Gardening Tips for getting your garden started right!

Every year people do the same thing, they just throw down some chemically manufactured NPK fertilizer, insecticides etc., plant some seed and hope for the best. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein, (attributed) US (German-born) physicist (1879 1955)

Its time for a mid-course correction!

By doing a few new things this year, you can have a more healthy garden that provides more nutritious produce than you have ever grown before! Heres the list 1. Dont guess, TEST! Get your soil pH tested at the county extension office; 2. Make sure you have a good amount of organic material in your soil; and 3. Make sure you have a good supply of minerals in your soil. 4. STOP using municipal CHLORINATED water to irrigate your garden Heres the how tos

Soil pH
At the end of each years growing season the soil pH should be tested and acid/alkaline conditions corrected. However, if it was not done in the fall there are still things you can do in the spring to take care of the problems. Soil pH value is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. Soil pH directly affects nutrient availability. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 as neutral. Numbers less than 7 indicate acidity while numbers greater than 7 indicate alkalinity. Minerals that are present in the soil will not be AVAILABLE with either a high or low pH; even though they are plentiful. Microbes, which dissolve minerals to make them AVAILABLE to your plants, are deactivated by pH extremes. Plants thrive in different soil pH ranges. Azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries and conifers will do best in acid soils (pH 5.0 to 5.5). Vegetables, grasses and most ornamentals do best in slightly acidic

soils (pH 5.8 to 6.5). Soil pH values above or below these ranges may result in less vigorous growth and nutrient deficiencies. Nutrients for healthy plant growth are divided into three categories: primary, secondary and micronutrients. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are primary nutrients which are needed in fairly large quantities compared to the other plant nutrients. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) are secondary nutrients which are required by the plant in lesser quantities but are no less essential for good plant growth than the primary nutrients. Zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) are micronutrients, which are required by the plant in very small amounts. Most secondary and micronutrient deficiencies are easily corrected by keeping the soil at the optimum pH value. Look at the chart below to see the relationship between soil pH and availability of minerals.

Below is a chart showing optimum pH and TDS for many common vegetables. pH LEVEL CHART FOR VEGETABLES
Vegetable Artichoke Asparagus Bean (Common) Beets Beans Broccoli pH Level 6.5 - 7.5 6.0 - 6.8 6.0 6.0 - 6.5 6.0 - 6.5 6.0 - 6.8 PPM / TDS 860 - 1260 980 -1260 1400 -2800 1260 - 3500 1260 - 1540 1960 - 2450

Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cucumber Eggplant Endive Garlic Leek Lettuce Okra Onions Parsnip Peas Potatoes Pumpkin Radish Spinach Sweet Corn Sweet Potato Tomato Turnip Zucchini

6.5 6.5 - 7.0 6.3 6.8 - 7.0 6.5 5.6 6.0 5.8 6.0 6.5 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.0 6.5 6.0 - 6.7 6.0 6.0 -7.0 5.0 - 6.0 5.5 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.0 6.0 5.5 - 6.0 6.0 - 6.5 6.0 - 6.5 6.0

1750 - 2100 1750 - 2100 1120 - 1400 1280 - 1400 1260 - 1400 1190 - 1760 1750 - 2400 1400 - 1680 980 - 1260 980 - 1260 560 - 840 1400 - 1680 980 - 1260 980 - 1260 980 - 1260 1400 - 1750 1260 - 1680 840 - 1540 1260 - 1610 840 - 1680 1400 - 1750 1400 - 3500 1260 - 1680 1260 - 1680

FACTORS AFFECTING SOIL pH

The pH value of soil is influenced by the kinds of materials from which the soil was formed. Soils developed from basic rocks tend to have higher pH values than those formed from acid rocks. This is a consideration to be taken into account when feeding your soil with rock dust as a soil nutrient. See Hensels book BREAD FROM STONES. RAINFALL - Water leaches basic nutrients such as calcium and magnesium from the soil. They are replaced by acidic elements such as aluminum and iron. For this reason, soils formed under high rainfall conditions are more acidic than those formed under arid (dry) conditions. CHEMICAL FERTILIZER Fertilizers containing ammonium or urea speed up the development of acid. The decomposition of organic matter also contributes to soil acidity. CROPPING - Crops are removed with minerals from the soil in which they were grown. These minerals must be re-supplied after each crop. The best way to do this is with BETTER THAN ORGANIC compost to feed the microbes and earthworms; as well as replacing the minerals.

INCREASING SOIL pH
To make soils less acidic, ground agricultural limestone is frequently used. The finer the limestone, the more rapidly it becomes effective. Different soils require a different amount of lime to adjust the soil pH value. The texture of the soil, organic matter content and the plants to be grown are all factors to consider in adjusting the pH value. For example, soils low in clay, require less lime than soils high in clay to make the same pH change. SELECTING A LIMING MATERIAL Homeowners can choose from four types of ground limestone products: pulverized, granular, pelletized and hydrated. Pulverized lime is finely ground. Granular and pelletized lime are less likely to clog when spread with a fertilizer spreader over turf areas. The finer the grind of the limestone the faster it will change the soil pH value. Hydrated lime should be used with caution since it has a greater ability to neutralize soil acidity than regular limestone. TIME OF APPLICATION AND LIME PLACEMENT Lime needs should be determined by a soil test. Soil samples should be taken in the fall for the succeeding years garden. If test results indicate a need for limestone, it can be applied in the fall or winter months. Generally, for best results, limestone should be applied two to three months prior to planting to allow time for it to neutralize the acidity. The most important factor determining the effectiveness of lime is placement. Maximum contact of lime with the soil is essential. Most liming materials are only slightly soluble in water, so incorporation in the soil is a must for lime reaction. Even when properly mixed with the soil, lime will have little effect on pH if the soil is dry. Moisture is essential for the lime-soil reaction to occur. In the case of lawns, it can only be surface applied and watered into the soil. WOOD ASHES Wood ashes can be used to raise the soil pH. They contain small amounts of potassium, phosphate, boron and other elements. They are not as effective as limestone but with repeated use, they can

