When I harvest I usually already know what will go in this plant’s place
Succession planting is a simple way to harvest more food for longer in your existing garden space! I am constantly blown away by how many times and how much I can plant in my backyard garden beds.
Succession planting boils down to “out with the old and in with the new’. It’s the practice of planting one crop right after another is harvested. This practice can keep you eating fresh from your garden all season long, even after frosts.
Spoiler: Successful Succession Planting has a lot to do with planning and picking the right plants.
There are a few ways to go about this kind of planting.
Succession Planting: two or more different crops following each other in the same space
Staggered or Relay Planting: same crop with repeated plantings in the same space
Interplanting / Companion Planting: when you plant multiple things at the same time in the same space that mature at different times and mutually benefit each other.
For now, let’s focus on the practice of planting different crops one after another in the same space, what most people think of as ‘succession planting’. Many of the same plants that star in our Northern spring gardens do well when started in summer to mature in the fall. Choosing cool weather plants, that can take a slight frost, will grow your summer efforts into delicious fall side dishes.
Bringing wildlife into your garden will bring you higher pollination rates, more food, less pest pressure and the joy that comes from watching an ecosystem thrive. The best part about it is that the ways to bring wildlife in are all tied together, kind of like nature itself. This is a great reminder that we and our yards are part of nature and not separate from it!
There are lots of specifics to follow, but it really comes down to diversity, and making all the things you want to live in your garden feel welcome. This is my take on companion planting in general as well. You can listen in on a companion planting conversation of mine on the Grow It Minnesota! podcast.
We started by deciding to not use synthetic chemicals in our garden. This is a first step that is truly the most important! Then we added a bird feeder and a bird bath and luckily had some beautiful mature trees on our property. Since then, we’ve added more wildlife features as we could, from more native plants they feed from, more watering spots and more cover, creating a little wildlife sanctuary. We actually went ahead and made it official with the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat .
In case you haven’t met yet, let me introduce you to THE SHRUB—the kind you drink.
Shrub What?
At its heart, a shrub is a sweetened fruit syrup mixed with vinegar as a way to preserve summer flavors. In practice, shrubs are best sipped with friends who are as bubbly and sweet/tart as the flavors flowing from the glass.
The magic of any shrub is how it brings together the sweet of the fruit with the acid of vinegar—creating a depth of flavor that lays down a perfect base to build on. But typical of true magic, there’s a third part: the health benefits of probiotics and enzymes from the apple cider vinegar complete the trinity.
Stephanie and I before Covid, at a WBL Farmers Market after she taught a fermentation class
When I first made shrubs, I cooked my rhubarb (and other fruits) then strained the juice and added vinegar. But there is a fresher flavor with fermenting—which may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out. When you skip cooking the fruit you retain some great high notes from the rhubarb that get cooked out in other versions. Similar to fresh strawberry jam versus cooked strawberry jam…
Stephanie Thurow, a friend and coauthor of our book, Small-Scale Homesteading is also a master food preserver of Minnesota from Scratch . She first opened my eyes to fermenting shrubs and I will never go back!
The name alone gives you a warm fuzzy feeling and I can tell you from personal experience, their greenhouse is wonderfully warm even in the depths of winter… or at least most winters.
Like so many farmers and small business owners, Theresa is always looking to the future, and decided to make a ‘sea change’ in the farm over the last winter. They switched over from Aquaponics to Hydroponics, showing just how nimble small businesses can be.
As Theresa, the main farmer at Bright Future Farms, settles into these changes, she is finding room for growth in new areas. But first – let’s take a look at Aquaponic and Hydroponic development.
A Quick History
Farmers have always been tinkerers. And some Mayan farmers (2,000 years ago!) were farming using an intricate system of open water canals, reservoirs and filtration boxes. Other cultures have used flooding and seasonal water fluctuations to their agricultural advantage throughout the years; think rice paddies.
Flash forward to the 1970’s and Dr James Rakocy at the University of the Virgin Islands developed a commercial-scale Aquaponics system that harnesses the waste of fish to fertilize plants, all within a closed loop system.
Aquaponics or Hydroponics
GrowStones
The main difference between the two systems is that aquaponics grows fish within the system as a way to fertilize the plants, while hydroponics grows plants only. Both systems are soil-less, using ‘growing medium’ like perlite, grow stones, rock wool etc. More info on ways to grow in the fun video by Epic Gardnening. The systems can look quite different and there are lots of small variations.
Hydroponics can be as simple as getting nutrient filled water to flow by plant roots. But even those kinds of systems require a pump. An Aquaponics system also includes:
Rearing Tanks, Clarifier, Filter Tanks.
The water is sent through the rearing tanks, clarifier and filters then onto the hydroponic tanks to water AND feed the produce. For Theresa, if they’re not growing fish, they simply add those fertilizing nutrients into the system.
