Economic Recession Revives Home Gardening

Economic recession, high unemployment and budget conscious families have spurred a revival of interest in backyard gardening. And for good cause, groceries represent a significant expense families. As an avid gardener this is great news for me, however, my concern is that well intentioned people in their zeal to get started will succumb to advertising hype instead of intelligent information. If you believe what advertising on television or radio is telling you then you might really believe that all you need to do is go to the local bulk mart and get some bagged soil, a couple packs of seeds and some miracle chemical stuff and we are halfway done! If you have ever gardened before then you already know that the only miracle that happens in the garden is nature itself. There is a scientific term called "Biogenesis" Simply stated "Life begets Life" For gardeners this has significant applications since our goal is to grow healthy plants to maturity so that they will provide a harvest. Healthy crops come from healthy soil, that is what is known as soil fertility. To have fertile soil you must soil that is rich in organic matter, micro-organisms, humus, minerals all in a balanced chemistry with the correct pH for the intended crop.I know that it may sound new and confusing to some who have no hands on experience growing anything other than their landscape but it really is not a difficult thing to learn. It is a very short learning curve when you stick to the principles of nature. Understanding how the environment works enables you to work in harmony with nature and ensures your success!You can make your own organic matter relatively easily, in fact you probably already know what compost is and figuring it out to make it is not that complex to master after a brief surf online. Micro-organisms however are something that you are not going to find at the corner drug store. First realize that there are Mycorrhizal fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the host plant. Their hair like filaments enable the plant to increase the surface area of it's root systems hundreds of times over. Since roots are a primary source for the intake of nutrients necessary for photosynthesis it is obvious to understand what an impact this has on the performance of your garden. The fungi which have been around since creation, are immediately killed off when soil is graded, tilled or when chemicals are used. The only way to re mediate your soil is to inoculate it with new populations. The transformations that take place when this is reintroduced air swimmers into soil are incredible to say the least. This has become the "secret weapon" of more than a few turf masters at the best performing golf courses in the world. There are also diverse strains of bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and earth worms that all play a vital part in the health of your soil. Other than the earthworms and Mycorrhizal fungi, well made compost will provide all the bacterium, rc air swimmers nematodes and protozoa you will need. Composting worms, otherwise called red worms are not the same species that we would go out for at night with a flashlight and save for fishing. Commonly referred to as nightwalkers these worms burrow down deeply into the soil while the red worm in contrast, lives RC Air Swimmers its life within the first few inches of the soil where it eats organic matter and produces nature's best fertilizer for your plants. No laboratory can recreated anything close to vermicompost in a test tube. Remember that term, biogenesis. Life comes from Life, not a chemical manufacturer.Now then, we have got your soil covered let's shift our focus to what we are going to grow in our new garden. With what you know now it would be counter productive to get your soil naturally alive and then grow a plant that has been genetically modified in a laboratory to grow faster but is void of nutrients. Whoops! I guess I let the cat out of the bag! Many of you have wondered why it does not seem to better your health, or your waist line, when you eat your vegetables. The dirty little secret is that you won't have any effect and are likely to be causing more harm than good when you are eating something that doesn't have the nutrients and does not digest properly. It is because of this fact of nature that I want you to focus on non-hybrid seeds also called heirloom seeds. These are natural seeds that provide the nutrition you need for health and fitness. You can even save seeds from your harvest this fall and replant them for next years garden. Good luck trying that with hybrids, they haven't been "engineered" to reproduce. That way they can get you to buy again next season. Okay, right now is the time to make the decision that you are going to start your own garden this year. Your going to eat right and save a bunch of money on groceries in the process. Copyright 2010 Greg Traver