Effective Micro-organisms

[Guest guest]

>I seem to remember your being against green mulches, saying that they

>inhibit nitrogen fixation temporarily. But surely they are even less work

>than compost? I read one report that said there is as much benefit in

>leaving them cut on the serface, as there is in turning them under, so no

>need to even turn them in. In warm climated I would imagine they would

>decompose quicker.

 

To answer a few of your questions:

 

No, I am not against green mulches. Nitrogen fixation is affected if you

turn the crop under. This is where Manusoba Fukuoka says he does not

beleive in composting. But he is doing field composting with his straw

covered with chicken manure. Maybe he should say that he does not believe in

composting outside the field. Still I would like to meet him.

 

Of couse green mulches are less work than compost. It is a type of field

composting and is very effective. In Croatia I cut all the fields they gave

me by hand and left the cuttings on the top. You could call this mulching,

but if you mix carbon with nitrogen (plants) or anything else, I would call

it field composting.

 

It becomes time to turn them in (disc into top 3-5 inches) when you want to

cultivate the field for crop production. Naturally for fruit trees etc you

don't need to do this to fertilize them. The cutting, importantly before

they seed, and laying them down is very very effective. However for

intensive production IE vineyards etc it is to be seen across Europe that

the heavy producers mulch out the grass around the tree/vine base

altogether. There are some varieties that don't mind grass, but rather less

than more and the cutting and laying down is ideal fertilization.

 

>Because we are isolated, I thought to get some EM simply to introduce the

>bacteria. But do those bacteria remain and multiply by themselves, surely

>they must?

 

Yes, they do, if you do it right.

You could grow a crop that produces carbon for the carbon input, then your

green mulch or green manuring would be more effective. That's why adding any

amount of compost is good. You may want to buy EM.