Mineral soils perform at least four functions for plants:
1. They provide anchorage for plants.
2. They store plant food (nutrients) for plant use.
3. They hold water for plants.
4. They supply aeration (oxygen) for plant use.
5. They act as temperature regulators for plants.
These five soil functions should be kept in mind when working with or selecting a soil type, or when making an artificial soil media.
Some soils perform these functions better than other soils. For example: Clay soils do well with the first three functions, but on the fourth and fifth soil functions they do poorly. Sandy soils do well in the fourth and fifth soil functions, but fail, quite severely, on the first three functions. Clay loam and sandy loam soils
perform well on all five soil functions. Peat soils do well on functions 1, 3, 4, and 5, but in function 2 they fail.
These examples show that almost all types of soil fail to perform all the functions that the ideal soil is to perform.
In traveling one quickly realizes that crops are grown on many different types of soil. The crops appear to grow equally well regardless of the type of soil. Any and all kinds of soils and soil types that perform the above-mentioned five functions will grow satisfactory crops. This includes both natural soils and artificial soils.
Thus, clay soils can be improved by increasing the drainage and loosening them up, either through proper cultivation or by incorporating organic residues.
Sandy soils can be improved by incorporating peat moss, sawdust, organic residues, green manures, etc. These materials increase the water-holding capacity of sandy soils.
Since peat soils are low in fertility, they must be supplied with the proper fertilizers which the crops require.
High summer heat has an effect on the growth of many plants. Some plants are called heat-loving plants. Other plants are called cool-loving plants. These two words are used correctly in some places, but they do not tell the whole story in other places.
Almost everyone is acquainted with nurseries that deal with plants. Nurseries are divided into many groups, such as: tree nurseries, ball and burlap, container growers, flowering plant nurseries, potted plant nurseries and florists, indoor foliage plant growers, orchid growers, azalea growers, vegetable and bedding plant growers, and still others.
The bedding plant growers will be used to illustrate that plants can be grown out-of-season. Peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet potatoes, etc. are heat-loving plants. They will freeze at 32°. But bedding plant growers (nurseries) grow these, and other heat-loving plants, during the coldest part of the winter season.
Pansies, stocks, calendulas, cabbage, lettuce, etc. are called cool-loving plants, and they are grown by the nurseries in July and August–the hottest part of the summer. Bedding plant nurseries must grow plants out-of-season to have them ready for sale, to the retail public, when the proper planting season arrives.
All will agree, at least in Southern California, that the plants that the nurseries grow out-of-season, for resale, are of the highest and finest quality. How can they do it?
It is really quite simple. They merely provide the ideal soil for the growing media, and the proper environment. In other words, for the cool-loving plants, which they grow in the hottest weather, they provide diffused sunlight, and a cool, light weight, porous soil media for the plants to grow in. For heat-loving plants they provide heated greenhouses and a lightweight, porous soil media. In both cases
the soil media is the important requisite.
In many places the soil is gray clay, red clay, brown clay, or black clay. Because of the universal shortage of organic materials, and the lack in using those that are available to improve clay soils, the heavy frequent rains pack the clay soils almost like concrete. They set up so hard that the plant roots have a very difficult task trying to penetrate the soil deeper than a few inches.
In the cooler season of the year the demands on plant roots to provide moisture and plant nutrients to the stems and leaves is much less demanding than in the heat of summer. Also, the soil temperature is more ideal for plant root growth. Other factors being favorable, vegetable crops can perform their normal functions in cool weather.
However, when the weather gets hot, both day and night, the clay soil
temperature rises. The rains are less frequent, and between rains the hard clay soil contracts and large cracks develop. These unfavorable growing conditions are usually more than many vegetable plants can cope with; thus they just do not mature the crop, if planted in the hard soil in the heat of summer.
Realizing that nurseries grow plants all through the year, many experiments have been conducted using a soil media similar to that used by nurseries–a lightweight, porous, organic and inorganic media.
The results were most impressive. Common vegetable crops were grown
successfully every month of the year, in areas where they were only grown seasonally before. The results of the experiments indicate conclusively that if plant roots can penetrate the soil with ease, to the depth that they can reach the soil temperature they prefer, then plants will grow and produce even though the temperature above the ground becomes much hotter than the soil root zone.
In other words, the root zone temperature in the soil (approximately 6" to 8"), is more the determining factor whether plants will grow in the heat of summer, than the temperature above the ground.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Preserving your Harvest
Folks, this one’s a keeper, so get out your scissors and save it in your gardening library.
