In article ,
"Terry Coombs" wrote:
And lettuce is doing well out hrere in the woods . Well , I just got
around to planting the zucchini a week or so ago , so it hasn't sprouted . I
shoulda got some fresh spinach seed , this pack has never really done well .
Tried a new type of lettuce this year , may actually get some before it
bolts - salad greens have not been one of my strong plants . Lettuce has
come up , but is not growing as fast as I think it should , I may break down
and get some 13/13/13 as recommended by a distant neighbor . Even last
year in the drought his garden looked good .
Acidic chemferts will kill off some of the flora and fauna of your
garden ecology, and make you more dependent on chemferts in the future.
Chemferts are easily dissolved in water which allows plants to suck it
up quickly, where it is stored in the leaves.
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Omnivorešs Dilemma
by Michael Pollan
http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dile...als/dp/0143038
583/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206815576&sr=1-1
(Available at a library near you, as long as they remain open.)
p.165
Indeed, baby lettuce is one crop that may well be easier to grow
organically than conventionally: Harsh chemicals can scorch young
leaves, and nitrogen fertilizers render lettuces more vulnerable to
insects. It seems the bugs are attracted to the free nitrogen in their
leaves, and because of the more rapid growth of chemically nourished
plants, insects find their leaves easier to pierce.
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Otherwise, chemferts will run off and contribute to water pollution.
You need mulch (organic material), and maybe fish emulsion.
Manure Chicken Horse Steer Alfalfa Fish Emulsion
N 1.1 .70 .70 3 5
P .80 .30 .30 1 1
K .50 .60 .40 2 1
The organic material (OM) on the surface reduces evaporation. In the
dirt it aerates, allows for percolation of the water, and a pound of OM
will hold 4 pounds of water. This water, in conjunction with the CO2
(carbonic acid) from decomposition of organic material will extract
minerals from the rocks that your plants need.
No problems yet with critters , but then I haven't planted some of the
stuff they love to nibble , like peas . We'll see if my good fortune
continues as the plants fruit ... the squirrels are already eying the
blueberries out in the woods , and I'm sure the birds are also keeping tabs
on their state of ripeness . Blackberries are now producing fruit , and
they're loaded . I hope I don't have to argue with the bear(s) over who gets
to eat them - my kids/g-kids saw a baby bear in them a couple of years ago ,
didn't see momma but they did hear her apparently muttering about those
upstart humans thinking they could come in here and take the food from her
children's mouths .
Overall I'm very pleased with how the garden is doing , AFAIK this is the
first time this ground has ever been broken - judging from the rocks I'm
digging up ! Too bad I didn't get back to the local grocery that was selling
manure/compost before they ran out . Maybe they'll get more , if not I may
have to try somewhere else for "natural" fertilizer . Lots of commercial
chicken houses around , but the waste from them is loaded with remnants of
antibiotics etc . Plus their poo must be composted , way too hot when fresh
. Next year it'll be easier , we'll have some from our own hens by then .
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...s-contain-anti
biotics
Less than 0.1 percent of antibiotics applied to soil were absorbed into
the corn, lettuce and other plants. Though a tiny amount, health
implications for people consuming such small, cumulative doses are
largely unknown.
For highly processed plants such as corn, the drugs would most likely be
removed, added Dolliver. But many food crops such as spinach and lettuce
are not processed, only washed, allowing antibiotics to remain.
Past studies have shown overuse of antibiotics reduces their ability to
cure infections. Over time, certain antibiotics are rendered ineffective.
Gupta said all growers should be told that composting can help.
Composting decays piles of food or manure as microbes decompose organic
matter using oxygen to survive, grow and reproduce. Heating up the
material creates conditions conducive for bacteria to break down
antibiotics and pathogens.
A pilot study by USDA scientists in Maryland added straw to a beef
cattle manure pile, heating up the dense material while allowing spaces
for air to penetrate. The higher temperatures sped up the decaying
process of harmful substances.
"The process happens very rapidly, in this study it took about 10 days,"
said Millner. "This is not too surprising since antibiotics are not a
thermally stable chemical compound."
In another study, the same researchers who discovered the uptake of
antibiotics by plants tested four of these drugs to determine how
effective composting would be in reducing harmful chemicals in turkey
manure. After 25 days using a combination of natural heat generated by
microbial activity, three of the four antibiotics broke down under the
high energy conditions created, said Dolliver.
Composting reduced concentrations of some antibiotics by up to 99
percent. "These findings suggest manure management can be an important
strategy for reducing the overall impact for these compounds making
their way into the environment," said Dolliver.
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--
Remember Rachel Corrie
http://www.rachelcorrie.org/
Welcome to the New America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg