The Self-Sufficient Gardener

There will be many times during this show you might ask - isn't this a gardening show? I'm getting to it I promise. I think some of the things I'm going to talk about today are going to blow your mind and its something hardly anyone else in gardening is talking about.  1. When we talk about specific species its sometimes very important that we use the latin taxonomic terms. When I look something up online I use the latin genus/species. Look up huckleberry. You can either get the annual solanaceae family plant or the perennial vaccinium or ericaceae. If you order or buy one or you talk about edible plants this can sometimes be important. The names are universal. A botanist in China knows that Rosmarinus Officianales is Rosemary the same as a guy in the US. 2. The name tells you about the plant. Like the example of tomato. It was used at the time because people thought it was poisonous or they were just being clever. For more info, visit:  Gardenterms.com (http://gardenterms.com)  3. It helps you relate them.    

On today's show I talk about how to prevent and deal with predator incursions on the homestead.  I hate to say I know a good deal about this but its only because of some mistakes I made.  At the first of the show I give you my take on this:  There are two types of livestock owners - those who have been visited by predators and those who haven't...yet. (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/553980_339406572775838_1906262241_n.jpg) *The thin line between treating your animals like wild creatures and nurturing them like domestic ones.  Prevention *Building solid enclosures.  Some of the techniques and tricks. *Guard animals. *The value (and detriment) of having animals with attitude. Control *The biggest part of control is analysis. *The clues left behind by predators and what they mean. *What to do when you have the answers.  

In today's episode I wanted to talk about food forest, the concept, the theory and actuality.  How I built mine, the things I look for and the thought process. Wikipedia definition:  Forest gardening is a low-maintenance organic plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. Making use of companion planting, these can be intermixed to grow in a succession of layers, to replicate a woodland habitat. My definition:  A purposefully planned and planted ecosystem, needing little or no input and capable of sustaining life and providing a bevy of useful products and services to the landholder. *Origination and modern description. *Main concepts: *Plant Niches - I'd rather think about niches rather than layers. *Plant Relationships - Why how we think things should interact is often not the case. *Low Maintenance - What it means to me (almost no maintenance and how!). *Site Considerations -The accessories that you can add and the things about the site that make it better. *Yield - It doesn't only have to be about food.

Well it's good to be back. In this episode I discuss what's been going on here at the homestead in the absence of the podcast. *The fun times I've had with the rabbits and why I'm looking at raising livestock as more than just a way to provide meat. *The garden and why building good soil is the most important element if you want to avoid watering even during a class 4 drought and 110 degree heat. (http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/547822_3052990583976_619299377_n.jpg) *The amazing production of just a two year old food forest. *Why can't I attract birds? The one disappointing spot in the garden. (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/378227_3052985903859_515668944_n.jpg) *Chickens - where reality and theory clash really hard. It sounds romantic to free range them until you realize we've spent millenia breeding the wildness out of them. But I'm going to try something that I think will help. *What is life like at 700 square feet? And why building your own home is not easy at all but it sure is worth it! (http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/559201_3052984143815_652525998_n.jpg) (http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/268611_3052984663828_348574314_n.jpg)          

In today's episode I tackle the question of how to water one's garden.  There's a bit of confusion from the communication I'm getting over how I do this and what I actually suggest.  (http://theselfsufficientgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/homebase-watering-can-300x300.jpg) * How much water is needed?  * Know your soil.  Some soils hold water better.  The lighter color of soil the less water it holds.  Humus is dark and is best.  Clay is dark red or brown and second best.  Silt is ok.  Sand is not good.  * Know your plants – what is their origin.  Tomatoes and potatoes – desertous areas.  * Know the signs – not enough water - yellow and drooping leaves from the bottom up.  Shallow roots.  Too much water – blossom end rot, lower leaves yellow, leaves drooping all over, browning of new leaves. *  When watering might be warranted.  * Extremely long dry conditions. * Seedlings just emerged but no rain for a few days. * Extremely hot conditions and you are trying to get fall crops to germinate. *  The appropriate way to water. * use land features or make new ones to hold and store water – swales, berms, even small depressions. * slow small water, not fast or quick.  So no 5 gallon bucket dumping.  Drip irrigation, soaker hoses, etc. * Don’t spray the foliage but don’t freak out if you do.  * Water in the afternoon on warm days. * How do I get through the gardening seasons without watering.  * I live in a decent climate.  Not all people will be able to use such little water. * I use mulch.  I like mulch * I build soil that holds water. * I don’t get attached to plants.  If one plant is particularly water needy I say my goodbyes and let it become new soil. *  The benefits of not watering.  * You don’t wash nutrients and minerals away from plants.  One of the “vectors” of blossom end rot is watering too much and too fast.  Calcium is very soluble and you can easily wash a lot of it away. * The plants roots go deeper.  When they go deeper they find more nutrients and minerals.  They also get to a temperature even zone that will help them resist drought, heat and cold. * You save money – by not using a water supply. * You reduce the risk of many pathogens that like damp conditions to live. 