The beauty of an aquaponics system is that lots of complex natural processes happen on their own… as long as the system is set up correctly. This creates a sustainable, self-contained system that produces nutrient dense foods.
In other terms, the fish produce waste, which is converted to fertilizer for plants, the plants then filter the water that return to the fish.
‘In’ the Farm
Theresa ended up with a single, 24′ X 36′ freestanding greenhouse that has supplemental heat for our cold Minnesota winters provided by a propane furnace.
Nelson and Pade, Inc is a trusted source for Aquaponics systems, and is the Wisconsin company Theresa went through to purchase her original Aquaponics set up. While not cheap to start up, the system is quite efficient once running.
The first thing I did when I visited on that frigid February day was walk through their bio-security system which included washing your hands and walking through a foot bath of a bacterial and parasitic killing solution. This step adds to their ability to say that they’re clean from outside contaminants, and keeps things growing healthy and organically.
Tending the System
When I first explored the greenhouse, it looked a bit like a science experiment, with tubes and tanks all hooked up and going around and around. But Theresa was able to explain it simply.
Theresa checks the water quality by testing levels of ammonia, nitrates, pH level, plus checks the temperature daily. The main input to an aquaponic system is fish food. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. More than 50% of the waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia secreted in the urine and, in small quantities, through the gills. Monitoring a few key chemical levels assures healthy fish and plants.
Sea Change
Their greenhouse now consists of a Dutch bucket drip system for tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers, and a deep-water raft system for a variety of lettuces.
Dutch Buckets – photo credit Farmer Theresa
All produce is grown without soil or chemicals in very efficient re-circulating systems, within a controlled environment. Their current growing method is hydroponics, but the raft system is configured for both hydroponics and aquaponics.
Floating Raft System
Right now, they are adding the nutrients to the deep-water raft system. On average hydroponic systems use 10 times less water to grow food than traditional field crops. That adds up quick!
“We may raise tilapia again, to have our aquaponics system operating, but are going to compare results of growing lettuce hydroponically before making that decision. Either method of growing produces healthy, delicious and safe food,” says Theresa. As you can see, this farmer is a scientist at heart.
Also of note, composting the unused parts of the vegetables they grow helps add to the general fertility of their outdoor farm garden.
Bright Future Farm also grows a variety of microgreens, also without soil or chemicals, that nicely accompany their other lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Now, more than ever, smaller farms are becoming more popular will feed more of the country. Bright Future Farms combines that small business nimbleness with water wise growing techniques to produce delicious produce – and sometimes fish! In places where water is short, hydro- and aqua- ponics will play a larger and larger roll in food production in the upcoming years.
Theresa and her mom all smiles at market!
Catch Bright Future farm at these upcoming Farmers Markets:
Cambridge Farmers Market: Saturdays starting May 7th 9am-1pm
Lindstrom Farmers Market: Wednesdays, starting July 8th 3pm-6pm
Bright Future Farm’s Future is, well – bright! Check out their website for more info.
Many of you have been asking me about vegetable gardening this year and I love it! I wanted to take this chance to cover (more of) the bases at once.
Specifically, you’ve been asking me about planting seeds versus getting plants later – not sure how COVID 19 will affect things this season… While I don’t have a crystal ball, I have been looking into things, and talking with local garden centers and farm stores, communicating with seed companies and plant distributors here’s what I can gather…
Seeds Stocks
Purchase seeds from local stores, near me in White Bear Lake places like Hugo Feed Mill, Costa’s Greenhouse, Niemczyk Gardens, Egg Plant Urban Farm Supply and Bachman’s are all stocked with seeds (if they carry) and growing out plants for you. Many online seed companies are waaaaaay behind in orders, not taking orders for a while or just closed to everyone but farmers for this season. Places like those above carry seeds from some of the best known and trusted, organic companies around, like Seed Savers Exchange, Renee’s Garden and Botanical Interests. For browsing beautiful varieties check out my earlier blog post about Seed Companies.
My Local Favorites:
Hugo Feed Mill: Phone orders, 651-429-3361, prepayment with curb/dock side pick up. Here’s a BLOG all about this Hugo institution.. Costa’s Greenhouse:orders@costagreenhouse.com or Call 651-653-1269, curbside pick-up. Free delivery over $125. (greenhouse opens April 24th) Here’s a BLOG I wrote about them. Bachman’s Maplewood: Online or phone (612-861-7311) ordering, Curbside or Delivery. Niemczyk Gardens: Online preordering, pickup, (greenhouse opens April 25th) Egg Plant Urban Farm Supply:order@eggplantsupply.com, call back for payment, curbside pickup.
