Organic Gardening the poor mans Hydroponics using the Mittleider Method

What is the Mittleider Method?

2008-08-12T04:17:00.000-07:00

The Mittleider Method combines the best features of soil-based gardening and hydroponic gardening, but without hydroponic expense! It's a complete, easy-to-follow plan that eliminates guesswork and ensures success anywhere: an apartment patio, a city yard, a country lot, or a farm.

The method is based on maximum utilization of space, time, and resources. Crops are large because plants are close together, nourished by supplemental feedings of natural mineral nutrients (as in hydroponics), but with no special equipment.

Also, unlike hydroponics, the Mittleider Method gives plants access to the natural soil for nutrients as yet unknown or that, while not essential to plant growth, are useful in human nutrition. You can use the Mittleider Method by raising crops in either soil-beds or grow-boxes.

Extending Your Growing Season - Both Spring & Fall

2008-08-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

Author: Jim Kennard

Today I want to assist many of you who are wondering how to extend your growing season for a few more weeks. For some it may be too late, as in high elevations like Randolph, Utah, where it was below freezing more than one night in August, but most of the lower elevations in Utah and around the country are still frost-free as I’m writing this article.

How can you deal with the special challenges of living in colder climates? Several difficult weather conditions make successful vegetable gardening an “iffy” proposition, unless you learn how to protect your plants against them. The Mittleider gardening books, available at www.foodforeveryone.org, are excellent sources of information on this topic. Let’s discuss briefly what these challenges are, and how you can successfully mitigate their negative effects.

First off, many places have late spring frosts, which keep us from getting started in our gardens – often until mid or late May. Second, many of us have strong winds throughout the growing season that buffet our plants and dry everything out. Third, others of us face the scarcity and cost of water. And finally, we often have early crop-killing frosts, usually followed by several weeks of mild weather that could support continued growth and harvesting.

So how do you handle the shorter growing season with unseasonable frosts, the constant drying winds, and the lack of water? Let’s deal with the wind first, since the solution to that also helps reduce the other problems. To protect your garden’s tender plants, build solid fences or plant trees and shrubs between your garden and the prevailing winds - but put them far enough away that you do not shade your garden! Always remember that growing vegetables need direct sunshine all day long. This means that you also want to place your shade trees so as to leave the garden in full sun.

Some of you do container gardening, or raised boxes. When these are subjected to hot winds they are difficult to keep cool and moist. Consider either larger Grow-Boxes - we recommend 18” or 4' wide and up to 30' in length - or growing in the regular soil. Remember that Dr. Jacob Mittleider promises “a great garden in any soil, in almost any climate.”

Next is watering. You will save ½ or more on your water usage by following these procedures. And it’s amazing how much heat and wind plants can handle if they are properly fed and watered. First, make certain your Grow-Boxes or raised Soil-Beds are accurately leveled, and that Soil-Beds have a 4” ridge around them. Then apply 1” of water right at the soil surface (not by sprinkling!) before your soil becomes the least bit dry – even every day in the heat of summer if needed. This will place the precious water right at the plant roots, and waste none. Finally, automating your watering using ¾” PVC pipes, with 3 tiny #57 holes every 4”, will make watering fast, easy, and efficient.

Extending your growing season is accomplished in two ways. Next February and March we’ll discuss the first, which is how to grow healthy seedlings in a protected environment and transplant them into the garden after the danger of frost is past. The second thing you can do, even right now if frost hasn’t already killed your garden, is to make "Mini-Greenhouses" for covering your plants. By themselves they are good, but with a small heat source they can extend your growing season in both Spring and Fall even more, often by 4-6 weeks.

Use PVC pipe, bent in a capital “A” shape, but with a 6” flat top, to fit your bed or box, and covered with 4 or 6 mil greenhouse plastic. This provides some protection against frost at night, and will warm the plants on cold days. Cover the edges with dirt all around when frost threatens, and open up when it gets warm. More details are at www.foodforeveryone.org in the Gardening Techniques and FAQ sections. © 2006 - James B. Kennard

Jim Kennard, President of Food For Everyone Foundation, has a wealth of teaching and gardening training and experience upon which to draw in helping the Foundation "Teach the world to grow food one family at a time." Jim has been a Mittleider gardener for the past twenty nine years; he is a Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor, and has taught classes and worked one-on-one with Dr. Jacob Mittleider on several humanitarian gardening training projects in the USA and abroad. He has conducted projects in Armenia, America, Madagascar, and Turkey by himself. He assists gardeners all over the world from the http://www.foodforeveryone.org website FAQ pages and free Gardening Group, and grows a large demonstration garden at Utah's Hogle Zoo in his spare time.