On today's show I take another round of listener questions and feedback. * What to do about uneven growth under growlights? * A question about my techniques of irrigation (or lack thereof). * How to water seeds and seedlings. * What to do about poor germination rates with direct sowing.  * How to plant seeds the easiest, most successful way possible. * Why you don't till in organic matter. * A tip from a listener regarding a natural, sustainable cure for damping off syndrome.

In today's episode I explore the meaning of permaculture.  Not just the definition but why the definition probably doesn't really scratch the surface.  (http://theselfsufficientgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/permaculture-751102-264x300.jpg) Thought to be the combination of two words.   First word being  - permanent 1.  existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change.  2.  intended to exist or function for a long, indefinite period without regard to unforeseeable conditions. * And Culture:  a particular form or stage of civilization (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/civilization), as that of a certain nation or period: Greek culture.  * Or Agriculture – the growing of crops for human uses.   But I submit that we actually need a new word to describe what permaculture does.  *  For one – nothing is permanent.  * The first definition of culture  - reflects something that resists change but permaculture doesn’t resist change it rolls with it.  * The second definition – implies that its permanent but may not be permanent if conditions change.   Nothing is permanent – books, people, plants, animals even ideas fade in time.  Even cultures come and go.  The thing about permaculture is that it transcends a specific idea or thought or project.  Its purpose is to replicate nature in the best possible outcome to make positive things happen.  It doesn’t matter if the culture is on Earth or Pandora or Tattoine or in the twilight zone.  It doesn’t matter if the lifeform is trees or giant sandworms.  Lets take a look at culture.  The form of civilization.  To a point this is applicable.  We want a civilization that values nature and works not to harm the earth, to help its people and takes only what it needs.  But we’ll get to that in a minute.  Civilizations come and go though.  Agriculture is also not wrong but also not right.  Growing useful things is part of permaculture but its only a part.  Many people have a bad view of agriculture but growing things is agriculture to a limit. So what’s with the defining and categorization.  It probably doesn’t help but its to show people that even permaculture has to rise above its definitions.  Its natural forces at work in the nth degree. * Earthcare – any organism that destroys its environment perishes.  * Peoplecare – We are as a whole, greedy and selfish and thoughtless.  If it doesn’t benefit us we don’t do it.  So the system has to benefit people or else what’s the point?  * Fairshare- not even distribution and not wealth sharing.  Take only what is needed.    So what IS permaculture?  A process of system design that attempts to replicate nature or utilize it to the purpose of bettering people without hurting the environment and ecosystem.   No one can tell you what you are doing is or is not permaculture. Using the ethics as a guide is wise.  Using it to judge others is foolish.     

In today's episode I discuss how Thomas Jefferson gardened.  This is a fair question since we can probably learn some things from a time when pesticides and herbicides didn't exist and it was probably a good idea to grow some of your own food.  My how far we've moved from that!     (http://theselfsufficientgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/monticello_garden-300x220.jpg)   So tune in today to hear:   * What made Jefferson such a great gardener and unique among every president before and after. * Proof that Jefferson would rather have been in the garden than the White House or Europe or anywhere else on earth! * Why Jefferson was interested in new crops for the US. * Why Jefferson thought natives were important as well and how this seeming paradox is actually not one at all. * One of the most powerful lessons from Jefferson - teaching, advising, talking about and sharing seeds for gardening was paramount to his philosophy. * Why I call Jefferson the Permaculture President - 150 years before permaculture was put to paper. * Some examples of Jefferson's Permaculture - microclimates (walls and high spots), water management (terraces), soil management (integration of animals and rotations).  He also didn't seem to believe in weeding or worrying about pests (sound like someone you know?) * The strange feeling you get when you look at the dates and realize that when Jefferson wasn't helping found our country (and sometime in spite of) he was gardening!    

