What you should be doing now in your garden for a Beautiful Spring!

What you should be doing now in your garden for a Beautiful Spring!

If things continue on the path that it is on now, and if you follow a few basic principles of organic gardening, you stand a big chance on having a beautiful, healthy disease and pest free plants, lawns, trees, vegetable garden, and don’t forget roses!

If you have been following my column, you would know what I am going to say now. You would know that I always talk about the life of the soil. I always talk about this living being that inhabits the soil. This ancient being that we evolved from. It took us millions of years to get where we are now. We have developed a relationship with the earth over the past centuries. We have always relied on the earth to give us our food. Whether from the soil or the ocean, we all rely on the planet to provide us with the essential minerals we need to be healthy. We were doing fine until recently. It has only been in the last 100 years that we have developed toxins on a large enough scale to pollute the soil and, in turn, the oceans, the air, the water. The Industrial Revolution brought on a dramatic change in how we dealt with the earth and all its resources. What it comes down to is this, we are no longer working with the earth but against her.

 We have damaged our soil to the point where it no longer functions.

Yes, the rain is lovely. It helps to clean up the air, to clean up the toxins in the soil. This is true under normal conditions, but there are toxins that water will not touch. Only the microbes can eliminate the toxin. Just like toxins, what toxins we eat destroys the microbes in our stomach, these toxins we use also kills the bacteria in the soil. Just like the microbes in our stomach are needed to have a healthy body, the microbes in the soil are required to have healthy soil. So to help the rain clean the soil, we must reintroduce bacteria back to the soil. We are fortunate that we can order a variety of microbial products now through the internet. As more and more become available, prices will go down. For now, they tend to cost more than conventional products. You can learn to make compost and use a variety of animal manures along with developing different methods of making your microbial sources. There are many great sources of information available now on compost and compost production. Try the Biodynamic Institute for some significant homemade receipts.

Around this time of year, you should be applying these microbial products to the soil. It should be used every month throughout the winter and spring. You should always apply microbes along with a mineral source such as rock dust.

There are many sources of rock dust from around the world. Each source has different mineral levels. The United States has around ten various sources of rock dust. I am guessing, but they're probably are hundreds of sources of rock dust around the world. It is easier to get rock dust from local sources than to buy from a faraway place that will cost you in shipping.

One of the keys to using rock dust or any mineral source is the Law of the Little Bit. I made that up, cute, huh?

It says that when applying minerals, it is always best to provide the smallest amount required rather than the most significant amount you can use. The microbes can only process so much. The rest becomes toxic to them and farther damages the soil. That's why it is called trace minerals. 

It would be best if you got into the habit of regularly feeding the microbes in the soil. Remember, in nature the bacteria get fed year-round. This happens when you have a massive amount of animals, birds, insects, etc. They all eat, poop, and eventually die. They are recycling everything back to the earth. I like asking folks when the last time an animal came and died in your back yard was?

 When we had billions of birds flying all over the world, they distribute minerals everywhere. Their poop was rich with microbes well fed on minerals, which the birds got from eating insects etc. Same with land animals roaming the earth, spreading they're microbes and minerals around too, the same with sea life.

So if you want your property to benefit from this winter rain, you need to apply microbes and minerals. Spread the applications throughout the winter times. This will prevent the storms from washing it all away in one downpour. Instead, by applying a small amount every month, you ensure that the soil is getting the mix. I would also recommend foliar spray all of your plants at least once a month. Foliar spraying of compost tea to which a mineral source such as Sea90 is applied. It is very beneficial to make foliar applications of microbes and minerals. This is normally done in nature. Microbes are usually found on the leaves of plants, especially in a rain forest. You can make your magical rain forest by helping your soil to stay alive during drought as well as during heavy rains. Too much water can damage the soil also. We tent to over water throughout the year. City water is terrible for the soil. It is nothing like rainwater.

When you apply minerals to plants to trees, you will not see results until the following season. So trace minerals applied through foliar will show results the next season, so if applied in fall, it will show in winter, and if applied in winter, it will show in spring and so on. 

So to have a beautiful spring with lots of flowers and fruit, start now applying the microbes and minerals! 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 Any questions? Email me at andylopez@invisiblegardener.com

Andy Lopez

Invisible Gardener