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[compost_tea] Phosphorus-Potassium & Test plots



Jose,

I have a meeting on April 9 with our group of road residents who will be
doing the test plots.  I have a million questions, but the compost_tea
list is troubled and I don't feel like boring them with my sophomore
questions. You must be very busy, but you have taken the time and given
the best answers.

What we need to discuss and finalize is our experimental design -- 1)
the actual physical location and layout of our test and control plots,
2) deciding  exactly how and when plant populations are to be measured
in order to determine results, 3) whether the test plots are to be
protected from other treatments (such as mowing), 4) how long each test
plot will need to be maintained in order to determine the results, 5)
how resident objections to our roadside test plot markers are to be
handled -- and other such questions.

Thank you for being interested enough in our problems to give your
advice.

For these test plots, should we remove all the adult weeds from any of
the plots either by flame weeding or hand digging or should we leave
them in all cases?  We will probably be doing side-by-side study with
control plots according to the "On-Farm Research Guide" <www.ofrf.org>
under Research Programs.

Yesterday  I bought 15 lbs of a native grass mix from Rainer Seeds and
was told to drill 1/4 inch, apply the seed and cover with a thin layer
of peat moss. The Chair of the Weed Committee, who raises ornamental
trees and shrubs with chemical fertilizer, gave me 20 lbs of hard fescue
left over from his business.  His instructions were to simply scrape the
soil, apply a high nitrogen chemical fertilizer and broadcast the seed.
I bought 2 lbs of white yarrow seed and was told that moisture was very
important in the first year.  This stuff grows wild on our meadow and we
never water it.  We have red and white clover and black medic left over
from last year. I wanted to buy Rocky Mountain Blue Penstemon seed, but
it was $50/lb.  I'll just collect local seeds little by little.

My thought was to apply a thin layer of composted horse manure from
Robert who is selling the stuff, some soft rock phosphate and gypsum,
dig it into the bare sandy loam soil plots as best we can by hand in the
ditch and bank and rake it.  Maybe make shallow holes then with the
rake, broadcast the seed and rake again. PLEASE TELL ME HOW MUCH ROCK
PHOSPHATE AND HOW MUCH GYPSUM FOR A 12' X 15' TEST PLOT and how much in
a 30 gallon barrel of CT? AM I BEING TOO DETAILED TO DRILL AND RAKE THE
SOIL THEN SPRAY CT?  (My experience is as a hand gardener on small
acreage.)

How do I handle P and gypsum in the plots that have good stuff growing
in them besides the weeds?  Can it be sprayed?

Now, here's what I have or will have on hand to make CT.  Biodynamic
compost (ours), mostly horse.  Two units of homemade Barrel Compost. 18
horns of homemade Horn Manure with bentonite plugs.  Alaska Humus.
Arcadian Kelp.  Molasses. Gallon bag of Ground Eggshells. Oatmeal,
Separate Peppers for all four weeds, a dandy little Bitti-O-Later that
will make 30 gallons at a time.  How fungal a mix should I use?  Should
I put it all together or make separate tests with the Bio-Dynamic
preps+peppers and the compost/AH/AK/M mix (with or without peppers?)?
Add the soft rock phosphate and gypsum to CT or apply separately?

We will have 20% vinegar test plots.  How do you apply this?
Individually to each weed with a hand sprayer.  Spray over the whole
area?  What will the acetic acid do to plastic sprayer components?
Should we add CT after a time or just leave it alone?

Flame Weeding.  We have one plot left over from last year in hawkweed
and one in tansy.  Should we flame again this year and spray with CT?

Urea on hawkweed in 90ºF weather.  We have a plot from last year that
had good result, although there are still a few plants.  We can't
re-treat it until hot weather.  Should we spray it with CT and plant
grass or clover or black medic?  It has moss on it now.  Would urea work
on other woodier weeds in the same way?

Hawkweed growing with Kinnickinnick, a beautiful native groundcover.
Should we just leave the kinnickinnick and not plant grass or plant
grass seed too?

Mulch.  Cedar chips.  Hardwood chips. With and without newspaper
underneath.  Controls.  Should I spray with CT first or not?

Non-testplot areas in native grass and weeds adjacent to pastures,
yards, the creek or just absentee landowners' property.  Should we flame
weed now whatever knapweed rosettes we see and spray with BD preps and
peppers or with CT out of compost, AH, AK, M?  Add some grass and clover
seed?

Musk Thistle next to a pasture.  I don't have a soil analyses for this.
Should I get one now?  Elaine said to suck up high nitrate with
thistle.  What kind of CT will do that?

So many things, but somebody has to lead this

Best,

Merla




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