Showing posts with label Organic matter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organic matter. Show all posts
Is your garden Soil or Dirt
Let us look at soil. To begin with, is it actually soil, or is it just dirt?
This makes an enormous difference.
Plants grow in soil, not dirt.
Now, dirt, is just that, dirt - a bit of ground where very little has,
or can be grown. This could be for myriad reasons. All those years ago,
did Grandad decide that where the old incinerator used to be, would be
a prime spot to put the new veggie garden? Having fires on top of it
for donkey's years will have made this dirt. Sterile at that.
However, many things may have been grown and produced since then, but
not without the assistance of copious applications of water soluble
chemical fertilizer - or heaven forbid 'superphosphate'. EEeekk!
Probably looked like something out of one of those old 1960's glossy
magazines; razor sharp edges, newly turned beds showing bare earth, not
a scrap of mulch to be seen - too messy! Strict rows of each individual
crop - no untidy mixing up of varieties.
Goodness! Things sure grew with a bit of the old 'super'! Very true,
but - chemical fertilizers make the cells of plants expand, to an
almost a critical point. In this extended state, these cells are full
of water and/or air. So, the produce you are eating, is actually false
food.
Sort of like buying a loaf of bread that's hollow.
The chemical fertilizers that appeared after world war two, were like
'jack-and-the-bean-stalk' stuff - so much less work than all that
mucking around, tilling the soil and getting dirty.
And GAD's, look at the SIZE of these things!!
Well, no one could have know any better - this was the new modern world
we were entering, where food was plentiful and cheap.
You can certainly eat this produce ( that's what is in the
supermarkets), but as for calorific content, and actual sustenance - it
is severely lacking. Part of this is due to the fact that the plant has
been 'forced', and hasn't had the opportunity to take up the nutrients
and trace elements it actually needs for normal growth.
Looks great, tastes bland.
Anyway, back to the soil. Grandad's passed on and the next gardener
decides to go organic.
The first attempted crops will probably fail - small, stunted plants
without any vitality; at the very least they are not going to look like
Grandad's did. This is because the garden is just dirt. There is no
existing organic content to be had.
Sadly, this is where many would-be organic veggie growers chuck it in,
naive to the fact that a bit of chicken manure, and a bit of mulch, are
only small elements of the whole picture. If Grandad had had some sort
of conniption, and against all common reason, had decided to 'go
organic' one season, his plants would have all failed, if not died
outright, without the contiguous application of the beloved soluble
fertilizer.
In order to have 'soil', as opposed to 'dirt', one must view the entire
garden as a living entity.
A biomass, a biological mass of living interconnected and associated
entities; whether they be macro-organisms like worms and beetles,
micro-organisms like bacteria and viruses, or fungi.
An organic garden should be evolution on a molecular scale. The mulch
and manure that were applied to one crop, including the remnants of
that crop, now partly decomposed, become the base to initiate the
evolution of the biomass.
Some bacterias, feeding on the spent plant material, will attract
organisms that feed on them and their debris, like fungi; which in turn
attracts organisms that feed on fungi, whose debris then feeds the
bacteria, again. As this molecular mass of waste, called seed compost,
builds up with the subsequent applications of mulch, manures and
plantings, other organisms are attracted also, nematodes, various
insects, worms - all of which, in their turn are consumed by some other
organism - adding to the mass.
Slowly, incrementally, the biomass builds, worms transport soil,
bacteria and trace elements around the garden; deep-rooted plants plumb
the depths for trace elements, which are then deposited higher in the
soil as that plant decomposes, making these elements now more readily
available to other plants; in turn releasing them back into biomass for
some other organism.
The greater, or more evolved the biomass in soil becomes, the greater
the number of plants that can be incorporated into the garden, and in
turn returned to the soil, continuing the cycle.
Provided that a garden is added to with organic material, during and
after each crop, and re-planted with a diversity of plants and herbs
filling any spaces (no bare soil), it will only get better over time -
like a stew.
An important rule to remember is - that which comes out of a garden,
must be replaced, in some form.
