Soil salinity in Nova Scotia high tunnels

When evaporation from the soil surface and transpiration from plants exceeds water input, salts can start to accumulate at the soil surface. This is because when water from the soil surface evaporates, it wicks salts that are suspended in the soil solution to  the soil surface.  This is particularly a problem in high-tunnels that are in production year-round.  

Accumulating salts are not just sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl^-) ions, but are also essential plant nutrients... calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), potassium (K⁺), ammonium (NH₄⁺), hydrogen (H⁺), phosphate (HPO₄^2-), sulfate (SO₄^2-), and nitrate (NO₃^-) are all salts. Nitrate accumulation is particularly frequent in high tunnels as high-value crops are well fertilized, and since there is no rainfall to leach the nutrients, they accumulate year after year.

To learn more about soil salinity, how it happens, and what you can do about it, please read Perennia’s factsheet: http://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Soil-Salinity-NS-Hi-Tunnels.pdf 

Saturday 1-acre garden workshop

June 18: Saturday garden workshop 2-5pm

 

You are invited to join David Greenberg and the four new growers at Bethany Garden in Antigonish for an afternoon gardening workshop.  There will be a hands-on instruction session with all of the human scaled tools used in the one acre garden. Topics covered include: The BCS walking tractor and its use, maintenance, and implements; using silage tarps and flame weeding to control weeds with minimum effort; hoop house tips and tricks; and a lot more.

Please meet at the garden by the barn and water tower, at 45 Bay St, Antigonish at 2pm on June 18th. 

To register, email Jen Greenberg. There is no charge for this workshop.