----- Original Message ----- From: Liz Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 6:17 AM
Hi Liz First I dont disagree with anything that Robin has said, I would like to go through this point by point. Subject: Re: Soil Test Soil Results Black soil TEC 16.99 pH 7 N 90 sulphates 4 phosp 57 Ca 2426 31.79% Mg 2628 57.4% Pot 528 3.55% sod 2.87 iron 1000, zinc 4.6 Boron.7 The calcium / magnesium ratio is the standout here, but thats basic and you are aware of that, corrective action on this site would require a fair quantity of lime and probably gypsum and soil disturbance all of which your friend probably does not want to do. > Worms were evident when planting trees. The penetrometer was buried to its > full depth. The geology is the edge of a basalt plateau, which was cleared > in 1860. If we look at these basalt plateau soils whats the thing we notice? Lack of diversity of tree species!! I think these soils, with high phosphorus, good active mineral levels (we dont usually find a trace element problem), good nitrogen status, their fertility has developed past the need for growing woody, high carbon plants (trees). The Monaro region is the classic treeless basalt plain, the black basalt soils of the northwest never grew much timber - these are prime grasslands in their native state! Some of these soils dont like to grow trees all that well and where they do grow there is a sparsity of understory!! These are nitrogen rich soils so they dont need the abundance of acacias and cassias etc to fix nitrogen. > In the last 18 yrs there has only been grazing of sheep, with that > rarely occurring in the last 10 yrs. If this block has been mostly shut up from grazing for ten years there should have been some native regeneration. What happened? What species volunteered? >The front of the property (on main > highway) was tested for heavy metals and they were found to be low, there > were no heavy metal tests for the tree paddock. Native trees is the aim for > this paddock, Casurinas to be specific. Why casurinas in particular?? Your friend is going to have to be very selective with the tree species for this soil.Is the variety planted a local native to the soil type?? I am used to casurinas growing by the river and in waterlogged heavy soils of the central west, I dont know your area well but would of thought they would be out of place on an elevated basalt soil?? (of course you could always try some politically incorrect species from the northern hemisphere) > Severe frosts for at least 6 months > of the year, rainfall average of 800ml. and wicked winds which power one of > Australia's largest wind generator projects. > > As for evidence of plants, most of the 700 trees planted have died. Its been a tough winter - low rainfall and killer frosts - was your friend able to water the young trees? I have a friend that made a good living contract planting for Vicroads and he says "If you cant water 'em dont plant 'em" - he budgeted on a 98% take and said he would loose money on a contract if that went under 90% - dont always need to water but always need to be able to do it. > > In a nut shell, she could chip some twigs > > (only from small branches) from the deciduous trees and incorporate a thin > > layer in the top soil. This method has been showed to produce excellent > > vegetable crops. It provides a good substrate and source of C/N for soil > > microorganisms. Straw mulch is good for these soils too with a minimum of cultivation. Cheers Lloyd Charles
