Master Gardeners take a field trip to The Veggie Patch

Rod Pittman, founding member of the Dunwoody Community Garden, invites gardeners to visit The Veggie Patch

How he has put organic and permaculture practices to work on a commercial scale.

What can we learn from his practices?

Everyone knows Rod and has heard his generous invitations to come visit his place near Commerce, the Veggie Patch. Last November, a group of Master Gardeners took him up on the invitation and headed out so see Rod and his operation.

I won't go into details, but suffice it to say it's a several hundred acre place with about 8 acres currently devoted to growing organic veggies, frutis and herbs along with flowers. Some are out in fields, some in greenhouses, some in containers indoors and some outdoors.

Here's Rod! In front of some of his growing houses.

Growing any crop indoors or out, 365 days a year!

Chard

!

Spinach

Carrots

Tomatoes

Turmeric

Some of his produce, and this is just a tiny sampling.

How does he do this?

It's a combination of:

1) Micro-organisms in the soil

2) Maintaining soil temperature for great germination and container growing

3) Supplying nutrients needed

Rod's success lies in these three things.

Were going to spend the most time on the first of these and learning about the Soil Food Web, the underlying truth about nurturing the micro-organisms in our soil which will not only sustain our plants but eventually allow the plants to do just about all of the work raising themselves and even increasing their health and yields.

About micro-organisms

Good soil teems with a multitude of organisms, without them it's just dirt (clay, silt and sand)

Mulch and compost put the life in the dirt!

Organic matter is the secret; it houses the micro-organisms

If you attended my soil presentation last year, you'll remember that soil contains minerals (clay, sand and/or silt), air, water and ORGANIC MATTER.

Organic matter, dead and decaying plant, insect and animal material, insect and animal waste, hosts lots of microorganisms doing the decaying process.

Microorganisms are the only living part of the soil, capable of reproduction.

Interactions of micro-organisms and their feeding relationships (literally who eats whom) help determine: the types of nutrients available in the soil,

to what depth the nutrients are present,

the soil pH,

the types of plants which can be grown.

It all begins with.....

Beneficial bacteria and fungi in the organic matter/soil, whichDegrade residual toxic chemicals

Bacteria release a glue-like substance to hold soil together, Fungi release organic acids

Tie up soluable nutrients so they are not leachable and not lost as water moves through the soil...

Serve as food for protozoa, beneficial nematodes and micro-arthropods which then release the tied-up nutrients in a plant-available form

So here we have a little plant, newly sprouted or maybe even a small transplant.

Soil Food Web

Plants naturally put out EXUDATES (sugars, carbohydrates and proteins) to attract and feed bacteria and fungi, especially in the root zone.

The attracted bacteria and fungi soak up all the soluble nutrients in the soil and hold them, surrounding the plant roots, just where they are needed.

I learned a new word....EXUDATES, which are sugars, carbohydrates and protiens sweated out, if you will, by all plants. Most of the exudates are exuded by the roots, but some also by stems and leaves.

Exudates

Root Zone

So here is my rendition of the plant's roots exuding exudates in the root zone...

Exudates

Root Zone

Attract Bacteria and Fungi

Which attracts whatever bacteria and fungi are in the immediate vicinity...

Those bacteria and fungi soak up all the nutrients in the soil surrounding the root zone that the plant was incapable of absorbing and store those nutrients, keeping them in the root zone rather than having them leach out during rain or irrigation. They also reproduce.

NOTE: Typically 80% of inorganic fertilizers leach out, into our water sources because there aren't enough bacteria and fungi to consume all of them. Dr. Elaine Ingham.

Exudates

Root Zone

Attract Bacteria and Fungi

Which consume nutrients

unavailable to roots

The fungi and bacteria are fatter now, having soaked up a lot of nutrients that were not in plant-usable form

Exudates

Root Zone

Fungi and bacteria

Attract protozoa,

nematodes and

micro-arthropods

Protozoa, nematodes and micro-arthropods attract worms and insects.

All these bacteria and fungi attract higher-order micro-organisms such as beneficial nematodes, protozoa and micro-arthropods.

Root Zone

All this feeding activity

creates cavities in

the soil, places where

water and air can be

stored

PLUS, the previously unavailalbe nutrients are converted into plant-usable nutrients

by the consumers, which squish juices from the consumed bacteria and fungi!

These eat the bacteria and fungi, extracting the nutrients by a type of squishing function and converting the previously non-plant soluble nutrients into plant-available nutrients in their excrement and castings.

Root Zone

Creating more root growth, more exudates, attracting more and more bacteria and

fungi, repeating the same cycle over and over

Which allows the lant to produce even more roots, exudates and the whole cycle continues in an ever-growing cycle.

Mighty microbes!

Hold on to nutrients, reduce/prevent leaching, so we need to add fewer and fewer nutrients.(About 80% of inorganic fertilizers leach out.)

Restructure the soil by creating passageways and cavities which retain water and air so we need less irrigation.

As plant health and nutrients improve, the whole system acquires better immunities, resistance to pests and diseases.

So...Bacteria and fungi hold on to nutrients.Plant-available nutrients are released as predator nematodes, protozoa and microarthropods consume the bacteria and fungi.Plants have much higher level of available nutrients to use, grow faster, stronger, bigger and more productive.

Bacteria to Fungi ratios

All organic matter has some level of bacteria, the fungi level is much more subject to fluctuation.

What will grow is dependent upon the bacteria to fungi ratio.

For example, a 300:300 bacterial/fungi ratio will foster veggie and row crop growth, but a 500:500 content will produce much more rapid growth, more flowering and more fruiting.