drastically raise the pH value of a soil, especially if the soil is sandy in texture. Ashes should not come in contact with germinating seedlings or plant roots as they may cause damage. Spread a thin layer during the winter and incorporate into the soil in the spring. Check the soil pH annually especially if you use wood ashes. Avoid using large amounts of wood ashes because excessively high pH values and subsequent nutrient deficiencies may result. Coal ashes do not have any lime value and may actually be acidic dependent on the source.

DECREASING THE SOIL pH

Many ornamental plants and some fruit plants such as blueberries require slightly to strongly acid soil. These species develop iron chlorosis when grown in soils in the alkaline range. Iron chlorosis is often confused with nitrogen deficiency because the symptoms (a definite yellowing of the leaves) are similar. Iron chlorosis can be corrected by reducing the soil pH value. Two materials commonly used for lowering the soil pH are aluminum sulfate and sulfur. These can be found at a garden supply center. Aluminum sulfate will change the soil pH instantly because the aluminum produces the acidity as soon as it dissolves in the soil. Sulfur, however, requires some time for the conversion to sulfuric acid with the aid of soil bacteria. The conversion rate of the sulfur is dependent on the fineness of the sulfur, the amount of soil moisture, soil temperature and the presence of the bacteria. Depending on these factors, the conversion rate of sulfur may be very slow and take several months if the conditions are not ideal. For this reason, most people use the aluminum sulfate. Both materials should be worked into the soil after application to be most effective. If these materials are in contact with plant leaves as when applied to a lawn, they should be washed off the leaves immediately after application or a damaging leaf burn may result. Take extreme care not to over-apply the aluminum sulfate or the sulfur.

Proper amounts of Organic materials

You can increase the amount of organic material in your soil by simply working in compost a few weeks before planting or by mixing in grass clippings leaves into your soil in the fall.

Re-mineralization of your soil

In order to prevent disease and acidification we MUST re-mineralize the topsoil to alkalize and balance the pH. Magnesium is the mineral of life and sea water and green plants have this very alkaline mineral as a base. SEA MINERALS are VITAL in preventing disease in plants, animals and humans. Sea water, plant leaf juice (Sap) and blood are almost identical except blood has Iron and plants and seawater have Magnesium which is biologically turned into iron after you eat it. To biologically test the effectiveness of this principle, apply a Sea Salt solution of 2000 TDS to part of your pasture and watch where the animals instinctively go to eat. The old adage The proof of the pudding is in the eating and animals will prove to you where the quality is by eating the sea mineral enriched grass!

So, use Sea Solids, Celtic Salt or Himalayan Salt to alkalize and re-mineralize the soil to make your soil, and YOU, healthy. INSECTS and other pathogens are actually your friends because they only eat the weak, sickly plants. They cull these weak plants so they wont reproduce; and so that you only eat healthy food. Weeds thrive on slightly acidic sick soil and they will stay away from healthy soil. Poisonous, chemical insecticides, fungicides and herbicides have a highly acidic effect. They will no longer be needed because the bugs and weeds will not be a problem when you use Sea Solids / Celtic Salt or Himalayan Salt. We should welcome the few insects that are eating only the weak plants.

SALT - SEED TEST:

Seed/grain can be tested by using an egg as a hydrometer and floating it in a solution of pure water and gray coloured, Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt. Do not use commercial white salt which has been bleached white with Chlorine. Keep adding salt and stir until the egg protrudes approximately above the water. Now pour the seed into the water and stir. Minerals are heavy and seeds with adequate minerals will sink to the bottom. Inferior seeds will float; skim them off and put them in the compost pile. Now add more pure water to dilute the salt water to 2000 TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Soak the seeds on the bottom for 24 hours and then plant them. Do not rinse the salt off. Sprinkle the saltwater on your gardens soil to feed your plants with perfectly balanced ocean minerals. Feed your gardens soil this way after every rainfall and each time the soil dries out. Experiments show that land plants will benefit from 400 cc to 1,000 cc of seawater to 1/3 cubic foot of soil. If you use dry sea solids, you can add 400 to 2400 pounds/acre once every 4-5 years. If you have heavy rainfall 400 pounds/year will give a more constant supply. You can also compost seaweed to supply complete minerals. The healthiest plants and animals in the world are in the ocean and live off of ocean minerals. NOW YOU CAN TOO! Ref. Sea Energy in Agriculture by Maynard Murray, M.D. ALL SOIL IS DEFICIENT IN MINERALS because: Rainfall leeches them away; The crops absorb minerals for food and; Chemical fertilizers are without essential minerals. ALL minerals MUST be resupplied to the soil with each crop. ONLY THEN can the sun photo-synthesize the minerals in the leaves into COMPLETE vitamins, sugars, proteins, enzymes, etc. You MUST feed the soil with a COMPLETE menu of AVAILABLE minerals, and the microbes to dissolve them to feed the plant, to feed you; IF you want health and wealth!

Chlorinated Water Kills