Building a Healthy Soil: Basic Gardening Series #3

Understanding the Need for Organic Matter

Browse the products in a seed catalog, attend a garden expo, or visit your local nursery and you will see endless products that claim to build your soil or guarantee a bountiful, healthy garden. Then add all the tips and tactics available to you on the internet and it suddenly becomes overhelming.  What works?  What doesn't work?  What do plants really want?

Plants want uninterrupted growth from the time the seed germinates until harvest.  A gardener does that by trying to meet all a plants needs.  That includes water, light, temperature, and nutrients, and protecting plants from anything that interrupts growth like pests, disease, weather, or moisture fluctuations.

Sounds simple yet it can be challenging for even that most experienced gardener.  So where do you start and focus your efforts to ensure uninterrupted growth.  I believe you focus first on building your soil. 

Cauliflower, onions, and celery

If you have chosen a good garden site and built your raised beds  you are ready to add the soil. 



Your Garden Soil
A healthy soil is the key component of an organic gardener.  If you take care of your soil; soil biology takes care of your plants.  Soil is much more than dirt.  It is composed of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and is teeming with life.  This soil life is critical to the organic gardener.  

Organic matter is critical to a healthy soil life.  Healthy bacteria and fungi are decomposers and organic matter is on the menu.  Garden soils should have 4%-10% organic matter.  Organic matter feeds the microbes and the microbes make nutrients available to the plant.  Increasing organic matter creates a living soil capable of supporting the demands of your plants. 

  Utah soils, where I live, have less than 2 % organic matter and are extremely compacted.  Soils with higher levels of organic matter still need to have organic matter replaced because they are continually broken down by microorganism.  A healthy soil life means a healthy, happy plants.

What is organic matter?Organic matter is the poster child of organic gardening. Organic matter comes from living materials, such as manures and plant material, that are decomposed.  Organic material is not the same as organic material.  Organic materials are  not decomposed such as straw, manure, grass clippings etc. and should first be put in the compost pile.  

There are 3 types of organic matter:
1.  Compost which is decomposed plant materials and manure
2.  Aged manures 
3.  Cover crops which are specific crops grown then turned into the soil. They are selected with a specific goal in mind and generally planted in late summer or fall.

My pumpkin patch

Organic matter can be added to your garden in four ways:
1.  In the fall after the beds are cleaned out the soil can be covered with 1-2 " of compost or aged manure.

2.  In the spring when you are preparing your beds.  

3.  Compost can be added to the planting holes of transplants. 

4.  Used as a mulch on the surfacewhen seedlings come up.  

If you have already been building your soil you can just add the compost to the surface but if you are just starting out then you will need to work the compost 6-8 inches into the soil.  Also if you have a raised bed or area that is not performing well then work the compost 6-8 inches into the soil.   In raised beds, a shovel or broad fork works great.  If you are planting in the ground then roto-tilling compost may be necessary for the first couple of years. 

Organic Fertilizers

Organic matter does not take the place of using an organic fertilizer.  Compost and manures do have nutrients but not a guaranteed analysis so using an organic fertilizer is recommended.

What is Organic Fertilizer?
Dry organic fertilizers include meals such as:  blood meal, bone meal, cottonseed meal, kelp meal, bat guano,  or alfalfa meal.  Premixed organic fertilizers are available or mix your own. These dry organic fertilizers provide the major nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium plus some trace minerals with the help of microbes.  Azomite or green sand are both good sources of trace minerals and soil conditioners.  

Organic fertilizer is food for microorganisms.  The microorganisms in turn supply the plants with needed nutrients.  This is a very simplified version of this amazing relationship between the soil food web and your crops.

Three ways to add a dry fertilizer:

1. Broadcast the fertilizer on top of the soil along with your compost and work it into the bed with a shovel.

2. Broadcast the fertilizer over the raised bed and covered it with 1-2 inches of compost.  

3. A very small handful can be added to transplanting holes along with compost.  For plants that are direct seeded and heavy feeders such as pumpkins, squash, and melons you can dig a hole add compost and small handful of fertilizer fill the hole in and plant your seeds.  Extra compost and fertilizer will be down in the root zone as the plant grows.

Liquid Organic Fertilizers

Liquid fertilizers are faster acting than a dry fertilizer.  Since the soil needs to warm before microbes become active, liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion and sea kelp help fill in the gap.

Amaranth

Liquid fertilizers can also be used at important growing cycles such as when you transplant or true leaves appear, when buds breaks, and when fruit first starts to appear.  

