Thought to be the combination of two words.   First word being  – permanent 1.  existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.  2.  intended to exist or function for a long, . . . → Read More: Episode 178 What is Permaculture?]]> In today’s episode I explore the meaning of permaculture.  Not just the definition but why the definition probably doesn’t really scratch the surface. 

Thought to be the combination of two words.   First word being  – permanent 1.  existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.  2.  intended to exist or function for a long, indefinite period without regard to unforeseeable conditions.

• And Culture:  a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: Greek culture. 
• Or Agriculture – the growing of crops for human uses. 

 But I submit that we actually need a new word to describe what permaculture does. 

•  For one – nothing is permanent. 
• The first definition of culture  – reflects something that resists change but permaculture doesn’t resist change it rolls with it. 
• The second definition – implies that its permanent but may not be permanent if conditions change. 

 Nothing is permanent – books, people, plants, animals even ideas fade in time.  Even cultures come and go.  The thing about permaculture is that it transcends a specific idea or thought or project.  Its purpose is to replicate nature in the best possible outcome to make positive things happen.  It doesn’t matter if the culture is on Earth or Pandora or Tattoine or in the twilight zone.  It doesn’t matter if the lifeform is trees or giant sandworms. 

Lets take a look at culture.  The form of civilization.  To a point this is applicable.  We want a civilization that values nature and works not to harm the earth, to help its people and takes only what it needs.  But we’ll get to that in a minute.  Civilizations come and go though.

 Agriculture is also not wrong but also not right.  Growing useful things is part of permaculture but its only a part.  Many people have a bad view of agriculture but growing things is agriculture to a limit.

So what’s with the defining and categorization.  It probably doesn’t help but its to show people that even permaculture has to rise above its definitions. 

Its natural forces at work in the nth degree.

• Earthcare – any organism that destroys its environment perishes. 
• Peoplecare – We are as a whole, greedy and selfish and thoughtless.  If it doesn’t benefit us we don’t do it.  So the system has to benefit people or else what’s the point? 
• Fairshare- not even distribution and not wealth sharing.  Take only what is needed.   

So what IS permaculture?  A process of system design that attempts to replicate nature or utilize it to the purpose of bettering people without hurting the environment and ecosystem. 

 No one can tell you what you are doing is or is not permaculture. Using the ethics as a guide is wise.  Using it to judge others is foolish. 

*Locating the pond.  Where does it make the most sense?  It . . . → Read More: Episode 174 Building a Garden Pond]]> On today’s episode I talk about building a pond for your garden.  The garden pond is such a great way to encourage diversity not only in the forms of wildlife it attracts but also in the form of planting surfaces and microclimates it creates.

*Locating the pond.  Where does it make the most sense?  It needs to be accessible by animals and in a location where the water is easily usable. 

*Three ways to make the actual water holding device.

1.  Straight dig
2. Liner – hard or film.
3. Gley – either through pigs, manure/paper or bentonite clay.

 With all methods you have to dig a little at least to start.  Method 3 requires just cursory digging if you use pigs. 

*Details on digging the hole, building a dam and making sure its level.

*As soon as is practicable you need to plant on the dam and on the ground around the pond.  The purpose is nothing more than to prevent erosion and runoff.  Plant something that grows fast but is annual. You want to be able to plant more thoughtfully later. 

*Adding organic matter to the water to get things going.

*Plantings – you get into a whole new category of plants.

• Edibles – watercress – a member of the brassica family – spicy green leaves.  High in vitamins and a cancer fighter.
• Rice
• Water lily and lotus – both have edible parts.  The leaves of the water lily sits on the water, but the lotus rises and its leaves sit up to four feet above the water. 
• Cattails
• Duckweed – livestock

*Fauna

• Frogs come on their own as do crayfish dragonflies, water spiders, etc. 
• You can add some fish – depending on the size all the way from goldfish (make excellent bait) all the way up

So tune in as I answer questions on the following topics:

Last time we discussed the basics of raising rabbits.  Today Rick tackles some questions about advanced topics for the more experienced rabbit breeder.  Including:

Breeding questions

 Its paradoxical I know.  If you don’t have “pest” insects then you don’t have a food source for the beneficials.  I’m not saying introduce pests but I’m saying when you spray them you prevent the rest of the ecosystem . . . → Read More: Episode 171 The “Truth” About Pests]]> Series of truths 

1. A garden without some level of “pest” presence is not a healthy garden.

 Its paradoxical I know.  If you don’t have “pest” insects then you don’t have a food source for the beneficials.  I’m not saying introduce pests but I’m saying when you spray them you prevent the rest of the ecosystem from filling in.  The best gardens I’ve ever had were packed with pest but each one was under control by a benevolent insect population. 

