“Organic gardening” means
growing food crops and or
namentals. using natural fer
tilizers and natural insect
repellants. Ultimately it’s based
on faith: the verbal theory at
tached to it goes like this: a plant
will be healthy and resistant to
disease and predatory insects if it
receives proper nutrition 'the
same applies to people). For a
plant to be properly fed. the SOIL
must be healthy.
Organic materials added to the
soil build humus - which is
simply decayed material.
Humus breaks down clay, makes
it softer. Humus added to sandy
soil aids water retention, and
adds nutrients. That's what
compost is all about. When you
use kitchen waste, grass clip
pings. manure and lime to make
a compost heap, you eventually
get a black crumbly rich humus
which has lots of soil organisms
i the micro-organisms respon
sible for the breaking down
process), worms, and the three
big nutr ients--Nitrogen,
Phosphorus and Potassium Plus
an incredible little magic
element called humic acid. This
by-product of decomposing
plants stimulates root growth,
and possibly has much to do with
Lhe breakdown of nutrients into
forms that plant roots can ab
sorb.
Chemical fertilizers < some of
which are waste products of
industry), must also undergo
What’s
this
organic ?
by Barbara Jacobsen
cheinical changes before plants
can use them. These chemicals
do not encourage soil organisms
and often kill them; that's why
many commercial agricultural
lands are in bad shape - no soil
organisms, no humus, no water
retention, no adequate break
down of chemical substances, no
fertilization: so they add more
fertilizer.
It's the same food chain: but
we know there are more con
sumers to consider. The micro
organisms in the soil must have
food in a form that they can use.
Their by-products feed the soil
itself which feeds plants, which
feed animals
Organic, or natural fertilizers
and insect repellants may be
hard to define - you think about
it. It seems to me that those
products which the chemical
companies sell after much
sophisticated tinkering require
much equipment and specialized
knowledge. Organic fertilizers
are all around us and require
little or no processing: blood
meal, rich in nitrogen, is dried
blood, a by-product of
slaughterhouses. There is lots of
phosphorus in sea weed. And
there is potassium in wood ashes.
Powdered hot peppers and water
kill aphids.
If you can find a better
definition, let me know, care of
The Emerald. Better yet, just do
it, get the feel of it, and
remember you want to feed soil
microbes and soil, not poison it.
Staff for
this issue:
Editorial: Carol Wood
Advertising:
Arupom Oonchittikul
Photo: Jim Link
Production: Patty Smith,
Hillary Barsky
Barbara Jacobsen, better known
as Flora DeVine. is a long-time
Eugene resident, has gardened
organically on a commercial
basis for several years, and is
currently working as an in
dependent landscape contractor.
Susan Applegate, from Yoncalla,
Oregon, works for a local florist
in greenhouse and floral work,
raises orchids and rims her own
small greenhouse here in
Eugene
-
.
The garden plots at the city-dona ted community garden in
Eugene’s Alton F Baker park are all taken. If you’re an
apartment or dorm -bound gardener, and missed your chance
at one of these spaces, call the Celeste Campbell Senior
Citizens Center at 687-5318. Many of their members have
garden plots available that require tending, and would give
you the room to exercise your green thumb.
Elementary cold frames
dirt and compost
sand and dirt
dry straw
gravel
Seedlings begun outdoors need
fine soil, good drainage,
protection from too-hot days and
too much wind; thus, a cold
frame.
For this cold frame the materials
required include.
2 x 4’s; enough lineal feet to meet
your specifications. Keep in
mind that you’ll be leaning over
and across it to plant, thin and
weed, so plan your width
dimensions accordingly.
Enough plywood to cut a
triangular piece which will raise
the back end by at least 5”.
I x 2's. or even lathe, to construct
the top of the cold frame
Visqueen. or any heavy mil
polyethylene
Staples, to staple the plastic to
the top frame
Hinges, for raising the lid of the
frame
Lathe strips, if you want to tack
down the edges of the visqueen to
the frame lid.
To prepare the ground for the
cold frame:
Dig at least one foot down.
Then make the layers as shown in
the di agram
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