Tricky to grow, celery may be worth the challenge May 17, 2009
Celery roots usually stretch just 6 to 8 inches away from the plant and 2 to 3 inches deep, so topsoil has to provide the moisture and nutrients the plant needs. Mix fertilizer (5-10-10) into soil before transplanting. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Minnesota corn planting well ahead of normal (3) May 17, 2009
Topsoil moisture conditions across the Red River Valley of the North remain saturated. Comments. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
City to call for bids on six park projects May 14, 2009
In some areas, more site preparation and topsoil is needed than in others, she said. And in some parks, residents asked for larger amounts of native vegetation instead of turf grass, which changed the cost based on both irrigation and seeding. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Spring field work advances May 12, 2009
Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels are adequate statewide. Story Comments. (Sioux City Journal)
Sideshow: Black River habitat improved for sturgeon May 12, 2009
Huron Pines AmeriCorps, Sturgeon For Tomorrow, a local Boy Scout troop and other volunteers teamed up to spread topsoil and plant native plants on an eroding stretch of riverbank. As the riverbank has eroded, sand and soil has covered the cobblestones on the bottom of the river, causing sturgeon eggs to float downstream to die instead of attaching to the river bottom. (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Valley fever cases on the rise May 11, 2009
Valley fever is caused by a fungus that grows in arid climates under about six inches of topsoil. It's nourished during the rainy season and then when the ground dries out, wind storms, construction or farming can cause the spores to become airborne as threadlike filaments. (FOX 11, AZ)
A vision of Kauai May 11, 2009
We lose topsoil to development, erosion and desertification. In the U.S., the National Academy of Sciences says we are losing it ten times faster than it is being replaced. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
Planting conditions vary across Minnesota in 2009 May 9, 2009
In early May, the northwest portion of the state remained very wet, the central and southwest had adequate moisture and the extreme southeast was considered short of topsoil moisture. We haven't turned a wheel, and we don't know anyone who has north of Fargo. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Agricultural summary for May 4 May 7, 2009
Topsoil moisture was rated 22 percent adequate and 78 percent surplus. Comments. (Princeton Bureau County Republican, IL)
Corn seed apparently safe in wet ground, expert says May 6, 2009
"All in all, the ground wasn't as wet to begin with and the sun came out this weekend. The topsoil is in pretty good shape," Long said ... On average, topsoil is in the low 50s, Iowa State University Extension reports. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Farmers playing catch-up May 6, 2009
Ninety-eight percent of the state reports enough or too much topsoil moisture. Subsoil moisture is adequate across 96 percent of South Dakota. (Madison Daily Leader, SD)
Vilsack extends certain CRP contracts May 5, 2009
"President Obama is committed to safeguarding the nation's natural resources and this program will help protect millions of acres of American topsoil from erosion and enhance the quality of our water," said Vilsack ... CRP protects millions of acres of American topsoil from erosion and is designed to safeguard the nation's natural resources. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Topsoil pierced at Pansy Patch May 2, 2009
Topsoil pierced at Pansy Patch - Winchester, MA - The Winchester Star ... Topsoil pierced at Pansy Patch. (Winchester Star, MA, MA)
Wet soil hinders planting Apr 29, 2009
The department's weekly crop-weather report says all sections of the state have either adequate or surplus topsoil moisture. Last week's warmer weather did help planting somewhat, but late-week rain and wet soil conditions kept planting progress in check. (Madison Daily Leader, SD)
Mulling a vegetable garden? Begin with small, sunny space, well-fed soil Apr 28, 2009