So, if you have just dug up all the potatoes, replace that crop with an
equal weight of mulch and manure. Balance is what we are trying to
achieve.
Interestingly, an organic garden never reaches critical mass. It is
never going to increase enormously in bulk, nor slowly encroach on your
house and attack you one night.
A balanced organic garden has its own highs and lows, when one organism
or element becomes too profuse, this then triggers a population
increase in whichever organism feeds on it, and so on, until balance is
re-established.
Having stated that critical mass is never reached, I should state that
rather, self perpetuation is reached instead. By this I mean that, when
a good balance is reached, the garden produces enough raw plant
material, animal manures and debris, ultimately returned to the garden,
that it perpetuates itself.
Yes, this is, initially, a lot of work, depending on your definition of
'work'. However, the rewards are many; self satisfaction, for a start;
healthy, 'real' food; exercise; a new found appreciation of the wonder
of nature, to mention a few.
So, what is your garden? Soil, or Dirt?
About the Author: Organic Gardening Magic
Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual
Compost - feed your plants as Nature really intended.
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Fertilization 101: Growing Vegetables in Your Organic Garden
When we talk of fertilization for your effective gardening of vegetables in your organic gardening, it is almost similarly attributed to mulching. But there are also other aspects such as the introduction of fertilizers that can be available naturally or commercially. Simply defined, it involves placing matter, whether organic or inorganic, around your plants.
Aside from providing fertilization, it also protects your soil. Whether your garden is subjected under heavy rains or at the risk of weed infestation, the mulches provide ample protection and strengthening needed to supplement the natural growth processes of your organic garden vegetables. Aside from this, it also regulates the temperature of the soil; it can also render aesthetic appeal to the garden because it will help improve the ground texture and overall appearance.
If you have effectively established mulches in your garden, less watering is required because it will also help the plants retain water. The plants will also experience better growth levels and moisture retention. Although known to help in weed control, it does not directly fight or ward off the weeds. It just helps as a filler for bare areas that are at higher risk of weed infestation. Also, persistent weeds can die down as it forces itself in the soil surrounded with mulch.
For the case of organic mulches, bacteria has the tendency to eat up the much-needed nitrogen, so in some cases, you might be required to inject additional dosages of nitrogen. Some examples of materials you can use for mulching include lawn clippings, compost mises, leaves, straw, sawdust, wood chips. These are examples of organic materials for mulching. If you opt for inorganic, it often has its optimum results on plants placed on a hill.
When fertilizing your soil via mulching, you may be required to be more meticulous with your organic garden. You might be required to water more frequently when you are using inorganic fabrics, and then you must also watch out for the greater tendency to wilt because the ground cover tends to be more crowded.
Testing your soil is a good way to ensure effective fertilization. you cannot afford to buy fertilizer by the bulk, only to realize that it is not the right fertilizer suited for your soil. The best way to make sure that you are able to score the best fertilizer is by means of doing an actual test on a sample of soil taken from your garden.
Once you apply fertilizer, it is often recommended to maintain it. Having a budget for high quality fertilizer is also a good must-have for a gardener, especially a beginner. There are also some fertilizers solely tailored at the beginning of the planting process and need not be maintained all throughout your gardening activities. In any rate, make sure that you are getting your money's worth and have thoroughly proven for yourself that the given fertilizer you are putting on your garden has been tried and tested on your soil type.
Even if you put fertilizers or inorganic mulches in your soil, the organic matter is still the best source of fertilization for your plant, and it adheres closely to the natural growth process of plants. If at all possible, avoid introducing too much chemical interventions in your soil so that the plants will get used to growing and maximizing its potential via natural means.
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Where to Start With Organic Gardening?
For many organic growers, farming or gardening is a passion. We feel a connection to the Earth and believe it has become a moral duty to protect her and provide for her. Aside from the apparently spiritual affiliation, it's just plain fun to be out in the sun playing in the dirt and watching things grow - something I never dreamed I would be doing until my wife Pamela introduced me to organic gardening as a way to help feed our menagerie of exotic pets and help distract me from my hectic business life.