In today's episode I talk about dealing with failure on the homestead.  Its a short show and it felt a bit like me just venting and trying to rally myself past the failures so far. * I talk about some of the failures I've experienced this year:  Dead chickens, bad design of elements like the rabbit cage.  * I also talk about some of the successes and things that went right. * Part of homesteading is realizing that some things are going to happen and obviously you can't just give up. * Some things are bound to happen by chance.  Some happen because of errors.  Knowing the difference is important. * How you react and adjust to the failures makes all the difference.    

In today's episode I discuss Square Foot Gardening.  This show is dedicated to all of the people that say:  "I know you don't like _____".  The truth is that personally I feel like after a few years any gardener can move past SFG but it certainly is a great learning tool and it really fits what some people like so I say whatever works - go for it! NOTE:  Listener J. Kaiser pointed out in the comments that I made an error when calculating square feet.  I wrongly reported that a square foot is a square with sides .32x.32 .  I'm not sure if I was trying to do Cubic feet (?) or if I simply carried a decimal that didn't belong but anyway, yes a square 1x1 is 1 square foot.  It didn't affect really any of the content but I felt it worth noting. * What is SFG - Essentially organizing a garden into 1x1 foot squares.  Each square is not really a square foot that would be .32 x .32.  The method (usually but not always) involves using a raised bed box and a soil mix that is made by the gardener.  Pioneered by Mel Bartholomew. * Several steps: * Building the box.  You build a bed – 4x4 is the recommended starter size.  Usually treated lumber, 2x6 or 2x8.  * The Bottom - It can have a weed barrier on the bottom or not.  Some people use nothing.  Some use cloth, some use cardboard or newspaper.   Bartholomew suggests using a "weed barrier" beneath the box.  Personally with any raised bed I tend to try to kill off the weeds first and then put the box over with no barrier or to use a barrier that will break down like cardboard.  If you have problems with moles or gophers you can put chicken wire on the bottom. * Filling it  - "Mel's mix," a combination by volume of one third of decayed Sphagnum "peat moss", one-third expanded vermiculite and one-third blended compost. * Planting into it - A grid is placed over the top usually.  Cutting the 4x4 bed into 4 columns and 4 rows.  Each plant has a recommended population per square.  Beets: 16/sqft Broccoli: 1/sqft Cabbage: 1/sqft Carrots: 16/sqft  http://www.essene.com/Vegetarian/PlantSpacingsInASquareFootGarden.htm (http://www.essene.com/Vegetarian/PlantSpacingsInASquareFootGarden.htm) *  Advantages:  Good for beginners, children or people with limitted access.  Gives gardeners a good guide on how to start.  Easy and confidence builder.  Forces intensive gardening within the squares.  Less compaction.  Can add accessories.  No fighting weeds.  * Disadvantages:  Cost is elevated.  Forces segregation to a point.  Space is not used well all the time.  Tomatoes and zuchinni are hard fits.  Takes gardener out of the garden.  Dries out somewhat quickly.   * Sustainability is questionable if you have to keep replenishing it from outside sources.  Here are some ideas to make it sustainable and more permaculturish: *Refill it with compost you make on site.  *Use natural materials for bed borders such as rocks or cedar logs.  *Utilize the squares but as you learn mix it up.  So each square might have multiple plantings with similar populations.  *Utilize the edges.  If you do plant something large find a way to utilize the space below it.    

