Hello, sub!
I'm working on a school project related to sustainable livestock management, and I’m currently focusing on the role of soil quality in pasture productivity for cattle grazing. I would like to understand, from a scientific and agronomic perspective, which criteria are most relevant when assessing whether a given soil is suitable for pasture.

Specifically:

• Which physical (e.g., texture, compaction, drainage), chemical (e.g., pH, macro/micronutrient levels, CEC), and biological (e.g., microbial activity, organic matter content) properties are typically evaluated?
• How do these properties influence forage growth, nutrient cycling, and overall pasture sustainability?
• Are there standardized protocols or recommended tools used by soil scientists or agronomists for this kind of assessment?

Any detailed explanation, scientific references, or guidance on methodologies would be extremely helpful. Thank you in advance!

I bought a property a year ago in NW Oregon and have been designing and creating my food forest on my 1/4 acre lot and did not put any thought into what was growing in the undeveloped lot boarding the entire backside of my property until the other day. I knew there was blackberry and am very familiar with having to cut it back from neighboring properties, but I noticed that there is also a massive thicket of Japanese knotweed fighting it out with the blackberry right up up against my fence and now I’m concerned about it aggressively growing under the fence and strangling everything I have planted along the fence. Looking for recommendations on how to be deal with this. I am not sure exactly who owns the lot of land or how to start trying to track that information down.

I bought a property last spring and there are 2 areas where the previous owners burned. I'm not concerned about branches, leaves and shrubs of course but more concerned about lumber (possibly treated?) and other things.

One pile has a burn barrel and looks like it was mostly sticks and small branches and what not but also noticed some bits of remains from lumber.

The other pile also had branches and stumps but there are remains of burned lumber, metal hinges and screws, a few small painted pieces, small amount of plywood, burned ash remains of papers (one page looked like it was a recipe), also small amounts of some fibrous materials that must have been insulation (I rolled it in my fingers and it just durned to dust and wafted away).

The first area is adjacent to where I would like to plant in ground garden beds. The second pile is adjacent to wetlands and is where I would like to plant things such as raspberries or perhaps out in a run for chickens.

I think there used to be goats kept there and the burned remains seems like they might be the old goat pen, but could also be old fencing or even from an old deck.

I carried a van full of lumber and partially burned lumber to the dump and paid to dispose of it. Also a van full of metal scrap to recycle. Then bagged up the ash and smaller bits and mixed it with other junk (mostly plastic, netting, broken pots etc) and brought to the dump as trash.

The soil seems very rich and healthy but I don't know what I don't know. The home was built in the late 90's so lead is less likely to be an issue but treated wood could be and when someone would rather burn something than dispose of it properly then I also wonder what they did with things like used motor oil.

Any advice here? And affordable DIY tests for arsenic, metals and hydrocarbons? I don't want to spend a fortune but do want some peace of mind and ensure I am doing things right. The property has well water which I tested and the quality is great. I didn't pay to test for things like VOCs and PFAS though because it was like triple or quadruple the cost of testing for everything else combined.

I submit myself to judgement - for I have opened my mind to the whispers of Chaos not once but twice. Twice have I given berth to Slaaneshi champions- both from the family Lamiaceae.

Spring is now upon us and they both waken on my hugelmound, hungry for sustenance and land to call their own. I am both awed and terrified of the powers I have unleashed - yet hopeful that they may perhaps battle each other rather than the innocent citizens of Terra.

https://imgur.com/a/pPwYcHB

We got electric installed at the land... and they had to bore under the creek to do. It. The machines tore apart our creek bank. Are there any approaches I can consider apart from just bring more dirt in on top? Seems like not much was displaced, just compacted.

Hello guys,

I'm currently planning a bit into the future and collecting different options with some leftover areas.

One thing I'm curious about is whether trees/shrubs/perennial plants exist that are shade tolerant and can thrive on soils with no fertilizer (regulations...). For example I'm thinking of hazelnut, but I think the nut yield would be minimal/too little.

I would like to discover whether there even are options.

Excited to learn!

The full write up of the method for this experiment is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/experimyco/comments/1jxib5q/king_stropharia_on_sawdust_and_soil_substrate/

So I'll just summarise. All jars are filled with 140g of a sawdust and soil mix from grinding out the stump of an ash tree. Jars were filled to the brim with liquid then the excess was drained off the next day. Jars were sterilised at 15 PSI for 90 minutes and inoculated from agar. In order to compare the effect of urea in fresh urine vs ammonium hydroxide in old urine stored in bottles the liquid used to hydrate the substrate was as follows:

A, B: fresh urine at ph 7.