White Bear Lake Seed Library: email wblseedlibrary@gmail.com for FREE seeds, detail on their BLOG. Scheduled seed pickup on Saturday April 25 from 9-10 am at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot. To pick up seeds on this date you must have your order in by Friday April 24 at 7pm.
Farmers Markets: Yes Farmers markets will continue to run, but with an increase in interest in growing your own food, and market restrictions, it just makes sense to purchase what you can ahead of time. And many farmers markets won’t start until many gardens are fully planted.
**Sadly, all of the small local spring plant sales put on by garden clubs, master gardeners, and even the Friends School Plant Sale are cancelled for this season.**
Hugo Feed Mill
Buy from Locally Run Stores
Same goes with buying plants later in the season (Once spring finally wins this drawn out battle over winter). Try to shop local and small companies that have online or phone ordering with curbside pickup in place. The above stores all have that happening.
Typically, April 15 is our last frost date in MN, but who knows what typical is these days. Tomato plants likely won’t be in stores until much closer to May, when our climate can handle them without cover. So let’s look at what you can get going sooner rather than later!
Seeds to Start + When
There are lots of seeds you can start outside before the frost is gone, such as: peas, spinach, lettuce, kale, radish, beets, kohlrabi, carrots can all be started NOW! Many of the seeds listed will start germination at soil temps of 40-45F. And, even though we’ve been cold, the soil is warming up well!
The next week or two will be a great time to start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, Swiss chard and other brassicas outside as well.
If you feel like trying something new, how about making a tiny Greenhouse of your own! Cutting a milk just in half, poking some holes on the bottom and planting cool weather crops in them is a great way to jump start the season! Just don’t plant carrot seeds in these, as root crops don’t tolerate transplanting.
Starting seeds Indoors
**Use only seed starting mix (not garden soil) when starting seeds!**
anything that is sterile with perlite or vermiculite works
The time for starting peppers from seed has mostly past, unless you get the fasted maturing varieties and can wait until August to harvest.
Tomatoes started in Soil Blocks
It’s getting right on the edge of time to plant tomatoes, but still worth it, look for faster maturing varieties- tip* Cherry Tomatoes usually produce a few weeks earlier than full size varieties.
Now and up to the next two weeks is a great time to start both summer and winter squash, cucumber and herb seeds indoors.
Don’t forget the easy to start flowers too, marigolds, cosmos, calendula and nasturtiums love a little head start!
I know this is a LOT of ‘overview’ info, but I wanted to cover the basics in one swoop. If you have other questions, please ask away… And I know we all have lots going on right now, but gardening is a truly calming and rewarding adventure- I hope you give it a try!
**If you are interested in learning more, I’ll be adding a recording of my “Vegetable Gardening Basics” class to my website soon! Stay Tuned!
And, because we all do better together, **please add to the list of places you know that have seeds to start for your garden, or that will have their greenhouses filled with safe and healthy food plants!**
I hope this helps you sort through some of the unknowns of starting your garden this season!
For this suburban Homesteader this means dyeing your Easter Eggs with whatever you’ve got in the house. Plus this means you can actually eat them without worrying about ‘extra’ chemicals.
Bubbles on a dipped egg right out of the dye
Natural dyed Easter eggs have a simple yet stunning charm, plus I think the process is much more manageable for parents with younger kids…
I know we’re all busy but if you can chop a few veggies and simmer them while boiling the eggs you’ve got this!
Another great part is that the kids drop the eggs in the liquid dye containers (old yogurt cup, mason jars, what you have) and then wait to see their creations until the morning!
Natural Dye Basics
My boys got into the ‘science’ part of this with labeling the dyes
These natural dyes take at minimum 3 hours to really set in, and we let ours soak overnight. So, the ‘hands-on’ time for kids is more in the prep of the food items.
I love introducing the idea that food can be used for crafting as well as nutrition with my kids. My boys also love guessing which will be the most blue, dark, beautiful etc. I appreciate the added layer of anticipation this process invites.
That being said – there are obviously as many ways to do this as there are chickens who lay all those eggs, so YOU DO YOU!
PS: All chickens also appreciate the over cooked cabbage, beet peelings and blueberry mash!
If you happen to have a LOT of eggs coming in from your chickens, try making my Homestead Strata recipe!
My Favorite Fruits and Vegetables for Easter Egg Dyeing (*depicts color of processed egg)
Yellow Onion Skins:
Boiling Onion Skins
*RUSSET RED I had saved these for a few weeks, but you may have enough for a small batch just laying in the bottom of your veg bin (or is that just me?) Boil in water 40 minutes to release the color
Lavender Flowers:
*OLIVE I usually have some older and not very fragrant bunches of dried lavender flowers (and leaves and stems) around. Rinse them off, crumble into a pot and boil for 30 minutes.
