Garden for Nutrition IndexGENERAL RULES CULTIVATED AREAS 1. Avoid composting because it allows the generated nitrogen to evaporate. Composting can allow as much as 75% of the nitrogen to escape into the atmosphere as ammonia. In the fall, residue and organic matter should be worked into the soil. 2. Work animal manure and organic matter directly into the soil during winter. Allow at least 2 weeks before planting. Allow 6 months after manure application before harvest time or cook the harvest. 3. Work a small amount of hardwood chips into the soil every year. They will increase potassium and encourage fungus which will kill nematodes. Too much will use more nitrogen than they contribute. 4. When plowing, do not just flip the soil. Thoroughly mix the previous crop residue and then water. This aerobic decomposition is better than anaerobic. This will encourage decomposition, which will reduce disease, and also encourage rapid growth of the next crop, which will help control weeds. 5. Encourage the proper RHIZOBIAL BACTERIA to fixate nitrogen. 6. Encourage the proper MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS to aid in nutrient absorption and soil mineralization. 7. Do not leave soil without roots in it for long periods of time. Flax, fava, and vetch are good non food cover crops. 8. Grow deep rooted plants in your rotation to break up the soil and bring nutrients up from deep below: annual alfalfa, beet, sunflower, okra, flax, turnip. 9. Turn animals onto stubble to speed up decomposition. FOR PASTURES AND PERRENIAL BEDS 1. In the non winter season, allow cattle and poultry to naturally spread manure on the forage pasture. 2. Grow deep rooted plants to break up the soil and bring nutrients up from deep below: alfalfa, chicory, turnip, dandelion, etc. 3. Worms will drag organic material underground in perennial beds and pastures from the organic matter on top of the soil. 4. Leaves from trees and grass are best left in place to nourish the plants that grew them. Try not to repeatedly rob organic matter from plants that need it. 5. Encourage dung beetles to spread and bury manure in pastures. ***************************************** MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS Mycorrhizal fungi increases uptake of nutrients for most plants, especially phosphorus. Mycorrhizal fungi is a free naturally present fungi that has a mutualistic relationship with most plants except Brassica, all beets, and buckwheat. In this mutualistic relationship, carbohydrates are transported down where the fungus steal some for their own growth and the fungus free up nutrients and help pull them up into the plant. The fungus and the plant need each other to thrive. Crops which encourage the widest variety: Sorghum - Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Leek - Allium porrum (L.) Crops which encourage the highest numbers: Barley Bean Grain with the greatest response: Rye Okra and corn produced low populations. Oats planted in the early fall builds up spring mycorrhizal populations just as well as winter rye planted in early winter. The more organic matter is worked into the soil, the more important it is plant a mycorrhizal cover crop soon after the organic matter has been incorporated into the soil. Without a new source of carbohydrates, fungal levels begin to drop. Ideally, work manure and crop residue in during the fall and plant a cover crop such as flax or oats. Unfortunately, most organic systems will not bring their animals in from pasture for winter protection until winter, so fresh manure is not avaialable until then. In the fall, a cover crop may need to be broadcast on top of the crop residue and manure not worked in until winter. Then, if time permits, a mycorrhizal green manure cover crop can be planted in the very early spring, such as flax, fava, or vetch. This will help to rebuild the mycorrhizal population. Try to work the soil as little as possible and as shallow as possible unless large amounts of organic matter are being introduced. This will help keep the mycorrhizal population intact. Trichoderma viride: Flax will encourage this fungus. The cyanide in the roots will encourage Trichoderma viride, which will suppress other harmful fungus and bacteria. Must allow to fully mature for the cyanide to leave the seed and deposit into the roots. Chitin (shell of crab, lobster, shrimp, snail, fish scale?) - will encourage Streptomyces actinomycete which will suppress harmful fungus. Plant Management Network Rodale Institute Agricultural Research Centre of Finland University of Manitoba - cover crops ***************************************** RHIZOBIAL BACTERIA Legumes use rhizobium to fixate nitrogen, but sunflower and okra also benefit because most beneficial rhizobium will suppress harmful bacteria. HOST PLANTS: Rhizobium leguminosarum var. Viceae - pea and fava Rhizobium leguminosarum lentil - lentil Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli - common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Inoculation of Legumes Native rhizobium are available in most soils, but at such low numbers that they are not very effective. Inoculations survive at useful levels for only about 2-3 years, under good conditions, without the proper leguminous host plants. Good conditions are high humus, moderate PH, moderate moisture, and moderate temperature. If planting by hand, soak seed for 24 hours prior to inoculation. This will open the pores for easier inoculation. Plant immediately. Rye is good for reducing harmful bacteria. Peat - natural inoculator of Azospirillum brasilense, a phytostimulator for grains, legumes, and tomatoes In studies on mass multiplication of rhizobia, wheat bran showed more rhizobial population per gm of substrate as compared to saw dust or rice husk. Annual Alfalfa - highest in nitrogen fixation among annual crops. Best if plow under. Vetch - Can overwinter to zone 6. High fixation if environment allows overwinter with spring growth. Maximum nitrogen fixation just as it begins to bloom. Drops rapidly. Mixing with rye improves overwintering and summer growth. Must bloom before mow or chop or may regrow. Soy, pea - food crops, high fixation. Lentil, common bean - food crops, moderate fixation. Fava - Best where moist and cool for 2-3 months and too cool for vetch or peas to actively grow. Fixation can be high but only in the right environment. Will continue to fix nitrogen to full plant maturity as long as the soil is 40-60 F. Plant will die when temperature < 10 F. Perennial Alfalfa, clover - best in pastures Able Farm and Gardening Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. ********* ORGANIC FERTILIZER AMENDMENTS These amendments should be used only as a last resort. Unlock the nutrients you already have with fungus, bacteria, and PH neutralization that occurs naturally with organic matter. Phosphorous sources - for flower, fruit, and seed. Bone or rock phosphate - needed if soil is alkaline, plant directly in it Held in soil by clay. Protozoa, bacteria, and fungi release via mineralization. Nitrogen sources: Bacteria fixate from the atmosphere and held in soil by clay. Protozoa also release nitrogen. Used for leaf growth. Potassium sources - for root growth. Trees can absorb potassium more easily than most other plants. Hard wood chips should be worked into the soil for potassium. Work small amounts into the soil every year so as not to decrease nitrogen levels too quickly. Rock potash. Potassium can be held in soil by clay. Micro nutrients: Calcium - dolomite, limestone causes soil to be fluffy and well aerated excess may inhibit growth by making soil too alkaline Silica - granite dust, sand Zinc - granite dust Molybdenum - rock phosphate Trace minerals - granite meal, greensand (glauconite) , kelp meal Boron - Borax (only add if known deficiency) Cobolt - Manganese - Sulphur - Copper - Magnesium - Aluminium - Iron - ********** MATERIALS FOR MAKING POTTING MIX Mix these materials with local soil and allow time to decompose. Stir regularly. hard wood chips - grows a fungus which will kill nematodes. also high in potassium. willow wood chips - root stimulant alfalfa will stimulate growth with octacosanol high in silica - strengthens against fungus comfrey - cell proliferant horseradish greens, garlic, mustard seed - suppresses fungus thistle - high in silica if allowed to grow to full maturity silica strengthens plants against fungus allow plants to mature, but not seed, before mowing burdock leaf - oligosacharides encourage beneficial bacteria Stinging nettle - growth stimulant, fungicidal Garden for Nutrition Index Organic Soil - How to Build Up Nutrients