On today's episode I talk about building a pond for your garden.  The garden pond is such a great way to encourage diversity not only in the forms of wildlife it attracts but also in the form of planting surfaces and microclimates it creates. *Locating the pond.  Where does it make the most sense?  It needs to be accessible by animals and in a location where the water is easily usable.  *Three ways to make the actual water holding device. *  Straight dig * Liner – hard or film. * Gley – either through pigs, manure/paper or bentonite clay.  With all methods you have to dig a little at least to start.  Method 3 requires just cursory digging if you use pigs.  *Details on digging the hole, building a dam and making sure its level. *As soon as is practicable you need to plant on the dam and on the ground around the pond.  The purpose is nothing more than to prevent erosion and runoff.  Plant something that grows fast but is annual. You want to be able to plant more thoughtfully later.  *Adding organic matter to the water to get things going. *Plantings – you get into a whole new category of plants. * Edibles – watercress – a member of the brassica family – spicy green leaves.  High in vitamins and a cancer fighter. * Rice * Water lily and lotus – both have edible parts.  The leaves of the water lily sits on the water, but the lotus rises and its leaves sit up to four feet above the water.  * Cattails * Duckweed – livestock *Fauna * Frogs come on their own as do crayfish dragonflies, water spiders, etc.  * You can add some fish – depending on the size all the way from goldfish (make excellent bait) all the way up

Today we take another round of questions, feedback and GASP another call ( (502) 230-1787). (http://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4839522444512225&id=f3485d053b7be16e03e6f05d17f2ff87) So tune in as I answer questions on the following topics: * Is it too late to start cool weather crops such as lettuce, spinach? * What should be grown in an area where pigs were raised? * Health concerns about raising livestock in an area with a garden.  Most are overblown. *  My thoughts on the Back to Eden film http://backtoedenfilm.com/ (http://backtoedenfilm.com/) .  Spoiler alert - good film but I wonder what this guy could do with the OTHER materials God provides in addition to just wood chips! * The concerns with planting trees at a remote property and how much care do they need? * Can you use chicken manure to "force" succession - killing a plant you don't desire and moving the progression along? * Some reasons why "chop and drop" isn't such a simple answer in every case.

Today we are lucky enough to welcome back to the show Rick Worden from Rise and Shine Rabbitry (http://riseandshinerabbitrydotcom.wordpress.com/). (http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/308493_277407715626271_183653358335041_873000_1194492177_n.jpg) Last time we discussed the basics of raising rabbits.  Today Rick tackles some questions about advanced topics for the more experienced rabbit breeder.  Including: Breeding questions * Features to look for to enhance with a breeding program. * When do you make the decision to cull?  What brings on that decision? * How does linebreeding work to enhance breeding stock and quantity? * How do you tell if the doe is bred prior to the hair pulling? * If you are not sure your doe is bred or not, is it safe to rebreed? * The effects of temperature, daylight, daylength on breeding? * If I have the doe bred and then I repeat too soon can I cause miscarriages?  Food questions *  The list of foods that are safe/moderate and unsafe is immense.  Is there a general rule?  For instance – high sugar foods are moderate.  Grasses are generally safe? * Which garden grown food do you feel gives the most bang for the buck? Baby questions * When the babies are born what steps should the rabbit breeder take? * Is a 20% mortality rate is expected.  What can be done to lessen that?  Health Questions * Some more details about disease and what can be done with sanitation to prevent disease.

Series of truths  * A garden without some level of “pest” presence is not a healthy garden.  Its paradoxical I know.  If you don’t have “pest” insects then you don’t have a food source for the beneficials.  I’m not saying introduce pests but I’m saying when you spray them you prevent the rest of the ecosystem from filling in.  The best gardens I’ve ever had were packed with pest but each one was under control by a benevolent insect population.  * The root cause of most pest problems is plantings incapable of surviving predation. Thomas Jefferson knew this.  He told his daughter this.  Anyone who tells you they don’t have pests is either lucky or lying.  But strong plants resist adverse circumstances.   * Not everything in the garden is under your control.  You can’t fix all pest problems.  Deal with it.  Sometimes handpicking is the only option.  Sometimes the only sustainable option is to do nothing.  You have to learn to let go the attachment.  If a plant has to be sacrificed it has to be sacrificed.  Like the old Kenny Rogers song – know when to walk away and know when to run.   * Beyond organic gardening – no sprays is tough and it takes time.  Pesticides are the dark side – anger, fear, etc.   As soon as you turn to sprays without trying every option you have failed.  Sure you might get produce and your garden might look nice but you’ve robbed Peter to pay Paul.  You’ve sold your future for the present.   * If you can’t think broadly you’ll never succeed.  A healthy garden is not achieved by concentrating on any one thing.  You have to be a generalist.  You have to know how to grow healthy plants, how to attract beneficials, trap crops, shield crops, polyculture, hand picking, entomology.

