More On Our Garden

I mentioned in the article below about our garden that we have no special soil mix. That is true, we have used only rabbit manure and compost mixed with a little cow manure. There is something that I wanted to mention, however, that we really want to try. In studying grass and grass farming I have come to understand that in America, farmers have spent decades "mining" the land. Our soils have become deficient in trace minerals and developed poor structure. (Read some of our other articles for more on microbes and bacteria etc). It has become evident that a piece of land can be sufficient in Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium yet still be deficient and unable to provide essential trace minerals to the animals or, eventually, us.

So, for our garden, although we have improved much with what we currently use, we have become increasingly interested in using kelp. Kelp has been used for centuries throughout the world. It is a rich, non-polluting source of natural organic minerals, containing over 60 minerals and elements, 21 amino acids, simple and complex carbs, and several plant growth hormones. All naturally. It never ceases to amaze me to think that God has provided all the things this earth needs for sustainability. Farmers of not so long ago understood this principle and practiced sustainability on their farms. The industrial revolution brought on the change into what we call farming now. Some would actually all it "mining".

Because of the plant structure of seaweed, which is different than land plants, they break down much more readily than the cellulose based land plants. Thus, kelp is an excellent source of organic matter due to it's rapid decomposition.

So we'd like to try some kelp on our raised beds. According to Fertrell, it won't take that much as our raised beds cover about 100 square feet. We'll keep you posted.

If you would like more information on kelp and the many benefits, look over on the side bar menu and click on the link to Fertrell's web site. Or, if you happen to be near Ozark county, Missouri, drop us an e-mail and we'd be glad to talk to you. (you may also click below).

www.fertrell.com
sppowers@iglide.net