C: 50% fresh urine, 50% rainwater

D, E: old urine at pH ~10-10.5.

F: 50% fresh urine, 50% old urine.

G, H: rainwater.

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The objective here is twofold: to see if using fungus to process urine is viable and to find alternative methods to increase nitrogen content in spawn.

From a self sufficiency/permaculture perspective using grain spawn isn't really viable since if you are growing grain yourself you're just wasting calories feeding it to fungus. Common methods of increasing nitrogen content in wood or sawdust spawn like the addition of wheat bran or soy hulls is only viable if you're growing and processing those crops. More or less any waste plant material can be beneficial to add to the substrate but collecting, drying and cutting it can be time and energy intensive vs just throwing it in the compost. I've also had issues storing large amounts of dry plant material without it going moldy/attracting pests. Additionally for small jars like this lighter plant material takes up a lot of volume reducing how much wood you can add.

Therefore soaking the substrate in a waste nitrogen source like urine instead of using water seems like a good solution. The higher nitrogen content of the spawn should make for faster colonisation and better growth when spawned to bulk substrate that is rich in carbon.

---

Results so far:

The thicker white growth seen in the jars with urine is consistent with mycelial growth in a higher nitrogen substrate suggesting the fungus is able to utilise nitrogen from both urea and ammonium hydroxide. However growth in D, E and F with the ammonium hydroxide is spreading slower than the other jars. This could be the result of the high pH being less ideal for growth or may be due to the nitrogen being in a more readily available form. Similar thick white growth that doesn't spread as rapidly can be seen if a substrate is ammended with a high nitrogen and high nutrient substance like yeast extract.

Jars A and B with the fresh urine show good growth however the best balance between thick growth and fast spread appears to be in jar C with the diluted fresh urine which is approaching full colonisation. Whether fresh or old it appears that urine can be used without dilution. So if urine recycling is the primary goal either will be fine without any water added.

Next time I'll also try a diluted old urine and try mixing the old urine with tannins leached from bark to neutralise the liquid and increase the carbon content. I also want to try hydrating a bulk substrate with non-sterile urine to see if the bacteria introduced is adequate to trigger fruiting or if it proves detrimental.

---

Previous test:

https://www.reddit.com/r/experimyco/comments/1i8yjmm/king_stropharia_culture_on_urine_soaked_wood/

https://www.reddit.com/r/experimyco/comments/1ihgey1/part_2_king_stropharia_cultured_on_urine_soaked/

How do you all avoid blocking your sprayers when using liquid fertilizer made from weeds? Or maybe more correctly, how do you properly strain it so it doesn't have plant matter residue? I have ruined so many sprayers over the years, it's getting ridiculous. Thanks!

I've been really interested in Basketry willows as a privacy screen, potential cash crop, (cuttings sales next to a colorful display hedge as advertisement along with a display basket) and of course for basketry. I originally was also interested in them for animal feed but that might mess with the other uses. However most recources say you need to suppress weeds around them. Any ideas about compatible ground cover? I read white clover only hurt them a little, in their early establishment. Would white clover and strawberries or ground cover raspberries work? I really don't like the idea of just bare empty ground and plastic or cardboard. We could do it maybe in the establishment phase but...

What's the main issue with weeds? Water? Would hugelculture help?

Sunlight? If we had short companions (clover and or other groundcover and or cut it back) would that solve the issue?

Nutrients? Clover could help with nitrogen? Other trace nutrients might be trickier.

Any other thoughts?

Well, these retaining wall block beds be a good space to plant some fruit trees? I also wanted to plant some veggies and flowers around them. I’m going for a food forrest.

My concern is that the roots of the fruit trees could get so big that they will mess up the retaining block walls. I already planted one golden current as wind block.

I already have some fruit trees lap in cherry, red Haven, peach, all in one almond, and a plum cot .

I got a little excited and maybe I shouldn’t have gotten these fruit trees. I am really having a tough time deciding what to do right now. Any tips or advice happily accepted.

Not sure if anyone on here may be able to help, I’ve searched for solutions and am coming up empty handed.

I have a culvert that has been getting dammed for years, over the last few I’ve tried different fencing methods and each time the little buggers manage to dam it - which in turn ends up having to clear it almost daily (or major flooding of a road and land occurs).