Red Cabbage:
Boiling chopped Cabbage
*EASTER BLUE I used the wilted outer leaves plus a few more, 6 or 7 leaves in all and chopped them randomly to help them release their beautiful colors. Boil for 30 minutes.
Beets:
*DARK RED I also usually have a few remaining beets from last fall’s gardens in the bottom of my veg drawer. These slightly shriveled beets are perfect for taking thick peelings off of to use for dyeing (and I still save the beets to roast) Boil for 30 minutes.
Grape:
*BLUE/GRAY I usually forage some wild grapes every Fall and freeze the extra juice. So I’ll add some water to the juice I had already boiled to thin it out to have enough to cover the eggs. *This could work well with purchased juices too!
Blueberry:
*BRIGHT BLUE I used a half cup of frozen blueberries and 1 cup of water. Not the most cost effective food use, but wow were these eggs turned vibrant and a fun compliment color to the red cabbage. I mashed and boiled for 5 minutes.
Turmeric:
*YELLOW I use powder so no need to simmer, just mix with water and vinegar before dyeing the eggs.
Egg Dyeing Process
For me part of the beauty of this process is the anticipation it builds by just leaving the eggs in the dye overnight- my kids are used to this way now, so they know what to expect- but if explained to kids as both a science experiment and a way to wake up to a surprise, you really can’t go wrong!
You basically chop up veggies or mash fruit, boil to extract to colors, cool and strain.
Hard Boil the eggs and cool.
Then get into a container that works for submerging however many eggs you want to dye. Once in the container, right before you’re going to dip the eggs, add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar per cup of liquid. Then let the kids dunk the eggs and wait!
One difference between this and the commercial dye kits is the colors can rub off more easily, so be gentle. Also I find the beet dye usually oxidizes to brown within a day, so I added a bit of cherry juice this time (remember just use what you’ve got!) to help it hold the red. I also recommend polishing with a little olive oil once *completely* dry.
So we leave our sit/soak overnight – and the kids love scooping them out in the morning – we let them air dry and then GENTLY rub them with olive oil. Project done. Kids feel like artists. I like that I didn’t buy anything extra.
Always Experimenting
I finally got to the point of laying pretty flowers and leaves onto these before dyeing and I loved it. I ended up boiling the eggs with the imprints tied on in the onion solution (with vinegar). I followed THESE basic instructions and ended up happy for my first attempt. I can’t wait to try again next year!
Bottom Line: we love making homemade Easter eggs!
Beets, Tumeric powder, Red Cabbage
We’ve come a long way since the first time I tried dyeing eggs without the fake colors and extra plastic + packaging.
But ever since that first year, we’ve been hooked!
Here’s another idea with a match up of natural dyes used to finished colors from this year.
These colors are from what you get when left overnight. Let me know if you give this a try, I love seeing everyone’s photos!!
There’s something so fun and even empowering in using regular household things to create art. Plus – We will be able to eat the hard boiled eggs without worry of added toxic dyes.
Happy Spring and Enjoy the return of all the eggs!
This is the Spring to get growing a vegetable garden!
With so much up in the air dealing with COVID19, I am soothed knowing the ground beneath my feet is here for me.
Gardening can be a great escape that also keeps you: going outside and getting sun, moving while the gyms are closed, feeding you healthy food, …which all seem like pretty good reasons to go ahead and plant a (bigger) garden this Spring!
Let’s Dig In!
Victory Gardens were a sign of national patriotism back in the days between WWI and WWII.
Even schools had gardens, which I am happy to say was already well on it’s way to making a comeback! This school garden influx is tied with the national push for Farm to School eating in school lunches!
Those home gardens focused on quick to perish or easy to store at home foods. Home Grown veggies could be found in over half of American’s lawns for a few years! To put that into numbers, “by 1944, an estimated 20 million victory gardens produced roughly 8 million tons of food—which was the equivalent of more than 40 percent of all the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States,” according to the History Channel.
The Agricultural Departments also urged us to keep our chickens, ‘two for each family member’ and I’d be happy to help you get started with that too 😉 I’ve got an article, Chickens in the Hood all about that!
During these uncertain times, I simply feel better knowing I am doing something (anything) to prepare and plan for the future. Of course, I already loved growing food, so growing more makes sense. For those of you not used to digging in and planting there are a few tips to get you planting a successful garden.
Basic Garden Tips
Plant what you will eat.
Plant in the sun, near water if possible.
Fence it in, because critters want to eat fresh veggies too.
Add compost, good soil matters.
Grow Vertically to keep the garden footprint small.
