>From what I've heard, the hardpan we have in New England is the result of improper plowing. When I put in a French Intensive garden 25 years ago, I dug down 30+ inches by hand. The hardpan was a 6" thick layer about a foot below the surface. Once I pickaxed through it, the digging got easy again, relatively speaking. Not having access to manure at the time, I refilled the trenches with a mixture of soil and leaves. I used to impress visitors with how I could push a bamboo garden stake 2-1/2 feet deep into the ground.
Samuel Kaymen (Stony Field Farm Yogurt) introduced me to the chisel plow. He used it on a worn out piece of hillside and harvested 2-foot long carrots the next year. How far down is your water table? ----- Original Message ----- From: "COYOTEHILLFARM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 8:15 PM Subject: Re: Perfect Orchard > Hi Richard, > >From what I understand of grape vines and rot development of the grapes it > needs more space than what a chisel plow will do, ( grape rots need to have > their tap rot go down 6/8 feet? ) also you are only touching the surface of > the hardpan digging will do a real trench, topsoil on the other hand and the > problem that I have created with digging the trench, I Don't know god or bad > ?? > >No need to resort to explosives (gelignite) > What is "gelignite" it sound like a stone ?? > > Thanks > Per Garp/NH, Loudon > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Richard Kalin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 10:20 AM > Subject: Perfect Orchard > > > > We have the same stoney hardpan here in Hollis NH. A 2-foot deep chisel > plow > > will get rid of it and leave all the topsoil in place. No need to resort > to > > explosives (gelignite). > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Peter Michael Bacchus" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 4:49 AM > > Subject: Re: Perfect Orchard ?? > > > > > > > Dear Per > > > Now that you have given your location and soil description > > it > > > is easier to make a suggestion. > > > Have your soil chemistry analyzed by Brookside Lab. or > > similar > > > then work on balancing your cation exchange to suit grape vines. > > > Drain as mentioned and form up windrows to plant on. grape roots like to > > be > > > warm. I would be a bit cautious about sheep and goat manure as they tend > > to > > > make the ground harder, or at least that is my experience. Horse manure > > has > > > the most soil loosening effect, followed by cow. This is of course to be > > > composted and prepped. Then be generous with the Horn manure and barrel > > > compost. You need to get the soil life going which means you may need to > > > drain to avoid waterlogging at any time. > > > If you really do need to loosen the subsoil mechanically I > > > suggest that you look at gelignite, I have seen it used to good effect > > under > > > trees that were stunted by hard pan. In this way the topsoil would > remain > > on > > > top. > > > Go and have a look at what Steven Storch is doing and > > perhaps > > > get some advice from him. > > > Best of luck, > > > Peter. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "COYOTEHILLFARM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 1:36 PM > > > Subject: Re: Perfect Orchard ?? > > > > > > > > > > I appreciate this comments, > > > > > > > > We are here permanently, Hardpan is very common in the Eastern US, in > NH > > > > winery's are Uncommon. > > > > > > > > Gypsum has been suggested in the past but only a hand full of it in > for > > > each > > > > grape planting. > > > > > > > > Hardpan in the NH is a sand like product with a bunch of stones large > to > > > > small, it act much like quicksand when water soaked, water have a hard > > > time > > > > penetrate it and that's way I need to drain my fields as grapes do not > > > like > > > > wet feet's. > > > > We do not have any clay, as far as what I have seen. > > > > > > > > On top of the Hard pan we have 1 to 2 feet's of good top soil Some > time > > > more > > > > some time less pending on location and past cow manure deposit. > > > > > > > > We have consider ripping the hardpan whit a 2-3 foot "Hardpan buster" > > type > > > > of equipment but have fund that it is harder to do a good job of that > > type > > > > of equipment, a 3x3 dug ditch seems more functional. ( But more > costly) > > > and > > > > then the gypsum can do it's job !? > > > > > > > > I plan to cover the rows with wood chips, (and add goat and sheep > > > manure)as > > > > a soil help and to prevent grass and competition. (I like to see > > chickens > > > > and Guinea fouls in the fields) > > > > > > > > Please describe the full BD cycle. > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > Per Garp/NH > > > > > > > > > >
