Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Test That Soil!

Ok, so it took a while to get started on soil basics for vegetable growing but lets get going with it and then we'll move forward into some more detailed gardening information for the Permian Basin over the course of the next few weeks.

To begin growing veggies, you need to understand what kind of soil you have and that can only be done properly with a soil test performed by a laboratory.  A soil test will give you an idea of the texture or parent material of the soil in which you'll be growing vegetables. There is little you can do to immediately change the texture.  Most West Texas soils are somewhat sandy but heavily composed of limestone which was deposited, according to the experts that spend a lot of time figuring out this kind of stuff, millions of years ago.  Its going to take a little time to improve the soil texture and this is done by amending the soil with organic material.

Please note that texture can't truly be changed without digging all of the soil out and starting over with lots of new soil from some alluvial (mineral rich deposits from flowing water) source and that's simply not practical.  The solution is to use lots of composted organic material which is the topic of the next blog.  For now lets just stick to foundational reasons to start your gardening with a soil test.

The test will also give you an idea of its pH and fertility.  Soil pH is a measure of soil acidity.  Soils with a high pH are called basic and are common in the Permian Basin.  As you can see by carefully examining the graph below, basic soils, or those soils above a pH of 7.0, begin to tie up iron, manganese and zinc.  The higher the pH, the greater the reduction in the availability of these nutrients no matter how much is in the soil.  Iron is a particular problem for development of healthy and productive vegetables since it's a primary component in chlorophyll.  Iron deficient plants often exhibit symptoms of yellowing between the veins of leaves.  This is known as interveinal chlorosis and leads to a lack of carbohydrate production by the plant and poor development or perhaps in extreme cases, starvation of the plant to the point of dying.

Dead plants can't grow veggies so what's the solution?  Many people add chelated iron to the soil but this is temporary.  Most astute gardeners add amendments and grow vegetable varieties that are tolerant of our pH (another topic we'll fold into the blog soon).  Some vegetable growers use fertilizers that help decrease the pH but again this is temporary and the effect is limited.

So for now, just start with an understanding of what kind of soil you have by getting it tested.  You'd really, really be surprised by how rarely this is done.  A lot of folks go out and spend their hard earned dollars on plants from the local nursery and plug them into the ground without any knowledge about their soil.  A soil test is a must.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Parasites attacking Drought Weakened West Texas Trees

Here we go again!  Another tree parasite making its way into our lawns.  This interesting looking conk belongs to the Ganoderma family of Fungi and is another noxious little creep that makes its living by feasting on our trees.  Ganoderma is frequently found wrapped around the base of West Texas Honey locusts and Red oaks and each tree exhibits a unique mortality spiral once infected.  Honey locust has the more predictable response with a life expectancy not to exceed six years after initial signs.  Red oak mortality is highly variable and may die completely in months or linger for two decades or longer after initial signs.

Notice the use of the word sign!   A sign is tangible physical characteristic associated with a pest while the term symptom is used to describe a response, visible or otherwise, that the host presents.  This is an important distinction because symptoms almost always appear before signs.  For example, two Cedar elm trees in the same lawn may bud out at different times, with the sick tree leafing out later.  Another symptom of the weaker tree may be smaller and fewer leaves or leaves that appear to have a nutrient deficiency caused by some disturbance in the uptake of minerals from the roots.  If these symptoms are noticed, the tree owner should take a close look within the root zone for other evidence of problems.  At least 80% of all tree problems begin here.  A tree with a decaying root crown--that narrow circumferential band where the stem transitions into root tissue--is a candidate for removal.

Tree failure is unpredictable even Superman, whose x-ray vision should provide him some insight into the structural integrity of the woody fibers, would be wise to avoid placing a bet on a failure date.  Science can't, and probably never will be able to quantify all of the variables that determine the behavior of living organisms.  And when you're talking about two tons of rotten wood dangling over your shiny new automobile removal is warranted.  Besides, upon seeing all the bustle of a maintenance crew around your property, Mr. and Mrs. Jones across the street may begin to think your about to raise the bar a notch on keeping up with them.

When arborists discuss tree failure they usually do so in terms of risk percentages based upon known failure histories and their professional experience.  That's why its recommended that you hire an arborist with a little of that valuable experience under their belt.  Educated consumers should always ask a few questions prior to signing any contract.  That's right!  You need to plan on having a little paper to backup any agreements you make with this type of service.  Ask for insurance.  Don't just ask if they carry insurance  but ask for proof.  Check for professional certifications.  Arborists certified by a recognized organization such as the International Society of Arboriculture, have had to demonstrate some basic understanding of tree biology which is important in this case.  Understand there is a difference between membership in a professional organization and certification through that organization.  Finally, ask for a list of satisfied customers.  Most arborists expect you to check their references, so do.  Call some of their clients and ask them if they were satisfied with the services they received.  If they say no, run away!  If that crazy tree hugger gave you the name of a reference that didn't appreciate his workmanship, something ain't clicking upstairs.

Remember too that the cheapest bid isn't always the lowest in the long haul.  That pickup truck bandit that offered their services at a price too good to believe probably offered you a price that was too good to believe.  If he drops a one thousand pound limb on the corner of your home because he wasn't using safe rigging practices, who's gonna pay for the damages?

Stop pondering if your tree's ever gonna recover from the tumorous looking growth developing at its base and take some action.  Call a certified arborist.  In this case, waiting one more day for Ganoderma to vacate your property without a little assistance could kill you.