close to the definition.

What would you call something that is smaller batch than commercial with the inputs coming from a closed loop?

More artisan?

Sounds like you're going to do well. I've always used scoria, both for my own garden and in our small batch commercial blends as it doesn't break down and provides aeration for a very long time. Rice hulls do decompose, however I love the idea of providing silica as they are decomposed by microbes. Cover crops for purpose of building soil should be given time to compost when chopped down, this however only applies if no commercial compost was used as well. With our soil for example, covercrops are grown for both green manure and sugars that are exuded from roots as well as nitrogen fixing and physical soil structure building properties. The soil already has everything in a balanced state so we aren't relying on covercrops to build soil fertility... If that makes sense.

[Carbcon]

Yeah I understand mate.

 

Wasn't having a go either, I'm very happy that companies like yours are out there.

 

Could you rebuild enough with covercrops instead of re amending up to a point do you think?

 

I use Scoria 99% of the time and will probably blend with scoria.

Any idea how long the hulls take to break down?

[DoNothingGarden]

Yeah I understand mate.

Wasn't having a go either, I'm very happy that companies like yours are out there.

Could you rebuild enough with covercrops instead of re amending up to a point do you think?

I use Scoria 99% of the time and will probably blend with scoria.

Any idea how long the hulls take to break down?

All good, thanks for kind words... No till farmers use covercrops to build soil for sure and I think in larger beds you could do this too. In smaller containers you need to use amendments as well. Compost is a fast track way to soil fertility without the need to turn your covercrop into humus first. No idea how long the Rice hulls take sorry, I haven't used them before.

[Inthewoods]

I'm using rice hulls and peanut shells and chunky lava. The rice hulls about 12 months but still recognisable. The peanut seems to last longer. Even in the worm bin

[LoveBud80]

Does anyone know what type of grubs these are and should they be in my organic mix please?

 

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[billygoat]

you got a pic of the head ?  looks like rhinoceros beetle larvae... witchedy grubs.

[Joe Dirte]

Feed em to the chooks, they look like curl gribs and the bastards feed on roots

 

 

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