Pile 'o hoes

by | Apr 25, 2013 | Talk Dirt to Me

The starlings have begun nesting in the maple tree next door and some robins have hatched up the street, so that’s as springy as I need: time to plant peas. With the exception of the short rows I planted in honor of Easter, peas are the first seeds I sow. If his...

Control Redux

by | May 1, 2013 | Talk Dirt to Me

Upon looking into last week’s letters at the urging of my esteemed editor, I was excited to read that I had provoked an emotion in one of my readers. Anger, of course wasn’t the emotion I was hoping to provoke, but it will have to do. Unfortunately, I...

May Day

by | May 8, 2013 | Talk Dirt to Me

I dawdled this morning. I was “working” at home (grading papers), so there was no rush to bike to work. Despite the cool spring I wrote of a few weeks ago, the air and soil have warmed up quite nicely now. I had closed up my cold frame last night because...

Grubs

by | May 15, 2013 | Talk Dirt to Me

All energy enters the food system through plants. They are the “primary producers.” Everything else depends on their work either directly or indirectly. Cows eat grass and we eat cows. The biomass, that is the total mass of individuals, tends to decrease...

Radical Root Radix

by | May 23, 2013 | Talk Dirt to Me

Our former commander in chief enjoyed a well-worn phrase more than most. Sometimes he slipped up with his wording: “fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” I’m thinking he didn’t mean to...