2. The root cause of most pest problems is plantings incapable of surviving predation.

Thomas Jefferson knew this.  He told his daughter this.  Anyone who tells you they don’t have pests is either lucky or lying.  But strong plants resist adverse circumstances.  

3. Not everything in the garden is under your control.  You can’t fix all pest problems.  Deal with it. 

Sometimes handpicking is the only option.  Sometimes the only sustainable option is to do nothing.  You have to learn to let go the attachment.  If a plant has to be sacrificed it has to be sacrificed.  Like the old Kenny Rogers song – know when to walk away and know when to run.  

4. Beyond organic gardening – no sprays is tough and it takes time.  Pesticides are the dark side – anger, fear, etc.  

As soon as you turn to sprays without trying every option you have failed.  Sure you might get produce and your garden might look nice but you’ve robbed Peter to pay Paul.  You’ve sold your future for the present.  

5. If you can’t think broadly you’ll never succeed. 

A healthy garden is not achieved by concentrating on any one thing.  You have to be a generalist.  You have to know how to grow healthy plants, how to attract beneficials, trap crops, shield crops, polyculture, hand picking, entomology.

 What’s really being measured is the concentration of hydrogen (H) ions — the more hydrogen ions there are, the more acid the thing being measured is.

An anion (−) (AN-eye-ən), from the Greek word ἄνω (ánō), meaning “up”, is an ion with more electrons than protons, giving it . . . → Read More: Episode 170 Soil Ph Demystified]]> What is PH? – Power of hydrogen

 What’s really being measured is the concentration of hydrogen (H) ions — the more hydrogen ions there are, the more acid the thing being measured is.

An anion (−) (AN-eye-ən), from the Greek word ἄνω (ánō), meaning “up”, is an ion with more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge (since electrons are negatively charged and protons are positively charged).

A cation (+) ( KAT-eye-ən), from the Greek word κατά (katá), meaning “down”, is an ion with fewer electrons than protons, giving it a positive charge. Since the charge on a proton is equal in magnitude to the charge on an electron, the net charge on an ion is equal to the number of protons in the ion minus the number of electrons.

Sources of Acidity

Acidity in soils comes from H⁺ and Al³⁺ ions in the soil solution. While pH is the measure of H⁺ in solution, Al³⁺ is important in acid soils because between pH 4 and 6, Al³⁺ reacts with water (H₂O) forming AlOH²⁺, and Al(OH)₂⁺, releasing extra H⁺ ions. Every Al³⁺ ion can create 3 H⁺ ions.

• Rainfall: Acid soils are most often found in areas of high rainfall. Excess rainfall leaches base cation from the soil, increasing the percentage of Al³⁺ and H⁺ relative to other cations. Additionally, rainwater has a slightly acidic pH of 5.7 due to a reaction with CO₂ in the atmosphere that forms carbonic acid.

• Fertilizer use: Ammonium (NH₄⁺) fertilizers react in the soil in a process called nitrification to form nitrate (NO₃^-), and in the process release H⁺ ions.

Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Cl cause salinity.

• Plant root activity: Plants take up nutrients in the form of ions (NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, Ca²⁺, H₂PO₄^-, etc.), and often, they take up more cations than anions. However plants must maintain a neutral charge in their roots. In order to compensate for the extra positive charge, they will release H⁺ ions from the root. Some plants will also exude organic acids into the soil to acidify the zone around their roots to help solubilize metal nutrients that are insoluble at neutral pH, such as iron (Fe).
• Weathering of minerals: Both primary and secondary minerals that compose soil contain Al. As these minerals weather, some components such as Mg, Ca, and K, are taken up by plants, others such as Si are leached from the soil, but due to chemical properties, Fe and Al remain in the soil profile. Highly weathered soils are often characterized by having high concentrations of Fe and Al oxides.

Sources of Basicity

Basic soils have a high saturation of base cations (K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Na⁺). Alkaline soils are characterized by the presence of carbonates.

