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Tipp City, Ohio

When I brought in over 25 cubic yard of mostly decomposed leaves my ground has been too wet to spread out. I also placed about eight yard of chicken manure on top. I remember someone posted that piles leach out the nutrients faster than spread out and tilled in. Is this really true? If the leaching out occurs near where I am to plant the seeds, would that be more of a positive thing for the tap root to feed off of?...Tom

1/30/2003 1:55:29 PM

Montoursville, PA

Well now let's apply a bit of Dutch wizardry. Leaching is caused by rain. The pile has a surface square feet factor. Only so much rain can hit the pile. If the pile is spread out over the whole patch, the rain in the same amount comes straight down, in the same manor, applying the leaching element, water, to the whole patch. Which ever had the largest square feet of surface area would get the most rain and consequently the most leaching. The only other factor is the humus content of the soil under or in the area where the rain passes through. The higher the humus content the slower the passage of the water and the least amount of leaching.

I'm sure if we high tech this situation we could lean the result either way. The object is to get leaves and manures into the ground so they may slowly compost to provide fertilizers and humus. Mother has a way of changing the best made plans. Wild excesses not melded into the soil in good timing could over long periods of time present a problem. All else just becomes good process when we can tend to the program as adjusted by mother.

The only consistency in gardening is the very inconsistency of the whole process.

1/30/2003 2:35:28 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Had the compost/manure been tilled into the soil, it would be in contact with the mineral elements of the soil. Those particles have a charge or cation exchange capcity that can hold onto the nutrients that would then have less trouble "moving".

Piles are exposed on their exposures & sloped. Therefore, lateral movement across the surface of the sorrounding soil can & does occurr. Whether nutrient losses occurred depends on the state of the manure, the time of exposure, & how much snow melt or rain has worked it over. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it though. The nutrient losses are probably insignificant.

Steve

1/30/2003 5:15:56 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

Thanks for information. I lose enough sleep as it is. So no I will not worry about it(too much anyway). lol...Tom

1/30/2003 8:34:43 PM