Plant Diversity
Consider planting a few fast growing crops like greens (lettuce, spinach) and more expensive herb plants- which also are things that you need to keep going to a store to keep buying ‘fresh’. Beets, radishes, kohlrabi and kale are all ready to harvest in 45 days. Bush beans are another crop that is ready in 60 days, and beans are truly one of the easiest plants to grow!
Or try something like cucumbers that most families love- and if you get too many, quick refrigerator pickles keep well- or go all out and make homemade pickles and slowly become just as addicted to homegrown as I am 😉
There are also lots of plants to grow inside, from salad gardens to microgreens. This is also still time to start some seeds indoors, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, kale. Only onions, celery and peppers are really past their prime for starting indoors.
The satisfaction of knowing you’ve got a plan feels almost as good it will to pick that first ripe green bean, carrot or tomato later this summer. If you want to really go for it you can plant two crops in a row of many crops (yes even in Minnesota). This technique is called succession planting.
Why Garden
For most of us, gardening is a leisure activity, and I think there’s a very good reason gardening ahs been on the rise right along side technology use and stress- because it decreases stress and gets us into the real world. In real time.
Right now, with so many things are out of our control, this is one way to work with the rhythm of nature and take back a little control over our food in a way that keeps us healthy on so many levels!
Get a Garden Plan
So, I urge you to start a garden, even a tomato in a pot, a few feet of climbing beans or a salad garden this spring. If you want to learn more about putting in a sustainable vegetable garden, I’ve got “Dig Into Vegetable Gardening” + “Companion Planting” classes coming up online. Check my Classes + Consults Page to register.
But keep in mind that plants want to grow, that’s their job! If you give them soil, sun, water and protection from animals, the plants will reward you for your help!
Growing your own salad greens is one of the easiest ways to kick start spring – or prolong fall growing. Greens are fast growing, nutritious, and delicious. And like every early spring after a long winter, it’s a great time to have something to nurture that will nurture you back in a few short weeks.
It’s also a great project to introduce kids to the basics of gardening as lettuce greens grow FAST- as close to instant gratification as growing food gets!
You don’t need much in the way of supplies to get started; just a container, some potting mix and a few seeds. If you happen to have a grow light, great- but once the Spring Equinox arrives, (or as the fall equinox tolls) even up north in Minnesota, a southern facing window will grow good greens. So let’s get planting!
Container
After picking many salads from this container it is still growing strong on the 4th of July!
Any container with holes will do; so you’ll need a drip pan/saucer too. If you have used the pot before, please take the time to Disinfect it (wash in warm soapy water, then soak in a 1:9 bleach solution for 10+ minutes (I leave mine in the water for a few hours).
Potting Mix (NOT soil!)
Potting mix is sterile and gives baby seedlings the best chance of growing past the delicate first few days when they are prone to ‘damping off’ which are pathogens (fungi and bacteria) that break down the tiny stems. Many solid brands exist; Epsoma, Burpee, Miracle Grow, a smaller company, called Purple Cow Organics is available at small shops near me as well, like Bachmans, Hugo Feed Mill and Hedberg Landscape. Some of these businesses are offering pay ahead and curbside pickup during the Covid19 outbreak.
Seeds
There are so many lettuce ‘greens’ combinations it’s deliciously staggering! The basic types of lettuces are leaf lettuce, butterheads, crisp heads and romaine.
My best advice is just to grow what you will eat! But for the beauty of it, add in some reds too 😉 Lolla Rosa, Red Iceberg, Red Salad Bowl, Rouge D’Hiver ( I added scarlet kale in the video).
Try growing more salad items in the same pot- radishes, basil, dill, cilantro.
Kids love the flavor combos!
Many Seed companies sell a “Salad Mix” that include a variety of shapes and colors all maturing around the same time. Here’s a link to my favorite seed companies and their online + mailed seed catalogs for fun lettuce variety browsing!
Leaf lettuces:
These are typically pick and come again types that you’ll pick a few outer leaves and let the plant keep growing, these are best for a small container garden.
Mesclun:
This is baby leaf lettuce mix; traditionally of leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, chervil – now we’ve gone flavor crazy and add in spinach, kale, mizuna, Swiss chard, mustard greens, frisée, mâche, radicchio, sorrel… and I love it!
Butterhead:
These are the tender the bib lettuces, soft and sweet, great for wrapping . They do form a head, but its looser and you can harvest the outer leaves like other cut and come again types.
Crisphead:
Icebergs fall into this category. Typically having tighter heads and crisp structured leaves, these are best suited to grow to maturity and be taken as one full head, doing well as either the ‘last lettuce standing’ left in a container, or being transplanted out into a garden bed once the weather warms.
Before jumping onto the next variety, just remember how much more flavor all homegrown veggies have compared to their grocery store counterparts. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the taste and crunch of a homegrown ice berg!