Too Much Acidity

Plants grown in acid soils can experience a variety of symptoms including aluminium (Al), hydrogen(H), and/or manganese(Mn) toxicity, as well as potential nutrient deficiencies of calcium (Ca) and magnesium(Mg).
Aluminium toxicity is the most widespread problem in acid soils. Aluminium is present in all soils, but dissolved Al³⁺ is toxic to plants; Al³⁺ is most soluble at low pH, above pH 5.2 little aluminum is in soluble form in most soils. Aluminium is not a plant nutrient, and as such, is not actively taken up by the plants, but enters plant roots passively through osmosis. Aluminium damages roots in several ways: In root tips and Aluminium interferes with the uptake of Calcium, an essential nutrient, as well as bind with phosphate and interfere with production of ATP and DNA, both of which contain phosphate. Alminium can also restrict cell wall expansion causing roots to become stunted.

Below pH 4, H⁺ ions themselves damage root cell membranes.

In soils with high content of Manganese (Mn) containing minerals, Manganese toxicity can become a problem at pH 5.6 and below. Manganese, like aluminum becomes increasingly more soluble as pH drops, and Manganese toxicity symptoms can be seen at pH’s below 5.6. Mn is an essential plant nutrient, so plants transport mangnese into leaves. Classic symptoms of manganese toxicity are crinkling or cupping of leaves.

Why is pH is so important in gardening? Because soil acidity or alkalinity directly affects plant growth. If a soil is too sour or too sweet, plants cannot take up nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). And plants need specific amounts of those compounds–just like we need proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins to grow–to thrive and fight off disease and stress. Let’s look at it another way…

Most nutrient deficiencies can be avoided between a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5, provided that soil minerals and organic matter contain the essential nutrients to begin with.

Plant Preferences for pH

 Many environmental factors, including amount of rainfall, vegetation type and temperature can affect soil pH. Here are some general guidelines:

• Areas with heavy rainfall and forest cover have moderately acid soils.
• Soil in regions with light rainfall and prairie cover tend to be near neutral.
• Areas of drought and desert conditions tend to have alkaline soils.
• The pH of cultivated and developed soils often differ from that of native soil. During construction, for example, the topsoil may be removed and replaced by a different type. Hence, your garden soil pH could be very different from your neighbor’s.

To RAISE the soil pH
(Translation: If you have acidic soil)
If your soil is too acid, you need to add alkaline material. The most common “liming” material is ground limestone. Ground limestone breaks down slowly, but it does not burn plants like “quick lime” does. Apply it to the garden and lawn in the fall to allow time for it to act on soil pH before the next growing season. A rule of thumb for slightly acid soils: apply 5 pounds of lime per 100 square feet (say a 5 x 20-foot raised bed) to raise the pH by one point.

Apply limestone: 5 pounds per 100 square feet

Applying wood ashes also will raise soil pH. Wood ashes contain up to 70 percent calcium carbonate, as well as potassium, phosphorus, and many trace elements. Because it is powdery, wood ash is a fast-acting liming material. Be careful, a little goes a long way. Limit your application to 2 pounds per 100 square feet and only apply it every other year in a particular area.

To LOWER the soil pH
(Translation: If your soil is too alkaline)
In this case, you need to add a source of acid. Options include pine needles, shredded leaves, sulfur, sawdust and peat moss. Pine needles are a good source of acid and mulch. Peat moss with a pH of 3.0 is often recommended as a soil additive. Before you use it though, consider the other options, because peat moss is nutrient-poor, expensive, and it’s a nonrenewable resource.

Whether you raise them for meat, eggs or simply as pets I’m sure you hear some of these misconceptions repeated to you as fact:

Also known Orcon, Steve has chosen to support the show by becoming a sponsor.

Join us today as we discuss:

Steve’s Iphone/Ipad App:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/winterroot-llc/id427385326

Steve’s many books:  http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Books.Folder/Books.page.html

Tune in today as we discuss:

There are several ways to get your question on the show. You can call me and leave a voicemail on my googlevoice hotline at:  (502) 230-1787.  You can email me at Jason at Theselfsufficientgardener.com.  You can post a question in our forum.

Tune in today . . . → Read More: Episode 165 Listener Questions and Feedback]]> Today I go through another round of questions and feedback.

There are several ways to get your question on the show. You can call me and leave a voicemail on my googlevoice hotline at:  (502) 230-1787.  You can email me at Jason at Theselfsufficientgardener.com.  You can post a question in our forum.

Tune in today and hear:

• Rock dust amendments – are they worth it?
• Which woods are not ok for mulch?  Can they be made ok?
• Which mulches “rob” nitrogen?  Do they really rob it?  Is it a concern?
• What’s the deal with innoculating legume seeds?
• Is a raised bed a good spot for tomatoes?
• A slight correction to my episode on Soil Basics.
• Should leaf litter and grass clippings be mixed into the soil for a new bed?
• Is mycchorizal fungi worth adding to your garden?  How does it work?

