Organic Gardening

Organic Gardening Rodale’s

The organic gardener’s bible http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/

National Organic Program• Developed national organic standards

and established an organic certification program • http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop

National Organic ProgramOrganic crops are raised without •most conventional pesticides•petroleum-based fertilizers•sewage sludge-based fertilizers

National Organic Program• Prohibits GMOs• As a general rule,

natural substances are allowed • Synthetic substances

prohibited

Does Natural Mean Organic?• Natural and organic

are not interchangeable• Free-range,

hormone-free, and natural don't mean “organic”

Certification• Accredited by USDA-accredited

certifying agents• The information an applicant must

submit • organic system plan• substances used• record keeping

Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) • National nonprofit

organization that determines which products are allowed for use in organic production

• OMRI products• http://www.omri.org/

Crop Scheduling Burpee

http://www.burpee.com/gygg/growingCalendarWithZipCode.jsp?catid=1000&_requestid=647487

Southeastern States http://www.thegrower.com/south-east-

vegetable-guide/pdf/ Clemson

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/vegetables/gardening/hgic1256.html

Log Gardening Hugelkultur Bury logs in a mound Retain moisture Decomposition provides

Nutrients Aeration Boosts microorganisms

Heirloom Plants Open-pollinated Grown in an “earlier era” Before 1951, before hybridization

became popular Better flavor

Cover Crop http://www.clemson.edu/sustainableag/

IP024_covercrop.pdf

Cover CropCatch CropReduce nutrient leaching

Cover CropImprove soilIncreases organic matter in soilImproves soil structureIncreases microbial activity

Cover CropNature’s fertilizersNitrogen production from legumes

Clover, beans, peas, vetch

Cover CropRooting can aerate soilBlue lupine a biological plow in compacted soils

Cover CropWeed suppressionSmother weedsAllelopathic effects

Inhibit or slow growth of weeds by releasing natural toxins, or allelochemicals

Small grains (rye), sorghum, sudangrass

Companion PlantingCertain combinations have synergistic effectsImprove growthPrevent pestsAttract beneficials

Companion Planting Rose and garlic Tomatoes and cabbage Corn and beans

Crop Rotation Don’t grow the same crop in the same

soil year after year

Crop Rotation The longer the rotation, the better the

results 4-year rotation: Corn, soybeans, oats,

alfalfa Break up insect and disease life cycles Reduce weeds Improve soil nutrition

Crop Rotation Iowa State University Marsden Farm rotation experiment started

in 2003 The longer rotations produced better yields Reduced fertilizer/herbicides up to 88% http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/

2012/10/19/a-simple-fix-for-food/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1

Organic v. Conventional Standford study suggests no health

benefit However, do recognize reduced

exposure to synthetic pesticides, growth hormones and GMO

http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/september/organic.html

http://gothamgreens.com/our-farm/

http://brightfarms.com/s/#!/retail_partners

Vegetable Gardening Minimum of six hours of sunlight

Best with eight to ten hours Leafy crops, like lettuce, are more

tolerant of shade

Three Sister’s Garden Sweet corn planted first Green beans planted a week later

Climb the corn stalks Beans are legumes

Fix nitrogen

Three Sister’s Garden Squash planted a week later between

the corn and beans to shade out weeds

Square Foot Gardening Grid pattern to conserve space

Often raised beds http://timssquarefootgarden.com

Organic GardeningCompostYard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in the United States

Compost Transforming organic matter into soil-

like material Invertebrates (insects and earthworms)

and microorganisms (bacteria and fungi)

CompostImproves AerationWater retentionIncrease microbes

Compost Fast or active composting done in 2 to 6

weeks

Carbon-to-Nitrogen(C:N) Bacteria and fungi

digest carbon as an energy source and ingest nitrogen for protein synthesis Carbon, the "food" Nitrogen, the

digestive enzymes

Carbon-to-Nitrogen(C:N) Brown

Carbon Green

Nitrogen

Carbon-to-Nitrogen(C:N) 30:1 (carbon to nitrogen) (Clemson)

30 pounds of carbon for every 1 pound of nitrogen

Another source reports 4 parts brown to 1 part green

Carbon-to-Nitrogen(C:N) Too much carbon, turns cold Too much nitrogen, stinks (ammonia

gas)

Carbon-to-Nitrogen(C:N) Carbon are “browns”

Leaves Dried grass clippings Straw Sawdust (moderation)

Nitrogen are “greens” Fresh grass clippings Fresh manure Kitchen scraps (fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds,

tea bags)

Materials to NOT Compost Meat

Attract scavengers Ashes from grill  Dog and cat feces

Disease risk And it stinks

Surface Area Decomposition takes place when

particle surfaces are in contact with air Chopping, shredding, mowing, or breaking

up the material Increased surface area increases

decomposition And heat

Aeration Decomposition consumes oxygen

Aerobic decomposition Anaerobic decomposition occurs with

low oxygen Stinks

Turn pile frequently Pitchfork

Moisture Moisture content

of 40-60 percent Below 40%,

microbial activity slows

Above 60%, anaerobic decomposition

Temperature Microorganisms generate heat as they

decompose organic material 90F to 140F is ideal Activity slows down if too low or too

high

Vermicomposting Worm composting

Redworms 50F to 70F

Vermicomposting Worms transform food wastes into

nutrient-rich "castings“ http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com

Vermicomposting Box or bin along

with "bedding" of shredded cardboard and/or paper moistened to about 75% water content

Vermicomposting Consume four to six

pounds of food scraps per week

About four to six months, the worms will have converted all of the bedding into "castings"

Compost Tea Soaking bag of compost

in a bucket of water for an hour

Water soluble nutrients and beneficial microorganisms leach out

Boost microorganisms in soil

http://europeangarden.com/aerobin400.aspx

http://grist.org/locavore/for-new-yorkers-a-farmers-market-on-your-phone/

http://afristarfoundation.org/

educational-resources/

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-gmo-food-safety-studies-20121025,0,2357100.story