The Fink Farm Dirt

As summer ends, Fink Farm is covered in a mulch-like layer of used bunny straw, coffee grounds and heat-melted plants.  As we discuss fall plantings, a question looms unspoken: Do we dig holes for individual seedlings that we sprout outside the garden first or do we rip out the by-gone plants, prime the rototiller and grind, chop, rotate and mix it all into the soil. Once upon a time, my philosophy would have been: if you have earth-moving equipment, use it. But reading Amy Stewart's book, The Earth Moved; On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms , makes me unsure. For example, Stewart writes: "Add up the number of earthworms and other soil-dwelling creatures like mites, springtails, ants, and spiders, and there may well be more living things in one of my four-by-four vegetable beds than there are humans in all of rural Humboldt County where I live.  Include the nematodes, and the population of one of those vegetable beds starts to rival that of the state of Califo...

Lately, we've returned to collecting and gathering our favorite soil amendment: used coffee grounds from Starbucks. When we're consistent enough, Karen's whole backyard smells like a double expresso.  The cats appear to dislike that odor so they go else where to do their business.  It also appears to help keep pests away. One of our best producing tomato plants this year has produced the greatest tomatoes close to the ground.  Over and over again I reach for a ripe, red tomato only to discover gaping holes on the side closest to the ground. I've never caught sight of the culprit.  Last night I gave each tomato plant several liberal scoops of coffee grounds to see if I could discourage predators. Regardless, the grounds are wonderful for changing the texture of clayish soil. They add acid to the soil, which many vegetables prefer. At times we've added the grounds to the compost bin as well. Please note that while Starbucks positions itself as a planet consciou...