Gardening Books, CDs and Software are available at http://www.foodforeveryone.org

Cost of automated watering system

2008-08-08T04:09:00.000-07:00

Q. I'm planning to install the automated watering system for my 18 raised Grow-Boxes. I thought it was supposed to be inexpensive, but I'm nearing $300 for the PVC and fittings so far. Maybe I'm buying the wrong things. Can you give me the detailed list of what I need, and an estimate of what my 18 bed watering system should cost?

A. In Salt Lake City, Utah I would pay approximately the following for 18 beds, including risers from a main line. I have not included the cost of your main line to the garden, since I don't have any facts.

18 - 3/4" T with Riser side threaded - - - - - - - - - - - $ 13
54 - Male threaded adapters - glue to pipe ends - - - 25
18 - Sch 200 pipe for risers 1' each - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
18 - Slip/thread elbows - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
18 - 1 1/2" nipples - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
18 - Plastic threaded ball valve - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
54 - 10'-long 3/4" Sch 200 PVC pipe - - - - - - - - - - - 60
36 - slip/slip connectors to make 30' lengths - - - - - 9
18 - threaded end caps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9

Total - approximately $202.

This represents a 20 year investment of $10 per year, which is less than 6 cents per day of a 6 month growing season. It will will save you money every day for 20 years on water, plus the time required for watering, and it will make the water distribution more accurate and effective. We consider it a very inexpensive investment, with a high rate of return.

Have you ever considered growing your own food?

2008-08-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

”Are you kidding?? Why would I even think about growing a garden? I’m much too busy earning a living!” Let me give you a few reasons you SHOULD consider starting a garden: • Diesel costs $4 per gallon – Delivering your food is now twice as expensive. • Wheat costs $26/bushel ($3 in 2002) – and supplies are the lowest in 60 years. • Some fertilizers cost 6 times more than they did only 3-4 years ago. • The dollar is weaker against foreign currencies than it has ever been, which means everything from other countries costs much more than it did even last year. Now that I have your attention I’ll introduce you to a gardening method that REALLY makes sense – even for the busy working man or woman. We’ve searched the world for the ONE method that guarantees success beyond anything you’ve ever seen. And it’s so simple a child can do it! Our FREE ebook shows you how. You’ll learn how to grow a GREAT garden in ANY soil, without soil amendments! The complete Mittleider Gardening Basics Course is FREE at www.growfood.com. You’ll also find a FREE Gardening Group, FREE greenhouse plans and automatic watering system plans, and a FREE FAQ section that contains more than 400 short articles answering your important gardening questions. With the Mittleider Method you will: • Grow healthy, delicious vegetables & fruit like NEVER before. • Increase your yields as much as 5 to 10 times traditional methods. • Use about ½ the water of other gardening methods. • Enjoy a weed-free garden without problems with bugs and diseases. • Grow a highly successful garden in any soil, and in virtually any climate. • And do it all without using harmful pesticides & herbicides. “How – and why – would you do this”, you’re asking. • We’re a non-profit Foundation with all volunteer staff. • Our mission is to teach the best gardening methods to people everywhere. • Some people end up buying the great gardening books, software, & CD’s. • Generous people care enough to assist us by donating to the Foundation. You can also become an Affiliate for FREE and receive 40% of all sales. Go to www.howtoorganicgarden.com and click on Affiliates. Help us spread this gardening knowledge – Donate at www.foodforeveryone.org

Companion planting yes or no?

2008-08-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is actually a never ending debate among the scientific
community and the biodynamic gardening community. The biodynamic
gardening is based on some "bad science" especially with the
"sensitive crystallization method".

However, there is a type of "companion planting" done on large farms called no-till farming. This technique has become popular in recent years and is being used around here for the sorghum and grain crops. However no-till is planting in the residue of the last crop and not doing the traditional tilling of the land. This is different that the companion planting you are referring to.

The farmers here are for the most part highly educated with bachelors
and master degrees and keep up with the latest research, and none of
them utilize companion planting except "no-till".

