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July 2016

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Humus doesn't exist?
by Adam Ormes Court 29 Jul '16

29 Jul '16

I usually wouldn't post this sort of thing on here but thought this was a sufficiently monumental piece of information to merit doing so... >From a post by Toby Hemenway on FedBook: Some amazing news on the soil science front. Humus doesn't exist. Several recent articles are showing that humic and fulvic acids and many of the other humic components of soil are artifacts of the alkaline treatment that is used to measure humus content, and don't, in fact, exist in untreated soil. When OM is measured using non-destructive methods such as NMR spectroscopy, no humic compounds can be found. Organic matter does not degrade into "stable" humic components, it simply decomposes into a continuum of smaller and smaller carbon compounds. There is constant, slow turnover of carbon in soils, not a semi-permanent trapping of carbon into "humus." Humus, meaning a stable form of carbon visualized by alkaline extraction, seems not to exist. It's an artifact of the lab method. This is kind of blow-away news for those of us who teach soil science--and it's a good lesson on how the methods we use determines what we see. Teachers, start revising how you teach soils, and stop talking about humus. Most of the articles on this are behind journal paywalls, but some of the abstracts are available. One article is Lehmann, J.; Kleber, M. (2015-12-03), "The contentious nature of soil organic matter", Nature 528:60-68. There is a short video based on that article linked below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n6emCNEmKg -- *In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model /* *You create a new model and make the old one obsolete /* *That, in essence, is the higher service to which we are all being called. //* Buckminster Fuller

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Biodynamics, Revitalizing our Earth, one Garden at a time Conference 2016
by Biodynamic Association 27 Jul '16

27 Jul '16

Dear Soil Hack, Gardeners are the natural stewards and protectors of our Earth, and how we garden has never been so important. Biodynamic gardening methods provides a much needed catalyst for regeneration, which revitalizes soils, nurtures bees, provide safe havens for wildlife, and keep our precious bio-diversity alive. The aim of biodynamics is to maximize the inherent vitality of our soils and gardens through its use of herbal compost and spray preparations, by harnessing the subtle cosmic forces of nature, building natural resilience with open pollinated seed, and by creating a garden full of harmonious life, which becomes self-sustaining . *Want to discover more? * Exciting two day biodynamic Gardening conference at Ryton Organic Gardens, Warwickshire 17th & 18th September 2016 <https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/magento/biodynamic-workshops.html> Packed with hands on practical advice, workshops and captivating lectures, our conference this year devotes itself to biodynamic approach to gardening, and how to take your organic gardening to a new level of holistic health. Book your ticket here. <https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/magento/biodynamic-workshops.html> Look forward to seeing you in Sept! - Warm wishes - Jessica Standing (BDA Office UK)

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