HAGERSTOWN, Md. — One of the biggest challenges for gardeners and farmers alike during the summer is a lack of rain. If storms do pass through the region, hot weather can quickly evaporate moisture before it fully benefits newly planted seeds.
In this week’s Almanack feature, Penn State Field and Forage Crop Educator Tosh Mazzone offers advice for protecting your garden and crops against the risk of drought.
Organic matter is an important component of healthy soil
“Organic matter is a component of soil that can be increased over time. It is part of the uppermost layers of soil and is made up of dead and decomposing organisms, including plants, microbes, animals and manure. To increase organic matter in soil, apply organic inputs like manure, retain crop residue on the soil surface, practice no-till, and grow cover crops or perennials that provide year-round ground cover.”
What to know about increasing organic matter
“Organic matter and soil health can be quantified through regular soil testing. Conducting soil tests every few years will help you make well-informed decisions on fertilization based on current conditions, as well as provide a benchmark to compare organic matter in your soil. An add-on analysis accompanying a soil test quantifies organic matter as a percentage, allowing for comparison from year to year. Most agricultural soils in the Northeast United States have 1-6% of organic matter. Figure out your matter benchmark to start with and aim for similar or increasing levels in subsequent years. By building up soil gradually, you can use organic matter to help your crops grow under future drought stress.”
The key is protecting your soil from water loss
“Residue from previously grown plants, along with applied organic amendments like manure, help protect fields from drought stress. Residue forms a barrier on the soil surface, providing shade that cools the soil and reduces water evaporation into the air. When the soil temperature is lower, the organic matter decomposition process is slowed, reducing soil organic matter loss in the form of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”
Protecting the soil can be the difference between a flourishing garden or crop and one that is doomed to failure. These are but a few of the excellent tips that can be found in The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack. LocalNews1 has partnered with The Almanack to bring you a story every Monday taken from current or past editions.
First published in 1797, it’s the second oldest almanac in the United States and has been in continuous publication for 230 years and is the only almanac in the United States still published by the founders’ direct descendants.
For more tips or information about organic matter or how to protect your soil contact Tosh Mazzone at the Penn State Extension office at (717) 809-2192 or visit the website: https://extension.psu.edu/forage-and-food-crops/forages/production-and-harvesting