Those who take up organic gardening often have no idea to where to buy supplies, for example. They don't know what products they need for soil nourishment or pest control. They may not know how much water to supply, or how to go about composting kitchen scraps for their gardens. They need more than a few organic garden tips and ideas. Many will need hand-helding through their first steps in organic gardening.
Imagine growing a beautiful garden or orchids,, or other plants and be the envy of all your neighbours out there :)
Here are a few tips just to get you started in the right direction with organic gardening:
- Firstly, you need to choose what you will grow and decide how much you will need to plant based on your needs or goals in sales. Without knowing what you want to put in your soil, you can't start organic gardening.
- Second, you need to keep the soil healthy. Healthy soil produces healthy plants. Healthy plants, like healthy humans, are better able to withstand disease.
- Use ladybugs. Yes, ladybugs (or ladybirds as they are also called). These beautiful little red insects with shiny black spots control aphids naturally and totally. You can order them from several organic garden places on the Internet. Until they arrive, spray every part of aphid-infested plants with well diluted soapy water and then rinse with clear water.
- You will also need to know how to make compost. Make compost the lazy way, by layering leaves, lawn clippings, and kitchen waste. Then simply leave it until it's ready. Nature's recyclers will take organic matter no matter how it is presented and turn it into rich, nice dark compost.
These were just a few tips that took from Organic Gardening, my "bible" for organic gardening.
An avid organic gardener Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Gallik |  |
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Sustainable Organic Vegetable Gardening With Organic Matter
Sustainable organic vegetable gardening can only happen if people know how to use and prepare organic matter.
This is because it improves the soil and prevents it from compacting and crusting. It increases the water’s holding ability so earthworms and other microorganisms can aerate the soil and it slows down erosion and in later stages of decay so that organic matter is able to release nitrogen and other nutrients which help the crops grow.
Such a technique is old but is now making a come back because the conventional method of using synthetic materials like fertilizer and pesticides have ruined the soil and depleted it or organic matter so this cannot be used for replanting.
So where do we get this organic matter? Believe it or not, the best form of organic matter comes from animal manure. The fresher the better because you can apply this directly to the soil but this should only be done in the fall and plowed down to give it adequate time for sufficient breakdown and ammonia to release before the planting season begins.
If you don’t have access to fresh animal manure, you can use the dried version that is being sold in nurseries and garden stores.
For those who don’t to use manure, you can use compost instead. This can be made from lawn clippings, leaves, food waste and other plant materials. It is cheap but its nutrient content is very low.
There is another kind of manure better known as green manure You don’t use any waste by animals here but rather growing a cover crop in your garden and then plowing it under so you are adding organic matter to the soil. The best way to maximize this is for you not to use the garden for one season.
You can also seed the green manure in the fall and then turn it under with a plow or a large tiller in the early spring. That way, you can use your garden normally while at the same time building up the soil.
Annual ryegrass is a good example for green manuring and covering. THIs should be seeded 1 to 2 feet per 1,000 square feet. If this is not available, you can use seed rye or wheat and place it 3 to 4 feet per 1,000 square feet. This helps prevent weeds from growing and in order for this to be effective, wait at least 2 weeks before you start planting.
Sewage sludge is also a good source of organic matter. There are two types namely digested sludge and dried activated sludge.
The first is relatively low quality. It contains from 1 to 3 percent of nitrogen and should only be applied during the fall. But you should be careful when you use it because it sometimes contain metal ions that are not good to use on vegetable gardens.
The second which is the dried activated sludge has been separated from coarse solids, inoculated with microorganisms and aerated. This is better than the other one because it is filtered, dried in kilns and screened. It contains 5 to 6 percent of nitrogen and 5 to 7 pounds can cover an area of 100 square feet.
Take note that these two types are different from raw sewage. That being said, never use that to garden any soil.
Sustainable organic vegetable gardening can only happen with organic matter. Now that you know this, choose from manure, compost or sludge.
