Salt in MY garden?

[Pharmer Phil]

THIS Will Be a Long post Phriends!!

The first thing I must again stress is:

FEED THE SOIL -The soil - FEEDS YOUR PLANTS

That being said, I can best explain this by using your lawn, as an example.
Your lawn goes dormant, Then, Magically?, it WAKES UP, in the spring!
Turning green, and lush. Without the aid of man...or fertilizer. What is doing this?
It is the MICROBES IN YOUR LAWNS SOIL!!
As the microbes wake up from a winter sleep and become active, they begin processing the nutrients in the soil into forms that are usable by plants. Soil organisms with the ability to break down molecules to release ENERGY!
and what feeds these microbes?
Ammonia nitrogen, amino acids, and organic matter, All of which are derived from decomposing organic material in the soil.

More organic matter = healthier soil.

_{But Pharmer Phil...whats this have to do with SALT......} I'm getting there.._{warned you this would be a long post}

ONCE UPON ON A TIME

in this land, our earth...Organic, was all there was.
The methods were crude, tillage was minimal, the soil, well it was slowly depleted, man then, moved on to another location, still unaware they could stand their ground, and build their soil...BUT, Wait, Why was the soil depleted?
They were using organics?
the key word here is tillage.
Soil, has to be able to drain, hard pan clay, prohibited this, there were no soil tests, other than a "taste" test to determine if the soil was sweet, or sour.

And then...Things..."Improved"?
A good ol' boy, working on explosives, came along and synthesized ammonia (processed chemical nitrates), leading to fertilizers
Mechanized farming, with the ability to till the soil deeply, came to be. A perfect picture? NOT.
The soil became lifeless, the microbes died, the soil was vulnerable to erosion.
and what Killed most of these microbes?
Salinity
With the NPK in chemical fertilizers we also get salt. Salt will kill many of the living organisms in your soil.
With repeated applications, your soil is unable to supply the plants with their basic needs. Soon you have plants that are solely dependent on the fertilizers, not the soil! As your plants become stressed, disease and pests become a problem.
I need a break, Stay tuned for Part II!

[Pharmer Phil]

Sorry Pholks, I was woke up at 2:30 a.m. by that CAT

So, the simple answer, Yes, manure does contain salts, However, Horse manure contains the Least amount
Cow, and Hog maure contains more.
Problem?
You would have to add Much more than reccomended per 1000 square feet to have a detrimental effect on your garden.
As always, you should have your soil tested
Manures commonly contain 4 to 5% soluble salts (dry weight basis) and may run as high as 10%.
Normally, irrigation and rain water will sufficiently leach well-drained soils to prevent damaging salt accumulations. However, one should be cautious with poorly drained soils, soils with existing salinity problems, or unusually high application rates, especially when concentrated near young plants.
Fertilization is just one of many factors that need consideration since effects of one are often increased or offset by another.
For example, irrigation water that is too high in calcium makes soil alkaline and raises salt content. Osmosis of nutrients into roots is hindered by these salts. Chemical fertilizers, themselves, are salts that can affect osmosis the same way.
Organic fertilizers nutrientss are carried in proteins. Humic acid, a main ingredient in organic fertilizers buffers alkaline soil, improving water uptake and promoting osmosis.
Organic soils are naturally aerated by the microbes living within, and therefore hold more water.
Your microbial population breaks down nutrients and minerals so they can be made available to your plants naturally. Unlike chemical fertilizers, that tend to evaporate and leach into the ground water, these microorganism's literally retain the nutrients in their own "Pantry" and allow the plants to use what is needed now, while storing the rest for future seasons. Your plants are not only able to access the NPK they need, but also the trace minerals that are so important to healthy plants.
Soil that is LOW in organic matter, short on Microbial activity, WILL NOT ,be able to utilize any form of fertilizer, no matter how much you use.
The addition of organic matter to salty soil is a common recommendation. When added to soil, organic matter improves drainage allowing salts to be leached below the root system of the crop.

Look At Your Veggies!
Vegetables raised with chemical fertilizers (which are chemical salts) take in their nutrients dissolved in water. The salts cause the plants to bloat, just as excessive salt in human diets causes water retention and bloating.
Analysis of organic versus chemically raised vegetables shows that there is more food (as opposed to water) in organic food.
Organic vegetables are more nutrient dense.

CLOSING STATEMENT:
chemical fertilizers cause the death of soil microorganisms and break down soil structure, which in turn destroys the natural system of plant nutrition

[KellyGa]

Thanks Phil, that was VERY educational. Someone asked me if I could use my pig manure (man do I have a lot of that) in the garden, I was not sure. I was going to ask, and now I know. Now, the question is, how much should I use? I assume from reading this there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

[Compost Pharmer]

'CLOSING STATEMENT:
chemical fertilizers cause the death of soil microorganisms and break down soil structure, which in turn destroys the natural system of plant nutrition'

Thank you Phil. Just another reason to use 'Organic' fertilizer.

[Pharmer Phil]

Of course there is "too much of a good thing"
Many pholks think that Organic, natural, safe, bio;ogical, equates to Give it all you can!
Very untrue.
BUT, too answer your question, It really pays to:
Get a SOIL TEST

without one, don't add over a 1" layer to the garden. So you see, you could be shorting yourself and your garden with this approach.
Call your County Extension Office, and ask them for a soil test, they will take care of you!
You can get a soil test kit, and it will tell you some information; HOWEVER, it won't tell you everything, for one, the level of organic materials in your soil, this will tell you volumes about your soils ability to break down the materials, and the general health.
I will see if the extension has a typical garden sample I can download to show the information it provides.