With cold weather upon us, everyone should be working to save your harvest, either by storing or preserving. Canning, drying, and freezing, are good ways of preserving your crops such as beans, corn, peas, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes. They need to be done immediately after picking, while crops are fresh and tasty. Whether you cold-store or preserve your produce depends on the type of food you’ve grown, your facilities, and your family’s eating preferences.
Cold storage of vegetables such as cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, squash, and turnips can give you the best tasting and healthiest food of the four methods, and may even be the least expensive in the long run. And you can eat every one of these garden-fresh even 4 to 6 months after they’ve been harvested! However it requires some careful preparation, so let’s discuss how best to prepare for and store your fall harvest.
If your garden is very small and you don’t have much to store, you may be able to use an old refrigerator, or a barrel buried in the back yard. However, for those who are serious about providing fresh food for your families, I recommend a root cellar, either under the house or buried outside. You can set it into the side of a hill or dig a hole 4’ to 5’ deep in a corner of the yard, build the cellar, and cover it with the excess dirt. This will help insulate it and maintain the low, but not freezing temperatures you need. Provide yourself a small door and insulate it well. The drawing shows a 6’-tall 4’ X 6’ root cellar intended to be built under the crawl space in a home with no basement. This same plan will work in your yard. The wooden floor is optional, and at least half the space may be better left open to the soil beneath.
Harvest your crops at peak maturity and store only those which are free of disease or damage. Don’t harvest for storage until late fall, since more starches are converted to sugars by the cool weather. Root crops should be picked fresh and stored immediately. Potatoes and squash, on the other hand, first need to be cured at 60-75 degrees for 7 to 14 days. Most produce should be stored at just above freezing temperatures, except winter squash, which does better at or above 50 degrees.
Your root crops will stay fresh and sweet for months if you harvest them with roots intact and pack them in wet sawdust. Cabbage and other brassicas also need their roots. Remove outer leaves, then pack the roots in wet sawdust, leaving the cabbage exposed. Provide separation between crops to avoid mixing flavors, and to keep squash dry.
Potatoes should not be as wet as the root crops. They will do well in temperatures below 40 degrees, but pack them in moist, rather than wet sawdust. Peatmoss and sand, or combinations of all three, can be substituted for straight sawdust, but are not as ideal. I recommend you work with your neighbors to find a sawmill and obtain a truckload.
Onions and garlic also store well. they can handle cold temperatures but, like winter squash, they do better with humidity only 60 to 70 percent. Therefore these should be up off the damp floor, on shelves or hung from the ceiling. A cold basement can also work, but be sure to provide separation from living areas to avoid their strong smell.
Remember, cold temperatures are essential for good long-term storage of vegetables, but do not let them freeze! Insulate your root cellar well. Good healthy eating to you! More details are at www.foodforeveryone.org in the FAQ section.
With cold weather upon us, everyone should be working to save your harvest, either by storing or preserving. Canning, drying, and freezing, are good ways of preserving your crops such as beans, corn, peas, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes. They need to be done immediately after picking, while crops are fresh and tasty. Whether you cold-store or preserve your produce depends on the type of food you’ve grown, your facilities, and your family’s eating preferences.
Cold storage of vegetables such as cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, squash, and turnips can give you the best tasting and healthiest food of the four methods, and may even be the least expensive in the long run. And you can eat every one of these garden-fresh even 4 to 6 months after they’ve been harvested! However it requires some careful preparation, so let’s discuss how best to prepare for and store your fall harvest.
If your garden is very small and you don’t have much to store, you may be able to use an old refrigerator, or a barrel buried in the back yard. However, for those who are serious about providing fresh food for your families, I recommend a root cellar, either under the house or buried outside. You can set it into the side of a hill or dig a hole 4’ to 5’ deep in a corner of the yard, build the cellar, and cover it with the excess dirt. This will help insulate it and maintain the low, but not freezing temperatures you need. Provide yourself a small door and insulate it well. The drawing shows a 6’-tall 4’ X 6’ root cellar intended to be built under the crawl space in a home with no basement. This same plan will work in your yard. The wooden floor is optional, and at least half the space may be better left open to the soil beneath.