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Helping Nature through Organic Gardening
This will take a lot of hard work. So you better be prepared for it. Once you are already into the process, take time to familiarize yourself. Do not give up just because of a minor problem. Just think of it like nature is testing you how big your love for it is. So prove it worth your tears and fears regarding this type of gardening.
What makes this hard? Unlike the ordinary kind of gardening, going organic will remove from you the freedom to use just about anything that is commercially available as long as it will help you with your venture. No way. You cannot use synthetic materials on this one. Everything must be organic. It must come from nature itself. You must have done it using elements that can be found on the ground. Or you can also buy those available in the market as long as they claim to be organic.
By going organic, you'll be able to help nature replenish its resources. Yes, you get from it all the materials that you will be needing for this task. You will get the dried leaves, the sawdust, some vegetable peels and other materials from the ground. This is also your way of cleaning your surroundings. But such materials can be used as elements in compost.
You can actually do your own compost by going over some books on how this can be done. You can also turn to someone who is successful with this type of gardening and ask that person for tips and tricks. You can use the result of that compost as fertilizers on your garden.
Finding a guru may serve a lot of purpose as you go along in this type of gardening. It doesn't matter if you will just be doing so as a hobby or you will turn it into a business. So start asking around and look for that person who can further mentor you in the trade of doing the stuff that surrounds such method of gardening.
By having the aid of an expert, especially if you are only beginning on this task, you will be better at helping nature. You will know what type of plants you can grow in what type of soil. You will have a clearer view as to how the elements of the ground can contribute to the success of your project. You will know what to do in cases of trouble with regards to the growth of your plants or the emergence of pests on your garden.
Nature will really love you for the way you will only utilize organic materials for the purpose of growing green things on your garden. And you will benefit a lot in the process of organic gardening. You will be able to become a guru of this type of task. You will be able to produce organic sources of food.
And you can also turn this into a business venture once you have mastered the art and you are already harvesting more than enough.
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Watering of Your Vegetable Organic Garden
With vegetables, you cannot afford to go wrong since this will provide nourishment to both animals and humans alike. Water also acts a supplementary source aside from rainfall.
An irrigation system is necessary to provide the required amount of water in your garden. The natural sources of water, namely, precipitation and underground water systems, are not often sufficient for the plants. Most of the time, human intervention is required to ensure that the plants will reach their maximum potential. The frequency of your watering is proportional to the average amount of rainfall that falls on the area under which your garden lies.
The type of soil also affects the quality of plants' water retention. The soils made of clay are usually lauded for its excellent ability to hold water in, but sometimes it goes overboard, so caution is required. Sandy sieves require more assistance as they tend to slide off the water being placed on it. The addition of organic matter such as a composting mix also helps improve the ability to hold water.
There are also other external factors affecting the nature of watering in your garden. During cold weather, the plants can easily drown in water and wilt. On the other hand, the plants require more water when there is a surplus of sunlight or humidity levels. The factors of wind and air movement can also move the water from the plants. Also, the type of plant can affect the capacity to hold water. More mature plants may find it more difficult to retain water than the younger counterparts.
When watering the plants, make sure that you are able to soak the soil thoroughly before doing anything else. Another thing to consider is observing the plants at different times of day. Usually, plants look more wilted at night time, but this is natural and won't usually require excessive watering. The balance is usually obtained the following day. But if you see the plant wilted during daytime, it is best to soak it with water to avoid it from wilting completely.
Often, vegetables picked from well-watered plants last longer than their less watered counterparts. Unless you are growing a cactus, water need not be used sparingly. There are various ways to water your plants: by a sprinkler that is manually controlled or automated, by hose or other means. Often, the sprinkler is the most famous form of watering tool. Proper scheduling of the frequency of your water sprinklers' operations will also ensure that your plants will be consistently watered at different times of day.
It is also recommended that uniform distribution of water be maintained in order to ensure that all the plants in your vegetables' organic garden are well-cared for. Despite the need for frequent watering, also bear in mind that there is also a need to conserve water, so make sure that there are no leaks whatsoever beyond what your organic garden needs.
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