I have never seen a lot of scientific studies that have really studied this technique but have personally tried it a few times myself and was not impressed with the results. The last time was two years ago when I tried doing the three sisters approach. Actually the corn did good but the beans and squash were nothing to write home about.

I am sure that Mittleider studied the technique thoroughly and came to the conclusion it was not useful and actually detrimental as I experienced.

I could not consider the article you posted as a "Well Researched Article" but it is a very well done general introduction of companion planting. I enjoyed reading it myself. Please refer to this article for what a "research article" is.
http://www.lib. utexas.edu/ lsl/help/ modules/research .html

Below is an article of a study that a student did for her masters degree She did a two year study of companion planting with potatoes. This is a summary article and of course not a research article. There is not a research article cited. However, it is interesting reading.
http://www.organica gcentre.ca/ ResearchDatabase /res_cpb_ companion_ tara.asp

This is an article from Cornell.
http://www.gardenin g.cornell. edu/factsheets/ ecogardening/ complant. html

Soil amendments Needed Yes or NO?

2008-08-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, My name is Tom and I live in central California in the
foothills ..I have been trying to grow a garden for several years only
to end up with nothing for my effort. I have decomposed granite for
soil and it will not grow anything except weeds. I can't even get fruit
trees to grow. I need some help, Please. The area where I want the
garden is in full sun all day, its 20 x 40 ft. All I have been able to
put in the ground is rabbit and steer manure in the past. I'm just
finding out about using other soil amendments. I would welcome some
input as I really need to raise some food. If it is allowed you may
contact me at (. Thank You

Tom: I assisted Dr. Mittleider create a large highly successful teaching and demonstration garden at the Adventist school named Weimar, 50 miles East of Sacramento, in a location where we had to use pick-axes to plant our tomatoes.

We used NO soil amendments. The folks there had previously been paying to have horse manure delivered, and paying to have pine needles taken away. Dr. Mittleider had the unused horse manure removed and used the pine needles (chopped up with a hammer mill) to grow healthy seedlings.

You can have a very successful garden in your soil simply by eliminating the weeds and then using the Mittleider Magic nutrients and watering regularly. We promise the world "a great garden in any soil (without soil amendments)" .

Jim Kennard
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Earwigs and Grasshappers

2008-07-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hi from Gede & Darsi in Bali
We've written before about grasshoppers - catch them, blender with water, strain and spray the affected area - we didn't have problem again for over a year - even through rainy season. It's easy and effective - from a Permaculture friend. Why not try with earwigs - we don't have a problem in the garden but do around the house - so you've given me a new idea to try itl!!
Gede & Darsi

Darsi
"Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."
Kenyan proverb

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Mittleider gardening classes

2008-07-18T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi all...me again with questions.

Are there ever classes taught on this method? I'd never heard of this
until I read a blog belonging to another Idahoan who does it
successfully. I think this is a wonderful gardening method, one I am
transforming my garden with!

Beth

Beth & Group:

We are only able to teach in-person classes when we get a large group together who are willing to commit substantial time to becoming gardening experts. This most often happens in the developing countries as the result of a Humanitarian Project - and takes the form of a 3 month-long intensive agronomy course.

In America we are able to get people to listen for 2-4 HOURS, and so we conduct 1/2 day seminars to groups. The seminars are free, but our costs have to be covered, so most of what we've done has been within a few hours drive of Salt Lake City, Utah in the past.

We moved to Birmingham, Alabama last year, and we are actually being asked to do a couple of seminars in Tennessee and Kentucky, so if any of you live in those states you may want to consider identifying yourselves so we can include you if we pull one or both of these off.

Meanwhile, for those who are serious about wanting to really learn and become a Master Mittleider Gardener, we have digitized Dr. Mittleider's Gardening Training Videos - about 75 of them - for $97. They can't be found on the website yet, but must be ordered directly from me - jim@growfood. com.

These are used daily in the 3 month training projects we conduct around the world, and there is a wealth of information, with something in the neighborhood of 7,500 color slides, narration, and scrolling text, and covering every facet of vegetable gardening, as well as showing gardening projects in over 20 countries around the world.

Jim Kennard

Gardening and health and good karma

2008-07-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

My mother tells me that I've been planting seeds since I was 7 years
old - I asked her - if I plant this pumpkin seed - will it grow some
pumpkins? - She replied - only if I really cared for it...