What is PH? - Power of hydrogen  What's really being measured is the concentration of hydrogen (H) ions -- the more hydrogen ions there are, the more acid the thing being measured is. An anion (−) (AN-eye-ən), from the Greek word ἄνω (ánō), meaning "up", is an ion with more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge (since electrons are negatively charged and protons are positively charged). A cation (+) ( KAT-eye-ən), from the Greek word κατά (katá), meaning "down", is an ion with fewer electrons than protons, giving it a positive charge. Since the charge on a proton is equal in magnitude to the charge on an electron, the net charge on an ion is equal to the number of protons in the ion minus the number of electrons. Sources of Acidity Acidity in soils comes from H+ and Al3+ ions in the soil solution. While pH is the measure of H+ in solution, Al3+ is important in acid soils because between pH 4 and 6, Al3+ reacts with water (H2O) forming AlOH2+, and Al(OH)2+, releasing extra H+ ions. Every Al3+ ion can create 3 H+ ions. * Rainfall: Acid soils are most often found in areas of high rainfall. Excess rainfall leaches base cation from the soil, increasing the percentage of Al3+ and H+ relative to other cations. Additionally, rainwater has a slightly acidic pH of 5.7 due to a reaction with CO2 in the atmosphere that forms carbonic acid. * Fertilizer use: Ammonium (NH4+) fertilizers react in the soil in a process called nitrification to form nitrate (NO3-), and in the process release H+ ions. Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl cause salinity. * Plant root activity: Plants take up nutrients in the form of ions (NO3-, NH4+, Ca2+, H2PO4-, etc.), and often, they take up more cations than anions. However plants must maintain a neutral charge in their roots. In order to compensate for the extra positive charge, they will release H+ ions from the root. Some plants will also exude organic acids into the soil to acidify the zone around their roots to help solubilize metal nutrients that are insoluble at neutral pH, such as iron (Fe). * Weathering of minerals: Both primary and secondary minerals that compose soil contain Al. As these minerals weather, some components such as Mg, Ca, and K, are taken up by plants, others such as Si are leached from the soil, but due to chemical properties, Fe and Al remain in the soil profile. Highly weathered soils are often characterized by having high concentrations of Fe and Al oxides. Sources of Basicity Basic soils have a high saturation of base cations (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+). Alkaline soils are characterized by the presence of carbonates. Too Much Acidity Plants grown in acid soils can experience a variety of symptoms including aluminium (Al), hydrogen(H), and/or manganese(Mn) toxicity, as well as potential nutrient deficiencies of calcium (Ca) and magnesium(Mg). Aluminium toxicity is the most widespread problem in acid soils. Aluminium is present in all soils, but dissolved Al3+ is toxic to plants; Al3+ is most soluble at low pH, above pH 5.2 little aluminum is in soluble form in most soils. Aluminium is not a plant nutrient, and as such, is not actively taken up by the plants, but enters plant roots passively through osmosis. Aluminium damages roots in several ways: In root tips and Aluminium interferes with the uptake of Calcium, an essential nutrient, as well as bind with phosphate and interfere with production of ATP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate) and DNA, both of which contain phosphate. Alminium can also restrict cell wall expansion causing roots to become stunted. Below pH 4, H+ ions themselves damage root cell membranes. In soils with high content of Manganese (Mn) containing minerals, Manganese toxicity can become a problem at pH 5.6 and below. Manganese, like aluminum becomes increasingly more soluble as pH drops, and Manganese toxicity symptoms can be seen at pH's below 5.6. Mn is an essential plant nutrient,