:hello: Are you passionate about plants? Are you vitally engaged in the process of growing plants for nutrition, medicine and beauty and the benefit of our Earth home? If so, I would like to hear from you. I am a friend of all gardens and gardeners. :wink:
Whether you are new to gardening, have loads of knowledge and experience (or want to) I am interested in the full spectrum of gardeners wiling to share their:
Experiences with gardening
Favorite plants to grow
Information on the benefits of community gardens and how to volunteer and participate
Growing methods, seasons, weather
Useful items, clothing, arts and crafts made from gourds and plant fibers, etc.
Favorite organizations, garden networks, and teachers
Garden questions, answers and tips
My personal interests in this area are plant communication, micro environments, mulching methods, plant health and nutrition, no-till gardening, permaculture, organic, biodynamic and any other pesticide-ree methods that help people, animals and the planet.
Do you have a garden question or a fantastic tip to share?
My experience: I have gardened a 30' X 60' backyard plot for 2 years (3 seasons). I am new to the area (and Bakersfield has at least 2 growing seasons per year.) The methods I have used are intuitive. I help the plants get what they want and do what they want to do. I have been largely successful, and sold my excess to the owners of a local fruit stand. I have largely used a straw mulch-pesticide free-occasional cow manure approach with hand watering.
I have grown: arugula, purslane, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, beets, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, chayote squash, green beens, black-eyed peas, okra, muskmelon, pumpkins; butternut, yellow crookneck, and zucchini squash, cucumbers, strawberries, peppermint, spearmint, lavender, sage, oregano, basil, cilantro, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, and more.
I raised a few chickens for eggs, as well, and they ate greens from the garden, adding their brand of fertilizer to the mix.
Finally, there is only one other experience I have had that comes close to that of bringing a garden space to fruition, and that is breastfeeding my 3 children. There is extreme personal satisfaction in nourishing life from your own spirit and being in the flow of nature. In all of this, I participated in the incredible flow of nature and the repercussions of that act spread out like the rings of resonance on the surface of a pond.
I'll start out with a seemingly mundane question: Since arriving in Sebastopol, I have noticed the many gopher habitats that abound. Are the rolls of wire mesh that I have seen a humane deterrant to plant destruction? I would appreciate any thoughts on this subject. My only experience in 2 years was with one gopher, who came the second year and was mostly interested in eating a few spinach and broccoli roots.
From community gardens, school gardens, church gardens, home gardens to truck gardens and more, let's talk about it all and share our knowledge with our friends and neighbors.
It is with joyful anticipation that I await your posts on any garden-related matters!
Sincerely,
Garden Goddess :heart:
nicofrog
07-28-2010, 10:39 AM
Nice posting
I have an unusual technique of till free gardening
(mulch bed) that can be virtually gopher free, would be worth considering if you have LOTS of gophers.
You need to be able to produce or acquire GOOD compost and mulch by the tons.
I make and distribute worm tea that rocks gardens!
here's a rap on worm tea
I also build raised garden beds that require no wood, or wire
Nico
"
How do worm tea's work worm-tea is microbiology Alive
Worm tea is all about microbiology and they are measured and evaluated under a microscope. Compost, worm castings, EM, and other inoculants all work and are evaluated by this means also. It is the wide diversity and numbers of that define a good tea. Please refer to our April 2006 newsletter for a discussion of why this is important to healthy soil which, in turn, creates healthy and vibrant plant life.
Worm tea suppress disease on plant material and activate and add to the biology of the soil. Perhaps the most widely used and known use of teas is to suppress/eliminate black spot and powdery mildew on roses. By spraying a worm tea on the surface of leaves, you are doing two things. First, you coat the leaf with millions if not billions of microbes all competing for a food source. Some, for instance protozoa, eat bacteria which may be eating decaying plant material. Others eat other microbes and their wastes. In the end, there are not enough resources for the harmful molds and fungi to flourish. In addition, you are also coating the leaf with a protective surface that protects the leaf cells from attack by foreign spores or airborne microbes. Finally, by inoculating the soil, microbes break down nutrients for uptake into plants thereby increasing plant health and the plant’s own disease resistance/suppression.
Wormtea is superior to simple compost teas in the diversity of microbes, the additional substances that worms create, and the reduction or lack of harmful microorganisms. Although a traditional compost pile is a great environmental aid, and its final compost is a great aid to your garden, it typically does not have the microbe species diversity and numbers of worm casts – especially our Earthworm Castings – to be an exceptional aid. (Remember, microbial species diversity and numbers are necessary for a more thorough breakdown of the organic matter in the compost.) A tea can only have the species diversity of the starting medium. The only way to circumvent low numbers in your starting compost when making a tea is to inoculate the tea itself during or at the end of the brew with catalysts, i.e. microbe packages! Worms also create substances that act as growth hormones, cell length regulators, anti-aging compounds, and more goodies that just are not available in common compost. Either the brewing or extracting method add these important aspects to teas, and this is the probable explanation of good results obtained by non-aerobic bottled tea that does not have high species diversity and numbers. Finally, compost can also contain E.coli and other human pathogens if not composted properly. In aerobic brewing and with adequate aeration maintenance, E.coli will not survive in the tea, because "there are many other organisms, which in aerobic conditions, grab food away from the E. coli, take up the space E. coli needs to grow, and consume E. coli." (2003, Dr. Elaine Ingram) (An important note here: "If you apply a source of questionable material anytime 120 days before you are going to eat those vegetables without washing them, there’s a possibility that E.coli could still be present, especially if your crop production system does not have adequate aerobic organisms to out-compete the coliforms." (2003, Dr. Elaine Ingram).""
