SOIL & FERTILIZER

I found from experience that it is best for my plants when I plough the ground only in the autumn, and no more. I use a mixture of new, sieved compost with about 5 percent seaweed meal as fertilizer for the seedlings of my vegetables and my medicinal plants. The mixture is put in the hole made for the plant, which must be a little deeper than usual because after the seedling has been planted in the mixture, there should still be a hollow of 2 to 3 cms to catch rain water or water from yoar watering can. Immediately after planting, surround each seedling with a layer of about 5 cms of freshly cut grass, covering the: entire bed, leaving no bare earth visible, only the seedlings.

 Of course, you must not plant them too shallow or too deep. They must be quite happy, in a way of speaking. After planting, water plentifully, and then leave the seedling to itself even in sunny weather, because by having planted it in this caring way, it is not likely to wither, the green manure protecting it from drying up, and the moist compost giving it a good start to grow. Having gotten this far, the seedling will be almost out of danger, unless it is very hot for a few days, in which case the plants will have to be ‘watered again late in the evening. It may be advantageous to use a sprinkler system.

After two to three months most of the grass will have disappeared, in which process small organisms have had a hand, mainly worms that have pulled it into the earth. Next we put on a further top dressing of calcified seaweed, spreading it around the plant. Bone meal can also be used. At the same time, everything is covered once again with freshly cut grass that has not yet gone to seed. This care may seem involved, but it is very advantageous because the plant will grow excellently without any further effort, as a rule, within two to three months.

Besides, time-consuirting weed control is virtually nonexistent. Treating strawberries this way, by covering the ground with grass or straw, you can expect a bigger crop. In heavy rain the fruits will remain clean and will not go bad so easily. Regular manuring with calcified seaweed meal, spread around the plants, has the additional advantage of making the fruits sweeter and tastier. At the same time it will keep slugs and snails away, so that one will have less work and bother with them.

Organic planting as here described is good for the ground bacteria and will therefore provide a fine biological balance. The result is healthy soil, which in turn makes for healthy growth, and only by means of healthy plants will food become a remedy, and remedy, food.