Posts Tagged ‘soil’
Mulching
by Debbie Hinchey I am scheduled to talk about mulching at the upcoming Rose Soc. Feb 21 meeting and thought it would be neat to ask an even broader group of gardeners about it. I am hoping that it could later be put into a talk to other groups if I get enough…
Read MoreNutrient Requirements of Fruit Production
By Tami Schlies Bob Purvis observed some nutrient deficiencies in fruit trees during his visit here in September and was kind enough to share with all of us some of his knowledge on these issues. I have also investigated some other common deficiency symptoms and expanded on his advice in this article. We…
Read MoreSoil Health
by TAMI SCHLIES Our guest speaker in January, Mr. John Evans of Palmer, got me thinking about soil. He created Alaska Bounty, a “soil stimulant system” that replaces natural bacteria and fungi lost in chemical fertilizing, harvesting, and even tilling the soil. His unitque system breeds microorganisms by aerating a special compost tea, versus the…
Read MoreThe Benefits to Plants and Soil
Reprinted with permission from Soil Foodweb Inc. By DR. ELAINE INGHAM President, Soil Foodweb Incorporated, www.soilfoodweb.com What benefits are possible that make it worth paying attention to the biological side of soils in addition to the chemistry and mineral fertility? Are there any economic benefits that can make a real difference to net farm…
Read MoreChickweed As Mulch
by SEYMOUR MILLS I know everyone hates chickweed but I am going to be the devil’s advocate. I believe that mulch is useful even with our cold soil if we experiment different ways of using it. I have plenty of chickweed and I have been using it to good advantage. I’ve always heard that…
Read MoreOrganic Fertilizer recipe
by TAMI SCHLIES Instead of buying expensive, premixed fertilizer from specialty stores, try this recipe to make a complete organic fertilizer good for our Alaskan soils. This is easy, too, because the measurements are by volume, not weight – just use a scoop! Mix 4 parts seed meal or alfalfa meal, for Nitrogen,…
Read MoreBook Reviews January 2001
Reviews continued: by DAN ELLIOT Happy New Year From the New President! At the December meeting I passed around three books related to training and pruning I borrowed from the NAFEX library. Debbie Hinchey suggested I write short reviews on them for the members not present. The video mentioned last here was shown at…
Read MoreSoil Facts
by Tami Schlies To many people, dirt is dirt, but to those of us who grow things, dirt is a dirty word. The key word for us is soil, and there are many different properties to soil, all of which make our job as growers easier or harder. Soil texture, profile, components, chemistry, and nutrients…
Read MoreESTABLISHING NEW FRUIT TREES—SOME LESSONS LEARNED
by Bob Purvis During the past sixteen years, I have planted a few hundred fruit trees and recently watched the planting of several thousand at our Richland fruit ranch. Here are some observations I would like to pass on to Alaska Pioneer Fruit growers members who plan to plant trees in 1997. …
Read MoreRock Powder is the Basis for Soil Fertility
Gardeners at Venetie, Alaska traditionally gather river silt to apply on their gardens, with good results. The same practice was discovered at an archaeological dig in Canada, by the Nation River north of the Yukon River. The Hunzacuts use it on their apricot trees in a desert type climate zone. Their health and longevity are…
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