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Remineralizing garden soil with rock dust for long term fertility is an inexpensive and simple way to improve both plant health and environmental sustainability. It mimics nature’s method for creating fertile soil – glaciers crush rocks, wind disperses fragments across land masses and microorganisms break them down into humus-rich materials. Remineralization goes one step further in treating nutrient deficiency by providing mineral “spark plugs.” This transforms healthy soil into an efficient engine capable of cycling nutrients efficiently. Minerals Rock dust, made from finely crushed rock material, provides an effective natural way to increase soil fertility. It supplies essential minerals essential …

Wood chip garden paths offer many practical and ecological advantages, from effective weed suppression to improved moisture retention. Furthermore, they enhance soil health while offering an enjoyable surface to walk on during inclement weather. Wood chips have an effective porous structure that absorbs rainfall and irrigation water like a sponge, slowly releasing it back into the surrounding soil over time to significantly decrease evaporation and provide consistent moisture levels for vegetables plants. Fungal Life Fungi are essential wood decomposers that recycle organic matter into food for other plants and animals in the forest ecosystem. Fungi decompose dead trees and plants …

Hedges provide shelter and add a distinct tone of green to a landscape, providing wildlife shelter. Lupine plants bloom with rows of blue-purple pea-like flowers in spring that deer can’t touch; mahonias produce orange and red colors in fall as year-round foliage; while silver lupine has unique leaf shapes. What to Plant No matter if you are replacing paving, installing a privacy hedge, filling in an empty spot or expanding a wildflower field; multifunctional native hedgerows offer numerous benefits for people, birds and wildlife alike. When designing one for yourself it is essential that your goals for its installation are …

Johnson su composting stands apart from traditional windrow and pile composting by creating an organism-rich compost that contains microorganisms to inoculate the soil with and help plants improve soil health, sequester carbon and increase yields. Compost builds up slowly over a year in an aerobic process and should maintain 70% moisture. High fungal content The Johnson-Su composting bioreactor offers farmers a simple and inexpensive solution for improving soil health while decreasing reliance on chemical fertilisers. It uses finely chopped woody material as fuel for feeding fungi that transform organic matter into stable humus – this allows soils to sequester carbon …

Soil compaction is an issue affecting many gardens, lawns and agricultural areas. It limits root development while decreasing water infiltration rates. Foot traffic and heavy equipment use are two primary contributors to soil compaction, while tilling can aggravate this situation by compacting mineral particles tightly together and compacting the ground surface. Organic matter helps ease compaction by binding together individual particles within the soil matrix. Core aeration Clumpy and gravelly soil that characterizes garden areas that see high foot or vehicle traffic may be the result of soil compaction. A simple soil test can reveal this issue and it may …

Chopping and dropping is an effective, zero-waste way of building healthy soil. By recycling prunings, weeds, and grass clippings back into the garden ecosystem, this method allows for optimal plant health. Regenerative and syntropic practices like mulching can enhance soil health, retain moisture levels, inhibit weed growth and decrease fertilizer requirements – making a natural lawn care regime that benefits both people and planet a more achievable goal. Soil Health Chop and drop mulching enables gardeners to take advantage of nature’s nutrient cycle by recycling organic matter back to the soil, like nature does with grass clippings. It’s an evocative …

Beneficial insect habitat planting offers an alternative to physical pest controls like netting, fencing and traps. By planting perennial flowers like tansy leaf, buckwheat and others in field margins that bloom periodically over time can increase parasite populations that feed upon crop pests while providing alternate food sources. Goal of this exercise: creating a self-regulating ecosystem through attracting predatory insects that keep pest populations under control. Diversity Beneficial insect habitat plantings should include an array of resources designed to attract various kinds of insects. These might include alternative food sources (like flowers that attract aphids), shelter from wind and sun, …

Water harvesting with rain barrels is an effective way to lower water bills, protect groundwater sources, and create a resilient garden – all while decreasing reliance on drought-strained municipal systems. Be sure to install first-flush diverters so as to wash away feces and contaminants before filling your barrels with water. Slow, deep irrigation is preferable over frequent shallow irrigation for maximum effectiveness and ease of use. How much water do I need? An inexpensive rain barrel setup can save a great deal of money in your garden, but harvesting the liquid gold of the sky requires much more than simply …

