There are many excellent, innovative ways to garden, and no point in arguing the pros and cons of these various methods (Lasagna, Square Foot, Intensive, Hoop House, etc . . .).
Over the course of nearly forty years of growing plants, Feed Dayton founder Ken Carman has adopted certain key practices for farming/gardening. Mr. Carman considers these practices to be paramount in producing successful yields, therefore they will be implemented throughout the Feed Dayton Project.
Here are five of the most important:
(note: photo on left showing a wide row of kale, mulched and fertilzed with compost, and bordered by permanent wood chip paths)
Compost – Compost is perhaps the most vital component to any successful gardening/farming project. It serves several important roles in a healthy garden including as a fertilizer, a mulch, and ultimately a soil conditioner. As a fertilizer, compost that incorporates high nutrient materials acts as a well balanced, slow release fertilizer. As a mulch, compost helps retain moisture, helps control weeds, and moderates soil temperatures. Finally, as a soil conditioner, compost ads organic material that helps loosen the soil, improves both water retainage and drainage, and supports the growth of numerous beneficial organisms. Compost does more than anything else to create an environment where your plants will thrive, but if you have to ask how much is enough, then you obviously don’t have enough. Collecting your kitchen scraps and garden residue, and then thinking you can effectively implement compost in your garden, is almost like rubbing your hands together and thinking you are going to warm up your house. Not to downplay the value of those materials, but a highly successful farmer/gardener will collect vast amounts of horse manure, leaves, grass clippings, or any other appropriate material they can get their hands on, and have a fantastic farm/garden as a result!
Wide rows – There are many benefits to growing in wide rows. Wide rows dramatically reduce the amount of space needed for paths, thereby increasing your growing area. Wide rows also allow you to grow a higher percentage of your crops adjacent to one another which shades the soil, which in turn retains moisture and helps prevent weeds from growing. By definition, a wide row is usually about three to four feet across . . . as wide as possible, yet where one can easily reach any plant in the row from one side or the other. In fact, most crops grown in wide rows are actually planted as a series of short micro-rows that are planted very close together. As a rule, the only crops that should be grown in conventional rows are ones that grow tall and produce their harvest on a vine (pole beans, sugar snap peas, and even tomatoes). It is more than just a choice, it is a matter of practicality and efficiency.
Permanent Paths – This may be less critical than compost and wide rows, but rich soil is far too valuable to be walked on. One method of preventing this is to dig all of the good soil out of your path areas, and place it on top of your growing areas, and then filling the “trench” with wood chips. My soil is so rich, thanks to fertilizing with compost tea, that I have never had any problems with nitrogen depletion along the edges of my paths, and the wood chips do a marvelous job of controlling weeds and holding moisture along the sides of my rows. Being in contact with the soil on three sides, they break down quickly and after a year or so are adding organic material to my soil. The old chips can be removed and used as a mulch around perennial plants (rhubarb, raspberries, asparagus, etc . . . ), and replaced with fresh chips. Raised beds with the soil held in place by boards are fine too.
Well Watered – You can have the healthiest soil in the world, teaming with beneficial microbes and organisms, but if you let it dry out even a little, your plants will be stressed and become more susceptible to pest attacks. If you want to try to achieve one of those gardens that are so healthy that there is little insect damage, then you have to keep the soil moisture at the right level. Soil fertility and microbial activity are not enough and the problem is that plants will be stressed long before they show it. Does a person have to pass out before you realize they are hungry or thirsty? Can you look at a person and tell that they need food or fluids . . . not in the early stages. Well, it is the same with plants. If you are waiting until they show signs of wilting before you water them during dry spells, you are waiting too long. Of course you don’t want to drown them or over-water. but just remember that they will be thirsty, before they visibly let you know.
Delayed Harvest – There is a list of reasons why to grow a lot of Kale and Collards, but the one in particular relates to convenience. With most crops, you must harvest them at the appropriate time . . . when they are ready. But one of the advantages of growing Kale and Collards is that you can harvest the largest leaves off of each plant every week, or wait a week or two . . . or a month or two, and harvest them whenever you want to. How many other crops are there that may be ready to harvest before you leave on vacation, but could wait until you get back if needed? It is also a good idea to grow crops that produce over an extended period of time. There is certainly a place for one harvest crops such as carrots and corn, but if space, time, and/or resources are limited, it is always best to prioritize crops that keep right on producing over a several week to several month period.
Note: Although Feed Dayton will not be seeking organic certification at this time, we will be farming under strict organic principles.