There has never been a year without a garden. I grew up being
indoctrinated in the J. I. Rodale's Organic Gardening school of total
disdain for that evil factory fertilizer.

The gardens have always produced something, but when I moved to
Pinole, a suburb of San Francisco - very much a foggy coastal climate
- the tomatoes didn't ripen - the potatoes never sized to any thing
worth taking in for dinner - the thornless blackberries were mostly
small and totally seed - and I knew all the reasons/excuses why -
- - because - I know more than you.....

Four and half years ago I died. With the Grace of God and a skilled
heart doctor, and a kidney surgeon that tossed out the tumored right
one, I began a slow recovery. My garden didn't do too well during
that first year.

I decided that, having been given a second chance, I would quit the
ways of the first 50 years and try to LISTEN to that voice that daily
offered direction for most of Life's profound and silly questions.
So, my garden attitude began to change from one of knowing, to that of
listening - trying new things (arrogance & tradition hadn't work too
well, so why not...).

You have been messing with my head for many years. I've bought your
books twice, but couldn't make myself even try what you taught. Talk
about a slow learner! Last year I started to apply your techniques,
and some of that "evil poison for the soil" ---

it was a letter - you responded quite simply to that classic question
about the use of the chemical fertilizer - constant and small
quantities - something changed, and now in my "real" second
year as a Mittleider novice, the garden just works - strong,
beautiful plants - more BIG tomatoes already this year than the last
15 years put together - - - strange though - still the same summer
chill every night - still the same frequent foggy, cool days, same
beds of clay (although I did put a layer of saw dust on some of them).

I trust that our planet will have the courage to let go of the
stifling prejudice that dooms each next generation to the bondage of
stupidity.

Please keep up the effort to teach us - it's a slow process -

I AM grateful for your help.

New to the mittleider method whats the fertilier all about

2008-07-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

I, also, have just found out about this method. I got the book and
read faithfully after I had put in most of the garden. I have
planted 13 tomato plants in a row about 25 feet long. Finally tying
them up was educational. I did it this morning. I have pipe above
about 6 foot and used clothes line to tie them up. Cutting off the
strong shoots hurt me and probably put the plants into shock. I did
keep the shoots that were flowering so three of the plants have two
strong stems tied up. What do I do with the one that is really a
bush of many small shoots. I left it alone for now and will try to
treat it as a bush and only thin it a little.

OK - Do I dress the plants with the #1 and weekly now? This is the
first time this land has been used as a veg garden. I tilled it last
fall and twice this spring prior to planting anything. I did no
testing of the soil nor did I add anything prior to planting. At
planting I added 16,16,16. What should I do now to my corn, zuchinni
and acorn squash, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Keeping up with the weeds is daily work.

Thanks for being such a good recourse.

With plants 2' apart you can certainly let more than one stem grow. Keep them guided around your "string", and prune future sucker stems.

Is the tomato that looks like a bush a determinate? If it's roma, celebrity, or other patio variety then leave it a bush. It it's indeterminate you're best served to try and limit the stems, or it will be all stems and little fruit.

If you did not add calcium to your soil before planting I would certainly do THAT now. Make the Pre-Plant formula by combining lime (or gypsum if you receive less than 20" of annual rainfall), Epsom Salts, and 20 Mule Team Borax in a ratio of 80-4-1. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) per running foot, and work into the top inch or two of the soil, along with the #1 (Weekly Feed) mix.

Each week after doing this make-up feeding apply the Weekly Feed mix to your rows of plants at the rate of 1/2 ounce (one tablespoon) per running foot.. Corn is fed only until it tassels. The others are best fed until 8 weeks before the first expected fall frost.

Jim Kennard

asparagus

2008-07-09T04:25:00.001-07:00

i am newbie here who is based here in the philippines. i was first
interested with hydroponics until i read about your "poor man's
hydroponics" version. actually this is the first time i heard about
the mittleider since it is not that popular in my country. i have
some questions and i hope you can help me on my queries,

1. i have some experience with asparagus but the system is quite
different with this system. though i read it is well suited to this
system, there is no mention of the proper planting distance of this
plant. can you please share your experience

2. your fertizer concoction is qute good and mentioned it to my
friend who is into hydroponics. can i use your formula in
hydroponics? what is the recommended usage and rate of application?

thanks

gennodin v. nilong & Group:

The few times I've grown asparagus I've planted it 6" apart. Do we have any expert asparagus growers out there?

