The Best Mistakes

I am slowly making my way back into the garden after a long winter ... not weather-wise, but in every other way.  Late last summer my Dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer, something we are still dealing with; in January my Mom had a stroke and broke her hip and we lost her in March; in March Jim's sister was diagnosed with dementia and we are currently trying to get all of her affairs in order.  Meanwhile my ladies await help in their gardens and I fit them in as I can.

I always try to learn from mistakes, and as I tell my son, the best mistakes to learn from are someone else's.  I was on a job a couple of days ago that reminded me of a few biggies.

As I try to type with a painful finger that has the remains of a rose thorn in it that I cannot dig out, I will begin with a lesson I learned years ago and a vow I made when I started growing roses. Never, no matter how big a hurry or how convenient and innocent it seems at the time, throw a rose cutting (or anything else with thorns) in the garden.  NEVER!  Even if you wear gloves 99.9% of the time in the garden, the time will come when you see something you want to catch really fast, and as you grab that leaf, weed or piece of trash that needs your attention, you will inadvertently grab the now hidden cutting, driving in and breaking off a time hardened and brittle thorn into your finger.  It is not worth the pain.  Take the time to properly dispose of every rose cutting.  If you see one that accidentally made its way into the garden, pick it up immediately.

Instead of trying to grow healthy plants, grow healthy soil.  Soil is where plants get their real nutrients, so when the soil is healthy, plants will be, too.  It is tempting to skip that step, but if your soil is unhealthy, with few exceptions, your plants will not reach their full potential.  Every aspect of gardening is easier and more enjoyable in beautiful soil.  Soil is the foundation of your garden; make sure it is strong.

If someone offers you an invasive plant, run.  Often these are the plants marketed as "will grow anywhere" or other such descriptions making them irresistible to the struggling gardener or a difficult area.  If you have already planted invasive plants, get them out now; every season you leave them makes them harder to get rid of.  This is especially important if you live near the edge of a natural habitat.  You may think you will be able to keep them under control, but eventually they will escape.  Once in the wild, they take over, choking out native plants or waterways and the wildlife that depends upon them.  Even in the suburban garden, the time will come that you want to grow something else, or maybe you already are, and you will not want some invasive plant popping up in and around it.  There are a plenty of plants that grow well and even spread in a variety of conditions, but are not invasive.  They are a much better choice.

Why Say NO! To GMO?

I used to buy bags of various animal feed as a special winter treat for my pet rabbits instead of buying little bags of fancy rabbit food.  I would supplement fifty pound bags of rabbit feed with oats, wheat, corn, sunflower seeds or some other bird seed.  Several years ago I bought a fifty pound bag of corn (horse feed) at the farm supply store, but the rabbits would not eat it.  Different rabbits have different taste preferences, so I did not think much of it.  I quit giving it to them, but kept the bag in the garage.

That winter we had a massive mouse infestation in the garage.  I smelled it, it was horrible.  I thought a cat had gotten into the garage and marked its territory because if there were mice, they would have been in the corn.  Come spring I discovered mice, so bad that as I threw things off the shelves or into the trash, they scattered.  Still the corn was untouched.  No droppings.  No partially eaten kernels.  No holes chewed in the bag.  Not a single sign of mice.  Odd, but I did not think much about it and in the garage it stayed.

Eventually we decided it was time for the corn to go.  It got dumped behind the garage for chipmunks and squirrels to carry away, and there it stayed.  Not only did they not eat it, it did not sprout!  After a few weeks it was scooped up and thrown away.

What was wrong with the corn?  I eventually found the answer.  GMO (genetically modified organism).  To prevent seed saving and create dependence upon the seed company, some seed will not sprout (the patent is strictly enforced on any that does).  It is not seed, it is not feed.  It is foreign to our bodies.  Animals will not eat it unless they have no other choice.  In GMO studies, animals develop tumors, become infertile and suffer other disturbing results.  Why do Monsanto and other companies fight GMO labeling?  Because given the choice, educated people would not eat it either.  It is not about saving the consumer money, it is about their profit.  How much is too much to pay for the food we eat?  I say our health.  Many countries have banned GMOs.  The U.S. grows non-GMO food for export.  Why do we as American consumers not have the same right?

Herbicide resistant plants are cross pollinating with others, polluting other crops and creating super weeds.  Insect resistant plants are killing beneficial insects including bees and creating super insects.  What is it doing to the environment?  What is it doing to us?  I have only touched the tip of the iceberg to whet your appetite for knowledge.  If you are not familiar with GMO or GE (genetic engineering), now is the time to educate yourself.

A clip from Doctored explaining the difference between GMO farming and produce grown in beautiful, organic soil (specifically starts at 2:08).

Also see The Shocking Monsanto Master Plan Revealed.

Why Organic Garden?

It is very easy for gardeners to not see their gardens as they truly are.  Some tend to see them as they imagine them to be, not looking beyond the limits of their own yard to see the vastness of the gardening world or the effect they have on it.  Others, like myself, tend to be full of next years. The garden is an ongoing process, maybe something did not turn out as planned, is in the process of filling in, or there is another plan waiting to commence.  I look in my garden and have to make a special effort to see what did well rather than what needs doing.  Working in others' gardens helps to keep things in perspective, but this year that has been limited.  The first half was spent caring for my dying Grandma, the second half mostly spent recovering.  Lots of heat, no rain, some things thrived, others not so much, lots of planning of what to do better and dreaming of next year. I knew the garden overall looked decent, but there was so much that did not meet my expectations, and like a pimple on your face, you assume that is all everyone else sees, too.

A glimpse of my garden in early October.

