Straw For Humus
Categories: Soils, Fertilizers and IrrigationDo you consider straw good to plow under for humus, and which kind,
wheat, oat, or barley straw, is best?
Straw, by its decay in the soil, produces humus and, therefore acts in
the same way just as does the decay of other forms of vegetation. As,
however, straw is less easily decomposed than fresh vegetation, it is
less valuable and may be troublesome by acquiring a greater amount of
moisture by interfering with cultivation or by tending to dry out the
soil to the injury of other plants. If the soil is heavy and moisture
abundant, straw may be desirable, while in the case of a light soil and
scant moisture, may be injurious. There is no particular difference in
the straw of the different grains from this point of view.
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