Wet the cardboard or paper well, and then cover it with alternating layers of compost and topsoil until the garden is at least 12 inches deep ... By the way, if you wait till fall to start your lasagna garden, you can skip adding topsoil and use just layers of organic material - ground leaves, grass clippings and the like. (Herald Online, SC -- Lifestyles)
How to: Vegetable garden Apr 28, 2009
If it's organic production you want, then spread generous quantities of mulch over the topsoil. "Mulch serves many purposes in the garden, including keeping weeds down, reducing your water bill and adding fertility to the soil as it decomposes," Doiron said. (AZCentral -- Home)
Are you Earth wise? Apr 28, 2009
Farmers protect the topsoil to keep it from blowing or washing away. The topsoil is the part of the soil strata that is the best for planting crops ... Illinois farmers are leaders in the nation in the number of acres they plant using conservation methods to save topsoil. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Mom & Pop Whitman focus on loss of farmland Apr 28, 2009
In the Midwest of the United States, the topsoil, which is some of the finest in the world, is made up of loose, heterogeneous clumps with plenty of air pockets between them, and increased technology has developed huge machines, some weighing 15 tons, that mash wet soil into an impenetrable slab by a process of compaction. The soil gets compacted down to 10 feet; roots can't penetrate compacted soil, water can't drain into the soil, and the runoff causes erosion. (Weymouth News, MA)
Spring planting in Minnesota (9) Apr 20, 2009
Topsoil conditions in some areas have begun to dry out rapidly due to limited rainfall this spring. According to University of Minnesota and private seed company research, the ideal time window to plant corn in Southern Minnesota in order to achieve optimum yields is April 20 to May 5. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Pawnee Buttes a remote birdwatchers paradise Apr 19, 2009
The population fell to 10 percent of its high as families went bankrupt and moved on, their topsoil blown away. The federal government started purchasing and reclaiming this land over the next decades, with the U.S. Forest Service taking over management in 1954. (Gillette News-Record, WY)
SAWS agrees to expand waste recycling efforts Apr 13, 2009
The company also recycles animal manure and other organic wastes and mixes it with topsoil. The contract with New Earth LLC went into effect July 1 and will last five years with a five-year extension. (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
Agricultural summary for April 6 Apr 11, 2009
Topsoil moisture was rated 36 percent adequate and 64 percent surplus. Winter wheat conditions stood at 3 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 64 percent good, and 10 percent excellent. (Princeton Bureau County Republican, IL)
Raised flower beds - easy on eye and body (160) Apr 2, 2009
Once the desired height and width are reached, fill the interior with topsoil. Eight inches of soil is recommended. (Benson San Pedro Valley News Sun, AZ)
Ag dustups major concern with unplanted land Apr 1, 2009
That's left vast swaths of land subject to wind erosion, creating the perfect conditions for impaired visibility on roads and the loss of fertile topsoil. "Fields continually subjected to erosion may result in land that is incapable of returning to cropping ... at a later date," said Rita Bickel, a USDA agronomist. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Farmers pray for more rain Mar 29, 2009
This wet the topsoil. Brett believes this will germinate seed. (Port Lavaca Wave, TX)
They built it in Tupelo, but Toyota may not come Mar 27, 2009
That would be a dramatic journey for Tupelo, which as recently as the Great Depression was a dirt-poor, fading cotton town, with marginal topsoil for farming, located a long way from anywhere important. But civic-minded local officials had a different vision for their small town. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Houseworks: First, do no harm Mar 27, 2009
Who hasn t set out to right a rippled flagstone patio only to discover it was laid over nothing but quaking topsoil. Who hasn t found the sin of muddled plaster repairs once the wallpaper has been peeled back. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Backyard brew Mar 24, 2009
