Help with interpreting soil tests

[Wind Gypsy]

But keep in mind, that’s in a living system. If there ends up being a disruption from spraying or tillage, that cycle is interrupted, and that’s when things don’t transition quite so smoothly.

I was going to ask.. doesn't all of that biomass tie up those nutrients for a while? Doesn't seem like they'd be available from all the stuff growing now for this fall? Maybe last years biomass?

 

[omicron1792]

I was going to ask.. doesn't all of that biomass tie up those nutrients for a while? Doesn't seem like they'd be available from all the stuff growing now for this fall? Maybe last years biomass?

It really is how long the thatch lasts, and that is dependent on your biome. Once thatch is gone all the nutrients are available

 

[SD51555]

I was going to ask.. doesn't all of that biomass tie up those nutrients for a while? Doesn't seem like they'd be available from all the stuff growing now for this fall? Maybe last years biomass?

I love a good thatch question.

You want some nutrient tie up, or what I would more appropriately call timely release. Crops don’t have a linear need for nutrients. Their needs start small and increase as the season rolls on and they are steaming towards maturity.

The other thing is residue on top is far different from residue plowed under. Two things happen when you plow under heavy residue. First is, you disrupt your biological cycles. Second, you disperse all that residue into the soil column and you will get nutrient drag for a little bit.

When it’s left on top, your below ground balance is still there and your biological factory is still running. 99% of your soil column doesn’t have a heavy residue problem, because it’s only touching the face.

It’s a long season, and you want those nutrients spoon fed to your crop. That’s also why some balance is important. You want as much biomass as you can get, and you want to use up all of it by the time you lay down your next batch of residue. So adjust accordingly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

I’m still trying to produce the thatch crop to end all thatch crops and I haven’t done it. I had banger tonnage last year in the sweet clover plot, and there is no sign of it now. I could peel back the standing crop now and maybe see some, but I wish I had another inch or two of rye straw under there.

This is what I produced, and there is zero sign of it slowing down the plot. That is fully mature winter rye and barb wire stemmed sweet clover. Very high carbon.

This is where it’s at now. It’s coming fast, it’s thick, and it’s deep green. I’ll try to remember to pull back the crop to see what I’ve got left for duff under there. This is also why I wish I could spread an inch of coarse wood chips out there just to see what would happen. I should maybe do that in a spot just to test it out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[omicron1792]

I’m still trying to produce the thatch crop to end all thatch crops and I haven’t done it. I had banger tonnage last year in the sweet clover plot, and there is no sign of it now. I could peel back the standing crop now and maybe see some, but I wish I had another inch or two of rye straw under there.

This is what I produced, and there is zero sign of it slowing down the plot. That is fully mature winter rye and barb wire stemmed sweet clover. Very high carbon.

This is where it’s at now. It’s coming fast, it’s thick, and it’s deep green. I’ll try to remember to pull back the crop to see what I’ve got left for duff under there. This is also why I wish I could spread an inch of coarse wood chips out there just to see what would happen. I should maybe do that in a spot just to test it out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ll tell you @SD51555, mowing makes thatch break down way way way quicker than crimping. You should consider crimping some and mowing some and see for yourself.

 

[SD51555]

I’ll tell you @SD51555, mowing makes thatch break down way way way quicker than crimping. You should consider crimping some and mowing some and see for yourself.

I was planning to try that this year if I got another big crop of rye and YSC. Right now, I'm doubting I'm going to get a crimpable crop, and it's gonna be lighter on rye and very little sweet clover.

 

[matinc]

SD. Do you not believe you can crimp the top picture with the brush hog? Omi. Do you believe he can crimp that? If not why not wait another month for it to be crimpable. Would luv to hear both your thoughts on this.

 

[matinc]

SD did you plant any seed under the duff your mowing now??

 

[SD51555]

SD. Do you not believe you can crimp the top picture with the brush hog? Omi. Do you believe he can crimp that? If not why not wait another month for it to be crimpable. Would luv to hear both your thoughts on this.

Last year, I wish I would have tried crimping it. That crop would have laid flat as a pancake. This year, I don’t think I’m gonna get the rye or the YSC. I think the rye will be light and the mystery clover (balansa?) will be dominant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

SD did you plant any seed under the duff your mowing now??

