Make Your Own Locally Sourced
Mineral and Biological Amendments
Close the Waste Gaps
Online Grower's Workshop Starts Next Week!
March 4, 2023
Get Ready For This Years Growing Season
A simple soil-plant model will be introduced to describe plant soil interactions and define terms so we all start off together. Successive classes will discuss soil characteristics, measuring plant health, examine mineral and biological amendments, define ways to feed plants throughout the growing season and the value of compost, cover crops, mulches and weeds. All classes include plenty time for questions and answers which forms a classroom environment enabling all to learn from each others experiences.
Class 1 - Plant Soil Models and Soil Characteristics
Class 2 - Assessing and Measuring Soil and Plant Health
Class 3 - Mineral and Biological Amendment Tool Box
Class 4 - Plant Sap Flow, Feeding Plants and the Soil Biology
Class 5 - Garden Tools: Compost, Cover Crops, Mulch and Weeds!
Detailed Descriptions
Class 1 - Plant Soil Models and Soil Characteristics:
Plant roots live in a complex soil ecosystem. A simple model that explains the relationships between roots and soil is presented. Basic mineral needs, soil characteristics and biological interactions are defined and summarized. These simple but profound concepts will be repeated throughout the program and used to explain plant health, amendment benefits and applications, cover crops, mulches and composting.
Making vinegar extractions will be demonstrated.
Class 2 - Plant Health and How to Measure Plant Health:
Healthy food comes from healthy plants which comes from healthy soil. Learning the starting points of sustainable soil regeneration. How to assess and improve available minerals using soil test results. How to assess and improve soil infrastructure and improve biological diversity.
Measuring plant health using a refractometer will be explained and demonstrated.
Class 3 - Mineral and Biological Amendments:
Acquiring mineral and biological amendments sustainable is easy once sources are identified. Many are low cost, found in the back yard and often close waste gaps. The making of several homemade mineral amendments will be described and their usage supported by analysis results. Long term strategies for improving soil characteristics discussed previously will be presented.
Making leaf mold biology will be demonstrated.
Class 4 - Plant Sap Circulation Models, Foliar Spray and Drench:
There are two plant sap circulation pathways, each offers a different way to feed plants. A model of these plant sap flows will be introduced to explain how to efficiently and effectively feed plants throughout the growing season. Foliar spraying, in conjunction with the analysis results of homemade amendments presented in class 3, defines a short-term mineralization strategy.
Making fermented plant juices will be demonstrated.
Class 5 - Garden Tools: Compost, Cover Crops, Mulch and Weeds!
Compost, cover crops, mulches and weeds are the tools nature uses to nurture the soil, never leaving it bare. Each of these tools will be reviewed with pictures and videos showing sequences of incorporation throughout the growing season. These sequences, combined with the long and short-term strategies of classes 3 and 4, form the methods of sustainable, regenerative agriculture. Learn to use what you have.
There is always enough.
Presentations are broken into small bites with timely breaks for question and answers to facilitate discussion and learning accommodating the introductory needs of the novice as well as detailed information wanted by the experienced grower
Logistics
This program will be held online via Zoom with five individual classes offered on five consecutive Saturdays, March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and April 1st 2023. Each class will be three hours long (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern time in the USA, think New York City) There will be plenty of time to ask in depth questions about the material covered, discuss specific areas of interest, and share in general conversation
Join people from around the world and learn more about what is going on in your growing environment
Classes will be recorded and available upon request
There will be reading assignments from the book "The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments" Click here to order BOOK.