How the soil is created
Over quiet winter period I have much to ponder and observe while sipping our farm grade unfinished tea.
Soil, as it seems, is always there and we take it for granted, but it is a remarkable process of creating hospitable environment for plants and small creatures.
I walk on a dirt path after heavy rain or while in pouring rain following where all the rain water is carrying the top soil or what is keeping it in place. sometimes my boots become like high heels with mud stuck to the bottom of my rain boots, walking like not knowing how to walk in high heels. I then remember that the spot where it used be pasture for horses and sheep with only grass growing and dirt is heavy clay.
Clay in rain creates mud and get stuck to boots. I learned this first hand by walking in rain.
Some places down the path I come across beautiful dark forest soils in its natural state. Nobody did any work there but nature. Certain types of trees and plants growing there create that beautiful soil.
Good Soil
Good soil for crops is dark and soft, holds water and drains excess water, hold good air space inside, smells like forest. A lot of gardening and farming books define it this way. In nature we don't find this everywhere, but a lot of plants which we call weeds still grow in that somewhat undesirable conditions.
Nature teaches
More than any books, nature teaches better. Of course, books also help us guide to be a better farmer, but we grow crops in nature not in our head or in writing. It doesn't matter how eloquently we speak about farming and garden soil, we farmers still have to help grow a beautiful harvest and that's what speaks the most. Nature has taught me a lot through soil.
Soil, Genesis of forest
Easiest way to find a good soil is to go search for good soil and trace back from there, observing what natural elements are around and possibly creating the soil. Sometimes we need dynamic observation while it's happening like standing in a heavy rainfall and looking what soil is actually responding to that natural rainfall. We need to learn to read signs in nature more that reading a lot of general gardening books about it.
I have come across so many books saying what a good soil is and how you can make it by adding this and that, but many times it does not related to our particular natural environment, climate or vegetation that create good soil. There is an cover crop study released by CHTAR, talks about what each type of cover crop do, but the most amazing thing I found was that what I thought biggest weeds were the biggest helpers of soil as long as we can keep up with it.
http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/Database.asp
On a nice warm sunny day after log hours of field work, I was exhausted so I just lay down to take a break and fell asleep. The soil was soft and smelled earthy. Each breath I felt like breathing in the forest itself. What a pleasant waking it was. Since I am so obsessed with the conditions of soil, it is nice to have an area where there is naturally beautiful rich soil still exist on our farm land.
Soil and Tea
When it comes to tea, what soil makes good tea? I am not saying highest yield, or even certain flavor. Perhaps the word "good" is misleading because everybody has different expectations.
Our ideal natural farming tea expresses inherent nature of its own quality, like how people can be who they are.
Soil, as it seems, is always there and we take it for granted, but it is a remarkable process of creating hospitable environment for plants and small creatures.
I walk on a dirt path after heavy rain or while in pouring rain following where all the rain water is carrying the top soil or what is keeping it in place. sometimes my boots become like high heels with mud stuck to the bottom of my rain boots, walking like not knowing how to walk in high heels. I then remember that the spot where it used be pasture for horses and sheep with only grass growing and dirt is heavy clay.
Clay in rain creates mud and get stuck to boots. I learned this first hand by walking in rain.
Some places down the path I come across beautiful dark forest soils in its natural state. Nobody did any work there but nature. Certain types of trees and plants growing there create that beautiful soil.
Good Soil
Good soil for crops is dark and soft, holds water and drains excess water, hold good air space inside, smells like forest. A lot of gardening and farming books define it this way. In nature we don't find this everywhere, but a lot of plants which we call weeds still grow in that somewhat undesirable conditions.
Nature teaches
More than any books, nature teaches better. Of course, books also help us guide to be a better farmer, but we grow crops in nature not in our head or in writing. It doesn't matter how eloquently we speak about farming and garden soil, we farmers still have to help grow a beautiful harvest and that's what speaks the most. Nature has taught me a lot through soil.
Soil, Genesis of forest
Easiest way to find a good soil is to go search for good soil and trace back from there, observing what natural elements are around and possibly creating the soil. Sometimes we need dynamic observation while it's happening like standing in a heavy rainfall and looking what soil is actually responding to that natural rainfall. We need to learn to read signs in nature more that reading a lot of general gardening books about it.
I have come across so many books saying what a good soil is and how you can make it by adding this and that, but many times it does not related to our particular natural environment, climate or vegetation that create good soil. There is an cover crop study released by CHTAR, talks about what each type of cover crop do, but the most amazing thing I found was that what I thought biggest weeds were the biggest helpers of soil as long as we can keep up with it.
http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/Database.asp
On a nice warm sunny day after log hours of field work, I was exhausted so I just lay down to take a break and fell asleep. The soil was soft and smelled earthy. Each breath I felt like breathing in the forest itself. What a pleasant waking it was. Since I am so obsessed with the conditions of soil, it is nice to have an area where there is naturally beautiful rich soil still exist on our farm land.
Soil and Tea
When it comes to tea, what soil makes good tea? I am not saying highest yield, or even certain flavor. Perhaps the word "good" is misleading because everybody has different expectations.
Our ideal natural farming tea expresses inherent nature of its own quality, like how people can be who they are.
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