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GARDENER'S
READING ROOM
Fertilizers,
Pest Control and Soil Management
Organic Gardening
Organic
Gardening . . . Part 1: Soil Management and Fertility
Modern
organic gardening combines the best of time-tested techniques
and new advances in knowledge. In this three-part series,
we’ll look at several aspects of organic gardening. Part
1 looks at soil amendments and fertilizers; Part 2, controlling
pests; Part 3, managing plant diseases.
ALL
gardening starts with good, rich, alive soil. Many of us,
alas, are cursed with clay or gravel, or with soils compacted
by construction or impoverished by years of chemicals. But
almost any soil can be improved. Start by adding compost to
improve drainage and air penetration in clay soils and increase
water and nutrient retention in sandy or gravelly soils. Spread
a three-inch layer and till it in. Or mulch with a one to
three inch layer and let worms do the mixing. Repeat yearly
if possible.
One
of the newest advances in gardening is the isolation of beneficial
microorganisms. Many
of you have used pea inoculant—now you can also inoculate
compost, rejuvenate exhausted soil, or control pests (see
Part 2). A new company, Organica®,
offers a complete line to restore soil health. Their Natural
Dethatcher contains microbes to break down problem
thatch, the Microbial Soil Conditioner
improves soil structure and suppresses pathogens, and their
Plant Growth Activator encourages
germination and root growth. Organica®
also has a microbial pond clarifier.
Organic
fertilizers have several advantages over chemical ones. They
naturally release nutrients in sync with your plants’
growth cycle, contain a balance of trace nutrients, and encourage
soil life. You can buy organic fertilizers for specific plants—roses,
lawns, berries…. Or just get a nice all-purpose like
Whitney Farms 5-5-5 or
Seattle-made Walt’s Starter
Feed. A wide assortment of single-ingredient fertilizers
is also available, from fish bone meal to greensand. Some
of these offer additional benefits. Alfalfa
meal stimulates root growth. Kelp
improves vigor and disease resistance. Corn
gluten is a rich source of nitrogen—and a
pre-emergent herbicide.
Best
of all, organic products actually improve the health of your
garden.
For
more information, check out Organic Gardening magazine,
the Rodale books, or our local gurus, Seattle Tilth (206)-633-0451.
Or just stop by Sky Nursery!
By Terri Williamson
Skylights Winter/Spring 2000, Vol 14, No. 1
Other
articles on fertilizers, pest control and soil
management
Other
articles on organic gardening
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