Organic Gardening Tips Part one (section one) Back To Basics Few people get the opportunity to choose the site or soil for their gardens and most people have to make the best of what they have as gardens, many gardens are on old sites which may be exhausted and pest ridden. Some gardens are likely to be polluted and out of balance, especially if many chemicals have been used, on the flip side, abandoned or derelict sites full of rampant weeds will “believe it or not” most probably have very good soil. Getting To Know Your Soil Most soils will produce flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit and veg’ without much improvement, but they will need even more attention if you are wanting to grow fruit and veg or herbs and spices, Problem soils tend to be common to a particular locality and it’s a good idea to “check-out” your neighbours gardens and how they cope. Almost all soils can easily be improved, but it may be worth putting on an extra layer of top soil (if the soil is poor or polluted). Most types of soil need the same basic treatment to improve them, that is; the addition of copious quantities of organic materials, anything else is almost inconsequential by comparison. However… although most soils can be improved and then made acceptable for a wider range of plants, there is a difference between improvement and change. It is hard to change the basic soil type which determines what you can grow well and it will make things easier if you accept what you have rather than trying to modify it dramatically for example; it is easier to grow Fuchsias, Cotoneasters and other lime-loving plants in a lime soil rather than using lime soil to grow acid plants such as; Rhododendrons. Acidity and Alkalinity It is worth carrying out a test on the soil, this is known as a PH test, but do not use a cheap PH test meter which could be in accurate. Simple chemical test kits with an accurate colour chart are available in most garden centre shops. The basic PH may vary at ground level and further down if the soil layers have built up a rich surface mould/mulch, so take various sample from various areas in the site from a typical worked soil. The PH may change as the soil is enriched, particularly as more organic material is added and this tends to make soils more-acidy. Adding lime (garden lime) to the soil every few years will be beneficial in most gardens especially for grassed areas (lawns) and vegetable plots. It is ideal to check if lime is needed, as over liming can and will cause its own problems, lime can take form of chalk or even better dolomitic lime which contains; magnesium and other nutrients, best of all is calcified seaweed which contains all the trace elements as well as lime, even then, it may be slow acting but it does show results. Never mix lime with manure or compost, must be applied just before “it starts raining” by raking into soil grass or via a watering can for potted plants, late winter is generally the best time to apply lime in this manner. In a vegetable rotation it is probably best to be applied to peas or brassicas, but not before potatoes. If on the other hand, your soil has a lot of chalk, it might be lacking in other-trace elements, to improve the soil you will need to use “raised-beds” and dig in plenty of manure/compost. Adding/Applying Improvers Various materials are offered as soil conditioners/improvers, some flocculating agents based on lime or gypsum do help clay soils to become/form lighter textures, most soils will benefit more from extra organic materials, though sharp sand and grit will also help loosen up a heavy soil. Analysis of Soil Analysis of soil for most gardens would be unnecessary and you would get better value from seaweed plant feed/meal. It is hard to get accurate readings from “patchy-soils” in gardens which can contain detritus, if your aim is to incorporate some broad-spectrum organic fertilizer and as much organic material as possible, most soils will balance-out themselves. A more useful way/guide is to look at the plants that are growing well, for example, if the garden next-door is flourishing full of Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Heathers growing, grow these plants too, because the soil is very suitable. Whatever the analysis says, good gardeners grow what does well instead of planting unsuitable plants to grow in the wrong places. Soil Types All soils contain the same materials; stones, silt, sand, clays and organic matter varying in proportions, What affects plants most is not the nutrient levels of the soil, but its physical texture; Aeration and Moisture retention, all soils (except peaty soil) will be improved by adding more organic materials, especially when it is combined with a mulch (wood chip/leaf mulch). Adding/applying organic materials contributes directly to the nutrient levels and helps to increase another component of healthy soils; Micro-organisms (mainly fungi), Bacteria and other Microbes, these help break down organic materials to release further nutrients, these resources are then made available to the plants. In most soils, there is a sufficient amount of almost every element to last for a millennium (that’s a good few years!!) of heavy cropping, if micro-organisms have the materials to live and thrive, worms are probably the most very important of creatures in the garden in helping with the conditioning of the soil. Air and Water First of all Micro-organisms need water, the most important factor or encouraging all life, Air is the next most important component, these are the two most important component factors that helps sustain all living things. Almost all micro life and plant roots need oxygen and give off carbon dioxide, a lot of the carbon dioxide is reabsorbed into/by the soil, so, fresh air is needed to restore the oxygen content, organic particle help to keep soils open and to allow aeration. Soil Composition The composition of soil varies with depth, only the top few