Hi ForZion,

Your question: Thanks, ML:
I've got 60 bags of leaves in the backyard for mulch that i got by driving around the neighborhood. My neighbors must have thought I was crazy.

I have been considering getting a conductivity meter together with a ph meter if they are not priced out of range. I just finished reading Dan Skow's, Mainline Farming for the 21st Century. Since I will be using natural ingredients that i have, it will be helpful to learn when they and the soil are anionic or cationic, so that i may have a more scientific way of judging why what i did worked or didn't work?

Is fish a good source of both nitrate and ammonia nitrogen? Are there certain factors that control how nitrogen switches around in the soil?

Are there some simple principles related to when to use anionic-anionic fertilizers, anionic-cationic fertilizers, cationic-cationic fertlizers?

Thanks for patiently putting up with me.

RC

Answer: Growing plants may be much like growing the body?

It is Best to keep it Simple and in Harmony with Nature !

This means that we need to learn to feed the Soil Life and it shall feed our plants !

How may we Best feed our Garden plants?

What do they need?

How much do they need?

When do they need it?

And all the rest of the questions one may think about !

The answer to these questions may be very Simple, but generally we choose to make it too Complicated !

What do we need to stay Healthy?

Shelter, Food & Clothing !

The Soil Life needs the same things !

Shelter & Clothing: The Soil Life needs soil, which contains enough Oxygen, along with a Stable Temperature and Moisture !

Food: The Soil Life needs food to eat and grow on !

When we provide these things, then the Soil Life may Cause the needed Release of Electro-magnetic Energy from the foods it eats to thus properly grow the plants naturally suitable for the conditions of the soil in question !

Most soils have many minerals in them, which may then grow plants needing the current conditions !

If we choose to grow Different plants than what Naturally are growing there, then we may need to change some of the conditions?

For Gardening, the 1st step to learning to utilize what we have as soil, may be to figure out how to Cause a Stable Temperature and Moisture supply, but not too wet of conditions !

If we have water logged soil and want to grow plants, which do not like being water logged, then we need to change the conditions so that there is drainage, so that the soil may be able to hold Oxygen, because if the soil stays water logged, it may not be able to have enough Oxygen for the plants, as it may be all tied up Neutralizing the Acids !

If the soil is just tight clay and is not low ground subject to constant flooding and the water table is several feet below the surface of the soil, then one may add Extra Calcium Limestone and then some Gypsum to Cause this soil to gain Better drainage and hold more Oxygen, so as to provide better Living conditions for the Soil Life !

Then as one learns to mulch properly, so as to help maintain a constant supply of moisture and temperature control as well as food for the Soil Life to eat and Live on, then the Soil Life may help us grow what we want to grow with the Least work !

As the Soil Life becomes activated, if there is not enough phosphates Naturally in the soil to allow for the Better Brix Quality, then one may need to add some phosphates to help out, as certain areas of the country may be short of enough phosphates !

Most soils in areas, which get rains during the year have had the Calciums Leached from the top soil layers and may need some Calcium Lime added to start with along with some Gypsum !

The western USA, which has less rainfall, generally has soils with more Minerals, which once gets water and Soil Life working properly may grow many Top Quality crops !

But, today, many farmers have "Killed" the Soil Life by the use of Muraite of Potash(it's Chlorides) and the Pesticides and Herbicides, thus Causing for Poor Quality foods to be grown !

The areas that do not generally get rain, this soil may contain a lot more Minerals Naturally in them than the soils where rain fall is normal !

In this soil, one may with water grow many good plants, and the water may be best controlled by Mulching, which will hold the water in the top soil !

The Midwest soils where there is more rainfall, may have Less surface Calciums available, but is generally Better Soil than the Eastern soils of High rainfall !

The Eastern soils with high rainfall, generally have been Leached of the surface Calciums and have Low organic matter, thus making it very hard for growing Top Quality crops !

But, as one can come to understand these conditions and then start working with the Soil Life and "STOP" Killing the Soil Life with Muraite of Potash and Pesticides and Herbicides, then one may change the Dead Soil into a Living Soil, which may then grow Top Quality foods to eat and stay or become Healthy with !

When we learn to supply the mulch for food and shelter for the Soil Life, then they may Better provide the correct Nitrogen when needed for the garden crops we wish to grow, when the plants need such !

Nature knows Better than mankind !

Learn to plant with the Seasons of the year and feed the Soil Life and the Soil Life may provide the plants what they need to become and stay Healthy !

Applying a mix of BSM and Fish( one may use approx,3 parts of BSM and 1 part of Fish) may help activate the Soil Life in soils , which Lack in Soil Life?

This may be applied as needed to get the Soil Life working !

Smile Tis your choice.