Welcome to the new Soilutions Blog page. We hope this will be a fun way for everybody to exchange info. and ideas about what's going on in our area. Enjoy.
new to new mexico, When choosing a mulch, aesthetics are often the deciding factor. When installed properly, organics mulches perform the pretty much the same functions--soil temperature moderation, erosion control, weed control, for example. If the deep red of the pecan shells tickles your fancy, go for it. They do not attract rodents or pests. They do temporarily attract birds who clean the remaining nutmeat. They appear to be durable and fairly low maintenance. Make sure to bring to us the old mulch so we can recycle it. Thanks for the question.
Living in the Southwest we all know we must conserve our precious aquifer and groundwater in order to have it for years to come. But we are often faced with the hard decisions between having a beautiful yard or conserving our water.
The decision is easy. We can do both. Depending on where you live in the Albuquerque area, you can receive from 8"-14" of rain in a year. It is very simple to harvest that rain and store it for any number of reasons. First and foremost we can easily use it for irrigation of our landscapes. On a 1,000 square foot roof you can harvest ~600 gallons of rainwater. That's ~4800+ gallons of water in a year.
We at Soilutions can help. We offer ferrocement rainwater cisterns called Tinajas. These are ferrocement tanks in the shape of jars a d can be used as focal points in your landscape. These tanks will be ~1,000 gallon capacity and will be built on site in a permanent foundation. We are in the building stages and will start marketing them in the spring.
If you would like to know more please contact Bard Edrington at bard_masase@yahoo.com or call Soilutions at 877-0220
A friend of mine said she uses cardboard instead of weed fabric between her soil and wood chip mulch because it is a good way of recycling and not purchasing petroleum based products. Another friend said that the formaldehyde used to make cardboard can contaminate the soil. Do you all have an opinion?
Yes we always have an opinion. From the research done down here, I find that formaldehyde is used sparingly if at all in the construction of cardboard since the 1970's. The original use of the box is of some importance, too. Fruit boxes are usually fumigated with a fungicide. Formaldehyde is just another compound that can and is decomposed quickly and easily. Googling "cardboard" gave me this nugget..."Cardboard contains a very small amount of urea formaldehyde for adhesive and water-resistant properties. Waxed cardboard contains paraffin, and cardboard used for food stuffs can be impregnated with fungicides. Exposure to formaldehyde from cardboard is considered to be insignificant. Paraffin can irritate eyes, nose, and throat, and may be contaminated with benzene and other PAH’s, which are carcinogenic. Fungicides are toxic and can affect the nervous system. Regular brown cardboard should be okay to burn, but better to bale or reuse if possible. Waxed cardboard is best not burned inside. Treated cardboard for produce or meats should not be burned near human activity. Reuse, bale as possible." As for cardboard for weed control under mulch: I say yes. I recently moved onto an acre of weeds. Each step collected hundreds of goatheads stuck to my shoes. After unpacking each box, I removed the tape and flattened it and placed it out in the yard. Mulch over it kept it from blowing away. 6 months later, plenty of worm activity, no goatheads and happy feet. I think it is a great use for boxes that have no more use as containers, I have never had personal problems with toxicity from decomposing cardboard, and like the sponginess created by cardboard when used in walkways. good luck. Last little bit of info: pure formaldehyde has a half life of something like 20 days in soil. So even if there was a high concentration of it in cardboard, it wouldn't last long.
Greetings from Axle Canyon Preserve in the Burro Mts. of SW NM. I have two compost questions regarding our friends the red worms(Eisenia foetida). (1) can vermicompost be used as a nitrogen component in a compost tumbler? We are on a fast track to make as much compost as possible between now (May) and winter, for the riparian restoration beginning at Axle Canyon Preserve. (2)We were given a gift of a small "batch" of red worms. I built a home for them between straw bales. They are covered to keep out the light. I discovered that ants also like what the worms get to eat. Since these are not fire ants will they be OK in the vermiculture condo or should I try to get rid of them?
geo, I wouldn't use finished vermicompost to activate a thermophilic compost pile, though it won't harm it. Vermicompost would be a good bacterial innoculant but not a good nitrogen source. Stable compost, whether vermi- or thermophilic, has a low nitrogen reading (generally less than 1%. Thermophilic composting is difficult to do in a small scale situation, i.e. a tumbler. It is time comsuming and labor intensive to monitor and maitain heat and moisture with a small volume. Worms will only reproduce as space and food allow (unlike humans) and are excellent when dealing with other"s waste (unlike humans). If you have more feedstocks than one bin can handle, I would make more simple worm bins rather than trying to compost thermophilically in a tumbler. Worms do not generate heat when they process feedstocks so don't put a diseased tomatoe plant, noxious weed or seed in the bin. The second question is a lot easier to answer: ants and "large" insects are just participating in the decompostion process. If you look closely, you will find a myriad of activity in a healthy worm bin. I see no reason to rid your bin of these or other detritivores. Good luck, I hope this helps.
hi - i'm in SE albuquerque and am trying to prepare a large section of yard that used to have kentucky bluegrass and bermuda for planting blue grama. after 18 months, the bermuda is still not totally gone, but the ground is becoming increasingly bare. last winter i covered the site with leaves but that didn't last. i'd like to find an organic mulch i can use this winter that won't blow away but that i can turn under in the spring/summer in preparation for planting the blue grama after the bermuda is gone - any advice?
