Response to a March Email
Before we get started I received an e-mail from one of my most frequent customers concerning the March Newsletter. At first I thought that he was going to complain about my forgetting to post the Newsletter on the 1st.
His comment however was that he thought that this was the best edition so far. I asked him if it was because of the guest writers and he said that it was actually my article that he liked the best, but he wrote:
Hold on a second while I climb onto the soapbox.
The chemical fertilizer industry operates in the same method as the nicotine (tobacco's) and caffeine (diet pills, sodas, coffee, etc.) industries. I doubt any of these sectors are unaware of the long-term damage their products are responsible for. They have an addictive product that a customer will not quit using even after the consequences get ugly. This is that moneymaking "Holy Grail" to have a product that the manufacturer does not have to work to sell once a customer that has developed a habit. This is perhaps clever business, but I think it is lower than a lawyer's belly in a wagon wheel rut.
On the other hand, I admire your sympathetic nature when dealing with the dolts that don't seem to be capable of understanding the reasoning behind organics. I'm sure you too have explained to someone all the benefits of the organics and the pitfalls of using synthetic chemicals. That person nods the head understandingly, and then runs off to bag the lawn clippings/leaves, spread the "weed & feed" and spray the nastiest chemical on everything (just in case). Why? "Cause I tried organics for a few weeks and a weed came up in my yard…" Dang it! Gimme a rocket launcher!
You're much nicer than I am. I was deeply disturbed when, at the NARI show, I noticed a few people roll their eyes back, sneer and then walk off during Malcolm Beck's presentation. Like my pappy used to say—You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her learn.
Okay, I'm off the soapbox. I promise not to preach to you anymore.
Things to Do in April
Spring is finally here! What a beautiful time of the year with roses, spireas, forsythias and all the other spring flowering plants reaching their peak of beauty. Woops! With the warm winter, Spring has almost passed us by this year. Most plants have bloomed earlier then usual due to our warm winter, and weeds have shot up everywhere. Oh well! Now we have more chores to do all at one time so lets get busy.
Watering: The meteorologist have said that La Nina is going to bring us a lot of rain, they have been wrong so far, but I bet things change in late April and May. I have found that the little rain we have received in Dallas has not been enough to water the plants properly. Make sure your plants get at least one inch of water a week during this important time of re-growth. As always I must stress that you take time to check the foundation of your house and plants under the eaves of the house, make sure that they are getting sufficient moisture. This may be a good time to add lava sand and mulch to help cut down on water in the late summer.
Lawn Care: I am going to try something new this year. I was reading an article off of the Internet that suggest a constant feeding of the lawn and gardens. They recommend cutting down on the manufacturers recommended pounds per 1000 square feet of fertilizer per quarter. Instead apply half of that once every month or two ensuring a even diet to the lawn. For example with the Green Sense All Purpose Fertilizers we recommend 20 pounds per thousand square feet every three to four months. So, I am going to apply 10 pounds per thousand square feet every month. After each application I am also going to apply microbes to help digest the fertilizer and increase the organic matter in the soil. This will improve water and nutrient availability. These mighty microbes help aerate the soil as they advance underground.
I spent an hour last week pulling weeds, I made sure that I started with the weeds that had buds and flowers on them. As mentioned in last months (late) newsletter, one flower from a typical weed can produce a thousand seeds. Mow, hoe, hack, kick, stomp or whatever it takes to make sure that the weeds do not flower. 20% Vinegar works as a contact killer, but is best applied on a warm or better yet hot day.
Keep a diary where you keep your garden supplies. Measure the different areas of the lawn for exact square footage. Every time you apply an organic product write down. The date and amount applied. Check back a week later and look for changes caused by the product you applied. For example, if you notice that the leaves on your Savannah Hollies are yellow and you apply Sul-Po-Mag see how long it takes the leaves to green up after the application.
Aeration: A lot of people suggest aerating now, I do not. April and may are our months of heaviest rainfall. So, a customer calls in April and ask us to aerate their lawn, we do so, we collect $75.00, it rains, the holes collapse due to the three inches of rainfall that we had in a three to four hour period. "Woops!" we say. "&%$@#*^," says the customer.
Another customer calls in June, we aerate leaving thousands of holes throughout the lawn, we get some rain that accumulate in the holes or he waters once a week and this water also falls in the holes where it slowly leeches out. Saving us money and actually aerating the soil for a longer period of time. Hmmmmmmm?
By the way, for the last three years I have aerated my lawn in June or July.
