Category Archives: Soil

When cover crops die

I awoke to very frosty fields this morning, as is expected this time of year in Maine. The basil died long ago, the peppers have been limping along through light frost after light frost until they finally died last night. … Continue reading

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You’ve got options for measuring and adjusting your soil’s pH: part II

Last post, I wrote about measuring your soil’s pH on your own. If you successfully measured pH, congratulations! Now you have to decide what to do with this information. For purposes of this post, I will focus on what to do when … Continue reading

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You’ve got options for measuring and adjusting your soil’s pH: part I

It’s fall, which means it’s soil sampling season for many farmers. Or maybe not. It’s a busy time and soil testing can fall to the bottom of the list of things to do. It can also add up as an expense … Continue reading

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Biodrilling: how cover crop roots can help your ailing soil

I recently started digging with a 16″ (40 cm) spade. I play in the soil a lot, but this tool has expanded my horizons. (Please keep reading even if that soil pun made you roll your eyes). It’s a very simple … Continue reading

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From small seeds to big roots: no-till organic carrots in Maine

We all have biases. In research, we randomize things and establish clear rules to avoid having our biases influence results. But I have concluded that it doesn’t violate any rules of research for me to admit one bias: I like … Continue reading

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No-till vegetables in New England

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me no-till vegetables aren’t possible in New England, I’d be… well, I’d have about $5. Still, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me it is possible in New … Continue reading

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Two ingredient cover crop cocktails

Someone branded cover crop mixtures as “cocktails” and it has stuck. Even NRCS has adopted the “cocktail” label: Regardless of what they’re called, the new multi-species mixtures are very exciting, results are intriguing, and these cocktails are probably the cover cropping … Continue reading

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