I had no idea!
Reading about soil today has enlightened me…no, transported me…into another world, seriously!
The world beneath my feet.
I have always had a fascination with Fairies and the world of Nature, but was never fully cognisant of the facts about our soil…that deep, dark, rich matter that gives forth all we eat.
Facts like, a gram of soil contains about 100 million bacteria.
A square metre of fertile farmland can be inhabited by something like around 55 million worms and about 50,000 small insects and mites.
Monoculture diminishes all this, of course.
A monocultured ecosystem is very weak and may not be up to withstanding disturbance…hence the severe erosion and dust storms seen throughout places like the mid west of America.
A complex ecosystem, such as can be found here at Bealtaine Cottage, is better able to adapt to disturbance.
Permaculture has a healing effect in a very short time, allowing the soil to build up a strong ecosystem relatively fast…a few years in the case of this monocultured 3 acres!
Homo sapiens, means, Wise Man.
A Wise Man would not be sieving life out of our Eco-system, or interfering with our food chain and supply by patenting seeds.
A Wise man in Government would not allow that to happen.
Where have all the Homo sapiens gone?
Today’s video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCIaK07EieY
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Could you explain swales? I am trying terracing yet at 65 years the work goes slow.
There is never any need to rush in a garden! Good exercise and calming too!
Swales are shallow ditches that follow the contours of the land and collect water when it rains…allowing the rain to permeate slowly into the land below…they slow down the flow of water downhill and are brilliant for dry, hot climes where rainfall can be heavy when it falls. There are some good examples on the web.
Colx
We did get some rain two nights running on Thursday and Friday US time. A heavy rain that ran away from most of the yards. Mine held it even with the little I have been able to do. Two hill paths washed down mulch yet my ground is wet at lest 4 inches deep in the low places and the front gardens. The other hill side beds are 1 to 1 and a half inches with held water. I have worked a full day yesterday gathering Lambs Quarter and Grandmothers Mint. The cracks remain and I keep trucking gray water. So happy for the small assist from nature. Good information. I love worms.
We adapt to what is happening with our climate…we adapt or decline…you are adapting and regarding Nature as benevolent. Those who cannot or will not adapt will see the opposite side. Swales will hold the water well. Terracing also works in harmony with heavy rain.
Colx
I have noticed over the last couple of days that my lovely tomato plants seem to be suffering from blight, what would you recommend without using chemicals. Any advice will be much appreciated.
This has only ever happened once before.
The wet weather is to blame…that and the mild winter.
I removed the leaves and made sure the tomatoes themselves were gently shaded to prevent then scorching.
I continued to get a decent crop.
Colx
Thank you so much for your quick reply, I will try this tomorrow, could this be a result of over watering? Because they are in a small polytunnel in pots. And also, my husband who is from the middle of Europe can’t understand why he hasn’t seen any grass hoppers and ladybirds here. Even as a child growing up in England I can remember the abundance of grass hoppers and ladybirds as you walk through the grass. I hope for a miracle and that we can all change it back to the way it was. We wanted to build a beehive, not for the honey, but to establish them back and we instinctively attracted a wasp nest into our garden, shall we leave them? They are right beside our polytunnel.
If the wasps are not harming you or the environment, leave them…at least until the end of their busy season.
Many abhor wasps, but they are part of the Natural world we need to protect too.
The doors to the tunnel should be open day and night at this time of year. as the atmosphere can get very humid in there.
I open both doors around April and leave them so until October, with the exception of severe storms!
I do not use any form of netting that keeps insects out.
I have observed others do this and cannot understand the reasoning.
Colx