"In 50 years of agriculture, we've destroyed the topsoil. I think so many of our techniques are outmoded. (Worm cast tea) is part of a new arsenal of techniques that should be incorporated in growing things." ... "In 50 years of agriculture, we've destroyed the topsoil. I think so many of our techniques are outmoded. (Worm cast tea) is part of a new arsenal of techniques that should be incorporated in growing things.". (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Long way to the water Mar 21, 2009
Last week's rains did put some moisture into the topsoil, said Mark Jordan, manager of LCRA River Management. We will need several episodes of widespread, soaking rains over the area that drains into the lakes in order to see significant rises in the levels of lakes Travis and Buchanan. (Cedar Park Hill Country News Weekender, TX)
Comparing compost and mulch Mar 20, 2009
Mulch, meanwhile, is a protective cover that also works its way into the topsoil. It's made up of natural or synthetic substances everything from crushed rock and plastic sheeting to wood chips, discarded newspapers and straw. (The Augusta Chronicle)
No-till gardening feeds the soil Mar 20, 2009
No-till growing means adding layers of plant and animal matter to the topsoil rather than plowing, shaping and otherwise disturbing it. "It reduces runoff and evaporation losses, increases organic matter in surface soils, which increases the rooting environment for seeds," Alley said. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Letters for Thursday, March 18, 2009 Mar 20, 2009
Ever since gardeners first ruptured the topsoil mantle using primitive tools an unsustainable agriculture began. The radical change to sustainable agriculture is slow in coming, though it has begun with the growing of a no-till movement. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
National Agriculture Week time to honor farmers Mar 19, 2009
This type of crop farming helps keep the topsoil in place. With reduced-till farming, the farmer goes over the field once with a shallow till. (Chetek Alert, WI)
How to manage winter feeding areas (10) Mar 16, 2009
These high-traffic areas show the impact of cattle hooves that loosen the topsoil and compact the soil below. When water and manure are added to the loose soil, a mudhole forms. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Ducks Unlimited Applauds Decision To Maintain The “Holy Grail” Of Conservation (2) Mar 15, 2009
The program is credited with conserving more than 470 million tons of topsoil in the past year that would otherwise be washed into rivers and streams, degrading water for drinking, fish and wildlife, business, and downstream agriculture. The soil retention accomplished through CRP also lessens runoff of agricultural chemicals, which have been linked to the growing hypoxic dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
For starters, plan and learn Mar 13, 2009
The reason for this gardening lesson in February is that it might take time to decide where to locate your garden and to make plans to line up topsoil and compost ... Below this level is subsoil, different in color, quality and texture from topsoil ... Mound a mixture of soil, compost, even bagged topsoil and peat, to a minimum depth of six inches. (Herald Online, SC -- Lifestyles)
PATSY R. BRUMFIELD:Stay, don't croak, new garden pal Mar 12, 2009
As I stooped gracefully to pick some large stones from the cake-like topsoil, one of the big "rocks" jumped. "EEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOO!" I shrieked. (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal)
How To Maintain a Worm Composter Mar 12, 2009
After the worms have been hard at work for a few months, the compost in the bin will start to look more like topsoil ... Dump the harvested nutrient-rich topsoil into the garden, use it to top-dress house plants, etc. (Suite101.com)
Conservation Panel ApprovesNew Rides, Restaurant, Offices Mar 4, 2009
Mr. Manning said if contaminants were found on the topsoil thorough soil testing, some course of action would have to be taken. He said a stipulation needs to be added that the soil be tested. (Voices, CT)
Wenchuan earthquake mudslides emit greenhouse gas Mar 3, 2009
Mudslides wipe away plants and topsoil, depleting terrain of nutrients for plant regrowth and burying swaths of vegetation ... Ren's model also shows that the primary mudslides following the earthquake removed large areas of nutrient-rich topsoil, leaving behind deep scars in the land that will take decades to recover, preventing the re-growth of vegetation. (EurekAlert!)