I threw a bushel of rye into it before I mowed it down. 1/4 acre.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I love a good thatch question.

You want some nutrient tie up, or what I would more appropriately call timely release. Crops don’t have a linear need for nutrients. Their needs start small and increase as the season rolls on and they are steaming towards maturity.

The other thing is residue on top is far different from residue plowed under. Two things happen when you plow under heavy residue. First is, you disrupt your biological cycles. Second, you disperse all that residue into the soil column and you will get nutrient drag for a little bit.

When it’s left on top, your below ground balance is still there and your biological factory is still running. 99% of your soil column doesn’t have a heavy residue problem, because it’s only touching the face.

It’s a long season, and you want those nutrients spoon fed to your crop. That’s also why some balance is important. You want as much biomass as you can get, and you want to use up all of it by the time you lay down your next batch of residue. So adjust accordingly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve still got pretty good thatch from the fall ‘22 planted rye so was thinking if I have much rye this year it might get to be a bit much.

Edit: Nevermind, just checked on plots and the thatch is disappearing, I have a weak rye crop, and a bitchin clover crop.

 

[matinc]

Gypsy. How many pounds of each clover n rye did you broadcast or drill. Your clover is cranking this was my field 3 weeks ago

 

[SD51555]

I’ve still got pretty good thatch from the fall ‘22 planted rye so was thinking if I have much rye this year it might get to be a bit much.

Edit: Nevermind, just checked on plots and the thatch is disappearing, I have a weak rye crop, and a bitchin clover crop.

A clover crop like that is going to eat up all your residue in a hurry. It's not bad, because all your rye nutrients are going to be up in your clover now. I really think I've stumbled onto reseeding balansa at my place. I'm not certain yet, but I've never spread any red clover on my property, nor have I seen any. Should know by next weekend if I've got golfball sized pink and white flowers.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

A clover crop like that is going to eat up all your residue in a hurry. It's not bad, because all your rye nutrients are going to be up in your clover now. I really think I've stumbled onto reseeding balansa at my place. I'm not certain yet, but I've never spread any red clover on my property, nor have I seen any. Should know by next weekend if I've got golfball sized pink and white flowers.

I think what I’m seeing is a lot of fixation balansa too. I planted a fair bit of it the last two years, didn’t get hardly any of it last year and it looks awesome this year. Wonder if it’s a mild winter thing possibly. Seems like a lot of white clover too and I think I only planted a little alsike in my blend but mostly MRC and fixation.

 

[Skeeter]

I did do a little search on this.....and so far have not found a source for any quantity of material. Good suggestion.....but stuff like this is hard to come by here.

Sometimes mushroom farms will have compost to give away. Maybe that one up by Pine River has something?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Gypsy. How many pounds of each clover n rye did you broadcast or drill. Your clover is cranking this was my field 3 weeks ago

#/ acre
Forage Oats	25.5
AWP	40.9
Beans	5.4
large box total/acre	71.7
Daikon Radish	3.8
J millet	0.5
Fixation balansa	3.5
Alsike Clover	0.4
MRC	2.5
Chicory	0.6
NWW sweet feast	0.2
Small box total/acre	11.5

^ blend I drilled in last August and surface broadcasted about 100# rye in sept. I do think a fair bit of the clover I’ve got is carry over from the year before that didn’t fully terminate from roundup last august.

 

[Foggy47]

Sometimes mushroom farms will have compost to give away. Maybe that one up by Pine River has something?

Never heard of a mushroom farm near Pine River. link?

 

[Skeeter]

Never heard of a mushroom farm near Pine River. link?

m.facebook.com/strictlymushrooms

I haven't been to their place, just seen them on the Internet. A few years back I bought some plugged logs from a guy west of town on 2, but I think he was shutting down.

 

[Brian662]

But keep in mind, that’s in a living system. If there ends up being a disruption from spraying or tillage, that cycle is interrupted, and that’s when things don’t transition quite so smoothly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm struggling to wrap my head around this, what is the difference in nutrients released whether a crop is terminated by crimping, mowing, tilling, or chemical? Any links to videos where they break this down?

 

[matinc]

SD can we have your ingenious wisdom on this.