What plants can be direct sowed

Corn, okra, sunflowers, beans, peas, potatoes, garlic, beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots (exceptions are onions, leeks).  Lettuce, mesclun, spinach, dill.

Optional . . . → Read More: Episode 164 Direct Sowing]]>

What plants can be direct sowed

1. If it makes a big root or tuber – direct sow it.
2. If it grows really tall direct sow it.
3. If it’s a legume direct sow it.
4. If it’s a leafy green.

Corn, okra, sunflowers, beans, peas, potatoes, garlic, beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots (exceptions are onions, leeks).  Lettuce, mesclun, spinach, dill.

Optional direct sows (I usually do) squash, cucurbits sometimes I do.  Parsley, coriander, basil.

Really optional – tomatoes – very rarely will I direct sow.  You get a better start indoors.  But really the hardening off is reduced outdoors and you get better roots if you can get away with it.

Almost never direct sow – peppers, tobacco, more exotic things.

When

Typically two batches.

1.  When the soil can be worked – Beets, potatoes, turnips, carrots, greens, onions, dill, peas – typically first of march for me.

2.  After danger of frost – Corn, beans, sunflowers – typically Aprilish.

How

Broadcast method – used for small seeds such as root crops and greens.

Hoe up a rectangular section.  Reserve dirt. Broadcast. Jerk dirt back over.

Furrow method – used for larger seeds such as corn, beans etc.  Done in rows but rows but be in blocks. Blocks offer support and pollination. Hoe up a line of dirt.  Spread it back out evenly.  Turn the hoe and pull a furrow in.  Plant seeds.  Tip one side of dirt back into the furrow (or both).

No dig method – Used only for large seeds.  People simply will not take to this method.  I’m not sure why.  I have a planting bar I use.  It is easy and quick and never fails.  Use a stick (or planting bar) and make holes evenly distant.  Place seed in each.  Scratch dirt over or fill with compost.  This works through grass,
weeds, in hard ground, in dry ground, in wet ground.  In sand and clay and silt and loam.

When the plants come up you really need to think about thinning (save the small greens!) and mulching.

Watering?  NO!!!

Nature typically gives the signals here.  If you water and then a drought hits you can stunt them.  This can happen in nature as well but let nature take its course.  Once the plants sprout then you can use water (very conservatively) as needed.  Water causes the plants to set shallow roots and that means no support and resiliency.  If they find their own water they can always access it.

I have been really avoiding this topic for like forever but two things happened.  The first is I’ve been meaning to rerecord Episode 33 of The Hunt Gather Grow Eat Podcast for some time.  In that episode I tackled the question:  . . . → Read More: Episode 163 The Sustainability of Meat]]> Disclaimer – I fire off a couple of minor curse words in this episode.

I have been really avoiding this topic for like forever but two things happened.  The first is I’ve been meaning to rerecord Episode 33 of The Hunt Gather Grow Eat Podcast for some time.  In that episode I tackled the question:  Is meat sustainable?  First of all I didn’t do a good job with it. I was driving and I had none of my fact notes so the show was more me just giving some reasons and some things we can do.  I got a ton of negative feedback – which is ok.  I don’t expect everyone to agree with me but obviously they couldn’t refute facts because I didn’t have a lot to give in that episode.

Secondly I saw Soylent Green on TV again.  The movie is kitchy because it was filmed in the 70′s I think but it is also extremely scary.  Overpopulation, starvation, homelessness and then everyone knows what Soylent Green (the food product) is made of.

So last time I asked the question:  Is meat sustainable?  Today I answer that question definitively – the answer is: Not how we currently consume it.

Again I know this topic just rubs people the wrong way.  But I ask – can you look at what you are doing and make efforts to improve it?  I think a lot of people that listen to this show consciously make an effort to eat sustainable foods.  But for anyone who doesn’t – why not?  Is there an emotional attachment or a sense of being preached to?

So tune in today (if you dare):

*Why are massive herds of buffalo unsustainable?  Well where are they right now?  If you have a massive herd where would you put it exactly?

*Sustainable means:  of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.  Sustainable is a sliding scale.  As long as you aren’t completely ignoring the scale you are on the right path.

*When you really examine some people who claim to be sustainable are they really?  What methods contribute to sustainability?  Which detract?

