Doctoring the Orchard

Holes ready for charcoal and mychorrizae

Auger and cordless drill

Mychorrizae tablet

Well-seasoned charcoal

Loading the hole

Some orchard!  Only three fruit trees: one Peach and two Plums!  I also have two fig trees but they are not in the “orchard.”

The peach has done all right but the two plums have produced only a few fruit and all of them fell off before ripening.  I think the trouble lies in the soil.  Both plums and nearby roses have exhibited signs of severe chlorosis (yellow leaves).

From all indications, the soil around these suffering trees must be highly alkaline and have difficulty absorbing iron.

Adding Texas Greensand helped a bit but more obviously needs to be done.  So I have inoculated the soil around the drip lines with mychorrizae and included a dose of charcoal in each hole.

Then I gave the whole area a dusting of sulfur to acidize the soil.

Now we wait.  It would be helpful if we could have a few inches of a slow rain.  We haven’t had any precip since October!  I am thankful for my faithful water well which keeps everything alive.

Yes…now we wait!

In the meantime, eat your veggies…Nonnie and Pop said so.

“The Earth is Tired”

“Tè a fatige,” said 70 percent of Haitian farmers in a recent survey when asked about the major agricultural problems they faced. “The earth is tired.”

And no wonder. Virtually since 1492, when Columbus first set foot on the heavily forested island of Hispaniola, the mountainous nation has shed both topsoil and blood—first to the Spanish, who planted sugar, then to the French, who cut down the forests to make room for lucrative coffee, indigo, and tobacco. (National Geographic Magazine accessed January 8, 2009 at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/bourne-text)

We have a dirt problem on planet Earth. We are covering up some good agricultural lands with subdivisions, factories, and shopping malls and damaging the rest in innumerable ways. But this is the dirt that will have to feed us in years to come. We are fouling our own nest, biting the hand that feeds us, cutting off our nose to spite our face. Such shameless and ignorant disregard for our own well being is the rotten fruit of greed and stupidity.

Problems such as this don’t persist because there are no answers. They persist when we are not interested in the solutions. Here’s the reason: the solutions are not as profitable as the present corporate gang-rape of our farmland. Sadly, the cost will be incredibly high. Simply put, we are setting the stage on which we will act in our own drama of destruction…and…we are doing it willingly. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

I feel qualified to speak here because, as a small gardener in a semi-arid patch of West Texas I started with nutrient-poor alkaline clay and now have several inches of productive topsoil. I grow most of the vegetables for our family of six. How did I do it? I read, studied and worked hard. I have loved my soil into productivity and sustainability. I figure if it can be done here then almost anyone can do it.

If you have access to a patch of dirt, you have a blessing from God given into your stewardship. The soil is a living community. Like any living thing it must be cared for. It must be fed and watered. Its needs must be met. It must be valued and cherished. In return, it will give us food to sustain us. If we neglect, exploit and mistreat our soil, it will grow tired and sick. Then, like the precious soils and souls of Haiti, we will grow tired and sick also.

You might not be able to change the world but you can change your world. Here are some things you can do on your own land.

Practice organic techniques. This is a vast subject but my top five principles are:

1. Use only organic soil amendments and fertilizers
2. Avoid the use of chemicals
3. Practice composting
4. Practice mulching

Practice sustainable techniques. Another huge area but some things you can do are:

1. Avoid plowing and tilling unless absolutely necessary
2. Grow cover crops
3. Conserve water using drip irrigation
4. Grow crops suitable for your climate
5. Rotate crops