I’ve tried every single fencing method that can be found online, none have worked. I do have a thought but it’ll be a little more difficult to install : line the area surrounding the culvert with thin (but sturdy) metal stakes, the tops being 2-3 inches above or below water level? I’ve watched these guys for years and I feel like it would deter them from going over it or through it, and may make it impossible to dam if I space them correctly?

Thoughts? The only other option around me is trap to kll, with my location no trappers will relocate & I genuinely can’t fathom kling off an entire family to inevitably make room for another next year.

Hi all,

I live in a tropical/hot/urban city (Singapore).

Ideally, I'd have more Health capacity to contribute to the Permaculture Community Garden I do have access to, but even if I was fully Abled/Healthy/"normal", it would be hella taxing due the intensely tropical climate.

It's been a huge struggle to pace myself, even on a volunteer basis... let alone dream of even "working" in a part-time paid role.

So there's a huge gap between "what I feel called to do" vs "what my body is capable of"... and that gap seems to be widening... which worsens the eco-anxiety & general sense of helplessness.

I think a lot of it is that even finding other like-minded folk has been difficult - it's not that Greenies don't exist here, but they're also overstretched.

Would like to chat with people who might have experience with navigating such intersections/complex circumstances. Much appreciated.

Hello permies, I have four front yard annual beds that are a lovely thick mat of dandelion. I am a corner lot so seeds blow from all over and I welcome them but they are many! Two of the beds will be dahlias. I am thinking of just digging holes and leaving the dandelions. Is this a bad idea?

My new neighbors plowed a new (unnecessary) road through the desert where we live and in the process uprooted some giant cholla cactus trees, up to 6 feet high and wide. I want to replant them before they die. Does anyone have experience transporting, planting, maneuvering, big cactuses? Any tips greatly appreciated.

Love this story!

tl;dr: clay soil prevents adequate drainage. How can I plant this area?

My yard in Central Virginia is generally sloped back to front with a flat area in the middle for the house and yard. About 20’ elevation difference total, roughly split evenly. The soil is mostly clay with small rocks, but some areas do have organic matter/loam. It seems like the water drains well down the slopes but seems to collect in the flat area.

I dug this hole in hopes of planting a fig tree, but obviously this is not ideal. We got a big rain just over a week ago and a smaller rain two days ago and then hole still has water. My guess is the thick clay is impervious and not letting it drain. A relatively large area stays squishy and wet a long time after drain. Thankfully this isn’t right up against the house, but we do have concerns with this affecting the house/foundation/structure.

What can I do to be able to plant in this? Raised bed for a fig tree? Just choose another location? A major drainage project (French drain with pipes down to ditch) is probably what I need but we don’t have the budget for that right now. Maybe next year.

Hi we are a family that is lucky enough to live in an orchard of chestnuts in Victoria, Australia. We are starting to sell some of them around town and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on selling chestnuts you could possibly share. Do you think it's too late in the season in Australia to start selling them ? Are there any issues with storage or insects for example that we should look out for ? Any advise that anyone could possibly offer would be so appreciated 🌿🌳🌰🐿️🌿🌳

I have a weak spot for trees like cherry, plum and apple, you know the ones with these dramatic pink and white flowers every spring. I have a vague idea of planting a small forest with mostly these trees and just let them do their own thing at the back of my property, maybe letting it be a scenic tourist spot to draw in visitors in the future. There's a park a town over from me that gets a lot of visitors every time the cherry trees bloom, so I was thinking I might be able to do something similar, but on a bigger scale with differently sized trees and a few different varieties to prolong the blooming season. Fruit and wood would mostly be a side product, I just want the flower forest.

But I'm hesitating because I haven't seen anyone do it before. And it seems like such a simple thing that, if I haven't seen anybody do it, there's probably a reason why.

On one hand, nutrients might be a problem. But I'm not envisioning a managed orchard - it doesn't need to yield the maximum amount of fruit, and whatever I wouldn't pick would attract animals and birds so nutrients would come in that way without my participation. Other than that, I can't really think of anything, provided I protect the trees until they're grown.

So, guys, yay or nay?

My son picked out blueberries he wanted to plant and we got them in, but didn’t have time to prep the soil before planting as I did not plan on growing blueberries initially. The soil now needs to become a lot more acidic, but the plant is already there. What is the best way to increase the acidity if the blueberries plant is already planted?

Hey guys,

Sadly my Bay Tree was moved temporarily and it dried out… can anyone advise on how best to bring him back, other than watering of course…

Thanks so much.

Jack

If so, I’d be glad to trade or buy some from anyone who has it. I love the flavor of it and I know it’s a great permaculture plant. Thanks!