Then I went on one of the first jobs in months and perspective was regained. Despite the hard year and many things already being finished and cut back for the year, my garden is shifting into a fall display.  The garden I worked in, though well established, was shutting down for the season. Many of the plants we had in common were either finished blooming or were nowhere near as lush in her garden.  I came home, and seeing my garden in a different light, was amazed.  Why the difference?  She watered more than I did, fertilized and sprayed for insects and fungus and I did not.  What did I do that she did not?  Instead of focusing mainly on plant care, I also focus on soil care and organic gardening.  Healthy soil equals healthy plants.  Chemicals do not.  I have written on this before, but it is so important that I am going to do so again because I cannot stress it enough.

Think of it this way ... If you feed your kids a diet of candy bars and potato chips, they are going to get big, maybe even look healthy for awhile.  However, they will not be getting the nutrients they need to remain healthy and their bodies will struggle.  Eventually they will get sick with something that their body cannot handle and be given an antibiotic.  The antibiotic kills most of the bad bacteria, but the good bacteria are sacrificed as well and the system is thrown out of balance, creating the perfect environment for a fungal infection and health is still not obtained.  A healthy diet provides the nutrition needed for a strong immune system whereas overuse of antibiotics and antifungals lead to superbugs that everyone has to deal with.

The same is true in the garden.  Plants fed a diet of chemical fertilizers do not get the nutrients they need to be healthy, only to grow big fast.  New growth is attractive to insects who move in to feast and infect the plant with disease.  Fungal spores are introduced by various means.  Roots struggle to grow in compacted soil, using up more of the plant's energy reserve. The plant struggles and sprays are used, killing beneficial insects, further throwing off Nature's balance and creating superbugs that effect everything from the food we eat to the clothes we wear.  There has to be a better way.  Forests, jungles and grassy plains have remained for thousands of years without, or until man's involvement.

Back to the soil.  Beautiful, nutrient laden, soil.  Full of organic matter, maybe even a nice, sandy loam. It does not happen by accident and it must be maintained as organic matter breaks down, but when it is present, plants thrive.  Roots easily grow deep in the loose, moisture retentive soil, taking in the micronutrients needed for health and saving energy for fighting pathogens.  Less water is needed.  Weeds that compete with the plants are easily pulled.  Bugs will come, both good and bad, but the plants will be strong enough to hold their own until the good overpower the bad.  Fungus may appear, but a healthy plant can usually handle it.  Planting a wide variety of plants attracts different beneficial insects and prevents bad bugs, fungus and diseases from easily jumping from plant to susceptible plant.  Balance is maintained.  Of course, some plants have been highly hybridized into something that Nature never intended, something that would never survive in Nature, and no matter what the care, are so finicky they will struggle.  One must then make the decision to risk the balance of the entire garden for the one plant, or replace the plant for the good of the garden ... and Nature.

Also see Wait! Don't Grab That Spray!

Manure, Beautiful Rabbit Manure!

The other day there was a message on the fridge that the call I always wait for had come.  The caller, a man with an immediately recognizable voice; gruff, yet at the same time, friendly and laughing, as he says, "I've got something for you."  That something?  A truckload of rabbit manure.  Why, you ask, would anyone want a truckload of rabbit manure?  The answer is simple. It is the best thing ever for the garden!  Well, with the possible exception of bat guano, but I do not know anyone who raises bats.

Rabbit manure has more nutrients than other manures (typical N-P-K ratio: 2.4 - 1.4 - .60), but does not burn plants if applied directly to them without composting it first.  It also adds lots of organic matter to the soil which improves the texture.  Gardens (and worms) thrive on it!  Needless to say, the results of rabbit manure added to the compost pile are beautiful, too.  While some rabbit breeders package the manure to sell for extra income, many are happy to just have someone haul it away for them.

Today's manure haul.

If you do not have access to rabbit manure, a good alternative is rabbit food.  It's main ingredient is alfalfa, which contains a natural growth stimulant.  Simply throw a handful in the planting hole or spread on a lawn and you will soon see an amazing difference.  There is actually an organic fertilizer that is made by a well known feed company that smells amazingly similar to rabbit food. It used to look like it, too, until they started grinding it into what resembles the dust at the bottom of the bag.  While rabbit food is going up in price, a fifty pound bag is still cheaper than other organic fertilizers or alfalfa meal, which many gardeners use, especially for roses.

Another advantage of a truckload of anything is the workout it gives.  After loading and unloading a load of wet rabbit manure, you realize the truth in gardening being the equivalent of weight lifting.  I would be willing to bet that there is some cardiovascular in there at times as well.

Let's talk dirty. It's all in the soil.

"Let's talk dirty, it's ALL in the soil."  I was on a job today that reminded me of how I used to say that in a jokingly, suggestive sort of way.  As any serious gardener knows, it's true.  When you skimp on soil, your plants pay the price.  Roots waste energy fighting their way through heavy soil and clay.  Except for extremely hardy plants, most will gradually (or not so gradually) die away. Soil rich in organic matter not only holds much needed moisture, but provides nutrients on which plants thrive.  You cannot have a Victory Gardens garden without the Victory Garden's soil.

Beautiful mushroom compost from a local nursery.

It is only dirt when you track it in the house.

Just because you buy soil does not mean it is good for your plants.  If it feels heavy or like a brick in the bag or heap, it will work about as well as growing plants in a brick.  If you do not have a compost pile, it is worth the extra money to buy a high quality compost (professional potting mix in a pinch), not just for planting in, but replenishing and mulching existing gardens.  Your plants will repay you in full.

Also see Why Organic Garden?