Harvest your crops at peak maturity and store only those which are free of disease or damage. Don’t harvest for storage until late fall, since more starches are converted to sugars by the cool weather. Root crops should be picked fresh and stored immediately. Potatoes and squash, on the other hand, first need to be cured at 60-75 degrees for 7 to 14 days. Most produce should be stored at just above freezing temperatures, except winter squash, which does better at or above 50 degrees.
Your root crops will stay fresh and sweet for months if you harvest them with roots intact and pack them in wet sawdust. Cabbage and other brassicas also need their roots. Remove outer leaves, then pack the roots in wet sawdust, leaving the cabbage exposed. Provide separation between crops to avoid mixing flavors, and to keep squash dry.
Potatoes should not be as wet as the root crops. They will do well in temperatures below 40 degrees, but pack them in moist, rather than wet sawdust. Peatmoss and sand, or combinations of all three, can be substituted for straight sawdust, but are not as ideal. I recommend you work with your neighbors to find a sawmill and obtain a truckload.
Onions and garlic also store well. they can handle cold temperatures but, like winter squash, they do better with humidity only 60 to 70 percent. Therefore these should be up off the damp floor, on shelves or hung from the ceiling. A cold basement can also work, but be sure to provide separation from living areas to avoid their strong smell.
Remember, cold temperatures are essential for good long-term storage of vegetables, but do not let them freeze! Insulate your root cellar well. Good healthy eating to you! More details are at www.foodforeveryone.org in the FAQ section.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Organic gardening Ammonium nitrate - Ammonium Sulfate – Or Urea?
Small things can sometimes make a big difference in gardening results. For example, AMMONIUM NITRATE (34-0-0) is much different than AMMONIUM SULFATE (21-0-0) or UREA (46-0-0) - even more than the % of nitrogen.
AMMONIUM SULFATE ((NH4)2 - SO4 - - 21-0-0-24S)
1. Supplies two vital nutrients for crop growth – nitrogen and sulfur. This can be good or bad, depending on whether or not you need the extra sulfur. Sulfur lowers pH, and if you live in a high-rainfall area you do not want that. If you receive less than 20" of rain per year however, the sulfur may help improve your high-pH soil conditions. And the sulfur is in the sulfate (with oxygen) form, which is the only form in which it is available to plants.
2. Its low-cost and ready availability in most places means you can get nitrogen wherever you are.
3. It is only 21% nitrogen, and not immediately available to plants because it must go through a chemical change. This can be good in some situations and bad in others. If your plants need an immediate shot of N you may be disappointed - especially in cold weather - because the change happens very slowly in cold weather. Conversely, in hot weather you may be happy with NH4 because the nitrogen is more stable and does not volatilize so quickly, thus providing nutrition for a longer time.
AMMONIUM NITRATE (NH4 NO3 - - 34-0-0)
1. Combines the stability of the ammonium form with the immediate availability of the nitrate form to provide immediate nitrogen - even in cold weather - with a much higher % of nitrogen than the sulfate form.
2. Usually costs more than either sulfate or urea, and is not available in many places, because of the potential use in making a powerful explosive.
3. Only provides one nutrient - nitrogen. Again, depending on your situation, this can be positive or negative. In places receiving more than 20" of annual rainfall more sulfur is often not desirable, and therefore ammonium nitrate is the better solution.
UREA ((NH2)2CO - - 46-0-0)
1. Not available to plants until several chemical changes take place - therefore the least favorable choice, especially if an immediate "fix" is needed.
2. Losses from volatilization during the chemical changes make it very important not to apply on the surface of the ground.
3. Often the least cost to purchase, and with the highest % of nitrogen it appears to be the best value, but it is usually the least desirable of the three nitrogen sources.
AMMONIUM SULFATE ((NH4)2 - SO4 - - 21-0-0-24S)
1. Supplies two vital nutrients for crop growth – nitrogen and sulfur. This can be good or bad, depending on whether or not you need the extra sulfur. Sulfur lowers pH, and if you live in a high-rainfall area you do not want that. If you receive less than 20" of rain per year however, the sulfur may help improve your high-pH soil conditions. And the sulfur is in the sulfate (with oxygen) form, which is the only form in which it is available to plants.
2. Its low-cost and ready availability in most places means you can get nitrogen wherever you are.
3. It is only 21% nitrogen, and not immediately available to plants because it must go through a chemical change. This can be good in some situations and bad in others. If your plants need an immediate shot of N you may be disappointed - especially in cold weather - because the change happens very slowly in cold weather. Conversely, in hot weather you may be happy with NH4 because the nitrogen is more stable and does not volatilize so quickly, thus providing nutrition for a longer time.
