Soil

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Maggie Magafakis

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Mar 21, 2021, 4:25:13 PM3/21/21
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Hi this may be left field for BRAINIACS but does anyone know how successfully to treat hydrophobic soil? 
After the deluge we've had an area where I  recently planted remains dry except for the top centimetre. 
Any help would be appreciated.
Maggie Magafakis
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Marina Novak

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Mar 21, 2021, 5:37:58 PM3/21/21
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Hi Maggie

We have the same problem after years of dry weather, it's difficult to get the water to penetrate on our sloping site.

If you have a slope too you could try swales which are ditches that run along the slope which hold the water allowing it to infiltrate. Permaculture is big on swales and you might find info in their guides.

Mulch can also slow down the water and help it to soak in. Some mulches when they dry out can become hydrophobic,  particular woody mulches. I like sugar cane mulch for this reason.

Wetting agents can help infiltration. They come in granular and liquid forms.

Hope this helps. Maybe others might have some more ideas.

Kind regards

Marina

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Maggie Magafakis

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Mar 21, 2021, 6:10:45 PM3/21/21
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Hi Marina thanks.
The BCC HB officer overseeing my site wont allow mulch.
It is a slope. I did use wetting agent before I planted. I dug into the hill so each sapling has a dug out around it. 
There are huge, immovable logs, buried corrugated iron and other rubbish on this site. I really need a tractor (hah).
I'm a bit overwhelmed and so disappointed in myself for not prepping the site properly before I planted.
Another concern is that there's no obvious life in the soil and it smells sour. 
I'll check out the swales. Thanks your help is always appreciated.


Maggie Magafakis
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rlaundon

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Mar 21, 2021, 6:35:30 PM3/21/21
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Low mounding at right angles to the flow can be plonked on the surface, no digging, if that is a constraint. Crescent shapes seem to work. 
That said, on flat areas it is still dry 2cm down at Indooroopilly (just checked), 50 ml last night. 
 Ros.



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Maggie Magafakis

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Mar 21, 2021, 6:49:15 PM3/21/21
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Thanks Ros what do you use for mounding?

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Maggie Magafakis
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Marie Hollingworth

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Mar 21, 2021, 7:28:13 PM3/21/21
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Hi Maggie,

Somehow your emails from BRAIN come to me occasionally.

I was reading your problem with the soil – surely it needs lots of organic matter to rebuild the soil structure and add micro-organisms.  Without that the soil is lifeless as you seem to be describing.

 

Why not allowed to mulch?  That I imagine must be because on a slope it would wash into a creek – if that is your situation.  Though woody mulch may not be good enough for soil in this state, but it would eventually break down – better if not to thick and chunky.

 

Next best would be to chop up any weed material (minus seeds) and work into the soil around the plants.  Also leave any leafy weed material to break down onsite  over the area.  Over time, with enough of this micro-org. will get back into the soil.  Without these, the processes of getting food to the plants can’t occur.

 

All the best.

Cheers

Marie Hollingworth

 

From: bris...@googlegroups.com [mailto:bris...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Maggie Magafakis
Sent: Monday, 22 March 2021 8:11 AM
To: BRAIN <bris...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [BRISRAIN] Soil

 

Hi Marina thanks.

rlaundon

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Mar 21, 2021, 7:46:02 PM3/21/21
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Relatively heavy soil. Something that won't wash away before it settles down firmly. I used our own soil, whatever I could gather.

APPLETON, Charles

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Mar 21, 2021, 7:51:54 PM3/21/21
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Greetings folks,

My tuppence!

In my experience, the turkeys tear up the mulch, the underlying soil surface (and regrettably the plants) regularly

The mulch and the superficial soil simply wash or migrate down the slope and get incorporated either into a nice soil layer further down, or washed away.

I don’t mulch any more because of this, but I had not heard that we were not allowed to mulch.

All the best,

Charlie Appleton

rlaundon

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Mar 21, 2021, 8:11:10 PM3/21/21
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Yes indeed. Particularly on newish areas we had to use tree guards, of some sort, for every plant. Not such an issue in more mature areas. Maybe the turkeys can't find them!
Once we were supplied with mulch matting, all degradable (and it did). Also no blanket embargo on mulching but we choose the season if it is needed. Our site gets swept quite clean with surface flows that must be fairly fast at times. Leaf drop covers the ground eventually.
My Swale info was for home, not bushcare.



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Maggie Magafakis

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Mar 21, 2021, 8:21:04 PM3/21/21
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Thanks for your advise. I will have to work hard on this site. I am encouraged by emails.
  I am sorry emails go to you. I am using BRISBRAIN address. Shall I try to remove your name?


Maggie Magafakis
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Robert Whyte

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Mar 21, 2021, 8:41:41 PM3/21/21
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Hi Maggie, we have had great success with coir logs on steep sites. They are placed straight at 90 degrees To the slope or in crescents and they can prevent planted material or remnants from washing away. Of course this doesn’t answer your main question about getting water into the soil. Fortunately we have ways of injecting water if you can get a hose to reach the plantings, it is detailed In one of the SOWN Videos here

https://sown.com.au/water-saving-inventions-for-gardeners-and-bush-care-groups/

The injector is a straight copper tube.
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Robert Whyte

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Mar 21, 2021, 8:48:20 PM3/21/21
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While I was looking for the SOWN Video I stumbled on methods to revive spent or difficult soils.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RNNQPxnUYE

Love from us,
RW & AJ

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Maggie Magafakis

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Mar 22, 2021, 5:42:13 AM3/22/21
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Hi Rob

Brian's a gem isn't he? Some great ideas.
Thanks Rob. 

Maggie Magafakis
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Marie Hollingworth

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Mar 26, 2021, 12:33:52 AM3/26/21
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Hi Maggie,

I think I attended meetings at some stage a few years back.  Happy to get the emails and attempt ID at times as well as the wise advice from other members – all useful.  I have run a bushcare site on a steep slope on Oxley Creek for about 12 years, but thankfully do not seem to have the raw difficulties of some of the sites I’ve visited on HB days.  We have strong mangroves and Casuarinas along the creek and it is only in floods like 2011 that the mangroves will  wash away exposing our plants.

 

After all this time we are beginning to see results from our work and sense a bit of relaxation appearing on the horizon.  Thank goodness.

 

All the best

Marie

Maggie Magafakis

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Mar 26, 2021, 1:17:04 AM3/26/21
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Hi Marie
I work on slopes where developers have been or BCC used as a dump. Who knows what's it the soil. 

Thanks for your email delighted you are progressing to the point where it is relaxing.

Maggie Magafakis
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