Thanks to all those who have attended the Organic Gardening Class. Here is some information about the subjects we have discussed over the past couple of weeks. More information will follow to accompany the next few classes. I appreciate all the community support, the Vernal Library for allowing us to use the conference room and especially for all of the time and effort Melinda puts into making these wonderful programs happen.
CRICKET SONG FARM
OUR MISSION STATEMENT: is to provide individuals with organically grown
vegetables; using accountable stewardship, returning to the earth more than
taken, and respecting the value of an honest day’s work.
WHY GROW ORGANICALLY? The use of chemicals in the garden depletes beneficial microbiotic life, breaks down the soil structure, and adds salinity to the soil. Improvised soil makes crops more vulnerable to disease and insect attack. By applying organic methods, compost, and working at natures pace, your garden will produce an abundance of health promoting, high yielding, more flavorful vegetables than those produced with conventional method.
BUILDING GOOD GARDEN SOIL
If you take care of your
soil, the plants will take care of themselves.
Creating
the proper soil conditions requires a little manipulation of the natural soil.
AERATION---
Plants and soil organisms will suffocate if insufficient air in the root
system is unavailable. Plant roots
absorb oxygen from the air and give
off carbon dioxide. The leaves absorb
carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.
Plants must be able to breathe. Dense
or compacted soil does not allow for air flow to the root system causing impaired
growth and failure.
WATER--- The gravitational pull of the water percolates
down into the roots. As it flows
downward it is replaced by fresh air from above. In heavy, dense soil the water does not drain
off fast enough and plants can literally drown.
Water vegetation with an inch of
water weekly. A good way to measure is
with a rain gauge or opened tuna fish can placed in the garden. Not all water flows downward, some remains in
the tiny spaces between the soil particles or is captured in humus. This is the water taken in by the roots to
hydrate and transfer minerals to the plants.
A good soil is both well drained and also has the ability to hold
capillary water.
BALANCED
NUTRIENTS---- Nutrients are the source of the plant growth. They consist of mineral subsistence’s found
in the soil. Plants require a balanced
supply of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and
other trace elements. If a plant has an
overall balance of nutrients it will produce good crops. In deficient amounts, the plants will have
poor health, slow growth and crop failure.
BALANCED P H ----“Potential
Hydrogen” (ph) is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity of any substance. Purchase a test kit at your local garden
center. PH is measured on a scale from
0-14. Seven is neutral. Most garden vegetables will grow in a soil PH
of 6.0-7.0. In acidic conditions, plant
nutrients are attached tightly to the soil and cannot be absorbed by the roots. In alkaline soils the nutrients combine
through chemical bonds into substances the plants are unable to utilize.
P H SCALE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
ACIDIC- SOUR
NEUTRAL
-SWEET ALKALINE -BITTER
ASPARAGUS 6.5-7.5
BEANS 5.2-7.2
CABBAGE 5.8-7.3
CARROTS 5.8-7.3
CAULIFLOWER 6.0-7
CORN 5.2-7.2
CUCUMBERS 5.2-7.2
LETTUCE
5.8-7.5
ONIONS 5.8-7.5
PEAS 5.5 -7.5
SQUASH 5.2-
STRAWBERRIES 5.2-6.8
TOMATOE 5.5-7.5
BUILDING
BETTER SOIL
To
improve your soil first determine the ph ratio, the humus content, and
the type of soil; clay, sandy, or loam.
CLAY
SOIL-60% clay, 30% silt, 10% sand.
CLAY LOAM- 35% clay, 35% silt,
30% sand.
LOAM SOIL-10% loam, 50%
silt, 40% sand.
SANDY SOIL- greater than 50% sand.
To determine the type of soil in
your garden, fill a quart jar 1/3 full of soil.
Add water to fill the jar. Shake
the jar well and let the soil separate into layers. Good soil will contain equal parts of clay,
sand, silt or loam. This test will help
determine what to add to your existing soil.