AMMONIUM NITRATE (NH4 NO3 - - 34-0-0)
1. Combines the stability of the ammonium form with the immediate availability of the nitrate form to provide immediate nitrogen - even in cold weather - with a much higher % of nitrogen than the sulfate form.
2. Usually costs more than either sulfate or urea, and is not available in many places, because of the potential use in making a powerful explosive.
3. Only provides one nutrient - nitrogen. Again, depending on your situation, this can be positive or negative. In places receiving more than 20" of annual rainfall more sulfur is often not desirable, and therefore ammonium nitrate is the better solution.
UREA ((NH2)2CO - - 46-0-0)
1. Not available to plants until several chemical changes take place - therefore the least favorable choice, especially if an immediate "fix" is needed.
2. Losses from volatilization during the chemical changes make it very important not to apply on the surface of the ground.
3. Often the least cost to purchase, and with the highest % of nitrogen it appears to be the best value, but it is usually the least desirable of the three nitrogen sources.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Preserving your Harvest
Folks, this one’s a keeper, so get out your scissors and save it in your gardening library.
With cold weather upon us, everyone should be working to save your harvest, either by storing or preserving. Canning, drying, and freezing, are good ways of preserving your crops such as beans, corn, peas, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes. They need to be done immediately after picking, while crops are fresh and tasty. Whether you cold-store or preserve your produce depends on the type of food you’ve grown, your facilities, and your family’s eating preferences.
Cold storage of vegetables such as cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, squash, and turnips can give you the best tasting and healthiest food of the four methods, and may even be the least expensive in the long run. And you can eat every one of these garden-fresh even 4 to 6 months after they’ve been harvested! However it requires some careful preparation, so let’s discuss how best to prepare for and store your fall harvest.
If your garden is very small and you don’t have much to store, you may be able to use an old refrigerator, or a barrel buried in the back yard. However, for those who are serious about providing fresh food for your families, I recommend a root cellar, either under the house or buried outside. You can set it into the side of a hill or dig a hole 4’ to 5’ deep in a corner of the yard, build the cellar, and cover it with the excess dirt. This will help insulate it and maintain the low, but not freezing temperatures you need. Provide yourself a small door and insulate it well. The drawing shows a 6’-tall 4’ X 6’ root cellar intended to be built under the crawl space in a home with no basement. This same plan will work in your yard. The wooden floor is optional, and at least half the space may be better left open to the soil beneath.
Harvest your crops at peak maturity and store only those which are free of disease or damage. Don’t harvest for storage until late fall, since more starches are converted to sugars by the cool weather. Root crops should be picked fresh and stored immediately. Potatoes and squash, on the other hand, first need to be cured at 60-75 degrees for 7 to 14 days. Most produce should be stored at just above freezing temperatures, except winter squash, which does better at or above 50 degrees.
Your root crops will stay fresh and sweet for months if you harvest them with roots intact and pack them in wet sawdust. Cabbage and other brassicas also need their roots. Remove outer leaves, then pack the roots in wet sawdust, leaving the cabbage exposed. Provide separation between crops to avoid mixing flavors, and to keep squash dry.
Potatoes should not be as wet as the root crops. They will do well in temperatures below 40 degrees, but pack them in moist, rather than wet sawdust. Peatmoss and sand, or combinations of all three, can be substituted for straight sawdust, but are not as ideal. I recommend you work with your neighbors to find a sawmill and obtain a truckload.
Onions and garlic also store well. they can handle cold temperatures but, like winter squash, they do better with humidity only 60 to 70 percent. Therefore these should be up off the damp floor, on shelves or hung from the ceiling. A cold basement can also work, but be sure to provide separation from living areas to avoid their strong smell.
Remember, cold temperatures are essential for good long-term storage of vegetables, but do not let them freeze! Insulate your root cellar well. Good healthy eating to you! More details are at www.foodforeveryone.org in the FAQ section.
With cold weather upon us, everyone should be working to save your harvest, either by storing or preserving. Canning, drying, and freezing, are good ways of preserving your crops such as beans, corn, peas, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes. They need to be done immediately after picking, while crops are fresh and tasty. Whether you cold-store or preserve your produce depends on the type of food you’ve grown, your facilities, and your family’s eating preferences.
