NUTRIENT DENSE FLOOD PLAIN SOIL AS FERTILIZER

[cottonpicker]

Some folks around here use creek-bank flood plain soil as fertilizer for their lawns. Apparently it is really a rich source of nutrients and their lawns are luxuriant! Just wondering if anyone on T'ville. has used this creek bank soil in gardens?...or, in tomato planting holes?

LarryD

[PaulF]

We who have lived with the Missouri River flooding since early June have more silt and sand in the flood plain than anyone cares to think about. From my village along the Missouri, the River is still seven miles wide and not receding even though the output flows on the dams in South Dakota have been reduced.

We have been informed that the silt collected in the farmlands will render those areas non-productive for years until micro-organisms can be replaced. In other words, the flood plain soil is sterile. If your flood plain soil has been laying there for a time enough to revitalize itself it may be an excellent source of nutrients. Otherwise it may not be of much use.

[fortyonenorth]

This is interesting, Paul - and not what I would expect. I guess I'm thinking about the idea of the "fertile delta," but perhaps this concept isn't universal. Who's saying that these areas will become non-productive - a government agency? If so, which one? I'm curious what the basis is for their claims. Many assumed that the farmland in SE Asia which was inundated by the tsunami (i.e. salt water) years ago would be rendered useless, but this hasn't been the case. In terms of microorganisms, even if they were depleted by the flooding, they have a remarkable ability to regenerate their numbers. Microbial inoculants also offer a very cheap way to replenish beneficial bacteria and fungi.

If I were a speculator--looking to buy good midwestern farmland on the cheap--this type of information might serve my interest. In any event, there may be merit to the assertion, but if I were a farmer in your area, I'd want to see some solid scientific evidence to support it.

Originally Posted by PaulF

We have been informed that the silt collected in the farmlands will render those areas non-productive for years until micro-organisms can be replaced. In other words, the flood plain soil is sterile. If your flood plain soil has been laying there for a time enough to revitalize itself it may be an excellent source of nutrients. Otherwise it may not be of much use.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by cottonpicker

Some folks around here use creek-bank flood plain soil as fertilizer for their lawns. Apparently it is really a rich source of nutrients and their lawns are luxuriant! Just wondering if anyone on T'ville. has used this creek bank soil in gardens?...or, in tomato planting holes?
LarryD

I would worry about such things as heavy metals in creek-bank flood plain soil. Heavy metal has its place, but not in soil! I prefer those oldies but goodies or some of that old sweeeet soul anyways.
Dutch

[cottonpicker]

Interesting and diverse viewpoints...............
the Jury is still out!
LarryD

[PaulF]

My information on the sterility of flood silt comes from farmers in the area, not from any government agency.(Right now not many around here trust any of the government agencies to tell the truth.) It is true the soil will recharge itself in a year or two, but for the next growing season the farmland is considered by the owners to be useless.

The comment about buying good ...no, great farmland cheap is a bone of contention for these farmers. A certain number of landowners have the opinion that the very government group whose duty it is to control flooding are allowing it to happen just so the river basin land can be cheaply purchased by environmental groups who want the plain to be taken out of production and returned to "Lewis and Clark" conditions. Most farmers cannot do without an income for a year or two and may be forced to sell their land for pennies on the dollar in order for their families to survive. These farmers feel that the Corps of Engineers have shifted their priorities from flood control to a group in the back pocket of environmental groups who desire to buy up all the cheap farmland they can to extend their control. True or not, I am not in a position to say; hundreds of area farmers feel they are definitely sure.

Back to the question. These people do not need scientific studies. They live and make their living from the land. The lack of flood control by the Corps has given farmers experience with flood silt 4 of the last 6 years but none so wide spread or devastating as this year. This year the water covered their land for four months where in the past it was for only a few weeks. The sterility message has been discussed by the University Extensions in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas and several meetings with area farmers have been held to warn them all of the situation and methods to remedy the problem of soil sterility. It seems to be universal agreement that the situation is true.

I agree the soil will replenish itself and will do so more rapidly with extra help. My comment was not meant to become so political in nature but just to warn what I have been hearing about newly deposited uninocculated and unreplenished flood silt. The Nile valley seems to do OK after its yearly floods, but maybe there is not continuous floodwater on the land for the four to six months as is predicted here along the Mighty Mo

[delltraveller]

How something floods and how long it stays under water matters. Your creek banks probably flood regularly and the water recedes, depositing assorted organic matter that biodegrades and over time builds up. I suspect the flow of water isn't violent (or isn't violent for very long) and is mitigated by natural structures and barriers.

The "controlled" Missouri River is a very different creature. More like a fire hose that's been punctured.

I think when the Nile floods it's a more gentle process. Sort of lifts stuff up, lets it precipitate out, than eases away.

[fortyonenorth]

Great explanation, Paul. I would certainly trust the farmers' word and experience above that of some desk jockey in Washington. I was thinking that "Big Ag" might like the opportunity to buyout family farms, but yes, I'm sure the environmental groups can be as nefarious when they have their mind set on what is "right." I'm going to do some digging on this issue as you have piqued my interest.

[Dutch]

The original poster of this thread I believe is from the Valley Forge area of Pennsylvania which I think is down steam from steel towns like Allentown and Bethlehem. This is quite a different situation from that of someone that lives on the other side of the Mississippi in farm country.
Dutch

[cottonpicker]

Right you are, Dutch! and...you know your geography. Maybe I'd better stick to worm castings as a garden additive.

Thanks, folks!

LarryD

[dice]

1/8 inch of creek bank silt on top of a lawn is a lot different physically
from a foot of no-air-space silt on top a cornfield. The silt may have
enough sand in it to drain well (eventually becoming sandy loam), but
it has a ways to go before soil aggregation (by fungi) restores the air
spaces in a thick layer.

Growing something native with a good root system in it the first year
would help. What do the rice farmers think? Are there papers on
rice fields (in California's Central Valley or Florida, maybe) that have
been converted back to conventional row crop agriculture? Something
to look for.

[Keiththibodeaux]

I live in the alluvial flood plains. The mineral content of such soils is excellent. It is easy to introduce organic matter through tilling and plowing, and the microbial life to break it down is easy to add as well, through modern science. It is quite affordable on the small scale as well, although tilling it in, in smaller amounts, might require nothing at all, other than the labor of tilling, that is.

[Elizabeth]

If your neighbors are using it on their lawns, it's probably fine for your lawn too, but before you put it on edibles you may want to verify there isn't anything nasty upstream - hmmm, wait a sec, if you have little kids you may want to check it before you put it on your lawn. Some stuff that isn't great for health can make grass nice and green. If there is a healthy ecosystem (no mutant fish) in the creek it's probably safe.

If you feel good about the safety issue, grab some and pot up some seeds in it and see what happens - if it has lots of good nutrients the plants should thrive, if they keel over, you have your answer