If it is heavy clay, add sand, compost, and organic matter. Add compost, humus, and organic matter to
sandy soil to help it retain moisture.
COMPOST is beneficial to all soil types.
Compost mitigates both PH extremes.
The higher the organic matter content, the higher the soil quality. The benefits of organic matter are
biological, physical and chemical—it influences microbial populations, it
affects the stability of the soil structure, adding air to the soil, breaks up
clay, binds together sand particles, and is an important nutrient source. It improves drainage, prevents erosion,
neutralizes toxins, and creates a healthy soil for worms and fungi. Compost contains some nitrogen, phosphorus
and potassium, but is especially important for trace elements it adds to the
soil. The humic acids in compost
dissolve soil minerals and trace elements
that make them available to the plants.
Compost holds 6 times its own weight and regulates the supply of water
to be absorbed by the vegetation. Fewer
nutrients will leach out of the soil if it has adequate organic matter. There are 16
elements known to be essential to plants if they are to grow and re-produce. They are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
potassium, phosphorous, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, boron, manganese, iron,
copper, molybdenum, zinc, and chlorine.
A soil rich in organic matter supplies plants with adequate amounts of
the trace minerals. If a soil is
deficient in a mineral, only a small amount it needed to correct proper
balance. By using compost, mineral deficiencies are
practically non-existent.
HOW TO MAKE COMPOST
There are many ways to make compost,
however this is a simple method. By
weight, use 1/3 dry vegetation, 1/3 green vegetation (includes manure) and
kitchen scraps, and 1/3 soil. However if
your soil is heavy clay, use less. Also
add some finished compost to help get the pile started. Begin by piling sticks or corn cobs on the
ground, this allows air to circulate under the pile. Add items in this order, dry ingredients, green
ingredients and cover with a layer of soil.
Sprinkle every layer with water so the pile
is moist throughout. Repeat until the
desired height is achieved. Make a small
dent in the top for water. Keep the pile
evenly moist, but not excessively wet.
Let the pile heat up, when it begins to cool after several weeks, turn
the pile. If you have room, shovel the
top, lesser decomposed matter to the ground adjacent to the old pile. Continue transferring (turning) the
pile. This will bring the larger particles
into the center for better contact with the microbes that breaks down the
vegetation into humus.
Use SHEET
COMPOSTING for large areas. Place
Greens (grass, weeds, cover crops etc.) on top of soil, add a couple inches of
well rotted manure over the greens.
Cover with 4 inches of old hay, leaves, or straw. Keep evenly moist. Let break down for
several months and till into the soil. My suggestion is to apply this method to your
garden in the fall and let break down over the winter. Till into the soil before planting in the
spring.
FarmHer
JILL MAKING COMPOST using the 3 bin rotation method
Compost supplies the THREE most important
nutrients,
and important trace minerals: calcium,
magnesium, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc.
NPK= N- nitrogen P- phosphorous K- potassium
Nitrogen-
promotes healthy leaf and plant growth,
Nitrogen sources- animal manure, green cover crops, compost, cotton
seed meal, dried blood,
feathers, bone meal, fish
Nitrogen deficiency- yellowish leaves, small leaves, too much nitrogen
promotes leaf growth
without fruiting, develops tissues that are weak, weak stems, more
susceptible to frost and wind damage
Phosphorous-
promotes root growth, blooming and fruit production,
Phosphorous-
compost, rock phosphate, cotton seed meal,
dried poultry and goat manure, fish, ashes, wool waste
Phosphorous
deficiency- a red/purple discoloration of the stems, leaf veins,
and leaves
Potassium- helps plants resist disease.
Potassium- (potash)- wood ashes,
granite dust, fresh grass clippings,
dried goat & sheep manure, alfalfa, wool wastes
Potassium deficiency-
poor yield, yellow streaks or
spots in leaves, leaf edges become dry and scorched, poorly developed root
system.
MULCH
To help retain moisture, a
thick layer of mulch is spread over areas of the garden.