Cold storage of vegetables such as cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, squash, and turnips can give you the best tasting and healthiest food of the four methods, and may even be the least expensive in the long run. And you can eat every one of these garden-fresh even 4 to 6 months after they’ve been harvested! However it requires some careful preparation, so let’s discuss how best to prepare for and store your fall harvest.
If your garden is very small and you don’t have much to store, you may be able to use an old refrigerator, or a barrel buried in the back yard. However, for those who are serious about providing fresh food for your families, I recommend a root cellar, either under the house or buried outside. You can set it into the side of a hill or dig a hole 4’ to 5’ deep in a corner of the yard, build the cellar, and cover it with the excess dirt. This will help insulate it and maintain the low, but not freezing temperatures you need. Provide yourself a small door and insulate it well. The drawing shows a 6’-tall 4’ X 6’ root cellar intended to be built under the crawl space in a home with no basement. This same plan will work in your yard. The wooden floor is optional, and at least half the space may be better left open to the soil beneath.
Harvest your crops at peak maturity and store only those which are free of disease or damage. Don’t harvest for storage until late fall, since more starches are converted to sugars by the cool weather. Root crops should be picked fresh and stored immediately. Potatoes and squash, on the other hand, first need to be cured at 60-75 degrees for 7 to 14 days. Most produce should be stored at just above freezing temperatures, except winter squash, which does better at or above 50 degrees.
Your root crops will stay fresh and sweet for months if you harvest them with roots intact and pack them in wet sawdust. Cabbage and other brassicas also need their roots. Remove outer leaves, then pack the roots in wet sawdust, leaving the cabbage exposed. Provide separation between crops to avoid mixing flavors, and to keep squash dry.
Potatoes should not be as wet as the root crops. They will do well in temperatures below 40 degrees, but pack them in moist, rather than wet sawdust. Peatmoss and sand, or combinations of all three, can be substituted for straight sawdust, but are not as ideal. I recommend you work with your neighbors to find a sawmill and obtain a truckload.
Onions and garlic also store well. they can handle cold temperatures but, like winter squash, they do better with humidity only 60 to 70 percent. Therefore these should be up off the damp floor, on shelves or hung from the ceiling. A cold basement can also work, but be sure to provide separation from living areas to avoid their strong smell.
Remember, cold temperatures are essential for good long-term storage of vegetables, but do not let them freeze! Insulate your root cellar well. Good healthy eating to you! More details are at www.foodforeveryone.org in the FAQ section.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Crop Rotation of Tomatoes
There are 3 major reasons for rotating crops. The first is to take advantage of the fact that different plants use slightly different amounts of the various nutrients, and some (legumes) can actually put nitrogen into the soil. Because we feed the plants a balanced diet, nutrition is not a problem in a Mittleider garden, therefore crop rotation for this purpose is not necessary.
The second reason for rotating is to break the cycle of disease that may have gotten into a certain crop. And the third is to break the cycle of insect pests that favor a certain crop.
In reality, most small home gardens are not big enough to be very effective at stopping the spread of pests or diseases, so crop rotation is often not a great solution - although still worth doing if disease or pests are present.
Other "cultural practices" of the Mittleider Method will likely assist you more than crop rotation in minimizing your losses from pests and diseases. To assure a great yield year after year, we teach you such things as:
1. maintaining a completely weed-free garden - even including wide 5-10’ borders,
2. watering only the actual growing area - leaving wide aisles dry (like a desert to bugs),
3. growing seedlings in a protected environment and transplanting stocky, robust seedlings into the garden,
4. growing your plants fast by feeding and watering them properly, and
5. harvesting the crop as soon as it matures, before the bugs and/or diseases can become entrenched.
The second reason for rotating is to break the cycle of disease that may have gotten into a certain crop. And the third is to break the cycle of insect pests that favor a certain crop.
In reality, most small home gardens are not big enough to be very effective at stopping the spread of pests or diseases, so crop rotation is often not a great solution - although still worth doing if disease or pests are present.
Other "cultural practices" of the Mittleider Method will likely assist you more than crop rotation in minimizing your losses from pests and diseases. To assure a great yield year after year, we teach you such things as:
1. maintaining a completely weed-free garden - even including wide 5-10’ borders,
2. watering only the actual growing area - leaving wide aisles dry (like a desert to bugs),
3. growing seedlings in a protected environment and transplanting stocky, robust seedlings into the garden,
4. growing your plants fast by feeding and watering them properly, and
5. harvesting the crop as soon as it matures, before the bugs and/or diseases can become entrenched.
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