Need Help Starting Out

[VARock]

First of all, I live in N. Texas on 2.25 acres. I am going all organic, but the initial shock has me worried.

I want to put down alfalfa pellets, but at 10lbs / 1,000 sq feet, it would cost about $1,200 for one application. I know there has to be other alternatives.

Would it be better to use liquid molasses and liquid humate and spray the area? Would this approach be more cost effective and still provide the microbial nutrients? Maybe add a compost tea to the solution???

I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks,
VARock

[mycajah]

First, get a soil sample or two. Check with the Natural Resourse Conservation Service and get a copy of the soil survey. What types of soil are on your place, and what kind of vegetation will those soils support? Then take stock of your situation. You may not need to treat your entire place. Do you have bare spots or large patches of Johnson Grass or other invasives? If you have large trees, I'd start with examining them closely. Start building your compost pile now!

There may not be a need to spend money on soil admendments right away.

[jrosto]

This same question came up on this weekends radio show. HG recommended applications of molasses and humate as an inexpensive means of getting started on larger areas. I am working on 4+ acres. I applied CGM in the early Spring and am now applying molasses and EW Pro.

[VARock]

Thanks for the replies. One question for jrosto, what is EW pro? I tried a google search and couldn't find any information.

I'm getting ready to purchase either a pull behind whirlybird spreader (175# hopper) or a 25 gal sprayer. I keep going back and forth as to which approach I should take. There are merits to owning both pieces, but it currently isn't in my yard budget.

If I go totally liquid, will this suffice in the long run? By putting down compost tea, liquid molasses and humate can I keep the microbes and yard fed well enough?

Thanks again!

VARock

[Kathe Kitchens]

Yes, you can definitely keep things running well with liquids. Start out with liquid molasses, liquid compost and a soil bio-innoculant like Earthworm or another to introduce a fresh, healthy population of soil microbes. Spreading horticultural molasses and other dry amendments is also good but the liquids are very cost effective.

EW Pro is a commercial version of Earthworm soil bio-innoculant.
Great stuff.

Kathe

[Robert D Bard]

Liquids are excellant - I am doing hay
meadows to get organic hay this year,
but I would put liquid humates without
fail. You may not know what was on
your land before you got it and if there
were any chemicals. the humate will
help detoxify besides building up the
organic matter. It also has a lot of
minerals that are available.
Go to web site www.enviromateinc.com
Randy has humates and combinations
that are resonable in price and effective.
You can find local dealer for their products.
Robert D Bard

[mycajah]

You can get an idea of what how your property was treated beforeyou got there by doing the soil sampling first. If the soil is already high in organic matter, the microbes will most likely already be there. It may be better to spend the money removeing the invasive plants of focusing on problem areas, like bare soil. Broad applications of anything without first knowing what is there seems inefficient.

[Robert D Bard]

I think it is pretty much waste of money
and resources to do soil tests before you
get started. You can assume in TX that
there is very little humate in soil and
there were toxic chemicals and fertilizers
used. on your land. You don't need ph
test as using lime is not necessary. ph
will correct itself as you use compost,
humates, organic fertilizers, etc. After
a couple of years you can do a soil
test with the company down in Edinborough
- south TX. Don't bother with TX A & M
as their results as suspect. If you can,
liquids are the easiest and the cheapest
to amend you land.
Robert D Bard

[greenacres]

Just wanted to say that Captain Compost has some very helpful advice for making compost tea on this website --which would be a very sound economical way of helping you get started organically.

Also, the site for the lab that Robert mentions is as follows:

http://www.txplant-soillab.com/

Happy farming! - Susan

[Brad Watson]

Our liquid program has been very sucessful. Check it out and give us a call if you have any questions

[Dirtfarmgirl]

Hi VArock, Will alfalfa grow there? $80 gets 50 pounds of seed, enough to do the whole place. You can cut 2/3 and use the cutting to add fertility to the other third. Or what ever rotation you are planning. Perhaps think in strips. 10 feet wide of alfalfa, 5 feet wide of crop area,10 feet wide of alfalfa..etc. Mow and rake it where it needs to be. It's a great mulch too.
I have planted 40 acres with a belly seeder.( Walk and crank!) It took two and a half days. On 2 acres you can use a sack and your good right arm and broadcast anything if needs be. A bottle of horse linament will put you right. LOL. Put money into the sprayer. It can be used to get water out to seedlings too.
I looked at soil test costs, the number I need to do, and just bought a good test kit. Check out Gemplers. For hand tools Lehmans. Both have first rate goods. There is no value in tools that fail in the middle of a job.


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[Robert D Bard]

I would not bother with alfalfa. I would
use liquid hunate, liquid molasses because
it it dirt cheap - $1.00 at feed store - called
liquid feed for cows. You can also buy bugs
in a jug - to get bacteria going, but don't put
out without molasses or they will not be able
to survive. If you don't have bacteria legumes
will not germinate - alfalfa, clover, etc.
See if you can rent sprayer - much cheaper
that buying. Put stuff out now and then in the
fall - after Labor day - plant rye grass and
clover. They will grow like crazy and in the
spring you can disc them in the soil surface
and it acts like compost. Then plant summer
grasses. Never plow land. It puts the areobic
under the soil and the ansreobic on the top
which messes up both and will destroy both.
You need 10 to 15 lbs of clove seed and
maybe 100 lbs of rye grass.
Robert D Bard

[nina norman]

Robert - what is bugs in a jug and where can I find this?

[Bluestem]

Biologically active liquid, live organisms. I use BIO. Most stores will carry one brand or another.

[Robert D Bard]

I just found a new type of bacteria that will even turn clorinadtehydrocarbons into organic product.
Also found EM Effective Microorganisms. You can
search with this and I think you can go to
www.emtechnologynetwork.org These people
know how to make bug for garden, farm, ranch
and even for cleaning up wastes.
Robert D Bard