REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Be the change you are seeking and lead by example.
HOW TO FIX SANDY SOILS
ALWAYS HAVE A LIVING ROOT IN THE ROUND
Fixing sandy soils to rich organic soil is possible in just 5 five months.
Add a mulching layer of at least 10 centimeters, mulching can be done with any garden organic matter even weeds by chopping and dropping them before they go to seed. But mulching alone is not enough you will need a nitrogen fertilizer like manure or a nitrogen fertilizer tea made from comfrey or comfrey leaves.
Move the mulch layer away and make a small planting hole for your plant. Once your plant is established and around 30 cm, plant a cover crop of beans. The beans will not only act as a green cover crop but also fertilize the soil and fix nitrogen in the soil.
Beans improve the soil with bacteria, which forms nodules on their roots. You can also plant more legume plants, like peas, alfalfa, and beans, which produce nitrogen as they grow.
Alternatively, you can first prepare your soil with a good mix of cover crop and allow it to overwinter. 6-8 weeks to your planting time you can chop and drop the cover crop and plant your cash crops. If you are concerned that you may still have too many weeks in the soil, you can sheet layer it with cardboard or brown butchers paper, then add another layer of homegrown organic compost.
How Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria Improve Soil Fertility
Nitrogen fixing bacteria is known as Rhizobia. Peas and beans are legumes work together with nitrogen, they have a symbiotic relationship with soil Rhizobia. Rhizobia live in nodules in the plant’s roots and chemically convert nitrogen in the air and make it available for the plant.
It is important to note that this relationship is only true when the correct bacteria is present in the soil to be able to have a symbiotic relationship. Grow only legumes that’s native to your area the required nitrogen fixing bacteria will be present in your soil. Specific strains of rhizobacteria work with different legumes.
Should you have really poor soil and low populations of Rhizobacteria you may need to inoculate your seeds or coat the seed with a purchased rhizobium. If you are purchasing rhizobacteria ensure that you purchase the correct strains for the legume you want to grow.