Polyculture gardens are composed of different plants that are planted together to increase food harvests while requiring less maintenance than growing vegetables in long rows. They mimic nature’s plant guilds. When starting this type of garden, use the guidelines for square foot gardening as your starting point. Consider adding flowering plants like sweet alyssum, marigolds and nasturtiums as pollinators plants for added benefit. Vegetables Polyculture perennial vegetable gardens provide an easy solution for home gardeners or small market or orchard gardens looking to extend the growing season and increase fresh food supply in late fall and spring. Permaculture plant guild …

Rain barrel water harvesting can be an effective way to save money on water bills, reduce reliance on groundwater supplies and lessen drought vulnerability. But there are certain risk factors you must keep in mind before beginning this endeavor. Avoid plastics like PVC and polystyrene (recycling numbers 3 and 6, respectively), and make sure your barrel features a screen to keep mosquitoes at bay. How to Install Reviving past traditions by collecting rainwater into barrels, ponds or cisterns allows families to conserve this essential resource while decreasing dependence on municipal supplies while creating more resilient gardens that can weather drought …

Fallen leaves are an invaluable asset to any garden, offering mulch as a solution to suppressing weeds, improving soil texture and increasing fertility over time. Leaf mold differs from compost in that its transformation occurs via slow “cold” fungal breakdown. As a result, it’s ideal for improving clay soils while holding onto moisture in sandy ones; mulching perennials and roses; and mixing into seed-start mixes. How to Make Leaf Mold Nature has provided gardeners with an incredible natural resource: dark brown, earthy leaf mold. A wonderful natural mulch, soil amendment and potting mix; low in nutrients so as not to …

Cover crops at their most beneficial when in bloom are at their height. Sugars, energy and nutrients are transferred back into the soil; but if a cover crop goes to seed it loses this function. Legumes contribute to soil health by adding nitrogen through their roots, and by producing mycorrhizal fungi that assist plants with taking in nutrients more easily. Buckwheat Buckwheat is an ideal summer cover crop to help restore and refresh soil between vegetable crops, adding organic matter while suppressing weeds and protecting the soil for as long as two months between crop cycles. Buckwheat requires minimal fertilizer …

JADAM promotes ultra-low cost agriculture by teaching farmers to make their own inputs at lower costs than commercial products. JADAM utilizes local resources and uses effective, eco-friendly techniques that respect ecological systems. Food scraps or wild grass clippings provide us with all of the ingredients to create JADAM liquid fertilizers – and making your own is simple! Soil Health Assembling the necessary agricultural inputs is key to your garden’s success. No matter your level of experience as a grower or newcomer, understanding soil health and organic fertilizers is critical to successful gardening. Soil health (also called soil quality) is a …

Korean Natural Farming (KNF) offers an alternative growing method to those looking to reduce toxic chemical usage in their fields, by employing fermented plant inputs like FPJ and LAB made with indigenous microorganisms from your area and local plants that help increase nutrient availability, improve soil structure, and foster healthier plant growth. KNF homemade fertilizer features fermented plant juice made with brown sugar and local plants (such as mugwort or seaweed). Here’s how to create it. Fish Amino Acid Fish Amino Acid (FAA) is an organic liquid fertilizer packed with proteins and other vital nutrients for improved plant health, made …

To create your own mycorrhizal inoculum, combine spores and viable hyphae in a dilute compost or vermiculite mixture. Do not apply fungicides after inoculation until mycorrhizae have established themselves. To achieve optimal results, select field soil that has not been utilized within two years for growing crops that will be inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi – this ensures that an ecosystem-friendly mix will exist. Boosts Root Growth Mycorrhizal fungi can be an invaluable ally to gardeners looking to cultivate healthy and robust vegetable gardens. By improving above and belowground growth by increasing nutrient uptake, drought tolerance, and disease resistance benefits such …