If you're using the Mittleider Magic Weekly Feed in hydroponics - ie feeding through the water - it needs to be 16 ounces dissolved in 55 gallons (200 liters) of water. You would also need to include 1 1/2 ounces of Pre-Plant mix. Both should be placed in a 2 gallon container of water and allowed to dissolve for several hours, then mixed thoroughly and put through a very fine screen, so that the non water-soluble particles don't clog up the system.

Jim Kennard

Eggplants not setting fruit what gives

2008-07-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

I planted a six-pack of Japanese eggplant seedlings on March 17. The
plants are very healthy-looking and have had many blossoms, but I see
no fruit setting. Am I giving too much water, too much fertilizer?
I water every day and fertilize once a week. Last year, we were
loaded with eggplant in the same vegetable boxes. We have had some
intense heat in the nineties and above recently. Thanks for your
feedback.

Helen

Helen & Group:

It is not your watering or feeding. You would not have healthy plants if either of those were the problem.

Intense heat will certainly affect fruit-set. In addition - the difference between day-time and night-time temperatures can have an impact. Plants like to cool off at night.

To mitigate the extreme heat you can try putting a narrow frame above your plants and placing a 25% shade cloth on it (just stretching it over T-Frames will work) - just to take the worst heat off during the mid-day hours. Another cooling device is to mist your plants during the day, but that can lead to fungus disease, so I can't recommend it.

Jim Kennard
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Messages in this topic (1)

Growing Roma tomatoes

2008-06-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am trying this (tomato) for the first time and I notice that it looks more like a very thick bush, does anyone know if this is something I should thin out or do I just leave it alone?

roydcole & Group:

Prune Romas just enough to keep leaves off the ground and allow light into the center of the plant,

Indeterminate plants can and should be grown vertically by taking off the sucker stems.

Determinate plants - such as the Romas - will not grow tall, so the only sucker removal is to open up the plant somewhat, and pruning leaves is to keep them off the ground.

And by the way, we recommend you plant indeterminates - anything you're growing vertically - in one row only, on one side of the bed near the ridge. This makes feeding, watering, weeding, and even harvesting easier.

Jim Kennard

Do you all start with seeds or plants? Also were do you get your seeds?

2008-06-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

Group:

The choice between seeds and plants is not too tough once you understand a few basic facts, such as how hard or easy, and how expensive or inexpensive it is to do one or the other. Also, how long it takes to grow to seedling size and the value of the plant at maturity have a bearing. I'll give you some examples to illustrate:

As a general rule the smaller the seed, the harder it is to grow in the virgin soil, and therefore the greater the argument for using seedlings. Carrot seeds are very small (19,000 per ounce), and so one would think they would need to be transplanted from seedlings. The problem is that ROOT CROPS, like carrots and parsnips, are difficult and time-consuming to transplant, and they do not do well, even after transplanting. Their roots will not be straight and long, but will be bent and misshaped.

Individual carrots also have a very low value per plant at maturity, and so don't justify the time and/or expense of transplanting. The same is true of radishes, etc.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc. have small seeds, plus they take a long time (7-8 weeks+) to reach a size that does well in the garden, AND they all have HIGH value. Therefore, these are almost always recommended for transplanting into the garden as robust, healthy seedlings.

A few examples of plants between those extremes include :
1) Cabbage, lettuce, etc. have small seeds, grow quickly, and have low value per plant, yet they are often transplanted because transplants are healthier, grow better and faster, and because thinning is such a hassle.

2) Peas (hardy) and beans (frost intolerant) have large seeds and grow fast in the garden, yet are sometimes transplanted to get an early start to maturity in the garden.

3) Squash, cucumbers, and melons (frost intolerant) have large seeds and grow fast in the garden, but are often transplanted to avoid losses from garden pests and to extend the season by putting healthy seedlings into the soil about the same time you could plant seeds.

You can buy seeds from dozens of reliable sources in America. For small gardens look at the seed packets in your local stores. For more serious buying, go online and order from the large seed companies, such as Burpee, Park, Gurney, Harris, etc., etc.

I don't recommend you get seeds from a friend, or from an internet seed-sharing source. The reasons include the fact that un-certified seed can introduce disease into your garden that can be devastating, and it may not give you the results you were expecting because it got cross-pollinated or wasn't exactly as represented.