Romaine:
Romaine’s outer leaves can be tough when you buy it from the grocery, but you can enjoy the outer leaves all season wen you grow it at home! If you can let it grow to a full head it is also amazing on the grill!
There are many other fast growing greens I love, from Mizuna, Cress, Mustard Greens etc. Even radishes grow happily with lettuces. Get as creative as you want, and enjoy the variety of flavors that grow well in a container!
Kale
A special word about kale, since I have a known addiction to this hardiest of garden greens, see this previous blog post for further proof. Please know (and consider) that you can transplant these out into the garden from the container and they will continue to grow and produce through fall’s frosts.
Get Growing
Most lettuce seeds need to be barely pushed into the soil. Some, like spinach, require a mere 1/2″ of soil covering them to germinate. Most germination will happen in a few day, so seeing seeds emerge 3-5 days after planting is a fast reward as well. **Lettuces need on average Six Inches of Soil to grow solid roots.**
Light
We all know plants need light to grow, and lettuce greens are no exception, but they only require part sun, so a sunny window, as long as it’s not in the months surrounding the winter solstice, should grow just fine. If you have an indoor grow light, use it by all means!
The best part about growing in a small container is that you can move it. Eventually, being able to bring it outside, leaving it on a deck or balcony, after ‘hardening off’ the lettuce seedlings… If you have questions about seed starting in general check out my Seed Starting 101 blog.
I hope you try your hand at growing a little salad bar garden of your own! Let me know which are your favorite varieties, and of course ask any questions!
The more I garden, the more in awe I am of the soil that helps it grow.
This is a great time of year to dig into- yes even under the snow- and get a soil sample. You’ll be digging up a better understanding how to help your garden grow!
A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!
let’s Dig in!
There are two main options out there for soil testing. Home tests and Laboratory Testing Services. Both of the soil tests check for the basics: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium/Potash and Soil pH levels. From there things diverge. Let’s take a look at which test might be right for you.
The Home Test
For years my kids have
looked forward to doing the home version of testing our soil in early spring,
mostly because they get to be ‘soil scientists’ 😊. Letting
them dig up the dirt and pour it and the chemicals into the ‘chemistry tubes’
went a long way to getting my kids into gardening. We bought a version just
like This One which cost $15 and has lasted three years (with multiple uses
each year).
The simple DIY way of
buying a soil test kit will give you general results, telling you if anything
is WAY off. Because these tests are done at home they’re quick, and have enough
product/test strips to test many times. If you just want a general idea if a
soil is nitrogen deficient this is a good option. PS: they also sell slick digital soil pH testers if that’s what you
really care about.
Laboratory Soil Test
The U of MN, through CFANS, College of Food, Agriculture
and Natural Resource Sciences, has a simple online test submission process, and
**if you get in before the rush** a quick two week turn-around time. Use the
Lawn & Garden form, I checked for “Vegetable Garden”.
Most University/ extension
services provide a few different levels of testing, and recommendations. If you
plan on planting near a road that gets lots of winter salt plowed up on it, you
can check for the “soluble salts test” and you can even test for lead if
suspected. They have all the instructions and options laid out on their
online forms. The basic soil test costs $17. I had two
done earlier this year at the same time to compare spots in my yard.
Soil Science Notes
Disclaimer: I’m just getting started when it comes to understanding what is going on under the ground. Soil is unfathomably intricate and in constant flux. So, starting to understand it can seem daunting.
For example, “there are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than there are people in on the earth”.
Yup, daunting.
But, like with all things worth understanding in the garden and in life; when we take small steps, we can eventually cover a lot of ground. You’ll soon ‘get it’ enough to make a real difference in our gardens, and on our plates – and quite honestly, the world.
Soil is where our food starts, and the soil in use for
commercial farming is simply not growing food as well as it used to. We now
understand that we’ve been poisoning it plus the animals that eat the food
grown this way- from microscopic to the noticeable insects, the birds that eat
them… and all the way up to us humans.
Understanding a little about soil science helps you sort
fact from fiction. You’ll be able to sniff out the false advertising proposing your
purchase fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. My hope is this overview will get
more people comfortable growing 100% organic!
The Soil Nutrients
Plants need lots of things to grow well, but we can boil it
down to three basic necessities: Sunlight, Water, Nutrients – let’s dive into
those nutrients! Think of soil as the stomach of the plant can help when
thinking about taking up these nutrients.
Most soil tests look at amounts of a few very specific
chemical nutrients. These results simply can’t take into account the vast soil
food web relationships that are required to be in decent proportion for plants
to able to access the minerals and nutrients in the soil. But they give us a
place to start, a foothold. The elements that are most often looked at are
N-P-K; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium/potash.
