Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

Most people like to stipulate, speculate and observe .We learned in school and college to use our brains and be smart. So, the smart way is to THINK and SUPERVISE someone to do the DONKEY work of GARDENING for example! Not any more, with an economy that has stripped most of us from, stocks, savings, homes, cars and jobs. So, SMART“STEREOTYPES and LAWS “are no more applicable, because the one who is now going to do the DONKEY or MENIAL WORK (physical digging, pushing, pulling, weeding...etc) is: YOU KNOW WHO! It is easy to hire someone to help us set up the ORGANIC GARDEN and go! What we have to consider now is: HOW TO MAINTAIN the existing garden?

 It is more practical and economical to do this on our own .What we need is a comprehensive awareness on HOW TO! Here are some suggestions to consider if you have not much time, money, gardening experience and PATIENCE:

 I_- It is IMPORTANT TO KEEP ADDING ORGANIC MATTER!

 A major basis for organic gardening is the use of abundant quantities of organic material applied to the soil. Usually, it is in the form of animal manures, plant manures, cover crops, compost, or mixed organic fertilizer. Benefits of Adding Organic Matter 

1.Improves ability of soil to hold water.

2.Improves ability of soil to hold nutrients.

 3.Improves "buffering" capacity of soil; that is, keeps soil from "over-reacting".

 4.Supports the soil's microbiological activity (or the life of the soil).

 5.Contributes nutrients, both minor and major.

 6.Releases nutrients slowly.

 7.Acids arising from the decomposition of the organic matter help to convert insoluble natural additives such as ground rock into plant-usable forms.

 8.Helps vegetables survive stress, as from nematodes.

 9.Helps dispose of organic waste products.

 What Happens to Organic Matter Applied to the Soil or Compost Pile?

 Under suitable conditions, the organic matter is decomposed by micro-organisms such as fungi, algae, bacteria, molds, and earthworms. In the process, insoluble and unavailable (to plants) nutrients, such as nitrogen, are gradually changed into simple usable products.

 For example, nitrogen is converted from the unusable organic forms to a usable inorganic form through the process called nitrification. Thus, nitrification is the breakdown of protein (organic nitrogen) into ammonia and then nitrate. Some of the organic matter becomes part of the soil humus.

 Proper Conditions for Nitrification

 First, materials containing nitrogen must be present. There is a great variation in the amount of nitrogen the different organic materials contain. Then certain soil or compost conditions are necessary:

 1.Proper soil acidity (pH) --should be about 7.0; in acid situation below 5.5 it ceases.

 2.Proper temperature of soil -- above 50°F.

 3.Good aeration -- (does not occur with wet, soggy soil or compost).

 4.Adequate lime for use by micro-organisms and to keep the soil from being acid.

 II-IT IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT TO KEEP ON ADDING: ANIMAL COMPOSTED MANURES (Horse manure is my favorite!)

 Where animal manures are available, they are probably the best source of fertilizer and organic matter for the organic gardener. Use manure which has been aged for at least 30 days, or composted.

 Acceptable manure-like organic fertilizer (artificial manure) may be obtained through the process of composting. Simply put, compost is made by alternating layers of organic materials, such as leaves and kitchen table refuse, with manure, topsoil, lime, organic fertilizer, water, and air, in such a manner that it decomposes, combines, and yields artificial manure.

 What Organic Materials Can Be Used in the Compost Pile? Most anything organic, but most popular materials are natural materials such as straw, leaves, pine straw, grass clippings, shrub clippings, fish scraps, etc.

 Phosphorus -- Rock phosphates are natural deposits of phosphate in combination with calcium. The material as dug from the earth is very hard and yields its phosphorus very slowly. When finely ground and with impurities removed, the powdery material is only slightly soluble in water, but may be beneficial to plants in subsequent seasons following application. The reaction of phosphate rock with acids from decaying organic matter in the garden or compost tend to make the phosphorus available to garden plants. Colloidal phosphate is also available and widely used.

 Or, when applying manure or compost, mix at the rate of 2½ pounds phosphate per 25 pounds manure or compost.

 Broadcast the material over the soil surface and work into the topsoil at least three weeks before planting. Manure or other organic fertilizer should be added at this time.

 Since the materials are so slowly decomposed, side dressings are seldom beneficial.

 Potash -- Potassium is widely distributed in nature, occurring in rocks, soils, tissues of plants and animals, and water of seas and lakes.

 In gardening practice, materials such as wood ashes, tobacco stems, wool suint, seaweed, potash salts, greensand, and ground rock potash are used alone, in combinations with other materials yielding other nutrients, mixed with manure, or in compost piles.

 In general, ground rock potash at 5 pounds per 100 square feet may be broadcast over the soil surface three weeks prior to planting and spaded in. Langbeinite (Sul-Po-Mag) is used at 1 lb/100 sq ft.

 Micro-nutrients -- An advantage for using organic materials as fertilizers is that they contain many of the elements also needed by the plants in addition to N, P, and K (for example, manganese in manure).

 Besides the general amounts of micronutrients found in most organic materials, certain ones are concentrated into such naturally occurring materials as gypsum (calcium and sulfur), marl (calcium), dolomite (Calcium and magnesium), limestone (calcium), basic slag (iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium), and finely ground borosilicate.

 Lime -- Reducing the acidity of the soil is the primary purpose for using lime in the garden. However, liming materials also provide nutrients for plant use. Calcium and magnesium are the two elements most commonly provided by lime. Gypsum is used where more calcium is needed without raising the pH.

 Natural deposits of lime which are an organic gardener might use are limestone, dolomite, shell, and marl. All these forms must be finely ground to provide maximum benefit to the soil and plants. Dolomite is preferred due to its content of both calcium and magnesium. Lime to sweeten the soil should be applied only when the needs have been established by a reliable soil test. Under most Florida soil conditions, applications of 2 to 5 pounds of finely ground dolomite limestone per 100 square feet usually will be sufficient except on very acid soils.

MULCHING.. MULCHING... .....MULCHING IS SOOOO ..IMPRTANT !

 Mulch is any material, usually organic, which is placed on the soil surface around the plants. Organic materials most commonly used for mulching are leaves, grass clippings, pine straw, sawdust, and wood shavings. Synthetic materials, mostly plastic sheeting,ARE A NO NO NO NO in ORGANIC GARDENING! ! Among the benefits of a mulch are (a) conserves soil moisture, (b) conserves nutrients, (c) reduces soil erosion, (d) reduces crop loss due to nematodes, (e) reduces weed growth, (f) provides barrier between fruit and soil, thus reducing soil rot on fruit, and (g) moderates the soil temperature.

 Apply mulch before or after seeding or transplanting. Roll back the mulch with a rake in order to wet the soil beneath when irrigating, for best results.

At the end of the garden season, the mulch (except plastic) may be removed and composted, or cut into the garden soil. Most mulch is woody and should have manure or other rich organic fertilizer applied with it when cutting into the soil.

 WEED CONTROL or PREVENTION:What to subtract from the existing soil!

 The primary purpose of cultivation is to AVOID weeds. Weeds are easy to eliminate when they are small and young. Shallow cultivation and hoeing are advised in order to reduce damage to the root system. A garden mulch, such as pine straw, leaves, or other material, will help to keep weeds from growing if the mulch is thick enough to exclude light. Another way is to use a HOE in S. Florida to sweep out the weeds!

 INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL: In organic gardening the term usually used is PREVENTION rather than CONTROL through the use of the chemical pesticides and sons! So, the secret for disease control lies in the GOOD ORGANIC HOME MADE SOIL.

Find out more details about home made soil in my by previous  article on PEAK SOIL!

Happy gardening!