Science of soil

[alldigging]

On countryfile (I assume) a few months ago one of their farmers they spoke to (wheat or OSR) said they use a no-dig method cos it's better for the soil and less work.

[Bill HH]

Straws vary a lot, oat straw for instance is in my opinion superior, its softer by far than wheat straw.

[bearded bloke]

Dont be confuse BB..... I meant to say "Regularly used to"

Posts edited to reflect that Bill

[alldigging]

Straws vary a lot, oat straw for instance is in my opinion superior, its softer by far than wheat straw.

If you can get different varieties of it then test it on different beds! Is it all the same price?

I assume its wheat straw here.

[Bill HH]

We used to have a chaff making machine on the farm, a huge thing but i wish i had it now, it chopped the straw into 1/2 inch to an inch pieces and we used it for chicken nest boxes but it would make a fabulous mulch.

[alldigging]

We used to have a chaff making machine on the farm, a huge thing but i wish i had it now, it chopped the straw into 1/2 inch to an inch pieces and we used it for chicken nest boxes but it would make a fabulous mulch.

Does it blow about more when it's smaller pieces?

[Bill HH]

Does it blow about more when it's smaller pieces?

The machine we had didn't, the chaff just fell to the floor (no blower) It had a blade that was a 3ft diameter rotating wheel and a conveyor where you fed the straw in. I guess it was victorian, belt driven from an electric motor when we had it. i see on google they make chaff cutters in India, a group of gardeners such as on an allotment might find it a good investment.

[Compo72]

We used to you use a heavy set of discs to work the stubble in .

These days unless it's spring barley
Crops are resown in the autumn


You don't see fields left fallow in a rotation either these days




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[Mikey]

I enjoyed it, I knew nothing about the drop in height of the fens, but why would I, its the opposite side of the union to me. I wonder if that explains the amount of rain we get, if the East is sinking perhaps the West is rising?

Good show whens the more in depth version coming?

[Two_Sheds]

I dont see how it adds carbon to the soil by burning it, the same carbon would go into the soil and be slowly released as the straw rots. In fact by burning it most of it goes up in smoke!

Exactly, and it's something Chris B. explains in the video: by burning it, or by digging up peat, you are releasing carbon where it's captured in the soil, and sending it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide

Is it all the same price?

I grow my own 'straw' ... all my weeds, and my green manures (alfalfa, clover, comfrey, phacelia) are chopped up & dropped on the surface as a mulch.

Does it blow about more when it's smaller pieces?

No, it doesn't really blow about at all, esp once it's got rained on, and of course the worms gradually pull it all into the soil

[ZsaZsa]

...and if I can add to this forum: for those who want a bit more (like myself) I can wholeheartedly recommend a book entitled "Teaming with Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis. Essentially the authors delve into soil microbiology in a bit more detail and talk about what can gardeners do to make the soil work for them.