Ready to Rock(phosphate)-N-Roll
Welp, Mr.FedEx man arrived today with the rock phosphate, floating row cover, and black plastic mulch (shown from left to right). My soil test results called for 255 pounds of phosphate per acre in most fields. That is a crap ton of phosphate. I ordered 150 lbs and since I'm "strip farming" (where you take a field and only prepare the actual strips you're going to be planting in, also called 'contour farming') I figure I can selectively apply it to the rows that require the most phosphate (root crops like beets and carrots) now and till it in to the other rows during field prep for later season stuff like corn, tomatoes, and peppers. This soil has a LOOOOONG way to go before it will be "average vegetable growing soil". Fun Fact: It takes approx. 4-5 years to build soil from "never before used for farming" to "self-sustaining soil that doesn't require constant additions of fertilizers and amendments."
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