Fish emulsion is mixed in a watering can  2 Tbs/ gallon and applied around the root zone.  It's fine to wet the leaves

Sea kelp is used more as a foliar spray meaning it can be mixed in a sprayer and applied directly on the leaves.  

It's important to remember that organic fertilizer without organic matter does not build your soil structure and should be used along with adding organic matter.

So the best way to build soil is to add organic matter on a regular basis.  Expensive products that promise amazing results while they may be useful are not going to do much to change your soil without organic matter.  

Healthy soil has a healthy soil food web and a good soil structure (the way soil particles are bound together to create pores for air, water, and roots to penetrate)  Both of these goals can be  accomplished by simply adding organic matter.  

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Hedgerows, Shelterbelts, and Wind

The Wind

 There are 3 common challenges to New Harmony gardeners:  wind, weeds, and wildlife.  Perhaps you share these same challenges in your location.  This post will address wind issues.  It is not uncommon for those moving into our area to build a beautiful raised bed garden only to be discouraged by pitiful harvests.  The wind is one culprit that perhaps is not given enough consideration when planning the garden.

This is a natural windbreak of Gambrel oaks on the south side of one garden. Wind is not all bad at low speeds.  Low wind speeds (less than three to five) actually have a positive effect on plants.  It encourages the plant to develop thicker and strong stems. Unfortunately as wind speed increased plant development is slowed, growth is restricted, and the form of the plant can be altered all of which will result in pitiful
Sustained high winds actually change the growth and development of the plant. The stress of wind results in smaller plants with shorter internodes, smaller leaf area, and thicker stems. And this of course will result in pitiful discouraging harvests.
Wind damages delicate petals on ornamental plants
Other effects of wind in the garden:
water evaporates from the soil more quickly drying out the surface
Petals of delicate flowers can be blown off Wind can damage flowers pistol and stamen and make pollination difficult.
Butterflies and bees avoid flying in windy conditions
Tall profile plants can be blown over damaging stems
High winds can damage roots by dislodging them

• Strong winds cause excessive water loss from plants through transpiration

• In prolonged winds the stomata close to limit loss of water.  This decreases photosynthesis. 

• Fruit rubs on other branches, canes, or stems and is damaged 

 

You can take advantage of the natural land contours and landscape.  This garden has a dike on one side, a grove of Gambrel oak on the south and native shrubs and junipers on the north side.

How a wind break works:

As the wind approaches the barrier, it is carried up and over the barrier.  Wind speeds behind the barrier are reduced and crops are protected.

The height of the wind barrier will determine the distance from the barrier where wind speed will be reduced. Maximum wind speed reduction occurs from 5 to 8 times the height of the wind break.  So a hedgerow of 8 feet will reduce wind from 40 to 64 ft from the break.  (University of Nebraska)

The degree of wind reduction will depend on the type of windbreak. Within the sheltered area you can have microclimates which result in warmer air and soil temperatures. (University of Nebraska)

Even a small open fence with shrubs on one side offers wind shelter.

Garden Walls and Fences


When choosing fencing material, choose material that allows for some airflow.  A solid wall creates turbulence in the air current while a non solid wall slows wind speed without creating extra currents.  There are numerous options.  Even burlap stretched over wire will slow wind speed.
 

A living wall can shelter a porch as well as a garden.  Honeysuckle can be trained on a trellis or wire fence around the garden.  It grows very thick, bumble bees love it, and it smells incredible.

A Living Wall or Windbreak

Hedgerows are generally shrubs grown close together.  A shelterbelt consists of one or more rows of trees and shrubs designed to offer protection.  

A living wall offers the added benefits of erosion control, wildlife habitat, food and shelters for pollinators, privacy, ornamental appeal, and privacy.  

Living wall can include edibles that will give variety to your harvests.

Keep in that living walls need to be irrigated, weeded, pruned, and maintained. If you do not want another area to take care of then build a fence or wall.





Things to Consider:

• Vegetables need early spring protection so consider using evergreens
•  Use a variety of species rather than one species.  This provides habitat for beneficial insects, pollinators, and reduces risks of a single pest or disease causing problems.
• Food crops can be used as windbreaks.  3-4 rows of corn or sunflowers can shield fall crops.  Grains can shelter early spring crops.

Silver queen corn is 6-7 feet tall and can shelter low growing ground crops.

 Suggested plantings for wind breaks:

Evergreens:

Blue Spruce:  Beautiful tall growing evergreen.  Branches to the ground with blue green needles.
Slow growing.

Austrian Pine:  Fast growing long needled pine. 

Eastern Red Cedar:  Very good wind break thick and bushy

Rocky Mountain Juniper

Broadleaf Trees:

Big Tooth Maple:  Native to Utah. Can be bushy or tree like with good fall color

Siouxland Popular:  This is a cottonless cottonwood very good for windbreaks.