*Can you not examine where you diet comes from and still call yourself an environmentalist?  Well you can but did you know:  In Central America, 40 percent of all the rainforests have been cleared or burned down in the last 40 years, mostly for cattle pasture to feed the export market—often for U.S. beef burgers…. Meat is too expensive for the poor in these beef-exporting countries, yet in some cases cattle have ousted highly productive traditional agriculture.  —John Revington in World Rainforest Report

Nutrients in animal waste cause algal blooms, which use up oxygen in the water, contributing to a “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico where there’s not enough oxygen to support aquatic life. The dead zone stretched over 7,700 square miles during the summer of 1999.
—Natural Resources Defense Council

Good article about nitrate contamination.  http://www.thereporter.com/rss/ci_20169847?source=rss

To provide the yearly average beef consumption of an American family of four requires over 260 gallons of fossil fuel.
—“Meat Equals War,” web-site of Earth Save, Humboldt, California

That’s like having 5 – 55 gallon drums full of oil placed in your backyard every year. 

*This is not an indictment of meat but rather the way we produce it with current CAFO operations.

*Is there a sustainable way?

•  Pasture raised animals.
• Grass fed like nature intended.
• Only problem here is it takes more land.

*So is grass fed how we move forward?  I wish it were that easy.  Is intensive rotational grazing the way forward?  I wish it were that easy (aside – I had to adjust my math – the previous calculations were from several years ago and didn’t take other aspects both good and bad into account - THINGS CHANGED!):

• Sustainable meat is possible with intensive rotational grazing, intergrazing, mob-grazing and smaller animals but not at current levels of consumption and current levels of population growth and arable land.  The average American eats about 272 pounds of meat per year.  If everyone who raised cattle did it with intensive rotation methods they’d be able to stock 10 cows per acre so we figure 1/10 acre per cow.  At slaughter the useable meat from each cow (about 1000 lbs) is reduced in half (about 500 lbs) so its really 1 “net beef” cow every 1/5 acre (meat-wise).  But intensive rotational grazing requires each acre to be grazed for 3-4 days and then “rested” for 30.  So we have to multiply each 1/5 acre by 10 (10 - 1/5^thacre paddocks, each grazed 3 days and rested 30).  Now we are up to roughly 2 acres per 500 lbs of beef.  Eaten at 25 pounds below the rate at which we currently consume meat, that’s 1 acre worth of cow per year per person.  Each person is sustained meat wise by one cow/acre.
• The U.S. has 470 million acres of arable land which is holding roughly 311.5 million people.  Thus every man, woman and child in the US has a theoretical 1 ½ acres of food producing land.  You just gave up 1 acre to grow your cow so you’ve got ½ acre left.  Of course 72 million acres were used to grow corn in the US – 58% of which we can deduct since we no longer need livestock feed since we are now feeding our livestock (cow) grass.  That’s another 1/5 acre you just lost.  Roughly the same amount in soybeans is grown (minus its share in livestock feed).  That’s another 1/5 acre.  This also does not account for the land used to grow cotton for your clothing.  That takes another 1/10 of your land. Wow, your remaining half acre went pretty quick.  Of course this makes no account of the land used also for dairy, for poultry and eggs (poultry or goats COULD be mobgrazed on the cow pasture).  It also makes no account for breeding.  This land is a one-off thing – there’s no cow in the US after this is done ONCE!  And this doesn’t take into account the future EXPONENTIAL GROWTH or desertification of arable land.  Is there any wonder why CAFO’s exist?
• In fairness there are a lot of issues with my assumptions.  It assumes that beef is “THE” meat and it doesn’t take into account meat from wild game (other than fish – which the number does account for) and meat animals that convert feed better (such as chickens and rabbits).  On average beef only represented about 60% of red meat consumed in 2005 but all red meat is essentially the same for this math.  I believe it to be a good illustration of what even sustainable agriculture doesn’t take into account and that is population and land use.

*The immediate objection to this is:  Well just read Joel Salatin.  Joel is a brilliant man but he has resources and land.  I think everyone should do what Joel Salatin does – but know that you can make it profitable and you can make it healthy but you can’t change the ratio of land to population!

Solutions

*Eat less meat.

*Eat smaller meat.  Smaller animals in general take less land, are less harmful to the land.  And have better FCR.  For fish eat smaller fish and not large ocean predators.

*Eat grass fed meat and not just grass fed but intergrazed when possible.

*Eat sustainable meat – eat things like tilapia which can be farm raised and not wild caught and depleted.  Eat sustainable protein like eggs and milk.

*Raise your own meat. – anything you do you will know about and you can use the resources they provide.  Instead of letting the waste run into the gulf of mexico you can use it to feed your garden.

*Grow and eat more vegetables. Make meat part of your diet but don’t make it the major part of your diet.