:hello: Are you passionate about plants? Are you vitally engaged in the process of growing plants for nutrition, medicine and beauty and the benefit of our Earth home? If so, I would like to hear from you. I am a friend of all gardens and gardeners. :wink:
Whether you are new to gardening, have loads of knowledge and experience (or want to) I am interested in the full spectrum of gardeners wiling to share their:
Experiences with gardening
Favorite plants to grow
Information on the benefits of community gardens and how to volunteer and participate
Growing methods, seasons, weather
Useful items, clothing, arts and crafts made from gourds and plant fibers, etc.
Favorite organizations, garden networks, and teachers
Garden questions, answers and tips
My personal interests in this area are plant communication, micro environments, mulching methods, plant health and nutrition, no-till gardening, permaculture, organic, biodynamic and any other pesticide-ree methods that help people, animals and the planet.
Do you have a garden question or a fantastic tip to share?
My experience: I have gardened a 30' X 60' backyard plot for 2 years (3 seasons). I am new to the area (and Bakersfield has at least 2 growing seasons per year.) The methods I have used are intuitive. I help the plants get what they want and do what they want to do. I have been largely successful, and sold my excess to the owners of a local fruit stand. I have largely used a straw mulch-pesticide free-occasional cow manure approach with hand watering.
I have grown: arugula, purslane, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, beets, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, chayote squash, green beens, black-eyed peas, okra, muskmelon, pumpkins; butternut, yellow crookneck, and zucchini squash, cucumbers, strawberries, peppermint, spearmint, lavender, sage, oregano, basil, cilantro, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, and more.
I raised a few chickens for eggs, as well, and they ate greens from the garden, adding their brand of fertilizer to the mix.
Finally, there is only one other experience I have had that comes close to that of bringing a garden space to fruition, and that is breastfeeding my 3 children. There is extreme personal satisfaction in nourishing life from your own spirit and being in the flow of nature. In all of this, I participated in the incredible flow of nature and the repercussions of that act spread out like the rings of resonance on the surface of a pond.
I'll start out with a seemingly mundane question: Since arriving in Sebastopol, I have noticed the many gopher habitats that abound. Are the rolls of wire mesh that I have seen a humane deterrant to plant destruction? I would appreciate any thoughts on this subject. My only experience in 2 years was with one gopher, who came the second year and was mostly interested in eating a few spinach and broccoli roots.
From community gardens, school gardens, church gardens, home gardens to truck gardens and more, let's talk about it all and share our knowledge with our friends and neighbors.
It is with joyful anticipation that I await your posts on any garden-related matters!
Sincerely,
Garden Goddess :heart:
Garden Goddess
07-28-2010, 11:08 AM
Thank you, NicoFrog for your fantastic posting! I can't wait to try the worm tea on my next garden!
Nice posting
I have an unusual technique of till free gardening
(mulch bed) that can be virtually gopher free, would be worth considering if you have LOTS of gophers.
You need to be able to produce or acquire GOOD compost and mulch by the tons.
I make and distribute worm tea that rocks gardens!
here's a rap on worm tea
I also build raised garden beds that require no wood, or wire
Nico
"
How do worm tea's work worm-tea is microbiology Alive
Worm tea is all about microbiology and they are measured and evaluated under a microscope. Compost, worm castings, EM, and other inoculants all work and are evaluated by this means also. It is the wide diversity and numbers of that define a good tea. Please refer to our April 2006 newsletter for a discussion of why this is important to healthy soil which, in turn, creates healthy and vibrant plant life.
Worm tea suppress disease on plant material and activate and add to the biology of the soil. Perhaps the most widely used and known use of teas is to suppress/eliminate black spot and powdery mildew on roses. By spraying a worm tea on the surface of leaves, you are doing two things. First, you coat the leaf with millions if not billions of microbes all competing for a food source. Some, for instance protozoa, eat bacteria which may be eating decaying plant material. Others eat other microbes and their wastes. In the end, there are not enough resources for the harmful molds and fungi to flourish. In addition, you are also coating the leaf with a protective surface that protects the leaf cells from attack by foreign spores or airborne microbes. Finally, by inoculating the soil, microbes break down nutrients for uptake into plants thereby increasing plant health and the plant’s own disease resistance/suppression.
Wormtea is superior to simple compost teas in the diversity of microbes, the additional substances that worms create, and the reduction or lack of harmful microorganisms. Although a traditional compost pile is a great environmental aid, and its final compost is a great aid to your garden, it typically does not have the microbe species diversity and numbers of worm casts – especially our Earthworm Castings – to be an exceptional aid. (Remember, microbial species diversity and numbers are necessary for a more thorough breakdown of the organic matter in the compost.) A tea can only have the species diversity of the starting medium. The only way to circumvent low numbers in your starting compost when making a tea is to inoculate the tea itself during or at the end of the brew with catalysts, i.e. microbe packages! Worms also create substances that act as growth hormones, cell length regulators, anti-aging compounds, and more goodies that just are not available in common compost. Either the brewing or extracting method add these important aspects to teas, and this is the probable explanation of good results obtained by non-aerobic bottled tea that does not have high species diversity and numbers. Finally, compost can also contain E.coli and other human pathogens if not composted properly. In aerobic brewing and with adequate aeration maintenance, E.coli will not survive in the tea, because "there are many other organisms, which in aerobic conditions, grab food away from the E. coli, take up the space E. coli needs to grow, and consume E. coli." (2003, Dr. Elaine Ingram) (An important note here: "If you apply a source of questionable material anytime 120 days before you are going to eat those vegetables without washing them, there’s a possibility that E.coli could still be present, especially if your crop production system does not have adequate aerobic organisms to out-compete the coliforms." (2003, Dr. Elaine Ingram).""