Fungi to Bacteria ratio

0.3

0.7

2.1-8.1

8.1-100

100-1000

0.1

1.0-2.1

Imagine a huge level field with the fungi count increasing as you moved from one side of the field to the other.

The beginning side of the field would be bare dirt with a few weeds, progressing to short, scruffy grasses, to taller, lusher grasses and beans, peas, lettuces, carrots and other vegetables...To wheat and tall grasses and corn, milo, and other cropsTo small and medium bushes, blueberries and fruit vinesTo larger and larger deciduous treesAnd finally to old growth hulking forests

As the fungi increase, so do the sizes, roots and lifespans of what will grow.

What Can I Grow?

Determine the natural growth and apply compost accordingly.

SO....if only weeds are growing, I really need to boost the fungi population in order to grow veggies.

If grass is lush, balance may be OK already.

FYI: pH in highly fungal soil is acidic, less than 7PH in bacterial soil is alkali, greater than 7

For example, the site of the orchard was a parking area and building site. After demolition, it grew weeds. The site was nutrient deficient and contained little or no organic matter.

We have worked for over 5 years to increase the organic matter, and therefore the bacteria and fungi population in that soil by composting, mulching, companion planting, permaculture practices. As we have added more and more organic matter, the funi population has grown. Most recently using hugelkulture practice of placing rotting wood around tree roots, covering with compost, then mulch.

How to increase bacteria & fungi

They cannot yet be created or grown in a lab...

They grow like crazy in compost!

Rod's Secret Compost Recipe

Compost!

4 35-gallon containers of crushed (oak) leaves

4 35-gallon containers of grass clippings or weeds

4 35-gallon containers of grass hay

2 5-gallon containers well-aged wood chips

1 hog-wire pen at least 4 feet across

I was surprised to see how manageable Rod's compost production is, but it's so potent that a little goes a long way...

I think he had about 4-5 stacks in various stages of readiness when we were there.

Lay down 6 hay, wet it down well

Add a handful of aged wood chips

Layer 6 of oak leaves, wet it down

Another handful of wood chips

Layer 6 of green matter

Repeat layers till it's all used up

Check temperature with a looooooooong thermometer probe till the center hits 160 degrees

When it's 160 degrees,

Lift or unwrap the hog wire ring and reassemble it nearby

Peel off the outer rind and put it in the ring, stir it up and cover with the rest of the heap,

Try to place what was in the center along the outer edge and what was the outer layer in the center.

Repeat the heating cycle, turn 3-4 times will the entire pile reaches 165 degrees.

The Prize Stuff!!

Under a microscope, a sample in a drop of water should have a microbial count of 3000!

Using 1.5 lbs of compost in a perforated bag suspended in 5 gallons of water with a fish tank bubbler for 24 hours yields COMPOST TEA with a microbial count of up to 300,000!

Dispense the tea quickly by watering can with TINY holes, moving steadily, when seeding, and again in another 10 days.

Tea, anyone?

Rod's compost tea brewing system. Notice tiny watering can with tiny holes...a little goes a long way!

How Rod uses the Compost and the Compost Tea

Container crops

Bottom 2/3 is volcanic rock (stores lots of water and air)

Cheesecloth layer

Top 1/3 is pure compost

Regular watering and periodic Compost Tea

No need to change soil for next crop!

For transplant pots

Potting soil is equal parts:Peat moss (soaked)

Perlite

Compost

Controlling Soil Temp

Heated water

Heated water flowing under sand floors in greenhouses

Warmth!

If you'll think back, there were three items Rod needed:

Microorganisms

Soil Temperature control

And nutrients

Year-round quick germination

Seeds on warm sand

Germination!

Rod has created giant, walk-on heating pads within greenhouses.

By pumping heated water (heat provided by wood-burning furnaces) in pipes covered with about 4 inches of sand, the entire floor is a growing mat.

Rod sets out his seeded trays right on the floor and has gernimation within a few days.

Tomatoes

Year-round cultivation of many veggies, fruits and herbs

Some of the seedlings are transplanted into larger containers and grown indoors or out, depending upon the hardiness of the plants

Meanwhile, out in the fields...

Root crops are simply planted in compost on top of clay.

Compost tea (lightly!) every 10 days

Nov, 2016

Turmeric! $$$$$$

Perennial ground cover between rows actually increases exudates, conserves water and nutrients

Notice weeds between rows

Some possible perennial ground covers to cover the bare soil between crop plants include:

SedumEuphorbiaSalviaHeucheraCreeping Janny

The exudates of these between row plants preserve the rich bacteria and fungi population, storing more nutrients and creating and preserving more water and air storage cavities.

In Conclusion...

If life is missing from your soil, give Mother Nature a jump-start to help re-establish the normal sets of organisms and, thus, re-establish normal nutrient cycling.

If we establish and maintain nutrients and a diversity of microbes to transform those nutrients into plant-usable nutrients, the plants can do the rest.

Eventually, the plants take care of themselves!

I would like to thank Janet Hanser for many of the photos,

Rod Pittman for his knowledge and hospitality

Thanks to...

Rod Pittman, for his knowledge and hospitality

Janet Hanser, for her photos

Column 1Column 2Column 3

Old Growth Forests100NaNNaN

Deciduous Trees8.1NaNNaN

Shrubs, Vines2.1NaNNaN

Crops, High Grasses1NaNNaN

Veggies, Mid Grasses0.7NaNNaN

Early Grasses0.3NaNNaN

Weeds0.1NaNNaN