*Waste less.  http://news.yahoo.com/clean-plate-save-world-171105362.html

*We should be hunting more of our own meat.

We have to change the culture or change the population.  The culture is a lot easier to change than the population.  If we run out of room – there’s always Soylent Green to eat!

This goat and 100lbs of feed was free on a Texas Craigslist board

Some options for cheap livestock:

*Added Rabbits – a breeding pair of New Zealand Whites.  The purpose is meat from the . . . → Read More: Episode 161 March Updates from the Homestead]]> Because it seems to be a fairly popular topic I’m doing another round of updates from the homestead.  Sometimes I don’t realize how fast and efficiently things are progressing until I try to describe what all is going on.

*Added Rabbits – a breeding pair of New Zealand Whites.  The purpose is meat from the offspring (fryers).  Hear all the crazy story about my first week owning them!

*Finished the duck house.

*Picked out the place for the pasture for goats and/or pigs.

*Decided a cow is probably not right for me at this point.

*Started working on converting the front field to a crop field.  Planted peas.

*Put in the last of what should be the food forest – a plum tree for pollination, three raspberries and a mint plant in the orchard.

*Forgot to mention that the purple martin gourds are up and ready!

*Continuing the pond digging.

*The purposes of the different gardens.

*Ordered chickens!

*The essential plant processes of Absorption, Carbon assimilation, Formation of protoplasm and Transpiration.

*During growth the lant uses water and oxygen to change carbon and nitrogen into things it can use.

*During growth . . . → Read More: Episode 160 Elements Plants Need]]> T0day we talk about the essential major and trace elements that plants need and why (at least when we know WHY!).

*The essential plant processes of Absorption, Carbon assimilation, Formation of protoplasm and Transpiration.

*During growth the lant uses water and oxygen to change carbon and nitrogen into things it can use.

*During growth the plant produces many things such as  sugars, starch, cellulose, acids, lignin, tannins, amino acids, proteins, amides etc., and many plants also produce toxins such as alkaloids, nicotine, etc.

*The plant has to take in enough water to keep these activities going. Water is so very important in the uptake of nutrients!

Minerals and the roles they play.

Major elements (high use): Nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur.

Trace elements (low use but still high importance): Iron, manganese, boron, copper, zinc and molybdenum.

Sodium, chlorine and silicon are beneficial but not essential.  Aluminum occurs in plants but doesn’t really serve a role.  It does exert indirect influences on nutritional processes such as using aluminum sulfate.

The nutrient elements can only be absorbed by plants when present in certain forms: nitrogen from nitrates and ammonium salts; phosphorus from  phosphates; calcium, magnesium and potassium from their salts (e.g., as sulfates or chlorides, etc.); sulfur from sulfates; iron from ferrous or ferric salts more readily from ferrous salts); manganese from manganous salts; boron from borates; copper and zinc from their salts, and molybdenum from molybdates.

There may appear to be certain exceptions. For instance, nitrogen may be applied to a soil as “organic” nitrogen, as in hoof meal or urea, and sulfur may be added as the element itself, as in flowers of sulfur, ground sulfur, etc. In such conditions the added materials are, however, converted into the nitrate and
sulfate forms respectively by soil organisms before being absorbed by the plants.

Further points of importance in connection with the absorption of the mineral nutrients by plants are as follows:

1. The minerals have to be diluted.
2. Certain of the elements slow down the absorption of others into the plant.
3. Healthy plants result when the nutrients are absorbed in certain relative proportions.
4. Nutrients, even though present in the nutrient solution in satisfactory amounts and proportions, may not be absorbed by the plant unless the “reaction” of the solution as regards acidity and alkalinity is satisfactory.

Functions of  ESSENTIAL MAJOR ELEMENTS

Nitrogen. Nitrogen is the major plant element.  Nitrogen compounds comprise from 40 to 50% of the dry matter of  the living substance of plant cells.

Phosphorus: This element, like nitrogen, is closely concerned with the vital growth processes in plants.  Phosphorus is also of special importance in the
processes concerned in root development and the ripening of seeds and fruits.

Calcium:  One of its main functions is as a constituent of the cell wall.

Magnesium: A constituent of chlorophyll, and is essential to the formation of this pigment.  Like iron in human blood/Hemoglobin

Potassium: Not clearly understood.

Sulfur: It seems to be connected with chlorophyll formation.

ESSENTIAL TRACE ELEMENTS

Iron: Iron is closely concerned with chlorophyll formation but is not a constituent of it. Its role appears in this connection to be that of a catalyst.

