Organic Gardening in Maine Soil

When you live in Springfield, Maine surrounded by abandoned potato fields, steeped in a tradition of "picking potatoes" in the fall to buy the kid's school clothes, organic gardening is not exactly a popular topic. It's not that people here don't use organic methods. They do. They just don't call it that.

If there were a term for those who use organic methods for amending soil, but have no qualms about adding some Miracle Grow in midsummer to "give 'em a boost", or to layer on good old Sevin or Rotenone when the potato bugs arrive-it would describe the kind of gardening you are likely to find in Springfield, Maine.

Insect Control

It's not like we don't try organic methods for controlling pests. We do. We typically choose pesticides that are plant based, and we tolerate the Colorado potato beetle, to a degree. None of us is beyond hand picking them and dropping them in a bucket of soapy water and bleach. Each has his own concoction of soapy water, tobacco juice or hot pepper solutions to to deter these nasty pests and try those first. Rotenone, a plant based insecticide used by organic growers, is typically used next.

But, if those stubborn potato bugs persist, it is not unusual to hear "I wish I could get ahold of the poison those potato farmers use. That stuff really works." It's about that time of year, when a visit hardware store results in being told that their next shipment of Sevin will arrive in a few days.

For those of you who are tried and true organic gardeners, it may be a bit difficult to understand why we reach for those toxic chemicals. I'm not going to pretend it something we are proud of, and I'm not going to say that it doesn't concern us. Let's just say that we do our best, but when potato bugs get the best of us, we reach for something stronger. After all, most depend on that crop of potatoes to last them through the winter.

Organic Soil Amendments

Manure
Good old manure is as good as gold 'in these parts'. Although cattle manure is preferred, especially manure that has aged a year or two-nearly anything will do. Horse manure and pig manure is often used, if cattle manure is not available. It is hauled by pick-up loads and spread on the garden spot. Once it is worked into the soil with a garden tiller, planting can begin. Livestock manure adds slow-release nutrients to the soil, but it also increases aeration and improves drainage. Regular applications create rich friable soil, high in organic matter.

Peat Moss
Peat moss is often used to fill raised beds or for container plants, but is rarely used to amend the soil--probably due its cost. With ample manure available, peat moss has little to offer gardeners in Springfield, Maine.

Green Manure

Although rarely referred to as green manure, many gardeners take advantage of the technique of tilling vegetation "under" in the fall to enrich the soil. When tilled under in the fall, the organic matter has time to decompose and enrich the soil.

Wood Ashes

In Springfield and the surrounding areas, many people burn wood for winter heat. The ashes are saved and used on the garden to sweeten the soil. This eliminates the need to purchase lime when soil is too acidic. Experts tell us that it requires twice as much wood ash as lime to raise the pH of the soil. Fortunately, that's not a problem. There are always plenty of ashes for your own garden, and plenty to share with your neighbors who do not burn wood, too. According to UC Davis, wood ashes also add potassium and phosphorus to the soil.

Compost

A few enthusiastic gardeners take advantage of composting their kitchen and garden waste to create rich earth to give plants a good boost at planting time, and again in midsummer. To be honest, those who compost are a very small minority, comprised mostly of those who have migrated to Maine from other more environmentally conscious areas. The closest you are likely to come to a compost pile in Springfield, Maine is the edge of the manure pile where rich black dirt is plentiful.

We may not enter into organic gardening whole-heartedly, but we do our part. I don't know about you, but I blame the Colorado Potato Beetle for our lapses in environmental consciousness. This hardy pest overwinters in our soil and ravages potatoes and tomatoes in midsummer. Even the hard working souls in Springfield, Maine reach their breaking point. When they do, I for one am willing to forgive their brief transgressions.

Sources:
University of Colorado Extension: Choosing a Soil Amendment
UC Davis: Wood Ashes as Fertilizer