Vegetables and Herbs: It's time to get the vegetable in your garden. In Dallas we can now plant tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, strawberries and peppers. Almost all herbs can be planted, now culinary and medicinal. We have over 100 varieties in stock. Make sure that you apply soft rock phosphate at the time of planting, this product will help the roots grow faster. Once the plant starts to grow they will have stronger stems, more blooms and great fruit. The herbs will have more minerals and be able to recuperate from our constant leaf removal as we pick them for different reasons. Add pine straw or other mulching materials to help regulate soil moisture.
Bulbs: Now is a great time to buy caladium bulbs, but do not plant them until night temperatures are in the 60’s. If planted to soon the bulbs will rot. There will be a shortage of caladium bulbs this year due to last years drought. It may be a good reason to consider shade tolerant perennials.
Repeat Winter bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, and other spring flowering bulbs should not be cut down to the ground until they die naturally. The leaves are necessary to produce strong bulbs capable of repeat flowering.
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials: Rohde’s is finally becoming popular with native plant enthusiast. After four years of suggesting native plants over your typical ornamental shrubs last years drought seems to have wakened people up. We have had a high increase in sales of Texas Native Plants. With help from The Garland Chapter of The Native Plant Society of Texas many of our customers are becoming more familiar with the tough and beautiful natives. This is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and other plants. We have over 200 varieties of perennials in stock, over 100 varieties of Native Plants and Trees and a very large selection od well adapted ornamentals like hollies, mahonias, nandinas and other plants that have proven to do exceptionally well in Dallas. Birds consume hundreds of insects each day. Encourage them to take up residence near your home by providing plants that can be used for food and protection. Do not forget to add a water source for them. A bird bath or a shallow pond will be a great addition to your landscape and will help attract birds to your garden.
Pruning and Tree Care: No more pruning of Live Oaks and Red Oaks. Even though A&M says that it is safe to trim in July and August, I will not trim these trees again until next winter. I had the great fortune of spending a weekend with the arborist from Lambert’s Landscape company in Dallas, Mr. Tyson Woods and Sam Hill were kind enough to put up with all my questions throughout the weekend. They warned me of the possibility of many trees dying this summer due to last years drought. Take precaution and treat your trees with extra care this spring. Aerate under the trees, add compost, lava sand and rock phosphate. Then apply the microbes to help digest and loosen the soil. Do not prune azaleas, spireas, hawthorns or other spring flowering plants until after they have bloomed out. Then add compost and or fertilizer. Remember that cottonseed meal has 6% nitrogen and is a good fertilizer for Roses and Azaleas. After the roses have finished blooming remove dead stocks.
Organic Gardening: Building Good Soil Is the Foundation of a Healthy Garden
by Donald W. Trotter Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences, LLC
Hello again fellow Earthlings, and welcome to spring!. Yes we're about to embark on another voyage into the undersoil world of Jacques Curly-eau. This week's adventure takes us into the mysterious realm of organic gardening in the flush of spring.. We will be looking at the soils to cultivate and make observations of the peculiar behaviors of the creatures known as Organic Gardeners...
O.K. I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist it any longer. I have been itching to do that for months, and now that the itch is scratched we can discuss this month's topic.
One of the most often discussed gardening subjects among organic gardeners is the quality of the soils we are stuck with. Our soils are pretty funky in some areas of the county and particularly in areas where houses have been constructed on cut or filled soils that have been mechanically worked and transported for various development purposes.
These soils are not suited to sustain healthy plant growth for several reasons; one being the last time these soils saw the light of day dinosaurs probably roamed the earth. These soils are also mechanically compacted for purposes of stability, making them a little on the slow side when it comes to drainage and percolation of water. So it is the new homeowner (you) who is tasked with building a suitable topsoil from this existing material.
Not to worry! This issue's discussion is going to be about soil-building techniques for new and existing gardens. Many of you have been informed at one time or another that you have poor soils . . . Duh! And then almost in the same breath someone, an expert of course, has told you that in order to grow that garden you have always wanted you'll need to get rid of that poor soil and put in anywhere from 12 to 36 inches of new ³Topsoil².
The next time you hear this, I have a suggestion . . . RUN AWAY!!! Unless the soil at your garden site is contaminated with toxic substances, there is nothing wrong with your soil that a little time and patience combined with a minimum of work cannot cure. Removing soil is labor intensive and transportation of dirt can be costly. But the main reason not to trade dirt is a little thing called soil interface. This is a condition that occurs when soils of different textures are put into the same space. If you made a bowl out of modeling clay and filled it with sand and then filled the bowl with water, what would you get? You're right!, you get a bowl of wet sand. That is exactly what happens when a layer of a porous soil is put on top of a non-porous soil. Then a whole new set of problems begins, including but not limited to, over saturation of the imported material.