Manganese: The functions of manganese are regarded as being closely associated with those of iron.

Zinc and Copper:  About the same as iron.  mangold and barley. Sodium seems to affect the water relations of plants and
often enables sugar beet and other crops to withstand drought conditions which
would otherwise produce severe adverse effects.

SIGNS OF FAULTY NUTRITION IN PLANTS

• Changing color of leaves – yellowing
• Wilting or leaves or browning.
• Thickness of stems or size of leaves.
• Blossom end rot.
• Insufficient flower or fruit set.

The name is one huge misnomer.  No connection to Jerusalem and not an artichoke but distantly related to artichokes (in the daisy family).  Italian settlers in the USA called . . . → Read More: Episode 159 Jerusalem Artichoke]]> Helianthus tuberosus – asteraceae family – aster, daisy, sunflower (which makes a lot of sense since the flowers vaguely resemble).  Also called sunchoke, sunroot, etc.

The name is one huge misnomer.  No connection to Jerusalem and not an artichoke but distantly related to artichokes (in the daisy family).  Italian settlers
in the USA called the plant girasole, the Italian word for sunflower because of its resemblance to the garden sunflower (note: both the sunflower and the sunchoke are part of the same genus: Helianthus). Over time, the name girasole may have been changed to Jerusalem.

The artichoke part of the Jerusalem artichoke’s name comes from the taste of its edible tuber. Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer, sent
the first samples of the plant to France, noting its taste was similar to an artichoke.

Native to North America.  All the way west to North Dakota.  However the true native range may never be known since the Native Americans had domesticated it and spread it quite well.  Its thought to originate in the mississipi/ohio valley region due to the soil type.

Gets very tall up to 8 feet or so.  The tubers are very light beige on the outside and very pale on the inside and when I did the research it said they look like ginger which makes a ton of sense to me!

The tubers spread quite prolifically.  They are eaten both raw, sliced thin (salads) or steamed or boiled and mashed like a potato.  They contain inulin instead of starch.  This is not a readily accessible form of sugar for humans.  Thus with some people it may cause a bit of gas!  Quite nutritional with potential for ethanol production.  Can produce double the amount of sugar as the same quantity of corn or sugar beets.

It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in October, and the seeds ripen in November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies.

The plant prefers light (sandy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.  The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.  It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil.  The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Seed – sow in spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Harvest the tubers in late autumn or the winter and either replant the tubers immediately or store them in a cool but frost-free place and plant them out in early spring. Jerusalem artichoke is propagated by tubers, which should be planted as early as possible in the spring when the soil can be satisfactorily worked.

Tune in . . . → Read More: Episode 158 Listener Questions and Feedback]]> Today (for the first time in a long time) I take some listener questions and share feedback.  We even have a call.  As always you can reach my voicemail hotline at 502-230-1787.  You can call it anytime and rest assured if you don’t want it played on the air just let me know!

Tune in to hear questions and feedback regarding:

*What to co-plant for a high traffic area.  How to develop a seed mix to your area.  Some of clover’s limitations.

*Bottom watering.  How it works and why and when it should be used.  Some of my trials with it!

*Keeping starts in the soil cubes.  How long can they stay in there?

*If you fill your planting beds with compost can you mulch also with compost?

*Some questions about fencing and mob-grazing with goats and chickens.  What order?  What type of fence?

*How to find, prevent and get rid of snakes in the attic (like snakes on a plane but only scarier!).

*A listener calls in regarding the book Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living“>Urban Homesteading by Rachel Kaplan.

Most people who complain about pests and weeds do so because they failed to plan and to build their garden in a . . . → Read More: Episode 157 Resilient Gardens]]> On today’s show I talk about resilient gardens and just what - in my mind – constitutes a resilient garden.  Furthermore, what can you do to make your garden more resilient this year?

Most people who complain about pests and weeds do so because they failed to plan and to build their garden in a way that makes it resilient.

Permaculture principle - Creatively use and respond to change.  “Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be.”

A resilient garden should be able to stand up to anything.  There are certain devices and certain things that can be done but all in all a resilient garden has a combination of features that make it resistant or easily adaptable to change.  You don’t build a garden planning for any one thing but when you add some of these features you make it ready for anything.

Planning – is the key element when making a resilient garden but most people take the plan only to its best conclusion which is that I put things in at the right time and I get what I desire back out.  We have to account for loss in our plan as well.  So for me its always important to plant more than I think I need for redundancy’s sake.  I am very clumsy so I kill some plants just through error.  But you have to be a little bit paranoid and you have to see through the logical conclusions of certain actions.