Rail Trail committee pushes for June finish date Feb 25, 2009
Geller said construction would include digging up topsoil and pressing a stone dust surface into the ground where the trail is designed to run. Some areas of the trail that will require installation of an asphalt service and others will only require trail barriers on existing pavement. (Boxford Tri Town Transcript, MA)
Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Organic Ga... Feb 24, 2009
When gardeners attempt to reproduce the growing conditions present in natural soils, they face the enemies of healthy soils: pavement, polluted runoff, pesticide residue, and inferior topsoil turn vibrant soils into lifeless deadpan. The reaction of garden plants in these conditions is increased susceptibility to disease, decreased nutrient uptake, and decreased drought resistance. (Suite101.com)
Gardening for sustainability, economy and, yes, victory Feb 19, 2009
Topsoil is drifting away while consumers are inundated with chemically and genetically modified foods that require millions of gallons of fuel to transport. It's a familiar tune. (Chetek Alert, WI)
Police Reports Feb 8, 2009
6:06 p.m. - Unknown suspect(s) drove through yard damaging grass and topsoil in the 16000 block of Big Horn Trail. Video Comments. (McKinney Courier-Gazette, TX)
Woody Biomass Utilization for Power Generation -- An Overview Feb 7, 2009
Any process which removes these minerals from the topsoil must include a long-term sustainable strategy to return them. Michael Pinca 2. (Energy Pulse, CO)
Planting seeds Apr 1, 2008
On Monday the 82-year-old Somerset man was starting beefsteak tomatoes, beside a few rows of onions, that will begin growing in a tray of topsoil, bone meal, fertilizer and white lime before they are moved to his garden. (Staff photo by Roger Vogel). (Somerset Daily American, PA)
'Hanging Gardens of Babylon' condos a green retreat Mar 26, 2008
According to Greek historians, the project featured terraces and roofs filled with topsoil that could accommodate even large trees. There was an elaborate system to pump water from the Euphrates River to the garden beds and a seal made of reeds, tar, brick and concrete kept soil moisture from penetrating the roof structure. (AZCentral -- Business)
Dirty Old Mines Mar 23, 2008
Last summer, landowner AJT Mining Properties, which owns Alaska Electric Light & Power, covered the zone with topsoil, fertilizer and grass seed. Residual soil contamination remains underneath the topsoil and growth, but the barrier prevents it from being harmful to people, according to DEC documents. (Juneau Empire)
County Gets $500K For Environmental Projects Mar 15, 2008
Without winter cover on farm fields, rich topsoil may be washed into local streams, robbing the farmer of the farm s most cherished commodity, Alexander said, while adversely impacting fish habitat and other aquatic life. Excess nutrients can also be washed or leached into surface waters or groundwater, Alexander noted, which could present a public health hazard when found in high levels in drinking water. (Fulton County News, PA)
Graze Tall’ For Lusher Pastures, Faster Buildup of Organic Matter Mar 15, 2008
As noted, he s a strong advocate for graziers getting the pat on the back (and financial compensation) they deserve for creating topsoil, capturing carbon and curing climate change. He maintains that new topsoil and vegetation are the only carbon sinks on earth that can beneficially and quickly sequester the excess greenhouse gases in our atmosphere ... Livestock are the commonsense, surprising tool that makes rapid topsoil formation possible, he notes, stressing that grass farmers are the front... (Agri-View, WI)
Souper Supper is Saturday Mar 6, 2008
"We have two ATV helmets donated by Fast Motor Sports and a Zebco reel with Cyclone rod donated by Lindsey's Store, and an amazing amount of quality merchandise representing every letter of the alphabet in between. The variety this year is astounding." Sallis continues, "Each year our acquisitions team seems to become more creative in their suggestions and our donors more generous in their contributions. For example, a new homeowner could do a complete landscaping project with the donations from... (CHerokee County Herald, AL)
Muddy, hazardous Gunn fields to get face-lift Feb 28, 2008
Instead of paying to haul away and dispose of topsoil dug to make room for artificial turf in the main fields at Gunn and Paly, the district will use the dirt to level Gunn's hilly lower fields. Paly's sports facilities will also receive an eventual upgrade. (Palo Alto Online, CA)
Create a rain garden Feb 26, 2008