N- Nitrogen
Nitrogen gets a lot of press, so I bet you know a fair
share about this chemical powerhouse. All plants need nitrogen to make amino acids,
proteins and DNA. Nitrogen is also a big component of chlorophyll production
and photosynthesis. Plants obtain nitrogen through when bacteria in the
soil convert the nitrogen to ammonium and nitrate, which is then
taken up by the plants by a process of nitrogen fixation.
The Organic Way to Add more Nitrogen:
Composted manure, Blood Meal, fish emulsion or Worm Castings.
P – Phosphorus
mixing seed starting soil
Phosphorus is a vital component of ATP (get your HS chemistry
class hats on) which is the ‘energy unit’ of plants. Without enough P, plant
stems are usually weak and leaves can turn a blueish-green tint. P is needed
right after germination to help lift the plant out of the ground. Seeds need a
reserve of P to accomplish this, so there needs to be enough P throughout the
lifecycle of a plant for the seed to hold enough to grow on in its next
generation.
The Organic Way to Add more Phosphorus:
with bone meal or kelp meal
K- Potassium/Potash
Potash is a potassium-based product that
is often bonded to other chemicals. Plants use most of
their available potash for keeping water levels up in their plant cells, and so
is added to fertilizers to help with water retention. Plants also use K to
activate protein and sugar synthesis, which is basically how plants grow. Often
adding
You know how bananas are a
good source of potassium- well, only if they grow in soil with available
potassium…in the form of potash stored in the soil in various salt forms- from
nitrates, sulfates etc- which have gotten a bad wrap as of late- but with all
things it’s the form of thing that matters… and these little nutrients are
important for all kinds of veggies.
The Organic Way to Add More Potassium/ Potash:
wood ash (slightly raises pH levels), green sand
pH – Acidic to Alkaline
I think this is one of the most anti-intuitive readings out there (anyone else?!). I always have to remind myself that the numbers mean the opposite of what I think. A lower pH level means the soil is more acidic (good for blueberries, those blue hydrangea) and higher pH means the soil is more alkaline (also called ‘sweet’ soil). A pH level of 6.5 is considered ideal for most vegetables, but anything between 6 and 7 will grow good food.
Soil acidity levels have huge impacts on what nutrients are bio-available in the soil. So (and this is another one of those amazing relationships in our soil) even though you have lots of Phosphors in your soil, if your pH is below 6.5 your plants could have trouble absorbing it.
My Soil Test Report
I had two tests done, because I wanted to compare my front
yard soil with my vegetable garden soil. We haven’t done anything to our front
yard except mow (leaving the mulched grass clippings in place) and throw some fertilizer
on a few years back. In comparison, I’ve been amending our backyard vegetable
garden soil for years, adding our own compost, leaf mold and building a few
“lasagna garden beds” (look for a blog post coming this summer about lasagna
gardening). I was curious if all my work was paying off…
Well, it has!
The biggest difference was the % of organic matter. Only
2.8% in the front yard, compared to 9.8% in the veggie patch! Wow! I’m
impressed.
Nutrients in higher % organic matter soils (like compost)
don’t wash away. They stay put, as long as the soil is relatively undisturbed,
another reason I’m a proponent of the lasagna garden! The organic matter helps keeps
‘on tap’ more of the nutrients rather than spraying them on only to get washed
away.
my soil test report
My pH varied greatly between my front and backyard spaces
as well. A pH of 6.0 in the front yard, compared to 7.1 in the back. With just
over a 7.0 reading, the Iron and Manganese in my soil might be a little harder
for my veggie plants to absorb in the back, which is why I’m looking into
adding some more Humic acid to my veggie beds. This is a good
article that goes over the basics and drills down about Humic acid (even
covers the electronegativity factor).
The report also goes over the levels of Phosphorus and Potassium. But even though Nitrogen is a major building block, it is not included in the Regular Test package because “correlations between the soil nitrate test and plant growth have only been established in some areas of Minnesota, and only for a limited number of crops. One reason for the difficulty in establishing uniform fertilizer recommendations based upon soil test nitrate is that nitrate is easily leached out of the soil by rain-water and so precipitation can significantly change the nitrate test result,” states the U of MN Soil testing laboratory.
baby cabbages started in soil blocks inside
I feel like I’m one step closer to digging in to the garden season armed with my soil test results! And what really matters is how we use this information to help grow good food for ourselves and our families. A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!
Congratulations to making it through this science heavy article- you deserve a high five! If you want to dig a little deeper, Dr. Elaine Ingham is one of the most respected soil scientists and was recently interviewed by Joe L’ampl on his Jo Gardener Show podcast, worth every second!
So go ahead and test your soil this season- whichever way you chose your eyes will be opened to some of the life that is being lived just under the surface that helps feed you every day!
