Discussion forum for environmentally-friendly alternatives to replace synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.
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December 11, 2011 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,543
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increased yields after 5-6 years of growing organically?
Has anyone else noticed a "tipping point" at about year 5 or 6 of gardening organically?
This week at my local garden group, we talked about our best and worst crops. Everyone except me said tomatoes were the most disappointing crop this year! There were only 6 other people, and I don't think anyone else planted quite as many plants as I did, but I've been growing about the same number of plants (fewer this year, in fact) in the same place, and this was a great tomato year for me (for the seedlings I bought in mid-April, not so much for the seeds I started in mid-May). I've had my best yields ever in the past couple years, and the only thing I did differently 2 years ago was to start adding a handful of alfalfa meal to the hole before planting. I had a later than usual start this year, and I still got a great crop. I never got large tomatoes until 2 years ago, either -- no matter what I planted, I got at most medium-size tomatoes, and very few tomatoes from those plants. So for several years my strategy was to plant cherry and small tomatoes to ensure a yield. The other possible factor is that I've had this garden plot for 8 years, adding my own compost to it every year, so it may have reached a point where the soil is optimum. (On the other hand, my tomatoes got hit with late blight for the first time this year, but it's a community garden, so it spreads fast and there's no way to avoid it.) I read somewhere that a study of organic vs. conventional farming showed that by year 5, organic yields can surpass conventional yields, especially in drought years or if the weather is wacky. One other factor is the experience of the gardener, but I don't think I suddenly knew a lot more 2 years ago. So I'm also wondering this: if I get garden space elsewhere (in addition to or instead of my current plot), will it take 5 years to build it up? |
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