You'll fill that back in with a soil mixture that consists of 60 percent sand, 20 percent topsoil and 20 percent compost. You're then ready to fill it with plants that are native to your local ecosystem. (Scripps Howard News Wire)
Editorial: Questions for climate center Feb 16, 2008
" Wendi wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:13 AM:" The bad news comes so thick and fast, piles up so high, in each dimension -- atmosphere, oceans, topsoil; equals: Climate -- so that it seems too overwhelming, Too Much (bad) Information, and an understandable reaction is to deliberately be blind to all of it, pluck out our own eyes which offend us seeing our made travesty. Since the editorial endorses Science, that established US periodical most virtuous in analytic crediblity, then this recent Science... (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Atomic agency to give verdict on Iran Feb 13, 2008
But by the time inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) got to the site in June 2004, Iran had bulldozed the facility to the ground, meticulously cleaned the site and removed all the topsoil. Equipment from the centre later turned up at a university and IAEA inspectors found that it was contaminated with particles of highly enriched uranium HEU). (Nature News Service)
Post a comment Feb 8, 2008
The topsoil in Iowa 150 years ago was up to 36 inches in many places where it is now down to about a foot. Using every available acre for growing crops to provide food and biofuels will hasten the day that the ground is totally depleted. (International Herald Tribune)
Conservation Strategies Must Shift With Global Environmental Change, Ecologists Urge Feb 7, 2008
A second Boulder County example is a reclaimed gravel pit where managers added low-budget topsoil and a mix of nine native grass species with widely varying moisture tolerances, he said. "The grassland that has emerged under unusually dry conditions was not the one that existed prior to the gravel operations," said Seastedt. (Science Daily)
USDA crop and weather report for Feb. 4 Feb 6, 2008
Topsoil moisture was rated at 3 percent very short, 12 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus ... Topsoil moisture decreased during the month with 46 percent rated in the adequate to surplus range ... Topsoil moisture levels were rated 51 percent adequate or better, 15 points above the 5 year average. (Midwest Bulls Eye, NE)
Sediment Prediction Tools Off The Mark Feb 5, 2008
Boomer emphasized that the USLE was developed to help farmers limit topsoil loss from individual fields rather than to predict sediment delivery from complex watersheds to streams. As often applied, the USLE gives an average annual erosion rate for the whole watershed draining into a stream. (Science Daily)
Earthworms Build and Improve Soil Feb 3, 2008
From this depth, worms bring basic minerals to the topsoil ... If you are bothered by worm castings, consider this before you buy any of these products: worms add an average of a fifth of an inch of topsoil per year to the surface of your yard through these castings ... Yet, compared to ordinary topsoil, worm castings contain almost five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphate and eleven times more potash. (Suite101.com)
Easing the squeeze Feb 1, 2008
Stelmach once compared that to stripping the "topsoil" from a farm. It's a sign of the times that the election is just around the corner. (Edmonton Sun)
Mom and Pop Whitman focus on hot idea for a hot land Jan 22, 2008
These people have farmed the same way since Brazil was discovered, and the sun has mostly been a curse, withering crops and baking the topsoil. When Fonseca suggested that the farmers could use solar energy to get out of poverty, they thought he was crazy. (Weymouth News, MA)
The carbon question Jan 20, 2008
He runs a 3,400-ton dragline for a living, scraping away topsoil in monstrous chunks from the Missouri River basin. Steffenson and several other workers just like him search tirelessly for some of the world's least efficient coal - low-grade lignite. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Arsenic lurks beneath park Jan 14, 2008
One remediation plan would require covering the area with 12 inches of topsoil; another would involve removing 12 inches of topsoil, transporting it to a toxic waste dumpsite, and replacing it with a fresh layer of soil. Alternatively, the area could be fenced off, or the town could take no further action at this time. (Hillsdale Independent, NY)
Overgrazing Accelerating Soil Erosion In Northern Mexico Jan 9, 2008
23, 1999) Fertile topsoil is probably not eroding from farmlands at the alarming rate that it's widely believed to be, suggests a study in the 20 August issue of Science. The results, some of the first. (Science Daily)