Jim Kennard

Why the Mittleider method is organic

2008-05-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

There are several reasons the Mittleider Method of gardening is sometimes called “the best of organic”.
I. Rather than teaching the use of pesticides or herbicides, we use cultural practices to eliminate the need for them. For example:
1) We eliminate all weeds – from the beds, the aisles, and even the garden periphery.
2) We never water the aisles, but keep just the root zone of the plants moist.
3) We keep leaves off the ground, and prune plants to maintain good air circulation.
4) We grow healthy plants fast, so they have good resistance to bugs and disease.
5) We don’t use materials that could introduce bugs, weed seeds, or disease into the garden.
II. We never guess about the nutrition we give our plants.
1) Compost & manure often lack some of the essential nutrients plants need.
2) The gardener never knows what elements are missing from compost & manure.
3) We use a balanced mix of USDA-approved natural mineral nutrients.
4) We feed plants regularly – in small measured amounts – to match their needs.
III. We harvest our crops at peak maturity, and never leave old plants in the garden to attract bugs and disease.

Pruning determinate vs indeterminate tomatoes

2008-05-28T03:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the replies.? I think it was most clear when Jim said "just make sure you have ONE stem growing upward, and remove everything else."? I must confess that this is what I was thinking everyone meant, but couldn't imagine it was really true!? I guess I'll have to go take it on faith and wait and see where the tomatoes actually from from then.

Also, about determinate vs indeterminate. ? Do I understand correctly that this has to do with vining vs non-vining?? So if I can figure out if my tomato plants are determinate or not, will that dictate whether I should even prune at all?? Could someone please clarify this for me as well?

Thanks again. Rick

Rick & Group:

It really is hard for people to believe a single-stem plant can be very productive, but remember you plant every 9", so you get quite a few plants in a small space as well. And that single stem will produce a "hand" of 4-7 tomatoes every 6-8" up the stalk, until frost kills the plant (different varieties have different growth habits, so don't panic if yours doesn't follow the pattern I've described).

Determinate plants will not grow tall, but remain low. The only pruning you should do is to remove old leaves and those touching the ground, and to prevent the plants from crowding their neighbors. You do NOT remove the sucker stems, as that is where the fruit is produced.

Your nursery can tell you if the plants you have are determinate or indeterminate. Or if you know the variety you can look online. Determinate varieties produce over a shorter period of time, so don't expect to be eating tomatoes for 6 months with "patio" tomatoes.

Jim Kennard

Gardening in Fiji

2008-05-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

Bula Jim
I've been through twice on the training discs x 4 you sent me.I intend to go through five times before I begin to& nbsp;farm.

Can you advise me on the following:
1.Is it permissable to spray the bush and burn the dry weeds?
2.We intend to grow the eight acres with veges and root crops.
3.We thought to have fish ponds on the remaining two acres.Do you recommend?
4.Can you supply us with a Garden Master Mittleider Pro Version disc for my training?Please advise the cost.
5.May we have the price list of all the nutrients necessary to provide the plants.

Thank you for your continued support. CHEERS !!
With kind regards,
Fani

Fani & Group:

I would certainly burn the weeds, but that is not all - you must also remove the rhyzomes and runners of all perennial weeds. These won't be killed with surface burning, and they'll give you fits if you don't get rid of them.

With what are you proposing to spray the bush? Why not cut them down and/or burn them also?

I know nothing about fish farming - any among the Group who can advise him?

The Garden Master CD is $29.95 plus shipping.

I'm sorry that I can't give you a price list for the nutrients where you are. Even here in Utah, in the USA, they change constantly. I recommend you look at the list, then check with the closest good source of fertilizers for prices.

Using store bought corn for seed yes or no?

2008-05-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

Can I buy an ear of corn from the supermarket and plant it?

Ask the Produce Manager the name, or variety, of the corn. Very often corn sold in the stores is a hybrid variety, and the seeds will produce something that is different than the ear of corn you purchased. You need corn that is an heirloom.

When you know the name, do a Google Search on that name to determine whether or not it's a hybrid. If not (heirloom) then you can perhaps use the kernals for seed.

If the corn was picked before full maturity the kernals may not make good seed, so if you're using it for seed buy the oldest ear of corn.

