Weeds
I came home mainly for the spraying but also weeds. Started upon my return and have been happily working on the orchard. The Trail got my mind off the orchard for the first time in 5 years, causation for my abrupt return. Working the orchard has kept my mind off the trail.
I returned with the mind set to address this programmatically, hopefully to extend time on trail. Being organic, my continuing concern is that I can't spray like everyone else. So number 1, weed control / management is strictly manual. Number 2, heavy loam means easy compaction. Compaction removes air spaces between sand and silt. 3, roots of weeds are necessary, create those air spaces and feed gophers. Gophers eat grasses, mainly, consuming, storing, and redistributing plant matter underground, they help to decompose organic material, enriching the soil. I can't plow or disk, so gophers are the answer. And too much of a good thing, isn't. 4, gopher control.
The 90 day wonder of the smallest roots is like a breathing process. I imagine roots are like leaves, expressing through the growing season, then dying back in the fall. Roots sequester carbon into the soil and increase organics in the soil structure after their death. The roots also feed the gophers, about 10% of their diet incidentally, while dragging grasses and organic material down into their tunnel stores, digging tunnels as they go, which in turn cultivate the heavy loam soil. More soil regeneration talk. And I'm not going to start with the emergence of all the snakes. Gopher Snakes. Part of gopher control, which include owl, hawk, and coyotes. On one of my review walks, I found a den and saw at least 5 little coyotes heads watching my every move. Mommy was out digging up gophers, hopefully.
Weeds
I came home mainly for the spraying but also weeds. Started upon my return and have been happily working on the orchard. The Trail got my mind off the orchard for the first time in 5 years, causation for my abrupt return. Working the orchard has kept my mind off the trail.
I returned with the mind set to address this programmatically, hopefully to extend time on trail. Being organic, my continuing concern is that I can't spray like everyone else. So number 1, weed control / management is strictly manual. Number 2, heavy loam means easy compaction. Compaction removes air spaces between sand and silt. 3, roots of weeds are necessary, create those air spaces and feed gophers. Gophers eat grasses, mainly, consuming, storing, and redistributing plant matter underground, they help to decompose organic material, enriching the soil. I can't plow or disk, so gophers are the answer. And too much of a good thing, isn't. 4, gopher control.
The 90 day wonder of the smallest roots is like a breathing process. I imagine roots are like leaves, expressing through the growing season, then dying back in the fall. Roots sequester carbon into the soil and increase organics in the soil structure after their death. The roots also feed the gophers, about 10% of their diet incidentally, while dragging grasses and organic material down into their tunnel stores, digging tunnels as they go, which in turn cultivate the heavy loam soil. More soil regeneration talk. And I'm not going to start with the emergence of all the snakes. Gopher Snakes. Part of gopher control, which include owl, hawk, and coyotes. On one of my review walks, I found a den and saw at least 5 little coyotes heads watching my every move. Mommy was out digging up gophers, hopefully.