PARCHED
by Scott Neuffer
It’s easy for gardeners living in Carson Valley to become discouraged. One day, drought conditions are baking the ground into a nicely cracked hardpan perfect for spotted spurge and dandelions, and the next day, a blustery storm is bringing much needed moisture but also a sharp chill that withers the poor, nascent blossoms of fruit trees.
It’s maddening. Plants in Northern Nevada get tossed around by epic forces. Only the hardy survive. Or so it’s easy to conclude.
Local soil guru Craig Witt, of Minden-based Full Circle Compost, believes the relative success of one’s green thumb in such variable conditions can be linked to one simple word: “humus.”
Witt’s not talking about the delicious chickpea spread long associated with Middle Eastern cuisine. That’s “hummus."
Humus, Latin for “earth,” refers to decomposed organic matter in soil – that rich, loamy black stuff gardeners love to hold in their bare hands.
“Good soil starts with humus,” Witt states unequivocally. “Drought control starts with humus.”
Basically, humus is organic matter in the ground that has been broken down over time by microorganisms. In a forest, humus is the loose, wormy soil one finds beneath a mat of leaves, that dark-smelling layer that at one time was itself a smattering of leaves. In the deserts of Nevada, one can find humus in the shaded wells of large sagebrush or other native shrubs, where the plants’ organic flotsam has been deposited over years and broken down in what otherwise is sandy soil.
Humus is important for two reasons, says Witt. It holds nutrients, and it holds water.
Regarding the former, humus acts as a reservoir for nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, boron and zinc, Witt points out. Without enough humus, these important nutrients are leached out of the soil.
Regarding the latter reason, Witt highlights a theoretical comparison between soil with 4-5 percent humus and soil with only 1.5-2 percent humus. Soil with 4-5 percent humus can hold more than twice the moisture as the other. This difference is crucial in drought conditions. If irrigation is restricted, or if more water is evaporating in scorching heat, plants rooted in humus will have a greater chance of surviving and thriving.
So, how can gardeners in Carson Valley, stuck in Gardnerville clay or decomposed granite, provide enough humus to their plants? Witt’s answer is proper composting: converting green waste into black gold. Those leaf piles and lawn clippings left after a hard day’s work, those salad dregs and coffee grounds from the kitchen, all these can become humus with proper composting techniques.
Witt views composts as great recipes. One can imagine stewing cauldrons of organic matter stirred with adequate heat, air and water.
“Humus begins by providing the elements of the recipe, air, water and food for the micro-life that works in, on, around and throughout the miracle of the composting process,” he says.
And when organic compost is combined with other essential minerals shown missing in a soil test, the result, Witt says, is a powerful soil amendment with "incredible growing results." In other words, balanced soil produces high yields of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
In February, Witt presented his humus-producing techniques at the annual trade show of the Northern Nevada Landscape Association. His presentation happened to be entitled, “Drought Condition Solutions.” Then, as now, he argued that merely buying drought-resistance plants aren’t enough for a Northern Nevada garden.
“Even drought-resistant plants start best in a properly amended soil,” he maintains.
For more information about composting and gardening in Carson Valley, visit www.fullcirclecompost.com.
Taming that
NORTHERN NEVADA SOIL
Full Circle Compost owner Craig Witt with some of the bounty of his harvest. Photo courtesy of Full Circle Compost.