Le Potager du Sloth: Gardening without fatigue more than Bio

[Julienmos]

There are bacteria in the soil which have the remarkable property, if they are properly nourished (especially energy), of fixing nitrogen from the air. They therefore do not pump nitrogen into the soil, but in the air (hence the importance of soil aeration).

If I understood correctly, in the video it would rather be in the air above the ground, ie the air that the straw blanket contains on the ground (see video from the 29th minute or so)

[papyrazzi]

Well ! Not easy the "hay" !!!
Finding them is simple. The growers who sell them are abundant.
BUT ... there is hay and hays !!!
I find hay first mowing in spring, but also in June or July or even August. Yes, at the latest at best. But...
There is also hay second mowing (called pre-sunk, ryegrass) which seems to be a cut of "regrowth" and therefore later, more "green", better supplied with weeds, but certainly shorter strands and, inevitably, without heading .
In all cases, there is more or less uncut meadows (profitable).

But there is still hay without rain and / or dust, without nettles, without thistles, without treatment, without spraying, sometimes organic, ...
Or: hay for horses, hay for sheep, ...

Well yes (???) !

And my brave farmer to get impatient: "So what am I charging you sir?"... "?", ..." ", ...,"pfff»
Hmm ... actually ...
And, after many descriptions / explanations of what I am looking for (or think you should find), on the basis of what I saw, understood and remembered from Didier's videos, I was told that you have to buy the first cut, but that the balls (or boots) are golden in color because everything is dry and that the "green" is no longer visible or has disappeared.
There are photos of well-golden balls, others all green (often from the September pre-leaf).

As for prices, it varies greatly! The ball of 1.20m in diameter (0,43 m³) is between 35 and 45 EUR. The rectangular bale of (80x90x200) cm, or 1,44m³ (so 3 times more material), this varies between 35 and 50 EUR!
The rolls are in layers 10cm thick and can be rolled ... as long as it is on ground (not on mounds or plots / planks surrounded by frames). The boots are also in slices 10 cm thick, but they are too heavy to "turn" them. On the other hand, they are more practical for mounds or plots / boards surrounded by frames.

Anyway ...
The important thing is above all to know "what" type of hay to choose from what is mentioned above, the pre-harvested being de facto so-called "late" mowing.

Uh ... Didier?

[Stef72]

Good evening!
Thank you Didier for your answer on sowing wheat in the garden, your answer is logical, but I read it after having put my wheat grains in a thin layer of hay of about 5 cm, we will see what it gives.

I see that questions are beginning to emerge on the phenoculture, and I want to add one: have you tried to plant garlic and shallots in the hay? And if so, when? I just bought some, but I'm wondering about the humidity ...

Knowing that like wheat, even if it is likely to screw up, I am willing to try!

Good night

[Christophe]

Subject which formalizes the name of phenoculture: Agriculture / phenoculture-name-official-scientist-the-garden-of-lazy-t14979.html

[jean63]

@did67

Can we put the egg shells on earth? What contribution?

[Did67]

If I understood correctly, in the video it would rather be in the air above the ground, ie the air that the straw blanket contains on the ground (see video from the 29th minute or so)

I have to look first.

But the azotobacters (free fixing bacteria) are in the ground ...

The gaseous N, in fine, necessarily comes from the air "above" the ground, but which penetrates in the ground, via the exchanges, the galleries of the worms ... It is in the ground that it occurs , or else I have to revise my knowledge. But I'll watch to see! Formal response soon!

[Did67]

Well ! Not easy the "hay" !!!
Finding them is simple. The growers who sell them are abundant.
BUT ... there is hay and hays !!!
I find hay first mowing in spring, but also in June or July or even August. Yes, at the latest at best. But...
There is also hay second mowing (called pre-sunk, ryegrass) which seems to be a cut of "regrowth" and therefore later, more "green", better supplied with weeds, but certainly shorter strands and, inevitably, without heading .
In all cases, there is more or less uncut meadows (profitable).

But there is still hay without rain and / or dust, without nettles, without thistles, without treatment, without spraying, sometimes organic, ...
Or: hay for horses, hay for sheep, ...

Well yes (???) !

And my brave farmer to get impatient: "So what am I charging you sir?"... "?", ..." ", ...,"pfff»
Hmm ... actually ...
And, after many descriptions / explanations of what I am looking for (or think you should find), on the basis of what I saw, understood and remembered from Didier's videos, I was told that you have to buy the first cut, but that the balls (or boots) are golden in color because everything is dry and that the "green" is no longer visible or has disappeared.
There are photos of well-golden balls, others all green (often from the September pre-leaf).

As for prices, it varies greatly! The ball of 1.20m in diameter (0,43 m³) is between 35 and 45 EUR. The rectangular bale of (80x90x200) cm, or 1,44m³ (so 3 times more material), this varies between 35 and 50 EUR!
The rolls are in layers 10cm thick and can be rolled ... as long as it is on ground (not on mounds or plots / planks surrounded by frames). The boots are also in slices 10 cm thick, but they are too heavy to "turn" them. On the other hand, they are more practical for mounds or plots / boards surrounded by frames.

Anyway ...
The important thing is above all to know "what" type of hay to choose from what is mentioned above, the pre-harvested being de facto so-called "late" mowing.

Uh ... Didier?

Quickly:

- the ideal is "old hay", well cellulosic, so cuts of ripe grasses, around mid-June to early July ...
- you can try to "deal", at a lower cost, "failed" hay, which has taken water, which has been badly preserved, which has become moldy, which has been stored for 6 years, etc. and which as forage, has lost its value ... For gardening, it's excellent!
- yes, this hay is straw yellow to gray color ...
- absolutely avoid second mows ("regain", etc.), which are similar to "grass clippings": compacts into "carpet" under humidity, makes waterproof layers, decomposes too quickly, too low in cellulose. ..
- the rest is irrelevant: I preferably use "hay" from a late cut from a protected site because of a rare orchid; we mow in mid-August once the rare plant has flowered and grained; it is then full of thistles, quills, brushwood, etc ... It has no value as fodder (the animals would not eat; if they did, they would strangle like us with fish bones ); for a farmer, it is a "shit", unusable, that he leaves lying around; if you find this kind of material, discount the price and take advantage of the offer!
- avoids "ryegrass", which normally comes from "artificial meadows" = grass cultivated in fields, in rotation with other crops (wheat, corn, rapeseed, etc.), therefore "contaminated" by all pesticides ; farmers make a "shortcut", calling it "ryegrass" = "grass I sowed = artificial grassland = pesticide residue ...
- always opt for natural meadows, rarely treated, rarely fertilized with fertilizers (generally, if they are, slurry, etc.)

[Did67]

did you try to plant garlic and shallots in the hay? And if so, when? I just bought some, but I'm wondering about the humidity ...

At home, traditionally, I plant the "little bulbs" in the spring.

Transplanting directly through the hay; correctly position the bulb at ground level (therefore sunk into the hay; invisible: do not worry, it will find its way); there are photos 100 or 150 pages above!). As the hay is not opened, it will remain 98% "clean"! It will suffice to collect in tirat on the "tail" (the leaves which dry out); to dry ; clean...

[Did67]

@did67

Can we put the egg shells on earth? What contribution?

Interesting if the soil is acidic; it's "limestone" (calcimu carbonate) ... Otherwise, little interest. But we can" !

[Did67]

I will not grind the dry branches, I have other branches of cherry and maple + the results of pruning of hazel, apple and other hedge shrubs.

Unless you have really "very much too much", not "valuing" organic matter is always a shame ... You never have "too much" humic substances in a soil !!!

Little by little, I would put ...