The Trials and Tribulations of Gertie the Gardener

How to understand your soil.

There once was a gardener named Gerty: Gertie, the Gardener

BlueberryPotatoes Rhubarb

She was growing great things in her garden.These plants like slightly acidic soil.

KaleChard Asparagus

She was also growing other things in another garden. These plants like slightly alkaline soil.

Here comes our eager Gerty now!

Gerty is emptying

Pee and Peat Moss

From the Biolet Toilet Gerty is emptying

wood ashes

from her wood

stove. This is very acidic.

This is very alkaline.

Gerty the gardener decided to not let anything go to waste!

So she added them to the gardens.

Poor, Gerty the Gardener!

The ash was too basicThe pee/moss was too acidic.

NOTHING GREW!

Not to worry! Pam, the Peppy Permie, is here!

She said, “No soil is unsalvagable!”

First,TESTYOURSOIL!

Gerty the gardener measured the ruined blueberry soil at PH 4 : Too Acid! She needs to increase her

PH! Add Dolomite Lime which adds calcium and magnesium. Phosphorus will slowly appear for your plants. This process will be slow.

Read from the Original Website: http://www.the-compost-gardener.com/soil-ph.html#ixzz1qfOGqPvw

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Gerty the gardener measured her ruined asparagus at PH 8 :

Too Alkaline! She needs to decrease her PH!

She needs sulfur + time + soil bacteria to get a lowered pH.

●Read from the Original Website: The Compost Gardener●Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Borrow a digging fork from someone who isn’t using theirs to loosen the soil .

Plant cover crops and mulches to keep the soil surface porous.

Add worms! Then cook for a year until done!

After those additions are made, Pam the Peppy Permie gave this advice:

What did you learn?ALWAYS TEST YOUR SOIL FIRST before you start adding things!

THEN you can add the appropriate amendments to your soil.

Sources

●Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition. Date Viewed. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10t.html

●Plantation Approach to Phosphate Mining Reclamation." Biomass Energy Crop & Biomass Power Working Group. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://www.treepower.org/soils/soilresearch.html

● "Sustainable Agriculture." ORGANIC DYNAMICS. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://organicdynamicsllc.com/