Organic Guide

The Guide to Organic Gardening

Chapter 3

Getting Started

Plantbed and Rosebed Preparations

New Bed Preparation Recommendations

There are several products—besides toxic pesticides and fertilizers—that I no longer recommend. First a quick review of them, and then a short review of the basic staple products of good organic gardening.

NO LONGER RECOMMENDED

PEAT MOSS - The most famous of my "do not use" products, an expensive form of organic matter that has no built in biological activity—in fact, it is anti-microbial. ItŐs good to ship fish in but not so good for the soil. Peat moss is more consistent but compost is much better in every other way.

PINE BARK - Unfortunately the most commonly used form of organic matter. As a top dressing, mulch it won't stay in place because it washes and blows away. As a soil amendment it breaks down into a mucky material. Most forms of organic matter are better. Shredded native tree trimmings make the best mulch and compost makes the best organic matter soil amendment.

WASHED CONCRETE SAND - Yes, I used to recommend this stuff, but I got smarter! It's dead, has no energy or exchange capacity, and when mixed with black soil can form a concrete-like structure. The only sands I recommend are used for their energy, water holding capacity, and trace minerals.

RECOMMENDED

NATIVE SOIL - no matter how bad yours is, leave it and improve it. Digging out the native soil and replacing it with "improved" soils can form a pot in the ground that doesn't drain well.

COMPOST - The best of all form of organic matter. Compost can be made at home and is commercially available from several competent sources. It is alive, loaded with nutrients, inexpensive, and recycles local and regional natural resources that would otherwise end up in the landfills.

VOLCANIC SAND - As opposed to concrete sand, volcanic sand has many benefits. It helps to preserve moisture in the soil, increases the energy in the soil and in plants and helps make nutrients more available to plants. It mixes well with compost and native soil to produce a very productive planting medium. It's not used in thick layers, only 80-100 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

CORNMEAL - A natural soil amendment that is used to stimulate beneficial soil biology to control fungal diseases. I once recommended it only for natural disease control but now it has become a staple bed preparation ingredient to stimulate biological activity and plant growth. Use at 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

ZEOLITE - This is a fascinating volcanic material used to hold certain elements and release them to plants with perfect efficiency. It has detoxifying properties as well as its famous deodorizing abilities. Use at 50-100 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

TEXAS GREENSAND - A marine deposit that is loaded with organic matter and trace minerals. It contains 14-20% iron and is the only iron supplement I recommend. As opposed to the popular commercial iron supplements, it is non-toxic and works beautifully. Use at 40-80 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

NATURAL FERTILIZER - Many choices here: Gardenville, Texas Tea, Bradfields, etc.— just avoid the 3-2-1, 4-1-2 ratio synthetic products that are recommended by the less-than-organic crowd. Use at 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

SHREDDED MULCH - Shredded trees and shrubs from your own property is the best mulch of all—that's what Mother Nature uses in the wild. The best mulch to purchase is shredded native juniper, eastern red cedar or mountain cedar.

Planting Roses
Adapted from an article by Howard Garrett

Roses are planted pretty much the same as any other plant except the bed preparation needs to be a little better. Well, actually quite a bit better than the preparation needed for native plants. Here's how to prepare beds and plant roses:
To have beautiful roses in this part of the country, the secret is to grow healthy rose bushes. Good bed preparation and good plant selection is essential. To build rose beds, start with the existing native soil and improve it. Improve it by adding lots of organic matter—compost is all you need—about 6" across the entire bed. Add to that generous amounts of lava sand and Texas greensand. Even better is the product Volcanite, which is a mixture of several volcanic rock materials. Next, add a little cornmeal—enough to lightly coat the soil. Then sugar—plain white sugar or, better yet, molasses—either at 5 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. You need some organic fertilizer—one that contains alfalfa is best. Till it all together. Plant right now—container plants are best but bare rooted plants are okay if available. Water in well and cover all the soil with shredded native cedar mulch.