Our soils are some of the best base materials for building a good garden soil. In many areas we have heavy clay-like soils that hold water very well. This can be a good thing, and it is really simple to build from this mucky stuff. Those of you who are cursed with a very sandy material that drains away precious moisture too quickly can also be resolved, and a soil with good moisture retention capacity can be built from this material.
HOW DON?
I'm glad you asked. But first some science...
Once you get past all of the intellectual explanations, soil can be described as a complex natural material made from pulverized rocks and organic materials that provide nutrients, moisture and an anchorage for terrestrial or land plants. Soil is made of four basic components: mineral materials, organic matter, air and water. These four components are combined in many different amounts in many different soils and with different levels of moisture.
As a rule, a good soil in our area with an ideal moisture content is comprised of equal parts solid and pore space. The pore space is then equally divided by air and water. The optimum amount of organic material is between five to seven percent of the solid matter. That is not too daunting a task to achieve. I'll tell you how.
The first formula is for those of you who are starting a new garden plot in sandy soil:
Per 100 square feet of garden space use: 20 cubic feet of organic compost—I like Greenwaste. Contact your local municipality for a source of this valuable and inexpensive organic compost.
Five pounds Bat or Seabird Guano, five pounds Soft rock phosphate, 10 pounds Gypsum
Five pounds Greensand, 10 pounds Kelp enzyme or Kelp Meal
Spread these products over the area and till into the top six to eight inches of the existing soil with a roto-tiller or by hand digging. This is the only time you should ever till the garden. In the future you can let the organics and the earthworms do the aerating. Once this is done the garden is ready to plant. In about two to three months add 10 pounds of Hoof and Horn meal to the garden by broadcasting, and then fertilize with a balanced organic about every six months. Remember to mulch the garden to save moisture. From this program you will see a change in the soil within the first year but by the third year and only six fertilizations you will have the garden soil you want. The soil will be rich in texture, dark in color and will hold moisture very well.
This formula is for those of you who have clay-like soils and are starting a new garden plot:
Per 100 square feet of garden space use: 16 cubic feet of Organic compost, 25 pounds Gypsum, 25 pounds Kelp enzyme (Kelzyme)
or Kelp Meal, 10 pounds Greensand, 10 pounds Bone Meal, 15 pounds Alfalfa Meal
Spread these products as indicated on the previous formula and incorporate into existing soil by rototilling. You can try to hand dig but you'll save time and backache by using a machine. Once this is accomplished the garden is ready to receive plant material. In 30 to 60 days apply eight pounds of cottonseed meal to the garden by broadcasting then in six months begin feeding with a balanced fertilizer. My favorite is two parts Hoof and Horn Meal to one part Kelzyme at a rate of 10-15 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area every six months.
Remember to mulch; it is actually more important to provide a mulch layer in heavy soils so they do not form a crust that will repel water when it is applied. You will begin to see earthworms within the first 90 days after preparing the soil and within two years your soil will be amazing stuff that neighbors talk to each other about.
A good thing to remember about using organic fertilizers is that the release their nutrients over a long period of time so you don't need to feed nearly as often. You will be saving time and money by slowly changing the soil that you already have, while learning the environmental benefits of using non-chemical products in your garden. More birds and other cool wildlife will be more frequent visitors and, you get the satisfaction of knowing that your personal environment is free of chemicals that harm the natural ecology of our area.
Don Trotter operates The Organic Gardener's Resource Centre and is a consulting horticulturist and an award-winning garden designer. You can reach Don toll free at 888-514-4004 or email him at curly@mill.net. He is always available to talk dirt.
Choices
In our lives we make choices some good some bad. I remember one of my first choices.
In the spring of 1966 I tried out for the swim team at my school in Lima Peru. Not only was I laughed at for loosing my swim suit as I dove into the water, but I had to be pulled out because my suit had fallen to my knees and prevented me from kicking.
After I had rested, I asked the coach to let me try again, but in between tears of laughter, he tried to tell me that he had seen enough. "Gracias, muchas gracias". Thank you very much, he tried to say.
To this day I wonder if he was thanking me for trying out or for bringing so much joy to his day.
That summer I had to choose between hanging out at the beach with my friends or learning how to swim well enough, so that the coach would let me try out again and my schoolmates would not remember me from my first try out. I choose to swim and everyday I went to the public pool and swam on my own. Three weeks into the summer an older man approached me and said that he watched me everyday and asked me if I would like to be coached by him at the Tennis Club in Miraflores, a nearby neighborhood. I took him up on his offer and after another two months of swimming I entered my first competition.
I was to swim backstroke, butterfly, freestyle and medley individuals and do relays as well.
