In my last post, I talked briefly on the importance of good soil. It can be a controversial topic in America (organic vs. conventional farming, etc.), so I encourage you to do some research on your own to decide where you stand on the issue of what we put into our soil... and therefore into our foods, and into our bodies.
If you're like me and are interested in ways to enrich your home garden soil without the aid of synthetic or chemical fertilizers, here are some practical ways to do so.
COMPOSTING
{photo above: our home compost "center" made by my husband}
Composting is a great way to add organic matter into your soil. It also has other benefits, like making good use of kitchen scraps, fall leaves, and grass clipping that you'd usually have to find an alternative way of disposing.
How does composting work? Composting is "controlling the natural decay of organic matter by providing the right conditions for composting critters to convert yard trimmings into a product that can be returned to your landscape and garden. Tiny organisms (mainly bacteria, fungi and protozoa) break down garden and landscape trimmings in a moist, aerobic (oxygen demanding) environment. The final product in a dark, crumbly form of decomposed organic matter." (Clemson University Cooperative Extension, website linked below).
You don't have to have an ornate or robust compost bin or system for this to work. In fact, all you need to do is tend to the following "key components" as described by Dr. Julia Kornegay of NC State's Horticulture faculty:
1. Carbon/nitrogen relationship: Keep a carbon to nitrogen ratio between 25:1 and 30:1. You can achieve this desired ratio by keeping a 1:1 ratio of "brown" to "green" compost. Brown includes fall leaves, wood chips, shredded paper, & twigs. Green includes grass clippings, kitchen fruit & vegetable scraps, and weeds.
2. Air: turn your compost frequently to let air in.
3. Water: make sure compost receives sufficient water to keep compost moist.
4. Particle size: Shred or chip materials before adding them into your pile.
5. Temperature: Increase caused by active microbial decomposition of organic matter. A proper carbon to nitrogen ratio will keep temperatures high and kill off pathogens.
Composting can be applied as a solid or a compost tea can be created if you have a limited supply of compost. {Check out this great video on how to make compost tea here!}
ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Animal manure is nature's fertilizer. Before the advent of synthetic fertilizers, farmers and gardeners used animal manure to enhance crop fertility and soil quality. It's important to use only dropping from plant-eating animals (no carnivores!).
If you're not into keeping animals around for their manure - or that's just impossible in the apartment complex you live in - you can purchase organic fertilizers from your local gardening supply store.
VERMICULTURE (aka vermicomposting)
Vermiculture is a great option if you don't have much space. It's essentially a mix of composting & manure: you allow earthworms to feed on your compost and break it down for you. Fun fact: "Worms consume up to 50 percent of their own body weight in food each day," according to an article by Jennifer Pocock on "How Vermicomposting Works." That yields a lot of ready to use compost!
{photo by Anthony Masterson / Getty Images, taken from this online article: http://home.howstuffworks.com/vermicomposting.htm}
CROP ROTATION
Monoculture is bad for the soil. Planting ONLY one crop in the same plot of land, over and over again, depletes the soil of nutrients.
I've been so inspired by reading some of Klaas Martens' story in Dan Barber's The Third Plate. Klaas is an organic grain farmer in Pen Yan, NY. He says, "The secret to great-tasting wheat is that it's not about the wheat. It's about the soil." And what is one major way he rejuvenates his soil? Crop rotation.
Even though he is farming wheat, he's planting cover crops, legumes (to fix nitrogen), rye to suppress weeds, and more. The goal is to create a home in the soil in which his wheat can thrive. Read more about his story in this brief New York Times article by Dan Barber: "What Farm-to-Table Got Wrong."
COVER CROPS
Cover crops, like alfalfa, clover, or hairy vetch. These can be grown in your garden bed or field in the off-season. Plant them in the fall and then till into the soil in early spring.
WOOD ASH
Wood Ash from a fire pit or fireplace can be added to your soil to add nutrients and absorb toxins, according to gardening advisor Karen Thurber. Wood ash will also raise the soil pH, so can be used as an amendment to adjust your pH.
I hope you'll be able to utilize some of these methods in your home garden to enrich your soil without the use of chemicals!
Links / Sources:
Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center: "Composting" http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/compost_mulch/hgic1600.html
"Enrich Garden Soil in 4 Ways" by Karen Thurber
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/enrich-garden-soil-in-4-ways#b
"How Vermicomposting Works" by Jennifer Pocock
http://home.howstuffworks.com/vermicomposting.htm
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