On Fri, 24 Apr 1998, KathiSueC wrote:
> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 11:14:03 EDT
> From: KathiSueC <KathiSueC@aol.com>
> To: sanet-mg@shasta.ces.ncsu.edu, CSA-L@prairienet.org
> Subject: help--poor soil conditions
>
> Hi Folks.
>
> I have a dilemna of which I hope some of you will be willing and able to help
> me with. I am farm managing an urban youth farm in San Francisco, a job I've
> just begun 3 weeks ago. I've been given the charge of growing a third of an
> acre of potatoes and they're on their way. The soil conditions are
> abysmal...the field has not been cover cropped in several years, and it has
> been kept well-weeded all winter...bare soil...heavy rain...very clayey soil.
> And it has also been worked up while saturated, although it's been by hand
> (fork, shovel, pick ax, etc). I realize this is not an ideal place or
> conditons in which to grow potatoes but that's not negotiable.
>
> As the soil dries down you may imagine the situation...dried cement-like clods
> on the surface and wet mucky clay beneath. The good news is that there's a lot
> of macroorganisms at work and there's been some compost applied over the years
> but the soil and fertility management has been relatively lacking. I've been
> working with the teens to loosen the edges of the beds, hesitant to work the
> soil too much but needing to let a little air below the surface. I am not
> going to get the tilth I want for potatoes this year and maybe not for several
> but I'm looking for suggestions as to other ways to deal with my potato
> situation now.
>
> My plan is to apply compost heavily, add some gypsum for loosening clayey
> soils and lightly fork it in to the top 4" of our beds, make a shallow
> planting trench of 4", dribble a bit of soil sulfur for scab (big problem
> here), cover with compost, lay drip tape and mulch heavily with straw. Will
> this work? Do you have any other suggestions?
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
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