Apply mulch around seedlings after
they have grown several inches this prevent fungal dampening off. I usually weed between the plants, leaving
the weeds as a green, nitrogen layer before covering with straw or hay.
A picture of grass clippings from my lawn. I do not use synthetic fertilizers or chemical sprays on the lawn so I can apply the mulch in the garden directly after mowing.
Tree leaves add carbon compounds to your soil. I gather leaves in the fall and place in a big black garbage bags. Adding a little water and shaking each bag to incorporate the moisture throughout I tie them tightly closed and stack them in an out of the way place until spring. The resulting "Leaf Mold" is applied to the gardens in the spring and tilled under.
A thick layer
of mulch insulates the soil, keeping the temperature even, aiding in the growth of
plant roots. It provides food and
habitat for earthworms and burrowing insects, whose tunnels loosen and aerate
the soil. Mulch applied to soil in
spring or early summer can be tilled under in the fall, thus enriching the
garden soil. Mulch keeps vegetables
that sprawl on the ground; tomatoes, cucumbers squash, melons, from mildew or decay. Many items can be used
as a protective
mulch, hay, straw, leaves, un-sprayed grass clippings, corn husks, shredded
corn stalks, peat moss, pine needles,
sawdust, weeds, native grasses, wood chips or bark. Transplanted vegetables can be mulched soon
after the plants are set.
STARTING SEEDS INDOORS
CROP WEEKS BEFORE
SETTING OUT
ONIONS,
LEEKS 10-12
CELERY 8-10
TOMATOES
6-8
EGGPLANTS 6-8
PEPPERS 4-6
CABBAGE 4-6
CAULIFLOWER 4-6
BROCCOLI 4-6
HEAD
LETTUCE 3-4
MELONS,
SQUASH & 3-4
CUCUMBERS
The
spaghetti squash plants in the left hand, bottom corner of the photo were
purchased from a garden center and planted out two weeks before the squash
seeds were planted (back-ground). I have
found over the years that vining (cukes, melons, squash) crops do not
transplant well and that seeding crops when the soil is sufficiently warm gives
better result.
PLANTING
SEEDS INDOORS:
Gather
containers to plant your seeds in. Poke holes in the bottom of the
container. Fill with moist soil. I recommend using 1/2 purchased organic
potting soil and 1/2 of your garden dirt. Plant 2-3 seeds per pot. Place plastic wrap
over containers to help keep them moist.
Setting them in a tray and placing on your refrigerator generates heat
from the bottom for better germination.
When seed have sprouted and grown an inch, cut off the weakest sprouts,
leaving one per container. Place
seedlings in a sunny south window, turning daily to prevent legginess. When raising tomatoes or peppers, I plant a group
of seeds into a container(see photo).
When seedlings are about 3 inches tall they are transplanted into a
larger separate container and moved into the sun room to await planting.
Do
not transplant cole or vine crops before setting out in the garden. They do not transplant well so plant them in
individual containers. A good recyclable
pot is made from newspaper, paper eggs cartons, or paper toilet paper rolls.
Be
sure to harden off plants before setting them in the garden. It takes about a week. Put them outdoors in the shade for a few
hours on a mild day, and leave them longer the next day. On day 3 move them into the sunlight for half
the day, shade for the other half. Bring
them in at night. On the 5th
day leave them in the sun most of the day and leave out at night (if there is
not a threat of frost). By the next day,
leave them in the sun all day and out at night.
Don’t forget to water several times a day! It only takes a short time for the plants to
burn and dry out.
BIO-DYNAMIC GARDENING
The “True
Farm”, in bio-dynamic terms, means a farm that works as a single organism
supporting itself in all functions.
Livestock is based upon the availability of land for crops, feed, and
pasture. Their composted manures should
be of sufficient quantity to fertilize the soil, which incorporates microbes,
minerals, nutrients, and other life giving elements. The relationship of the ecosystem, the planetary
influences upon plant life, and the balance of insects above and below the soil
are the basic fundamentals of a bio-dynamic farm.
