Black Gold!

I’ve noticed many people using a Soil Compaction Tester. If the soil pressure exceeds 300 psi, roots can’t penetrate the compacted soil. Ideally, the soil pressure should be 200 psi or less. In such cases, tools like a broadfork or rip tillage can significantly improve the soil’s condition. This can be done by allowing plants to cover the soil and establish roots before the sun and water compact it again. However, there are very deep compact pockets that are 36 inches or deeper. This is very difficult to fix with a machine. This is where the combination of chemistry and precision machines can help with deep compaction. Calcium can open up the soil by replacing magnesium, which increases compaction. Adding carbon also helps bring air back into the soil.

@Robert Chan Yes, I sent a sample to the laboratory for the simple reason that I wanted to know the exact rather than making assumptions. You can and should use observations and low-tech methods to document changes in your landscape. Additionally, you can examine your weedscape to identify potential mineral deficiencies. However, ultimately, you need years of observations and plant knowledge to accurately distinguish between iron deficiency, nitrogen deficiency, magnesium deficiency, calcium deficiency, or potassium deficiency. Laboratory tests provide a definitive way to determine the limiting factor in your soil.

@Jim Flach This is another reason to break up plantings into phases. By observing the progress in real time, you gain greater flexibility to make adjustments when you skip a year between plantings.

@Jim Flach To me, LAB would be a good candidate for a foliar spray, while JMS would be better suited for soil application. JMS can also be used as a foliar application, but I see it primarily as a way to support the soil microbial community. JS would be more appropriate as a foliar treatment when there is a fungal or insect problem. That said, I think timing and consistency may be more important than relying on any single treatment. My general approach would be to focus on prevention rather than waiting for problems to develop and then reacting with treatments such as JADAM Sulfur. I’m currently in the planning phase of acquiring the equipment needed to make both soil and foliar applications. As a starting point, I would consider regular applications of JMS and LAB as part of a preventative program, although I wouldn’t necessarily assume that a monthly schedule is optimal for every crop or growing condition. Weekly or biweekly applications could also be options worth considering. Temperature is also an interesting limiting factor, both on the high and low ends. In particular, temperature can affect the culturing and performance of microbial solutions such as JMS, so I think environmental conditions should be considered when developing an application schedule. One of the things I find particularly interesting about JMS is that JADAM teaches brewing it on-site, using local water and soil, with the idea of acclimatizing or adapting the microbial community to the specific local environment. That makes the local climate and conditions even more relevant when considering how and when to apply it.

@Jim Flach Yes, I’ve already started brainstorming ideas to collect water over a distance of 360 linear feet. @Phillip Greenwood drought conditions inspired me to consider water catchment. I’ve begun designing an ideal water catchment structure. However, I might opt for a trash pump with a hose and holes every 10 feet. This way, I can perform soil drenching every 3-5 days during the dry months.