What I used to condition my soil the organic way - Started to do (Back to Eden method in my garden) Working great!

in #gardening7 years ago (edited)

I also have a secret way to kill most garden disease! I will show at the end.

Back to Eden is a NO TILL method! I only use a pitch fork to put in soil. Work back and forth to loosen.
You do not want to till or you will kill worms, spread seeds and disturb natural soil conditions. Just loosen and add more chips every year that have been composted. No cedar chips.

I am still conditioning the soil atm with a lot of stuff so i'll list some of it.

-100% Worm castings - I have a worm farm.
-Homemade compost - Add lots of Comfrey leaves.
-Aloe vera powder on roots when planting for super strong roots
-Small amount of Epsom salt - Not directly on roots. Add early in season before planting preferably dissolved and diluted in good water.
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-Xtreme Gardening
RTI Xtreme Gardening 4402 Mykos, 2.2-Pound Bag -Bought on Amazon.

Mykos is a fast growing and beneficial fungi that connects many of the eneficial microbes in the soil to your plants. Not many people think of using another plant or fungi to feed existing plants. I use this and Comfrey to feed my garden and compost. The Mykos however cannot be added to a hot compost pile. Works great in a finished pile or in a pile of woodchips.

Made my own -( BIO-CHAR ) and conditioned the biochar for 30 days in a wheelbarrow using worm castings, compost and river water. I broke the biochar very small to pea size and mixed with other ingredients. Have to charge it for 30 days to inoculate it or it will take nutrients from the soil and rob your plants of nutrients if you don't. Do not add to garden until 30 days is over. Keep moist to allow beneficial microbes and good bacteria to form Some people use Molasses diluted in water to feed beneficial microbes and bacteria.

They say first year using Biochar will not be as good but each year after it gets better and better. I harvested a lot of my char from leftover unburned wood from my woodstove and also made some in an outside harvester using metal drums. Look up how to make Bio-char. Do not add lots of wood ash. Very little if any.

I also used:

-Azomite mineral powder - Amazon
-Calcium from egg shells crushed - Or bagged calcium
-Wood chips and shavings on top of soil - Do not till or mix in. Layer up over the years.

For the tomatoes: The end of the year I will be adding Bone meal and Blood meal. In the spring i'll be doing a lot of the same again but also adding more inoculated Biochar and Fish protein. Next years crop will be record breakers.

I recently ordered comfrey seeds and started some plants. They are super bio mass accumulators and draw nutients from 12 feet or more below the soil. Stuff that your normal plants cant reach. They store the good stuff in their leaves and release back to the soil when you cut them down. Harvest up to 3 or 4 times a year and let lay where you cut them or put around other plants. (Chop and drop) Read up on Comfrey, its one of the best overall plants you can have in permaculture. They are packed with everything your garden needs to grow. Not to mention they loosen the soil very very deep and helps to break up clay and compacted soil. It takes from the earth but gives back 10 fold to the plants and soil! A true garden super food!

I know everyones soil conditions are not the same. If you get the soil right for the plants in your area then everything else is easier. The plants are healthier, root systems stronger and they resist disease much better. Comfrey helps no matter where you live. As long as you can get it to grow in your area you will reap the benefits.

I also started using Borage plants to attract pollinators into my garden.

Things not to use:*

-Town tap water - Contains chlorine and other bad things. Will kill good bacteria and Microbes in soil.
-No Miracle grow sprays - Not beneficial long term and again kills all good stuff in the soil.
-No bag miracle soils - Always check ingredients. Be sure its organic. Better yet make your own!
-No Roundup or Monsanto Roundup ready crops - These are pesticides and GMO crops.

Now the secret--I also have something that no one else uses in defense of disease.

SilverLungs-Generator-Kit-lge.jpg

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I Bought a "Silver Lungs" ionic silver solution maker and produce my own silver on the spot. I use the silver solution to spray plants. Kills bad bacteria and disease no problem. Blight will be a thing of the past if you use silver solution and also pull all bottom leaves from your plants to keep soil from splashing on the leaves. The silver will not harm good bacteria or microbes in the soil and will not harm plants. I also make Colloidal silver to take myself to fight off colds and various other illnesses. Have to think ahead because someday there may be no available doctor.