There is an old adage I like to recall when speaking of removing Bermuda grass:"MOVE" Not to discourage you but it is extremely hard to irradicate without chemicals. I have had some success with the following though: water deeply, cover thickly with cardboard/newspaper,apply 3"-5" layer of woody mulch. Do not disturb for a year or more. My experience using that method left me with a dark loamy soil, rich with biological activity, and very few bermuda grass runners. I now spend less than an hour a month pulling stray runners from the bed. As to a mulch that will not blow away in the winter while you wait: any of our mulches will work fine. However I would suggest the small screened mulch for your specific purpose. When tilling carbonaceous material into your soil, you run the risk of depleting your soil of any available nitrogen. That's why I am suggesting the small screened mulch. It is fully composted so won't demand nitrogen. It will also easily break apart with the tiller. Good luck
not sure i'll move - but i can't say that fighting the bermuda grass is not discouraging! i've been at it for two years now - i'm hopeful, though. thanks very much for your help - i'll look into the mulch - forest floor, righ? thanks again!!!
We've used pecan mulch before. Its great, but blows around here and is a little pricey. We have an almond tree in our yard. I'm wondering if we could use the shells from it for an effective mulch? Would we need to treat it or break it down some way first? Thanks
Sure, I think locally grown shell would be a great mulch. I don't think you would need to process it in any way once you remove the meat. Make sure to spread it 3-5" thick under the entire canopy of the tree, leaving a 2-3" collar around the trunk.
Jim, great blog. Your continued commitment to educating New Mexico's population about soils, composting, and permaculture is a fantastic contribution. Also, the photos on the Soilutions website are inspiring. I'm happy to see that you are still at it. Congratulations on your work with Whole Foods. I am fortunate to have studied briefly with Jim. He and I have had very informed conversations about vermicompost, xeriscaping, and permaculture and I was always learning from Jim and his staff at Soilutions when we were together. Now I am using some of that knowledge in my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. I am teaching people here how to make compost, improve their soils, and conserve water. I just want to say thank you to Jim and Soilutions for helping me get started.
15 comments:
new to new mexico,
When choosing a mulch, aesthetics are often the deciding factor. When installed properly, organics mulches perform the pretty much the same functions--soil temperature moderation, erosion control, weed control, for example. If the deep red of the pecan shells tickles your fancy, go for it. They do not attract rodents or pests. They do temporarily attract birds who clean the remaining nutmeat. They appear to be durable and fairly low maintenance.
Make sure to bring to us the old mulch so we can recycle it.
Thanks for the question.
Living in the Southwest we all know we must conserve our precious aquifer and groundwater in order to have it for years to come. But we are often faced with the hard decisions between having a beautiful yard or conserving our water.
The decision is easy. We can do both. Depending on where you live in the Albuquerque area, you can receive from 8"-14" of rain in a year. It is very simple to harvest that rain and store it for any number of reasons. First and foremost we can easily use it for irrigation of our landscapes. On a 1,000 square foot roof you can harvest ~600 gallons of rainwater. That's ~4800+ gallons of water in a year.
We at Soilutions can help. We offer ferrocement rainwater cisterns called Tinajas. These are ferrocement tanks in the shape of jars a d can be used as focal points in your landscape. These tanks will be ~1,000 gallon capacity and will be built on site in a permanent foundation. We are in the building stages and will start marketing them in the spring.
If you would like to know more please contact Bard Edrington at bard_masase@yahoo.com or call Soilutions at 877-0220
A friend of mine said she uses cardboard instead of weed fabric between her soil and wood chip mulch because it is a good way of recycling and not purchasing petroleum based products. Another friend said that the formaldehyde used to make cardboard can contaminate the soil. Do you all have an opinion?
Yes we always have an opinion. From the research done down here, I find that formaldehyde is used sparingly if at all in the construction of cardboard since the 1970's. The original use of the box is of some importance, too. Fruit boxes are usually fumigated with a fungicide. Formaldehyde is just another compound that can and is decomposed quickly and easily. Googling "cardboard" gave me this nugget..."Cardboard contains a very small amount of urea formaldehyde for adhesive and water-resistant properties. Waxed cardboard contains paraffin, and cardboard used for food stuffs can be impregnated with fungicides. Exposure to formaldehyde from cardboard is considered to be insignificant. Paraffin can irritate eyes, nose, and throat, and may be contaminated with benzene and other PAH’s, which are carcinogenic. Fungicides are toxic and can affect the nervous system. Regular brown cardboard should be okay to burn, but better to bale or reuse if possible. Waxed cardboard is best not burned inside. Treated cardboard for produce or meats should not be burned near human activity. Reuse, bale as possible."
