Viva Muntanui!
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Background
    • Muntanui site details
  • Solandri Saffron
  • Q&A
  • Video
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Background
    • Muntanui site details
  • Solandri Saffron
  • Q&A
  • Video
  • Links
  • Contact

chronicles

Dirty Rotten Claypans 1: The Quest for Fertility

7/11/2011

4 Comments

 
On the day we met Muntanui's previous owner (a farmer from way back), I asked him if he'd ever had the soil tested. "No need," he said. "It's typical New Zealand soil: acidic and low in phosphorus."

On each successive visit, as I observed and learned more, I began to see the evidence of his assessment for myself. The weeds that favour damp and acidic soils were everywhere: sorrel, dock and plantain. One of the paddocks had serious issues with bracken, another acid lover (but also a useful pioneer plant and nitrogen fixer, revegetating degraded land.) Creeping buttercup through the vegie garden warned us our drainage was bad. And for every five holes we dug, we were lucky if we found one worm.

But it wasn't all bad. Honestly. Sure, our soil is basically a mixture of clay and shale over a hardpan. Yes, it's a bit uncouth and rough around the edges and you wouldn't be too thrilled about it marrying your daughter... but it has promise. I found just enough fertility indicators (clover, chickweed and blackberry) to hint at the possibility that one day -- maybe in less than five years -- our dirt will be black, deep and full of life. Then we'll grow the sort of tucker that gives us superpowers.

Picture
Hmmm... are we inspired yet?

To kick off our epic soil remediation process, I had a wee chat with the Librarian Who Lives In My Head:

-- What soil amendments regulate acidity? Acceptable organic and permaculture solutions only, please.
-- Lime, dolomite or wood ash and lots of organic matter.
-- What about phosphorus deficiency?
-- A passel of chooks should do the trick.
-- That's fine for the vegie garden and maybe the orchard but what about the paddocks?
-- Dunno, mate. Green manures? Pasture cropping? Strip grazing? Fukuoka-style seed balling? More animals? All of the above? Read more books or talk to someone who's already doing it. I'm off for my pedicure.
-- Pedicure? But I always thought you were a bloke.
-- Yeah? So?
-- Feeling awkward now.

That was in October 2009. I had the beginnings of a plan but it would be March 2010 before we were able to get back to Muntanui. When we returned, I learned one of the most important lessons associated with trying to live and farm sustainably: somewhere along the line, you'll be forced to make compromises...

Resources
NZ soil types: Landcare Research
NZ weeds: Massey University's weed database
Weeds as soil indicators: Woodrow, L., The Permaculture Home Garden, Penguin, Australia, 1995, pp 49-51. There's also a good general reference here: http://oregonbd.org/Class/weeds.htm

For an overview of weeds and the services they perform in soil building, check out Weeds, Guardians of the Soil by Joseph A. Cocannouer. Originally published in 1950, nearly 30 years before Mollison and Holmgren's definitive Permaculture One hit the scene, this delightful little book was something of a trail-blazer. It refers to the ability of weeds to stabilise soil and "mine" nutrients, and advocates their controlled use to benefit agriculture. Although written for a US readership, there's plenty that's relevant anywhere in the world. The link will take you to a free online library. It's definitely worth a look.

 - Posted by Farmer Nik
4 Comments

    About Ewan and Niki

    Picture

    Farmer Wan

    Scottish mechanical engineer with a deep and abiding passion for good food. Outstanding cook. Builder of lots of stuff. Cattle whisperer. Connoisseur of beer. A lover rather than a fighter.

    Picture

    Farmer Nik

    Kiwi writer and broadcaster who hates cabbage, even though she knows it's good for her. Chook wrangler. Grower of food and flowers. Maker of fine preserves. Lover of dancing and wine. Definitely a fighter.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2016
    October 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categories

    All
    All Blacks
    Alternative Fodder Sources
    Bee Keeping
    Bees
    Biodynamics
    Chooks
    Earthquake
    Ethics
    Farmers Markets
    Food
    Hay
    Highland Cattle
    Honey
    Hot Beds
    Livestock
    Muntanui
    Nelson Lakes
    New Life
    Nz Wildlife
    Pasture
    People And Community
    Permaculture
    Plastic
    Polytunnel Of Love
    Power Tools
    Random Merriment
    Recycling
    Rwc 2011
    Saffron
    Soil
    Solar Power
    Spiderbuilder The Ram
    Sustainable Farm Solutions
    The Muntanui Dictionary
    Tramping
    Trees
    Weather
    Weedmat
    Weeds
    Wiltshire Sheep

CONTACT US

FIND US

RANDOM PRETTY PICTURE


​PO Box 5
St Arnaud
Nelson Lakes 7053
NEW ZEALAND

Phone +64 3 5484 684

Picture

Viva Muntanui! Sustainable living . . . with merriment.

COPYRIGHT 2011-2017