Who doesn’t love those Free Seed Catalogs– right!?!
*Updated 1/30/24*
They can fast forward the time to lush summer gardens without that pesky weeding. Their pages are saturated with possibility and so much incandescent color inspiring us to dream a little bigger, a little bolder, a little MORE each year.
Looking for help planning your Vegetable Garden? I’ve got a FREE Garden Design Class on my You Tube Channel!
Seed Stash
And dreaming is an important part of gardening for me – so of course I want to share that with you! There are a surprising number of well established Organic and Heirloom seed companies. Turns out there are almost as many seed companies out there as there are ways to plant those seeds. And after a while you find what fits best for you.
I’ve gathered my favorite Free seed catalogs, and online links for ordering those beauties, along with the accompanying online versions for those that want to stay paper free. There’s a bit about each of the companies to hopefully inspire YOU to dream big – but purchase responsibly – with an eye to saving more seed each year. For more on saving Seeds and local Seed Libraries, check out my earlier Post on just that.
Recently acquired by EPIC Gardening, Botanical Interests was started 25 years ago and they are sticking to their motto of inspiring and educating gardeners.
Hungarian Bread Poppy
I adore their seed packets. They are by far the most beautiful, illustrated with Botanical art with and the most informative. I read somewhere that most gardeners get their ‘how to’ info right from seed packet (which puts me in my place – ha!) another reason to choose these packets if you’re new to the garden game.
I adore their flower selection, from Hungarian Bread Poppies, Mexican Sunflowers and Bachelor Buttons and had great luck with their Sugar Magnolia snap peas and Calliope Carrots as well!
As their name implies, you’ll find only Organic Seeds here. I have been consistently satisfied with their seed stock from germination to disease resistance- which is exactly what comes from growing seeds organically (and not coddling them with chemicals).
Arugula + Pea shoots
They take educating gardeners and farmers seriously, and did a great Joe Gardener podcast called Why Buy Organic Seeds with Joe L’Ampl of Growing a Greener World. Their seed catalog is extra enticing to me, I’m going to have to control myself. I especially love their microgreen seeds, pea shoots and arugula are some of my favorites. I also have great luck with their Midori Edamame and many of their herb seeds.
These guys have a huge inventory of seeds and sell more F1 hybrids than the other seed companies I’ve mentioned, they also grow lots of heirloom seeds that germinate well. There are some things that I do prefer to grow that are hybrids, or things that, as a Nothern gardener, I just can’t get to overwinter to set seed (looking at your cole crops) and Johnny’s is usually where I buy those from (Bellstar Broccoli, Graffiti Cauliflower, Veronica Romanesco). They are also 100% employee owned, which you gotta love!
Seed Savers Exchange
Heritage Farm Display Garden at Seed Savers Exchange
SSE holds a special place in my heart and garden, and the only seed farm I’ve visited. I wrote another blog post about these grass roots people and their love and stewardship of so many rare seeds. They grow most of their seeds out on Heritage Farm just outside of Decorah, Iowa. Worth a visit to one of their events, especially the annual Conference + campout!
Their seed catalog shares seed stories and recipes, and does an amazing job of welcoming you into their community.
Seed Savers Exchange is also where I’ve gotten some of my favorite seeds that I save annually (Glass Gem, Tiger’s Eye, Borage, Cilantro, Wisconsin Lakes Bell Peppers, Black Hungarian Peppers, Winter Density Romaine). When you buy from them you are helping save seeds for future gardeners, which is becoming more important each year!
Southern Exposure is a well-loved small seed company that grows most of their seed in Virginia, a little further south than I usually like, but these guys grow great seed! They have a history of helping others save seeds and other great growing guides on their website. Their seed catalog is a fun mix of illustrations and photos. I also got to meet one of their leaders, Ira, at the Seed Savers Exchange Seed Swap. She was a joy to meet and talk with. Owning that I had a fan girl moment 😊!
Meeting Ira at the Seed Savers Exchange Seed Swap!
After hearing about all those seed catalogs, you might be ready to jump in but don’t know exactly how or where. Check out some of the local gardening resources, under HomeGrown Garden Resources. And, if you’re ready to get growing I’ve got a Seed Starting 101 article to take through step by step!
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is no longer on my recommended list because of the way they conduct business. From Linda Black Elk, member of the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Lakota Nations and Food Sovereignty Coordinator at United Tribes Technical College:
* Baker Creek has been confronted by Indigenous, Black, Asian, and many others for their use of white supremacist dog whistle language.
* They have been confronted for taking seeds from Indigenous communities and re-naming them. This is Indigenous erasure.
looking forward to seed starting fun!
**UPDATES** Since I first wrote this piece a few years ago, I’ve added more eco friendly Seed Companies to my favorites list:
