Dear Cheryl, Allan, et. al., Yes. I mow the stalks to chop them as finely as possible first. Corn doesn't chop so well, of course. But the spader incorporates things wonderfully. Then in these beds I sow a winter cover mix of rye, crimson clover, turnip, rape, mustard and chinese radish (China Rose) as the brassicas are all rye companions. Then I make a quick, shallow pass over the seeds with my rototiller to mix the seed in the top couple inches.
Normally on the earlier fall sowings I get hundreds of dollars of harvestable greens and roots out of these cover crops. If I had the markets and pickers it could easily be thousands of dollars following my sweet corn, though my field corn must dry before picking. It gets incorporated too late for harvestable greens and roots. Nevertheless it is important income. Then I also mow for green chop for the milk cows and their calves on into the winter and into spring after market season is over and there's frost damage, and this yields superior fodder as well as saving on feed costs as well as pulling a little fertility out of the system so it is not too lush in spring. With the way I'm doing BD I find corn puts so much juice into the system it is a good idea to hold it back so the next spring when I till under the rye things aren't too lush and I don't get too strong a weed growth. I recommend spaders. Absolutely. Best tillage action I've ever seen. A spader's a little slow, but it does everything in one pass. Best, Hugh Lovel >Dear Allen, >I remember seeing Hugh Lovels pictures, where he chops his corn down and >does a rough turn in, then sows directly into the green corn trash with a >pasture mix. >Maybe Hugh will come out and discuss this? >Do you have a spader? Wouldnt that do the work for you in turning in - I saw >one recently and the turning in and bed tillage was fantastic.All ready for >replanting. > >Why would you use Pfeiffer sprays if you are already using BC ?(which I >presume has all the BD compost preps in there). > >Cheryl > >Cheryl Kemp >Education and Workshop Coordinator >BDFGAA >Phone /Fax : 02 6657 5322 >Home: 02 6657 5306 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.biodynamics.net.au > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Allan Balliett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 10:22 PM >Subject: Re: Shredders for composting > > >> >Dear Allan, >> >Why not just mow the rye over with a mower and spray with Barrel Compost >and >> >then turn in by spade as a green manure, roots and all. Saves a lot of >> >effort and still aids the soil. >> >Then make a proper compost heap, with your hay and green matter and >manure, >> >for later use, and use your last lot of compost turned in with this lot >as >> >well on the raised beds. >> >Cheryl >> >> Cheryl - >> >> Thanks for the suggestions. >> >> I'm working with acres here, often by myself. I'm going from covered >> soil to raised bed that I transplant into almost immediately, hence >> the raking off of the heavy organic matter, which, incidentally, >> extension agents in these parts do not feel contribute substantially >> to organic matter if turned in (roots, which remain in my beds being >> the greatest contributers and of mass equal to the tops). I do BC the >> beds right after spading-lifting-tilling. If I had money-time, I'd be >> hitting all the beds with Pfeiffer Field Spray, also. >> >> Please let me know if I've misunderstood what you are saying. It is >> not my experience that I can get right into the beds if I plow down >> 'full grown' rye, even with BC >> >> -Allan >> Visit our website at: www.unionag.org