Out of a total of seven events, I placed 3rd in one and 1st in all the others. Ha! I was laughing now. When I went back to school that fall, I tried out again and even though I was not the best swimmer in my age group I did make the swim team.
For the next six years as other team mates dropped out I choose to continue swimming until the year I graduated. For the last three years I was the captain of my swim team and was invited to represent our state as the captain at the Nationals where our team won the championship.
Everyday I get people coming into the Nursery asking me about organics. Just yesterday a man came in and said that he did not want to go organic, but his wife asked him to check into it. He asked me if I did not make my living by selling organic products would I be using them?
Did he just insult me? Did he not know that I was not only an employee of this place but also the owner? I could feel my face turning red as I tried to think of an answer to his question. I told him of my choice to quit selling chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides 10 years ago. I told him of the financial hardship that the business endured when we discontinued sales of chemical products. Oh , I believed in Organics! It was my choice and that of all my coworkers, even those that only had primary education in Mexico believed in it. They were the ones that were out there servicing numerous customers and seeing the results. They knew about organics from working with it first hand and they practiced these methods at home.
From the tone of my voice he knew that he had not phrased his question properly, almost embarrassed he asked me if there was a book that I would recommend to him so he could learn about organic methods. I sold him a book by Howard Garrett called The Organic Manual and a copy of the March Newsletter where I tried to explain the differences between Organic Fertilizers and Synthetic.
The next customer in line asked me if I was okay.
"Yes", I said, as I regained my composure. "I hope he makes the right choice."
In last months newsletter I did try to explain the differences between fertilizers now to make your life easier I would like to give a list of recommended organic products and their approximate analysis or N-P-K. Remember that the more products you use on a rotating basis the quicker the mineral and organic content may increase. Now, just because I said that do not over use these materials. Look for changes in the plant root system, growth color, stem strength, flowering and fruiting, keep a dairy and see what works best for you and how you used it.
Alfalfa Meal (3N-1P-2K)
Alfalfa meal a green manure crop that contains small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium which feed the plant. Triacontanol a hormone, that works as a plant growth regulator is also found in Alfalfa meal. When made into a tea millions of microbes in the fermented meal activate the soil organisms and convert nutrients into forms available to plants.
Rosearians love Alfalfa meal and they use it as a top dress.
Alfalfa meal can be used in compost piles since the rapid decomposition of Alfalfa meal will generate heat. three to five pounds per 100 square feet or 800-1000 pounds per acre.
Blood Meal (12-2-1)
The Blood meal we sell is a by-product from chicken proceesing and is an excellent source organic nitrogen, when used as a top dressing and watered in. Always make sure to wash the Blood meal from all foliage or it will burn the leaves. We have customers who brew Blood meal and use it as a liquid fertilizer. And I know who some of them are. Side dress plants during the growing season at a rate of two pounds per 100 row feet. Can also be broadcast before planting at a rate of three to five pounds per 100 square feet or 500-1000 pounds per acre depending on soil requirements.
Bone Meal (2-12-2)
Bone is used as a long-lasting source of phosphorous as well as low levels of nitrogen, potassium and calcium. The extremely slow availability of nutrients from bone meal make it a very safe fertilizer, especially when planting of potting very young or new plants.
We do not recommend Bone meal anymore, following Howard Garrett’s advise we sell:
Phosphate, Specifically Colodial Clay Soft Rock Phosphate (0-25-0)
This form of phosphate promote root establishment and formation as well as flowering. We use it at time of planting by dusting the seeds or directly sprinkling the powder in the freshly dug hole enough to change the color of the soil. Five to 10 pounds per 500 square feet, once a year or as adusting at time of planting.
Compost
No bed is complete without Compost, the decomposed, cured form of organic matter. Compost, worked into new beds or top dressed and watered into established beds, increases microorganism activity and improves soil character and moisture retention. There is some nutrient value as well. The best source for good compost is making your own. Use as much as three inches over new beds.
Cottonseed Meal (7-2-2)
Cottonseed meal is a good natural fertilizer with a high percentage of organic nitrogen, perhaps the second best source of organic nitrogen after blood meal. Cottonseed meal is easily obtained at your local feed store. The nitrogen is broken down slowly and is available to the plant over a period of time. Cottonseed meal acidifies the soil. Use 2-10 pounds per 100 square feet or 800-1000 pounds per acre depending on soil test requirements.
Feather Meal (11-0-0)
Rapidly available Nitrogen source; Releases Nitrogen slowly producing a steady, long-lasting supply; No odor; Good for compost pile. Makes a good alternative to blood meal and will not attract vermin. Use 5-10 pounds per 1000 square feet or 300-400 pounds per acre depending on soil requirements.