Something that goes along with planning is timing.  Time things correctly!  No matter if you are planting around pest infestations, last frost or rain with perennials.  Take the time to think out what you are doing so you act at the appropriate time.

Polyculture – its commonly cited as a way to prevent pest.  On the Backwoods Home Radio interview I was on I spoke about how its like putting your plants in supermarket aisles.  This is bad for preventing predation obviously.  But also if a tree falls on your garden or part gets flooded you don’t lose all of one crop.

Diversity – Goes hand in hand with polyculture but also varying plantings makes a lot of sense.  But not just planting you are also drawing in wildlife.  People need to gain more faith in this realm but when you allow all types of life into your garden it will balance out.  You won’t have weeds or pests or anything.  IT WILL ALL WORK OUT IN THE END!

Insects and weeds are a good thing!

Choices – Picking the right plants or livestock varieties for your needs and conditions.  When there is a choice to plant something novel that is succeptible or something plain that is resistant always choose the plain thing!  Its better to have guaranteed results rather than uncertain ones.

Many people choose heirloom seeds because they have a history of lasting.  Hybrid seeds are cool but they don’t seem to be very resistant to me (other people may have different experiences).  I usually go with OP without regard for heirloom status.  I know of different people trying to bring back old heirlooms and are finding out why they became near extinct in the first place.  No resiliency!

When you know you are going to have a problem with something work around it.  I know I’m in deer and raccoon country so I can plant a ton of corn and let them eat it – or I can plant something like sunflowers.  Sunflowers won’t be eaten so easily and when the doves fly in September I’ll have my shotgun out.  I’m still constantly surprised by people who tell me that deer ate their corn and that they are going to try again next year.

I like fences and protections but these are almost always only mostly effective.  The deer only need to succeed one time and jump your fence to destroy your crop.

You should build the garden plan to resist anything but especially when you are aware of things you are more succeptible too you should also focus on those areas to get good results.

Involvement – A resilient garden is one that includes you and your family.  Being in the garden and seeing what is going on helps you more than anything adapt to the changes coming.  If you can’t see the change you can’t adjust.  It doesn’t mean you constantly have to be working on it.  Just observing.  When you see plants having a tough time make changes but more importantly find out and understand WHY they are having a tough time.

Inputs – Its not just about making sure your inputs are not coming from a store or having to be repurchased every year its about making sure they are the best to be resilient.  Saving seeds from your own stock means the seeds survived your conditions and neglect.  They are the best most adapted seeds to YOU.  Using fertilizer and pesticide does not make a resilient garden.

What is a naturalist? - Usually had a specific discipline – Frontiersman, explorer, then scientists, botanist, ornithologist, herpetologist, zoologist, etc.

With the internet we can all get a bit of each specific . . . → Read More: Episode 156 On Becoming a Naturalist]]> Today I give some of my thoughts on the historical context as well as my understanding of what it means to be a naturalist.

What is a naturalist? - Usually had a specific discipline – Frontiersman, explorer, then scientists, botanist, ornithologist, herpetologist, zoologist, etc.

With the internet we can all get a bit of each specific discipline so there is a real opportunity to form groups of people with broad skill sets.

More than anything they are observers and teachers.  They are the bridges between the natural world and the human one. They help people understand concepts that aren’t obvious.  They see between the lines.

They are also recorders – they keep detailed notes and pictures/drawings.  They are able to convey ideas.

Some well known “Naturalists”

John James Audubon – Born in French Haiti came to the US to avoid conscription into the French Napoleonic army.  The first to band birds – very ornithology centric.  Spent a lot of time in Kentucky – Louisville and then Henderson.  Very good hunter – commonly killed and posed the birds so he could draw and paint them.  Classic starving artist.

Darwin – HMS Beagle – Galapagos.  Never said survival of the strongest of fittest.  Said survival of the most adaptable.

Mendel – Genetics

Linnaeus – naming conventions

In Japan the naturalists were commonly the poets.  Basho and Issa are my favorites.

Basho

 At the ancient pond

A frog jumps into

The sound of water

Seen in plain daylight

the firefly’s just another

an insect

Issa

 In this world

We walk above hell

Gazing at flowers

This world of dew

is a world of dew

and yet…

What are some mental tools that will help us be better naturalists?

• Being thoughtful and observant (can sit still!).
• Ability to grasp higher concepts – not necessarily intelligence, more like instinct.
• Ability to teach and record and convey thoughts.
• Love of nature and all things natural.

What are some physically tools?

• A fast camera.
• Journal.
• Internet (well somewhat physical!).