You will then need to let the kernals dry thoroughly, then remove them and plant. Do not plant the kernals fresh from the ear.

Jim Kennard

My garden 2008

2008-05-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Steves garden 2008

Sweet Peppers

Red Beauty
Luigi
Havana
Big Bertha
Cubanelle (Green)
Admiral (Orange)

Green Pepper non sweet Lady Bell

Hot Peppers
Cherry Hot Peppers
Ancho
Jalapeno

TOMATOES
Better Boy
Brandywine
Beefsteak
EarlyGirl
Viva Italia
Lemon Boy

Mellon's

Cantalope Muskmelon
Cantalope Hales Best
Mini Watermelons
(2 to be determined)

Misc.
Broccoli Premium Crop
Cucumbers Bush Pickle
Cukes Burpless
Brussels sprout Jade Cross

Steve

And yes people the yields really are 5-10 times a traditional garden.
http://www.foodforeveryone.org/
http://www.howtoorganicgarden.com/

Cost of Growbox materials

2008-05-20T04:08:00.000-07:00

Hi, I just joined the list. I was planning on doing some gardening with a grow-box for the first time but have found it quite expensive (cost of wood and things like perlite). So after reading over the materials, I don't quite understand how this is the "poor man's" method. Anyone have any rough figures on how much it would cost to build, fill, and fertilize a 20' by 4' for one season? (I did look thru the files but did not find this issue addressed. If there is a file I could read, I'd be happy to do that.)

"MJ Smith"

MJ & Group:

I'd be happy for anyone's input on the cost of buying, building, and filling a Grow-Box, but I believe it is a very small fraction of the cost of a "real" hydroponic system.

And unless you have no dirt in which to grow, you don't need to use Grow-Boxes, or containers, to get the yields we get. Growing right in the soil is almost as efficient as in boxes. Try that if you have soil available. And you DO NOT need any soil amendments!

Jim Kennard

Creating a Mittleider rooftop garden

2008-05-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

I have a flat concrete roof on top of my building in eastern India and
I have waterproofed an area 15ft by 50ft for installing a roof top
garden. I have put a mixture of 75% sawdust and 25% sand (as indicated
in the book 'More food from your garden') which is 8" deep and I have
covered the area with a green, porus gardening cloth about 6ft high to
make it look like a porus greenhouse to filter the hot sun from
burning the plants and yet to let the air and rainwater come in
through the tiny seives in the plastic cloth.I have put in the
preplant fertilizer in the prepared 'soil' (as shown on p48 of the
book) and also got the nutrient formula ready for the planting.
It is peak summer time in India now with temperatures around 100F
during the days with full sunlight for 10 hrs/day and high humidity.
So only a few select plants can normally grow now such as corn, okra,
chilies,summer squash, pumpkin,cucumber, bitter gourd, tomatoes and
beans.
I would like to be advised on how to proceed if someone has experience
with the Mittleider method of vegetable gardening on concrete roof
tops in hot climates. Winter time would, ofcourse be wonderful with
temperatures in the 70F range and a whole host of vegetables to plant
including brocolli, cauliflower, turnips, zuchini, celery, parsely,
basil,leek, cabbage, beetroot, peas etc.
Any tips on the do's and don'ts for my first venture into such
gardening?
Thanks. Ashok Pandit

Ashok and Group:

It sounds as if you have prepared well.

I recommend you study the materials in the Learn section of the Foundation website at www.growfood. com in the Grow-Box section. Some improvements have been made over the years since More Food From Your Garden was written. Changes have been made in the Fertilizer section, which should make that aspect a bit easier for you.

A shade cloth, such as you describe, is best if it's no more than about 25%, and it is high enough that it allows direct sunlight except for the hottest hours of the day. You may find that the middle of your area will not grow fruit-bearing crops as well, because that area won't get direct sunlight. I recommend you plant accordingly.

Zucchini is a warm-weather plant and should be added to your summer list. And the other varieties, which are traditionally considered cool-weather crops can also often be grown successfully in hot weather, if you keep them watered adequately.

It is very important that you water sufficiently, and that you have adequate drainage also. Daily watering, until the water comes out of the bottom of the box, is essential. Be sure that you leave a way for the water to drain out of the bottom of your boxes.

Best of success. Don't hesitate to write with further questions. We would love to have you post pictures of your garden - now and as it matures - to the Groups Photos section.