centimetres (maybe an inch or so) throb with life, this top layer constitutes the most productive part of the soil. To keep it at its best is by regularly adding an organic mulch to keep the soil warm, fed and moist at depths of more than 30cm (12in/1ft), in the sub soil only worms and plant roots live. The working depth of “living-soil” is most efficiently maintained by their action alone, it is rarely practical to dig to their depths. Digging may-well be necessary at some stage, but it disrupts the soil layers and you should never bring up sterile sub-soil. Encouraging Worms Worms are vital; their casts gave a granular texture which promotes root growth and their burrows act as aeration and drainage channels. The digestive process of worms reduces mineral particles in size, making them more accessible to the micro-organisms. Encourage worms by keeping the soil moist and covered with mulch, feed bare soil and mulched areas with grass clippings every month or so as worms need “greens” as well as organic material such as; compost or well-rotted manure, ground seaweed, blood fish and bone meal and hoof and horn meal will also feed them (rotary cultivating the soil will kill worms this is not good)..) Soils, The Difference in Texture Heavy Clay, Advantages; Rich soil, rarely suffers from mineral deficiencies, resists drought well, good for fixed-bed gardening, excellent for cauliflowers. Disadvantages; Hard to dig, sticks to everything, sets almost solid in hot weather, drains poorly, pools with water in rain, encourages slugs. Treatment; Never allow to compact while wet, add coarse organic material and sharp sand or grit, will benefit from liming. Light, Sandy Soil, Advantages; Easy to dig, washes off of tools and boots easily, never pools with water, warms earlier in the day, excellent for carrots and turnips if not to stony. Disadvantages; Losses humus quickly, nutrients wash out very easily and dries out badly. Treatment; Add plenty of organic materials, rock dusts (especially ground rock potash) and organic fertilizers. Silt, Advantages; fairly easy to dig and god for most crops if well nourished. Disadvantages; does not retain water, tends to splash ad caps badly n wet weather. Treatment; Add ground rock dusts. Peat, Advantages; High in organic material, excellent for salad cops and soft fruits, suits calcifuge plants ie; azaleas and some heathers. Disadvantages; sometimes short of nutrients, dries out easily, un/non stable enough for large trees, good soil for weeds. Treatment; Add lime to broaden range of plants that can be grown. Loam, Advantages; Produced when old meadow or grass sward is dug up, best… because it encourages production of fine root hairs. Disadvantages; Hard to find, possession encourages complacency. Treatment; Will need organic materials added each year to maintain its fertility. Wet Soil, Advantages; Although not suited to most crops, it can be used to make some superb ornamental/marsh-land gardens, ideal for blue-berries and cranberries. Disadvantages; Tends to be sour or acidy. Treatment; Add large amounts of organic materials to improve drainage and water dispersion, add more lime if necessary, drain if low-lying. Lime or Chalky Soil Advantages; Good for brassicas if also rich and moist, good for many trees, figs and grapes. Disadvantages; Causes chlorosis in cauliflower plants by locking up iron and other nutrients. Treatment; Add organic materials and mulch plants for best results. Stony Soil Advantages; Tends to be free draining, best for permanent planting rather than annual and vegetables such as carrots. Disadvantages; Difficult to “hoe” and cultivate Treatment; Add a thin layer of sharp sand (maybe mixed with some top-soil) to create a workable tilth (top layer of soil). Drainage and Digging The aim of organic gardening is to give the plants the best conditions possible and to prevent them from coming under stress. Protection is needed from extremes of heat and cold and most importantly water stress which is most effectively achieved by increasing the organic matter and thus the humus content of the soil, which acts like a sponge, retaining moisture. Remember; too much water can be as bad as too little water, so take care to get the balance right. Many gardens are run very well without needing or ever being dug. Drainage Water logging kills the plants by driving out air from the soil, it is more of a problem on and in heavy soils, because the finer particle hold much more water than the coarse grains of sand or silt, it may be necessary to install a drainage system in the worst cases, but often breaking up compact soil encourages earth worms, and with lime and mulches, applying organic material and using raised bed will help absorb the water rather than just allowing it to drain away. If drainage is needed, ditches may work, or you might need to lay herring-bones of drainage pipes leading to a soak away. Clay soils retain more water than sandy, chalky or stony soils, which all need much more watering in dry regions. It is the humus part of the soil that soaks up water, and so the higher the organic content, the more water can be retained. Keep the soil moist, hoe the surface or mulch and trap evaporation with layer upon layer of plants. To Dig or Not To Dig Weather to dig or not to dig, there has been a lot of controversy/debate between gardeners over no dig or digging method (to dig or not to dig??? That is the question!!!), both sides are right as well as wrong. The greater part of most gardens is no dig anyway (such as lawns) and it is only the vegetable plot that gets dug regularly. Certainly (for sure), digging a new plot is a good idea, if only, it’s unearthing and removing rubbish and roots, but as an annual event, it seems to be unproductive. The effort would be better spent turning the compost heap or weeding, as to increase the yield from digging is less than that from one good watering at the right time for most crops. Digging annually breaks up the