American Plum: Medium to tall shrub great for windbreaks.  Loved by songbirds and animals for nesting and bedding. Fruit can be eaten fresh or processed into jellies. 

Crabapples:

Beautiful flowering small tree.

 



Shrubs:

 Coneaster:  Small pink flowers, black berries, and fall color
Siberian Peashrub:  Great for shelter-belts both cold and drought tolerant.  Locust like leaves with yellow flowers.
 Common Lilac:  Beautiful purple flowers.  Can grow very large a great choice in a shelter-belt.  It does sucker.

One of my favorite flowering shrubs, lilac.  Heavenly smell and beautiful blooms.

Serviceberry:  A native shrub.  Irregular shape with red fruit and white flowers.  
Chokecherry
American Cranberry:  White flowers red berries.  Birds love the berries.
Elderberry:  Beautiful umbrella flowers.  Deep purple almost black berries.  Flowers and berries both have medicinal purposes.  Birds love these berries.  It does sucker and needs pruning.

Elderberries a beautiful tall shrub that will sucker.

The flowers are incredibly beautiful and medicinal.  The berries are deep purple and loved by birds.  They can also be made in syrup, jelly, and medicinal concoctions.  These shrubs produce enough berries for you and the wildlife.

Jostaberry

Jostaberry is an easy care beautiful flowering shrub with edible berries.  It makes the best jelly.

Gooseberry

Gooseberries are a small shrub very thorny and left allow by deer.  The fruit can be made into desserts and jam but it is unpleasant to pick because of the thorns.

Oakleaf Sumac
 Pomegranate:  If you live in zones 7-10 pomegranates are an option for edible shelter belts  

T

 Pomegranate Jelly

  

Spring Cool Crops

Think greens for spring!  Some of the "super" foods of  nutrition are among the crops you can plant in early spring. To have a successful spring garden plan and prepare now.   These cool season crops have certain common characteristics.

A bed of peas, carrots, beets, cabbage, and broccoli.

Characteristics of Cool Season Crops:

• Seeds from cool season crops germinate when soil temperatures are between 40-75 degrees.  
• They tolerate light frosts
•  A frost actually improves the flavor and sweetens up most greens.
• The ideal temperature for vegetative growth is 60-65 degrees.  (Vegetative growth is green leaf growth)
• Warm temperatures stimulate reproductive growth or the development of flowers and seed.  Chemicals that help in the development of flowers often produce a bitter taste in greens.
• Many are biennials meaning they need two seasons to produce seed.
• Not fond of warm temperatures and tend to bolt or get aphids in the summer

Cool Season Crops to Direct Seed in the Garden:

 Peas, Carrots, Beets, Onions Sets, Radishes, Cilantro,
rutabagas, collards, oriental greens

Cool Season Crops to Transplant or Start Indoors:

 Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale, onions, leeks

All of these can be seeded directly into the garden or started indoors or put in as transplants.  If you start seeds indoors it needs to be 6-8 weeks before your average last frost date.

New Harmony's Last Frost Date

May 11th or Mother's Day

Use the link below to determine your average last frost date:

Average Last Frost Date

When To Plant:

Soil temperature is the determining factor for when to begin planting.  Most seed packets tell you the ideal soil temperature for germination.  With cool season crops that is between 40-75 degrees. To find soil temperature go outside in the afternoon and stick a regular thermometer a few inches in the ground.  Below is the schedule I use.  I'm in zone 6.  Springs are fairly fickle so have a way to protect your crops or delay planting until the soil warms up.


Spring Planting Schedule for New Harmony, Utah:

All these dates are dependent on weather conditions.  If the soil has not warmed and dried out hold off on planting.

Valentine's Day:  Start seeds indoors of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, leeks, peppers

St Patrick's Day:  Start indoors tomatoes, annual flowers, lettuce, greens, kale, Swiss chard

April Fool's Day:  Direct seed peas, spinach, and kale 

April 15th or Tax Day:  Plant transplants of broccoli, kale, char, cauliflower, lettuce, and cabbage. Direst seed carrots an beets. I plant under a low tunnel.  Have some sort of protection like a row cover or something in case it gets too cold.  These crops can stand a light frost.


(Of course if your soil has not warmed up then postpone planting)

Chard and Kale in the Spring Garden.

Enjoy some pictures of spring crops and pick some you want to try. Delicious and healthy! Check out the posts on individual crops.

Orange Fantasia Chard

Cardinal Chard

Bed of Chard including White Fordhook