Double Digging

[Dale McSwain]

Having done my share of double digging...

I would like to know if anyone else does this on a larger scale basis. Say an acre or more. Is it practical on a larger scale? If so how?

Thanks Dale

[Pat Kiewicz]

On that large a scale, I think you plow with specialized rigs. Rippers, large discs, moldboards, subsoilers...

double dug one flower bed (for a friend) two years ago in the worst sort of compacted clay soil, I could not imagine doing it for acre+ plots without a small army of people who were desperate for work (ANY sort of work) and plenty of money.

[simy1]

Even when done by machine, the soil eventually recompacts if you don't add organic matter - or at least that is my experience. And if you do add it, and it is brown, it will reduce N. If it is green, it will disappear quickly. What improves the soil permanently is patience and the usage of mulch and crops that break the ground or otherwise help a large earthworm population. A dandelion taproot can go down five feet, and the first foot of that channel probably remains open one year in heavy clay (I am guessing. My parents have heavy clay and I have seen channels in their soil).

If I were to try loosening one acre of clay I would probably start by getting a few loads of free woodchips or leaves from the utilities, and spread it six inches thick in the fall. I would maybe mix in grass clippings on part of the area to see whether that helps (not for nutrients but to speed decay and feed earthworms. They need nitrogen too). Next I would make sure that there are earthworms every few feet or so to speed colonization (they don't migrate much by themselves, and if the soil was degraded they would not be there). In the spring (or summer if the mulch is still too heavy) I would try a variety of crops that are known to help break the ground: clover or other green manure, mache, chicory, potatoes, you name it, and see what works best. The next year I would use what worked best, and perhaps start adding nutrient-rich matter, such as manure. One would still have to occasionally plant a cover crop to keep the soil loose.

[Olin Miller]

Dale McSwain wrote > Having done my share of double digging... > I would like to know if anyone else does this > on a larger scale basis. Say an acre or more. > Is it practical on a larger scale? If so how? > Thanks > Dale

Try to hire somebody to go over your acre with a chisel plow. Olin

[Glenna Rose]

[e-mail] writes: [snip]

The very best single thing you could do is to get loads of manure (horse is best, but cattle is also really good) and spread it as thick as you can. If it is mixed with straw, that is even better. What I get is already aged enough that it is filled with earthworms; if you are that lucky, all the better because that gives you the best combination you can possibly have.

Ideally, you'd add both the manure and more organic matter. If you do spread all this six inches thick (manure and chips/other organic) as suggested above, you should be well on the way to the best soil you can imagine. Keep in mind that the earthworms are going to be doing the bulk of your work, though all the other critters certainly do their share as well. Organic (manure and vegetative) and earthworms are the key.

If you are lucky enough to have a stable near you, you will likely find the owners will be very happy to find someone to take the manure and bedding. Many have equipment to load it for you; even if they don't charge, it would be appropriate to give something for the gas for the equipment. We live in the Portland, Oregon, area where they sell dump truck loads of "zoo doo" . . . "ZooDoo is available for your yard or garden! The Oregon Zoo and **** *** Landscape Supplies are selling commemorative ZooDoo. Each dump-truck load can be delivered to the anyone's home, garden, or farm and contains some genuine Packy poop." What a campaign! Get rid of your waste and get paid for it. For those of you who may not know, Packy is the zoo's lifelong and famous elephant, born there. The zoo is famous for its elephant herd and many subsequent births. (Haven't tried "zoodoo" but might this next year depending on what happens with the horse manure source and hauling.)

You might be surprised at what you will find available once you start searching. Be sure not to overlook the obvious; I walked into the mechanic's office one day to pick up my car and realized they had horses (it finally clicked!) and was able to haul beautiful fertilizer a much shorter distance than I had planned for steer manure. Better yet, this particular source was extra rich and was supplemented with oak leaves from nearby trees and, best of all, dozens (or hundreds!) of earthworms in every shovelful. As long as there are horses and cattle around, there will be ample fertilizer. Since most people take top care of their herds (one animal or many), the end product is quite nutritious (soil speaking) with all the grain and good quality hay/grass that goes in the front end.

Happy shoveling.

Glenna

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[simy1]

For one acre, we are talking 400-800 cubic yards of matter. It is a lot easier to find dump trucks full of chips or leaves than a dump truck full of manure. The price and delivery are free, too.