As for cardboard for weed control under mulch: I say yes. I recently moved onto an acre of weeds. Each step collected hundreds of goatheads stuck to my shoes. After unpacking each box, I removed the tape and flattened it and placed it out in the yard. Mulch over it kept it from blowing away. 6 months later, plenty of worm activity, no goatheads and happy feet.
I think it is a great use for boxes that have no more use as containers, I have never had personal problems with toxicity from decomposing cardboard, and like the sponginess created by cardboard when used in walkways.
good luck.
Last little bit of info: pure formaldehyde has a half life of something like 20 days in soil. So even if there was a high concentration of it in cardboard, it wouldn't last long.
Wow! That was a great answer to my question. You guys are the best!
Greetings from Axle Canyon Preserve in the Burro Mts. of SW NM. I have two compost questions regarding our friends the red worms(Eisenia foetida). (1) can vermicompost be used as a nitrogen component in a compost tumbler? We are on a fast track to make as much compost as possible between now (May) and winter, for the riparian restoration beginning at Axle Canyon Preserve. (2)We were given a gift of a small "batch" of red worms. I built a home for them between straw bales. They are covered to keep out the light. I discovered that ants also like what the worms get to eat. Since these are not fire ants will they be OK in the vermiculture condo or should I try to get rid of them?
Thanks, geo
geo,
I wouldn't use finished vermicompost to activate a thermophilic compost pile, though it won't harm it. Vermicompost would be a good bacterial innoculant but not a good nitrogen source. Stable compost, whether vermi- or thermophilic, has a low nitrogen reading (generally less than 1%. Thermophilic composting is difficult to do in a small scale situation, i.e. a tumbler. It is time comsuming and labor intensive to monitor and maitain heat and moisture with a small volume.
Worms will only reproduce as space and food allow (unlike humans) and are excellent when dealing with other"s waste (unlike humans). If you have more feedstocks than one bin can handle, I would make more simple worm bins rather than trying to compost thermophilically in a tumbler. Worms do not generate heat when they process feedstocks so don't put a diseased tomatoe plant, noxious weed or seed in the bin.
The second question is a lot easier to answer: ants and "large" insects are just participating in the decompostion process. If you look closely, you will find a myriad of activity in a healthy worm bin. I see no reason to rid your bin of these or other detritivores.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
hi -
i'm in SE albuquerque and am trying to prepare a large section of yard that used to have kentucky bluegrass and bermuda for planting blue grama. after 18 months, the bermuda is still not totally gone, but the ground is becoming increasingly bare. last winter i covered the site with leaves but that didn't last. i'd like to find an organic mulch i can use this winter that won't blow away but that i can turn under in the spring/summer in preparation for planting the blue grama after the bermuda is gone - any advice?
There is an old adage I like to recall when speaking of removing Bermuda grass:"MOVE"
Not to discourage you but it is extremely hard to irradicate without chemicals.
I have had some success with the following though:
water deeply, cover thickly with cardboard/newspaper,apply 3"-5" layer of woody mulch. Do not disturb for a year or more.
My experience using that method left me with a dark loamy soil, rich with biological activity, and very few bermuda grass runners.
I now spend less than an hour a month pulling stray runners from the bed.
As to a mulch that will not blow away in the winter while you wait: any of our mulches will work fine. However I would suggest the small screened mulch for your specific purpose. When tilling carbonaceous material into your soil, you run the risk of depleting your soil of any available nitrogen. That's why I am suggesting the small screened mulch. It is fully composted so won't demand nitrogen. It will also easily break apart with the tiller.
Good luck
not sure i'll move - but i can't say that fighting the bermuda grass is not discouraging! i've been at it for two years now - i'm hopeful, though. thanks very much for your help - i'll look into the mulch - forest floor, righ? thanks again!!!
oops - sorry. just looked at the price list and saw the small screened mulch.
thanks again!
We've used pecan mulch before. Its great, but blows around here and is a little pricey. We have an almond tree in our yard. I'm wondering if we could use the shells from it for an effective mulch? Would we need to treat it or break it down some way first?
Thanks
Sure, I think locally grown shell would be a great mulch. I don't think you would need to process it in any way once you remove the meat. Make sure to spread it 3-5" thick under the entire canopy of the tree, leaving a 2-3" collar around the trunk.
Jim, great blog. Your continued commitment to educating New Mexico's population about soils, composting, and permaculture is a fantastic contribution. Also, the photos on the Soilutions website are inspiring. I'm happy to see that you are still at it. Congratulations on your work with Whole Foods.
I am fortunate to have studied briefly with Jim. He and I have had very informed conversations about vermicompost, xeriscaping, and permaculture and I was always learning from Jim and his staff at Soilutions when we were together. Now I am using some of that knowledge in my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. I am teaching people here how to make compost, improve their soils, and conserve water. I just want to say thank you to Jim and Soilutions for helping me get started.
Thanks for the encouraging words. Good luck in the Peace Corps, holler if you have any questions!
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