From the Sandy Soils of East Texas...

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself Here' started by Christina, Dec 27, 2017.

  1. Christina

    Christina New Member

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    I’m starting my homestead in east texas - plan to spend the rest of my life getting reacquainted with the actual earth. We won’t be able to move out there for a few years; but we do spend most weekends there. Unfortunately, spending my adult years in the ‘burbs has not really provided that experiential learning when it comes to understanding how to steward my 50 acres. I look forward to learning from others and comparing notes - especially on exactly what to do with acidic sandy soil!
     
  2. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Hi Christina and welcome!
    I actually got to spend a short week near Henderson, TX many years ago ... beautiful country.
    Lots of questions about your sandy/acidic soil:
    1) have you done a simple mason jar soil test? This will help to determine what percentages of sand, clay, silt, humus, etc you have.
    2) how acidic is your soil? Many plants like slightly acidic soil (greater than pH 6, less than pH 7).
    3) do you have or get standing water anywhere on the property during or after rain events? How deep is your water table? I know that in the "Big Thicket" area, the water table is very near the surface.
    4) have you found any clay deposits on your land?
    Often the best remediation for soil is organic matter, mulch, and compost. Let us know what you find or have already discovered.
     
  3. Christina

    Christina New Member

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  4. Christina

    Christina New Member

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    We did a soil test when we first bought the place — pH was 5.4 and very low in organic matter. I haven’t done the mason jar test, but will - the farm was owned by a guy that ran cow calf pairs - no spraying or chemicals (outside of rain/runoff since roundup literally flows through all of our water systems). Most of the land usage in the area is pine tree farms and cows. We’ve had the place for about 6 years, but are only now getting closer to actually moving out there from the city. It came with several mature pecans, pear and persimmon trees. This year we will start renovating one of the homes on the property - so starting at zone 0! Then hopefully late fall, I can start on the food forest close to the house. I’ll keep you posted! I already know pasture weeds and pests are THICK!!!
     
  5. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Your soil test says it all: low organic matter. But it sounds as if you have all the local materials needed to remedy this (weeds and cow manure, plus the leaf litter from your trees). "Weeds" can be a huge asset if treated to some inspiring scythe work prior to going to seed. Chop-and-drop on a large scale. "Weeds" can mine for minerals that may be lacking near the surface (dynamic accumulators), and will provide copious organic material for the price of some mowing. Weeds often signify the initial stages of natural recovery (pioneer species) through succession, the end result being whatever was the natural state of the property. With a bit of "guidance" in this process, we can use succession to create our diverse food forests.
    As a for-instance, our property is in the semi-arid portion of eastern Washington State, shrub-steppe with average annual precipitation of 9" - 12". Soil is mainly silt and we have very cold winters with occasional snow and very hot dry summers. Our silt soils (high pH) were also low in organic materials, so we initiated a program of manure crops, nitrogen fixing plants, and mulching/composting to feed the soil life. We've access to lots of straw (carbon) and manures (nitrogen), plus we contacted the "landscapers" (read lawn mowers) in the nearby town to obtain trailer loads of organic materials. With all of this (plus extra water from our many roofs) we've been able to change the dynamics of the soil and as an indication, now have loads of mushrooms poking up from the mulch to demonstrate how the fungal component of the soil has increased. You can follow the process and results here: https://columbiabasinpermaculture.com/?p=7544
     

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