natural soil-layers, the network of earth-worms tunnels and decaying root systems. It aerates the soil, causing excessive humus break down with a short term increase in fertility, which will leach out if the digging precedes the crop by a long time. The need to produce a good seed-bed does not justify digging unless the soil has been badly compacted, mulching and surface cultivation will make just as good a tilth. However, most soils show an improvement by being given “a good dig through” once every 5-10 years (approximately), if nothing else, this does destroy mole runs and ants nests (possibly rat and mice nests as well). No dig methods mostly include; permanent paths/drives and fixed or raised beds so that the soil is not compacted by traffic .At some stage most of us want to make a new bed were there’s a space. The most important aspect is to remove all of the established weeds. Before embarking on the task it is a good idea to check that there are no pipes or wires under the ground and remember to dig carefully as utilities are not that deep or may not be buried that deep. Without a doubt, the easiest way to start a new bed is to put down the whole area down close to cut grass, for the first year or two and to cut the bed out of the sward (lawn/grass). It helps to be patient and plan ahead. Digging Do’s and Don’ts Do; Pace yourself, break each lump of soil, mix in well-rotted manure as you go, dig heavy soils in autumn weather when the soils drier, leave lighter soil until late winter so that nutrients don’t leach out. Don’ts; Work too long, dig sodden (wet) soil, try to move too large a spit (spade-load). Soil Fertility You get better results with almost any plant from a deep rich, moist soil full of organic material, so every effort should be made to improve the soil before planting, needless to say, it will be much more difficult later on. All poor sites will need building up with copious amounts (quite a lot) of organic material before you can think about “planting-up”. Maintaining Soil Fertility In general, if you regularly feed your soil with well-rotted manure and compost, it will remain fertile. In addition, the rotation of crops on the vegetable plot, leaves, roots and leaf residue, and this will be increased I green manures are grown between crops and then hoed and/or dug in. Regular feeding of the plants as such does not take place in an organic system, but the soil is fed with plant residues as well as compost or/and manure mixed in whenever a heavy feeder or perennial is planted. Mulches of organic materials break down and are soon incorporated. Rock dusts especially potash can be added with its benefits at any time but take’s several seasons to act. Ground rock dusts produce additional raw materials of most needed elements in finer distributed form and benefits most soils (especially lighter soils). For poor soils in the first few years, some supplementary feeding may be carried out with organic fertilizers of a fast acting nature. These are crutches and should be discarded as the soil becomes enriched, far more important, for fertility is ensuring that the life in the soil is active, mulching and keeping the soil moist helps most. Peat Peat is partly decomposed plant material that accumulates in bogs at a very slow rate, so it is theoretically a sustainable resource, but it is extracted on a huge industrial scale from irreplaceable sites of scientific and wildlife significance. Environmentally concerned gardeners will avoid using peat extracted from bogs, though that from reservoir bottoms may be acceptable, in any case, peat makes a poor mulch as its too fine, much better alternatives are composted manures or bark, mushroom, cocoa and coir wastes. Peat also has very little fertility value and it’s really best for specialist potting composts especially for ericaceous (effectively meaning peat-loving/acidy-soil loving) plants. In most other potting composts, peat is not as desirable as leaf mould or good loam. Soil-less loam-free composts are popular as they are light and easy to use but the peat they contain most likely from a non-renewable source. There’s now-loads of good alternative-growing mediums, including those based on coir, bark, crop residues and even in some places composted council waste. Peat-Free Sowing and Potting Ingredients Coir; Advantages; widely available, effective and free from weed seeds. Disadvantages; easy to water badly. Composted Bark; Advantages; effective, free from weed seeds and good ecologically. Disadvantages; easy to water badly. Composted Crop Waste; Advantages; As Above. Disadvantages; As Above with Potential residues. Leaf mould; Advantages; Superb, roots love it as well as the worms. Disadvantages; not free from weed seeds and hard to get good quality in quantity. Loam, (rotted down grass/turf); Advantages; Effective, heavy and roots love it. Disadvantages; Not free from weed seeds and it’s hard to obtain in fully good quality. Sieved Garden Compost; Advantages; Heavy, effective and rich in nutrients. Disadvantages; Full of weed-seeds. Well-Rotted Manure; Advantages; Available in quantity, effective and rich in nutrients. Disadvantages; Not free from/of disease or weed-seeds, easy to water badly with potential residues. Composted Municipal Waste (Council waste); Advantages; Effective, available in quantity with some nutrients. Disadvantages; Potentially full of residues. Sharp Sand and Grit; Advantages; Widely available, cheap and very good for drainage. Disadvantages; No nutrient or water holding value and needs to be mixed in to/with other forms of compost/manure. (All the information on organic gardening tips and methods within this documentation is proved and tested by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and can be found in most if not all RHS gardening manuals/books as well as garden centres)
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 07:45:43 +0000
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