Our soil is the inspiration of all the things we do at Frog Hole Farm. As regenerative farmers, we’re consistently working to foster soil well being to make sure it’s important and alive. Our common – some may say zealous – care of the soil contributes to the flavour and deliciousness of our fruit, harvest after harvest. It’s additionally important to the long-term viability of our farm and the well being of the ecosystem we’re part of.
We take steps all year long to foster soil well being:
We maintain the bottom lined with wild grasses, forbs, and chosen cowl crops that defend the soil’s construction and foster microbial life.
We unfold 1000’s of tons of compost yearly, which provides life and vitamins to the soil.
Simply as necessary are the issues we DON’T do:
We don’t disturb the soil mechanically with tillage.
We don’t disturb the soil chemically with artificial amendments.
Annual testing for a holistic image
Soil testing is a part of our stewardship. We take a look at our soil within the fall and winter after the harvest and when life on the farm slows down. We’re in search of important vitamins in our soil which can be out there for the timber to take up. We don’t pattern the whole farm yearly. As an alternative, we cycle via completely different orchards and that offers us a holistic image over time. We begin with a soil probe (a hole tube) and some buckets. Tree roots prolong 10 to 30 centimeters. We plunge the tube 0 to 10 centimeters and 10 to 30 centimeters into the soil. We put the soil in buckets, let it dry for a number of days, after which we ship it to an agricultural lab for testing.
Soil testing provides us an underground snapshot:
We analyze the degrees of important vitamins which can be out there to the timber at completely different depths.
We plan how we’ll amend the soil to carry it again into stability and maintain it very important and alive.
Right here’s a abstract of what we search for with our soil exams:
Ranges of potassium. Fruit timber use potassium greater than every other nutrient. Potassium helps timber distribute water via their root methods. It additionally helps timber kind their fruit, and it contributes to fruit sugar, colour, and measurement.
Ranges of nitrogen. Bushes take up nitrogen to assist them kind leaves and shoots. Stability is the important thing. If timber don’t have sufficient nitrogen within the soil, they received’t produce sufficient leaves or fruit. In the event that they get an excessive amount of nitrogen, the fruit shall be giant and tasteless. Pests and lots of tree ailments thrive on nitrogen, which is another excuse we monitor this nutrient very fastidiously.
Ranges of calcium. Calcium helps fruit timber keep their trunk, branches, leaves and shoots, and resist the ailments that hurt their fruit. The correct quantity of calcium permits the fruit to hold on the tree longer and construct up its sugar, or brix ranges. Farmer Al exams for top brix earlier than he and the farm crew begin choosing.
Ranges of phosphorus. Bushes use this nutrient in many various methods. It helps the tree convert the solar’s power into sugar to advertise wholesome wooden and roots.
We amend the soil with such vitamins yearly, however the ranges we discover via soil testing information our plans.
An infinite internet
We aren’t being overly dramatic once we say that soil chemistry and microbiology are a number of the most participating lecturers on the planet! The extra you find out about soil, the extra there may be to find. Testing helps us discover the perception we have to navigate complicated interactions and relationships to nurture a balanced and wholesome ecosystem. We’ve skimmed the floor right here, and we’ll be diving into different elements of soil well being within the weeks to come back. Keep tuned!
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