January to-do list in your Organic Garden

January to-do list in your Organic Garden

Organic Gardening has been a fantastic way for me to give back to the earth. By using organic methods, I can help heal the soil. If everyone did the same, the soil would function better. This would, in turn, help the trees to be stronger and healthy. It would help the ecosystem, which would benefit all living things. It would help with climate change. More trees are more oxygen. We can use more of that and less of C02 and Methane.

So here are some things we should all be doing in our organic gardens. The whole property should be organic and not just the garden. Actually, you can’t have an organic garden and also have a conventional lawn or property.

Watering is always a problem if you overwater. During this time of year, some rains will come. I expect it to rain on and off all winter. This is perfect for the property and trees, and so I suggest you turn off your sprinkler system. Leave it off for at least a week after a good rain. It all depends on the health of your soil. The healthier the soil, the longer the plants, trees, lawns, or garden can go without watering it. So be observant while the water is off. You might have to turn it on sooner or allow it off longer. There are timers that you can set up that will turn themselves off and back on as you determine.

The is the best time of year to apply the basics to the soil: rock dust(for the trace minerals), compost )for the microbial), organic fertilizer, and mulch. The rock dust is an essential source of trace minerals. I always suggest that you buy several different sources of rock dust. A blend will increase the chances that you have a broader combination of trace minerals. Not all rock dust has the same mineral content. The compost is also essential. Mother Natures makes the best compost. She does so that the microbial life will have a source of minerals to eat. The compost replenishes the microbial life in the soil that is typically destroyed. However, we humans have not only destroyed the soil but have also stopped its replenishing by Nature. When was the last time an animal came and died on your property? For millions of years, animals, insects, birds, fishes all are part of the compost that Mother Nature made.

So now, the reason we make compost besides recycling our waste is to help heal the soil by replenishing what we are continually destroying.

Using organic fertilizers only work if the soil is alive with microbial life. Otherwise, most are wasted. So to help with the soil coming back to life, most organic fertilizers come with the various microbials that will help the soil. Most Organic fertilizers also have a wide range of trace minerals.

Mulch is essential in that it does two things: One is to protect the compost from the sun, and two is to help the soil stay as close to 6.5 to 6.8 ph. That is the magic ph that you want your property.

Trees like pine trees require an even more acid environment for them to get their nutrients. Try 6 ph.

By applying now and a small amount of the organic fertilizer again in Feb and again in March, you will be setting up a nutritional cycle for the plants to use. Provided they are not over-watered, and they will grow healthy and produce beautiful flowers and excellent fruit. Your roses would love it as so would your lawn.

If you have Coral trees, wether the Naked Coral or the Kaffirbloom Coral, both will need a proper feeding of the rock dust blend with compost, and the acid mulch mixed it. The acid mulch will reduce the ph of the compost to allow the trees to get their trace mineral requirements. Please don’t over-water these trees. They do well if left alone or watered not more then once a month. I know of many folks that are watering these several times a week! I tried to tell them, and now they (the trees) are dying from various diseases, all of which are soil-related. For especially the the Coral Trees, I would add soft rock phosphate 0-5-0 as one of the rock dust to use. Never use alone, always blend with other rock dust (it’s a long story). Use a minimal amount every year, especially around fruit trees and other flowering trees. Again never use alone but as part of a blend with other rock dust. The soft rock phosphate is a significant source of phosphorus required for all plants and is missing from most soils. 5% phosphorous along with 18 trace minerals. The trace minerals it has are also essential for healthy soil and healthy plant growth.

You should be applying a similar mix for your lawn. The rock dust should be bought in palletized form as it is easier to use. However, if you are applying the rock dust to your compost, then in dust form is best. I would instead apply the rock dust to my compost and then when the compost is ready to screen the compost and then apply to the lawn and rake it in.

However, most folks don’t make enough compost to do a lawn, so I would buy compost and apply the rock to the grass before using the compost. Rake and water it in well. Your yard would also love it if you applied an organic lawn fertilizer at the same time. Then apply again once a month the organic lawn fertilizer.

Everything on your property would do better if you were to also foliar spray them. In this way, you are guaranteed to get the nutrients needed for health, pease, and disease-free growth. More on that next week!

Any questions? Email me at andylopez@invisiblegardener.com

Andy Lopez

Invisible Gardener