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Sepp Holzer never uses lime | (Read 2024 times) |
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 5600
missoula, montana
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March 07, 2009, 09:37:39 AM |
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Most conifer forest land has a pH of 4.5. Most garden plants prefer a pH of 6.5. Some plants prefer a pH of 7.0 or higher.
I want to ask him some more questions about this, but asking questions is kinda tough.
I think one of the first things he does with confierous land is the hugelkultur stuff. I think the act of digging into the deeper soil brings up a higher pH - so that is an instant help. Next, I think that composting all of those trees in the hugelkultur raises the pH a lot - mostly because compost tends to end up at a pH of 7.0.
Next is water. Sepp is keenly aware that water saturated soil tends to have a lower pH. So his hugelkultur beds are dry at the top and wet at the bottom. So stuff that prefers a higher pH also generally likes drier soils. And has a lovely home at the top of the beds.
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Brenda Groth
Administrator
Posts: 1860
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March 07, 2009, 05:19:35 PM |
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interesting, we have large areas of acid soil on our property, however there is an area that is quite alkaline..it is where we have done a lot of burning of brushpiles..we tend to use this soil in areas where we need more alkalinity..
we also use carbon from our wood boiler and bury it for alkalinity..however ..we do occasionally have small scraps of drywall that we incorporate into our compost pile..which also is basically lime..it is a natural mineral that can be reincorporated back into the soil..at a small rate..
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Susan Monroe
Posts: 1093
Western WA
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March 08, 2009, 12:32:13 PM |
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While compost (natural compost) can help to ameliorate soil pH, it can't do everything. It especially can't provide minerals that are simply not available by any means.
Lime is more than a way to raise the alkalinity, it is CALCIUM, and sometimes (dolomite) includes a fair amount of magnesium.
You can raise the pH to whatever you want, by applying certain chemicals, but if the the soil is short of calcium, it needs calcium, and until that calcium is supplied, the soil is out of balance.
Does Holzer have any kind of scientific documentation for any of his theories?
Sue
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 5600
missoula, montana
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March 09, 2009, 01:19:16 PM |
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A lot of university research has been done on his farm.
As for calcium - some plants like calcium more than others. And in some places on his land, he encourages plants that have deep tap roots and are calcium accumulators (like comfrey).
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Bruce Weiskotten
Posts: 5
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March 12, 2009, 01:36:45 PM |
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Remember he's breeding 4-20 varieties of worms which balance soil pH by excreting CaC (calcium carbonate) so there may be no need to spread lime especially if you have to hike each bag up the mountain in a ruckzack. 
Not to mention, how far are the Dolomiti? Much of the alps is limestone type rock.
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 5600
missoula, montana
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March 12, 2009, 03:06:25 PM |
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Yesterday somebody asked about wood ash - apparently he uses some of that. That would raise pH quite a bit.
Bruce, what more can you say about the worms and the ph? Are you saying that these worms raise the pH only because there is limestone down deep, or would they do it with other subsoils too?
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Bruce Weiskotten
Posts: 5
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March 12, 2009, 03:33:26 PM |
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Worms will always balance out the pH towards neutral and they are net producers of Ca.
The lime in the parent material of the soil is more of an after thought.
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