PLANTING BY THE MOON
INCREASING
LIGHT-- WAXING-- The period from a New Moon to the
Full Moon is best for planting vegetables that provide their yield above
ground.
DECREASING
LIGHT—WANING-- The period from a Full
Moon to the New Moon is best for planting vegetables that produce a root
crop.
FIRST
QUARTER—the period between a New Moon and
the Half-Full Moon is best for planting leafy vegetables and plants that
produce their seed OUTSIDE the plant.
Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, asparagus, etc.
SECOND
QUARTER--
The period between the Half-Moon and the Full Moon is best for planting
vegetables that produce seeds within the fruit.
Beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peas, peppers, melons, and tomatoes.
THIRD
QUARTER--
The period from the Full Moon to the Half-Moon is best for planting
biennials, perennials, bulbs, and root crops.
Crops that winter over and produce the following year, i.e. fruit trees. This is the best time to TRANSPLANT
vegetables since the root growth is active.
Plant seeds of onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, rhubarb, and
berries.
FORTH
QUARTER—The period from the Half-Full
Moon to the New Moon. This period is dry
and barren. Cultivate, pull weeds,
destroy pests and turn under sod.
NEVER
PLANT ON A SUNDAY, OR THE DAYS OF THE--- NEW MOON,
1ST QUARTER MOON, FULL MOON,
or 4th QUARTER MOON
CROP
ROTATION
A general rule of thumb is not to plant the same crop,
or family of crops in the same area for 3 years.
Heavy feeders, crops that use up great quantities of
nitrogen and nutrients should be followed by crops that give back to the soil;
nitrogen fixing plants, and plants with deep root systems, that bring up
nutrients from deep in the soil. Root
crops are light feeders allowing the soil to rest. Replenish the soil with manure and compost
yearly.
HEAVY FEEDERS
followed by HEAVY GIVERS followed by LIGHT
FEEDERS
followed by HEAVY
GIVERS or LIGHT FEEDERS
HEAVY
FEEDERS: HEAVY GIVERS: LIGHT FEEDERS:
Artichoke, Jerusalem Lima Beans Beets
Artichoke, regular Pole or Bush
Beans Carrots
Broccoli Peas Garlic
Brussels Sprouts Alfalfa Horseradish
Cabbage Vetch Kohlrabi
Celery Clover Leeks
Chard Onions
Collards Parsnips
Corn Potatoes
Cucumbers Radishes
Kale Rutabagas
Lettuce Salsify
Melons Turnips
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rhubarb
Summer Squash
Winter Squash
Watermelon
COVER CROPS OR GREEN MANURE
Green manure crops are cultivated with the purpose of
tilling back into the soil before they mature and go to seed. Legumes include peas, beans, alfalfa, and
clovers. These plants help fix nitrogen
in the soil by drawing it into the roots from the air and holding it in nodules
in their root systems. Their deep root growth
taps soil minerals and nutrients and brings them to the surface. Some cover crops add as much as 150 pounds of
nitrogen to garden soil per acre. That
is equivalent to 5 tons of manure. Non
legumes, mostly grasses such as rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, sudangrass and
wheat, are planted in the fall and plowed under in the spring. They prevent leaching of the soil nutrients
from winter storms and spring rain runoff.
LAMBS QUARTER (ABOVE)
is one of my favorite cover crops to use. This weed has long tap roots that draw nutrients up to the soil surface. The large root system breaks down in the soil adding humus, organic matter to the soil. The weeds grow early in the spring and are tilled under before planting crops. They are also editable, high in vitamins, especially vitamin C.
Old beans, pinto, black, etc. rotated out from your food storage make an excellent nitrogen fixing cover crop. Sow thickly and till under when the plants are about 8 to 10 inches tall.
ROTATION BASICS
The practise of crop rotation requires that vegetable
crops in the same family not be planted in the same place every year. Typically you should avoid planting in the
same spot for at least 3 years. An easy
way to rotate is to divide your garden into 4 equal quarters and
rotate plantings in a clockwise direction.