OK one more thing--Diatomaceous earth or D.E. for short can be used in moderation to help keep plant pests away. D.E. is made up of Diatoms which are no more than ancient shells so small that they look like powder. All natural and will actually cut the exoskeleton of small insects to dry them out and kill them. D.E. will help in a pinch, however it has been reported that D.E. can possibly kill worms in the soil as well as beneficial bugs and bees. If using on plants be sure to use on leaves only and not flowers. If bees come in contact it will kill them. I have used it but in small amounts and placed correctly. Do not use on a windy day since it is a powder similar to talc and will blow easily. D.E. does not work when wet. I tend to shy away from using D.E. but use with caution if you must! Also use an old sock with D.E. in it to tap some out on plant leaves. I use an old baby powder bottle that I pop the top off of and fill. Works great. There are natural pest soaps and oils on the market that do a good job. Again you may want to research what is right for you.

Hope this article helps someone in some way!

Link to one of my small gardens (Back to Eden)
https://steemit.com/gardening/@saved4newlife/quick-update-on-the-tomatoes-in-the-back-to-Eden-garden

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Please UPVOTE, COMMENT and RESTEEM if this helped you at all. Thanks!

Check out my book giveaway!
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@saved4newlife/7-16-17-giveaway-contest-random-draw-for-foxfire-book-9-homestead-bushcraft-book-series-free-shipping

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Great tips! Will try these stuff. Followed.

Thanks. I'll follow you back! :)

Thanks for sharing! The colloidal silver sound like a great idea.

Thanks for taking the time to read! :)

Great post! Thanks for the tips 👍🏻

You are quite welcome! :)

I love the silver tip! It's the first I've heard of it.

I've got some comfrey growing around the property I work at, interspersed with clover and radish. They got started a little late in the season but I'm just looking for chop and drop cover crops at the moment. I'm hoping for two but will be happy with one harvest.

I've heard that comfrey spreads like crazy and can take over, have you had any problems with that, or does chopping and dropping before it goes to seed keep it from spreading?

Spreads fast and almost impossible to get rid of but why would anyone want to. Just keep cut down in an area you don't want and use it. If you must get rid of it build a hot compost pile on that area for a season or cover with black plastic. Let grow and spread in other areas and use the leaves in compost or around plants. Like I said if you plant at the right time you may get 3 to 4 cuttings off them. Late only a couple. Mine spreading slow atm but it will increase yearly.

Awesome, thank you! I'll make sure to update everyone how it goes for me

You can also take cuttings from the root systems to spread quicker if you want. Look up on You Tube about that!

Ohh, that's cool! I'll keep that in mind

Great post, I like that you included the colloidal silver. I have been making my own for years and use it for everything. I will be spraying my tomato plants tomorrow since I have a bit of blight starting. Great tips saved4newlife, you have a new follower too! Gardening is a passion of mine.

I must say, I've really only used it as a preventative solution and never tried it on full blown Blight. Not sure if it can reverse it in time but it should help stop spread of it. Oh another thing about blight. I hear that planting potatoes near your tomato plants will increase chances of blight. Not sure if that's true or not but something to consider. If Blight does get out of hand tear off blight leaves. If whole plant compromised then take out plant. Burn it or dispose of it in trash. Do not add to compost. Best of luck! Followed back!

Thank you so much for taking the time to add this extra info. I have never tried it on full blown blight either. We have had so much rain that many plants are being affected now. It is time for me to get busy thinning and pruning out leaves. thanks for your input

Anytime! :) Wish I had answers for too much water and blossom end rot but I don't. Well except for well draining soil.

I save my eggshells all winter long and grind them into powder as best I can. I add the shells at the bottom of my holes before planting my tomatoes and that has reduced blossom end rot for me. I have not had it in years.

Yep the calcium helps

Awesome! Yeah most people don't know it works really good. I only use a 20 PPM (Parts per million) solution. Not sure what you make. Thanks and hope it helps.

There's a lot of good information in this post. I haven't tried using wood chips for mulch or compost yet, it's hard for me to get wood chips that I would trust to put in my garden. If I had a chipper, I'd make my own.

Yes, making your own is best. You never know what is in store bought wood chips or mulch. They use a lot of things that should not be in a garden including coloring in the chips. Make sure to pile it up for awhile to start breaking down a bit first. They recommend not using fresh chips on the garden but to allow them to age a bit and start breaking down. You can also mix them in some compost to speed the process. I would also recommend getting some of the Mykos that I have listed in this article or some type of Mycorrhizal to add to the chips while they break down. The Mykos will spread out white veins throughout the entire pile and help to break it down quicker. Good luck!

Upvoted!
Love permaculture!!
Great advice! Can do it all without buying much off Amzn, but works more slowly!

About the colloidal silver...I'm sure it kills the bad, but the elements reaction is non-descrimantory (I'm pretty sure it kills both Good and Bad bacteria and microbial life....use only on plants with problems)
Peace!

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