Jim Kennard
__._,_.

Using rain covers over your garden yes or no

2008-05-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Was wondering if planting under rain covers changes how I will need to
manage the application of weekly feed to the plants?
Edwin.

You shouldn't change the application of fertilizers. You may need to water those fertilizers in, however, if you have been counting on rainfall to do that for you, and if your rain covers are so effective that water is not getting into the beds regularly.

Jim Kennard

The Marines and Iraqi's need your help

2008-05-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

Friends:

We leave today for Armenia and the Republic of Georgia to work on
projects in those countries. We expect to return to the States by the
middle of June, unless something extends our work.

Such as: I received a note from a father of a marine in Iraq
yesterday, whose unit is trying to assist a village of 25,000 Iraqi's
grow fresh food for their sustenance. It's a desert community in the
SouthEast of the country, they are in extreme poverty, and all fresh
food is imported from Jordan.

The Marines are asking for our assistance, and they obviously have no
money but what the guys can give out of their own pockets. We want to
help them as much as possible, and will be donating our materials and
time. If they could get me there I'd even assist them on the ground,
with such things as building and growing in a greenhouse, etc.

If any of you feel like sharing your own means toward helping these
Iraqi villagers grow their own food I invite you to go to the website,
www.growfood. com, click on Donate, and give what you can.

Any donations will be used for this project unless you tell us
otherwise. And all donations received ALWAYS go to projects - not to
salaries and overhead, as there are no salaries and little overhead,
which is covered by the sale of books, etc.

Remember us in your prayers, will you?

Jim & Araksya Kennard

__._,_._

Why using Poo in a garden is a bad idea

2008-05-06T03:55:00.000-07:00

highly recommend you consider carefully before using manure and compost in your raised-bed garden. It is believed that more than 90% of the composted materials available to the family gardener have NOT been sterilized in the composting process.

To be sure you have clean materials you would have to know that they had been composted at 140 degrees for 3 weeks. That's what it takes to produce compost using aerobic processes, and that's the only sure way I know of to remove diseases, weed seeds, and bugs.

I recommend you use a mix of three ingredients, including sand (30%) and any of these: sawdust, perlite, peat moss, or vermiculite - in that order of preference. Do not use top soil in the mix, as that is heavy, difficult to work with, and also often contains the 3 "badies".

In addition to the great potential for problems with the above, using manure and compost leave you guessing as to what you are giving your plants by way of nutrition.

And the third reason you need to be careful is that using manure and compost can often lead to a salinity problem with your tiny plants. Plants need small amounts of 13 mineral nutrients over the entire course of their growing cycle, rather than one large application of fertilizer salts (which manure and compost have) at one time.

We teach and demonstrate the best growing principles and procedures, which allow us to promise the world "a great garden in any soil, in any climate" with no record of a successful challenge in the past 40+ years.

We use small measured amounts of natural mineral nutrients to give plants exactly what they need for sustained healthy growth, and we teach you exactly how to to the same.

I invite you to visit the Foundation's website at www.foodforeveryone.org, specifically the FAQ section, where you'll find many worthwhile short articles on growing organically. And the Learn section will teach you everything you need to know to have a highly successful garden - without buying anything from us.

Best wishes,

Jim Kennard, President
Food For Everyone Foundation
"Teaching the world to grow food one family at a time."

Stopping powdery mildew

2008-05-05T03:47:00.000-07:00

You can buy a gallon of skim milk(non fat) and just spray it from the
bottle. No dilution necessary.
Or, you can buy non fat dry milk and mix it as follows
one part dry non fat milk
nine parts water.
A good schedule is every two weeks or oftener if you see a problem sooner
than the two week period.

It is really important to spray in the cool of the day, I do it in the
evening after leaves have cooled down.
It is really important to keep all bad looking leaves trimmed off of plants
so that spores don't continue to infect healthy leaves.

It is very hot in Florida. I used to live there. Have you thought of using
some 50 per cent shade cloth to cool down your plants when temps rise into
the 90's?

Always water at ground level, do not wet the leaves. Always water in the
morning in case the leaves do get wet, they have a chance to dry before night
fall.

Hot days and cool, moist nights are a perfect media for powdery mildew.
That is exactly what we are dealing with here in Long Beach, California. Our
plants are simply dripping with dew each and every morning.