An 8 year rotation suggested by Eliot Coleman is as follows: potatoes after sweet corn; sweet corn after
cabbage; cabbage after peas; peas after tomatoes; tomatoes after beans; beans
after root crops; root crops after squashes; and squashes after potatoes.
Use animals as part of your crop rotation. Rotate animals into patches of spent vegetables in the fall. (Never into places where you
have grown members of the nightshade family). In the early spring, till manure and hay into
the soil. Wait 60 days before planting. Use
this method with rabbits, sheep, and goats. If you are
using other animal manures, let them compost for a year before using on the
gardens.
HERBS IN THE
GARDEN
MULLEIN
MULLEIN can be found growing in disturbed soil along
road sides, in vacant lots, and mountainous regions. Make a tea for cough and congestion with the
dried leaves. Steep the tiny yellow
flowers in olive oil for several weeks, strain and use for ear-aches.
COMFREY--
Make a salve from this herb that will
heal wounds. Add leaves to a good organic olive oil and let simmer for several hours.
Strain, repeat. Add enough
beeswax to make a thick creamy salve.
For more info, recipes, and uses for this herb, look under the “Comfrey” tag.
Click here for more information
ELDERBERRY-- grow
this bush for its high antioxidant activity,
to lower cholesterol,
boost the immune system, it helps cure colds, coughs, flu, viral infections,
and tonsillitis. I collect the ripe berries in the late summer, spreading
them out to dry on an old window screen. When completely dry, store in a dark glass
jar. I make a tea by combining the
berries with dried rose hips
at the first sign of a cold or flu. Elderberries contain vitamins A&B and
large amounts of vitamin C.
SAGE--“Why
should a man die when he has sage in his garden?” a saying since the middle ages. Use in cooking and as a beneficial tea. Add to home-made breads and cheese. Batter and deep fry large leaves as a tasty appetizer. Simply harvest, tie in bundles with a rubber
band, and hang to dry. When dry, store
in a cool, dark place.
DILL—Dill water is used to comfort children with colic systems, its
name
comes from the Old Norse word “dilla” which means “to lull”.
Dill
is a pungent, culinary herb. Use the
fresh leaves in salads, fish
dishes,
add dill seeds to pickles, potato dishes, stews, and bread. To
harvest
leaves cut when about 6 inches tall and feathery, bundle and
hang
or lay flat on a screen to dry. Crumble
and store in airtight
container.
To harvest seeds, bundle stems and place a paper bag
over the heads. Hang upside down until dry. Remove
seeds.
Sift in a strong breeze to remove chaff.
SEASON
EXTENDERS
and extending the seasons click here
SOIL TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS FOR VEGETABLE GERMINATION
35 degrees- spinach, lettuce, onion, parsnip
40
degrees- beet, cabbage, carrot,
cauliflower, celery, chard, garlic, parsley,
pea ,radish,
turnips
50
degrees-asparagus, corn
60
degrees-beans, cucumber, eggplant, musk
melons, pepper, pumpkin, squash, watermelon
Satisfactory Plant
Growing Temperatures
COOL SEASON CROPS
30 degrees- Asparagus.
Rhubarb
40-65
degrees- beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage, chard, collard, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, parsnips, radish,
rutabaga, sorrel, spinach, turnip
45-75
degrees-artichoke, carrot, cauliflower,
celeriac, celery, chicory, Chinese cabbage, endive Florence fennel, lettuce,
mustard, parsley, pea, potato
45-85
degrees- chicory, chives, garlic, leeks, onion, salsify, shallots
WARM
SEASON CROPS
60-90 degrees- beans, lima
beans, corn, cucumber, musk melon, new Zealand spinach, pumpkin, squash,
HOT
SEASON CROPS
65-100
degrees-eggplant, hot pepper, okra, sweet
potato, tomato, watermelon