Fish Emulsion (8-12-2)
Fish emulsion is an all-natural organic fish fertilizer with a reputation for eliminating plant doldrums. Many exhibitors refer to it as their secret to growing show winning blooms. When used as a liquid drench, results are quicker than with other organics. It is a low-nitrogen concentrated liquid food containing a wide range of trace elements that will green foliage, grow vigorous roots and big blooms while also enriching the soil. A must for Miniatures. The odor dissipates rapidly.
Fish Meal (8-12-2)
Fish meal is a great natural fertilizer, high in phosphorous and high in organic nitrogen.
Fish meal is quick acting, offering a sustained supply of nutrients. Don't scatter fish meal, because of the strong odor; plug it in a series of holes about ten inches deep that can then be covered with about four inches of soil. Use 5-10 pounds per 1000 square feet or 300-400 pounds per acre depending on soil requirements.
Texas Green Sand (0-2-5)
From Texas, an excellent mineral supplement; Good source of Iron; Best used with other fertilizers; Good for potted plants.
Ingredients: Potassium 1.15%, Magnesium 1.81%, Iron 10.75%, Sulfur 0.05%
Menefee Humate
A natural humic acid based granular soil conditioner that acts as an organic chelator and microbial stimulator. It has a unique carbon matrix incorporating a high concentration of organic acids, specifically humic acid, which improves the plant's ability to take in vital nutrients. Humic acid products have been shown by research to unlock soil nutrients, improve the effect of fertilizers, enhance root development, improve resistance to stress, promote thatch decomposition, enhance seed germination and improve soil structure.
On turf apply 15-20 pound per 1000 square feet to greens in four to six equal monthly applications, on tees and fairways use slightly less (10-15 pounds per 1000 square feet). On the farm use 250-400 pounds per acre applied in two to four equal applications. In the garden use one to three pounds per 100 square feet.
Lava Sand
A mineral supplement; Good for potted plants.
Ingredients: Potassium 0.038%, Magnesium 0.92%, Iron 2.30%, Sulfur 0.05%
Use on flower, herb and vegetable beds as much as you want.
Green Sense Lawn and Garden Fertilizer NPK: (5-2-4 or 6-2-4)
Ingredients: Composted Dairy Cow Manure (5-2-4),Composted Chiken Manure (6-2-4) Cottonseed Meal, Feather Meal, Poultry By-products, Muriate of Potash, Animal fat and Zeolites
Rate: 20 pound per 1000 square feet.
Manures (2-1-2)
Manure’s are a good source of nutrients and organic matter. We sell Dehydrated cow manure dried and pulverized in fifty pound bags. It has been heat treated by nature to kill weed seeds, the moisture level is less then eight percent easy to apply and long-lasting. In addition to being an organic source of nitrogen, decomposing manure’s are chelating agents that function to make trace metals available to plants. About half of the nutrients remaining in manure’s will be available each year. Works great as a tea specially if you are making a product like Green Sense Foliar Juice or Garrett Juice. It can also be placed on the soil to work its way in or tilled into it. 10-20 pounds per 1000 square feet.
Seaweed Products (1-0-8)
Green Sense Kelp products are derived from Ascophylum Nodosum is harvested off the coast of Iceland where the combination of warm Gulf Stream water and Arctic temperatures fosters the growth of spectacular seaweed which can be harvested quickly and dried at low temperatures using uniform 70°C geothermal heat. This process permits all the organic and biologically active substances ascribed to seaweeds to be preserved intact. There is little surface oxidation or browning of the particles. The vitamins, enzymes, minerals, chelating agents and growth promoters are retained.
Rates of use are: garden, three pounds per 100 square feet; field, 200-400 pounds per acre; row, two pounds per 100 linear feet; orchard, one pound per inch of tree diameter; turf, 10 pounds per 1000 square feet; potting mix, two to three percent of volume.
Kelp Powder (1-4-14)
A water soluble product that we use to reconstitute Green Sense liquid kelp products. Much cheaper since you are not paying for water and labor.
Liquid Kelp (4-2-3)
This has the same characteristics as kelp meal and is a quick boost for greening foliage. When mixed with fish emulsion, it can't be beat.
Sul-Po-Mag (aka Langbeinite, 0-0-22, 11% Mg, 22% S)
Should be used if called for by a soil analysis. Soils that are high in calcium but low in potassium or magnesium can be adjusted using Sul-Po-Mag. Generic use rates are one to two pounds per 100 square feet or 200-500 pounds per acre. However, use only as suggested by a soil test.