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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] mainstream sources on intensive growing with humus-rich soil
  • Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 09:08:30 -0600


mainstream sources on intensive growing with humus-rich soil
(we knew what works all along ...)

paul tradingpost@lobo.net
-----------------------------------------

AZ Master Gardener Manual: Intensive Gardening Methods
from http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/intensive.html

The purpose of an intensively grown garden is to harvest the most produce
possible from a given space. More traditional gardens consist of long,
single rows of vegetables spaced widely apart. Much of the garden area is
taken by the space between the rows. An intensive garden reduces wasted
space to a minimum. The practice of intensive gardening is not just for
those with limited garden space; rather, an intensive garden concentrates
work efforts to create an ideal plant environment, giving better yields
with less labor.
--------------------

Erv Evans, Consumer Horticulturalist
NC State University
from
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/vegetable/intensive_veg
_gardening.html

The purpose of an intensively grown garden is to harvest the most produce
possible from a given space. Methods used in intensive gardening include
raised beds, wide or multiple rows, vertical trellising, intercropping, and
succession cropping. Traditionally gardens consist of long, single rows
spaced 3 feet apart. Much of the garden area consists of space between
rows. An intensive garden keeps wasted space to a minimum. A good intensive
garden requires planning for the best use of time and garden space.

Raised Beds
The idea of single-row planting started with the use of mules to cultivate
the garden. Out of habit, many gardeners still use this system. Raised
beds, arranged just wide enough to reach across, are ideal for growing
vegetables and small fruit. The use of beds allows you to concentrate soil
preparation in small areas, resulting in effective use of soil amendments.
A higher percentage of the available growing space is used, there is less
room for weeds to grow, and water can be used more efficiently. The yield
per square foot from raised beds is often twice the yield from conventional
single row gardening.

Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive gardening. Providing
extra fertilizer and irrigation will help, but there is no substitute for
deep, fertile soil high in organic matter. Humus-rich soil holds extra
nutrients and moisture.
----------------

Try Intensive Gardens For Increased Yields
By Norman Winter Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
from http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnews/sg97/sg970213.htm

Many of you probably get intense about gardening, especially when you see
pests attacking. But there is a different kind of intensive gardening
catching on in the South. French intensive, square-foot, interplanting,
vertical, wide-row, gardening by the yard and succession planting are all
names for intensive gardening.
The purpose of intensive gardens is to harvest the most produce from a
limited space. These spaces usually are small blocks, compared to
traditional gardens which consist of long, single rows widely spaced. Much
of the traditional garden area is taken by the space between the rows. An
intensive garden minimizes wasted space, but there is a limit on how much
you can reduce open space. When you go beyond those limits, you open the
door to control nightmares from disease and insects. Intensive gardens
concentrate efforts to create better yields with less labor. Fewer pathways
and closely spaced plants often mean less weeding, but the work usually
must be done by hand. Some gardeners prefer using machine cultivation on
long rows to hand weeding.

Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive gardening. Plants must
have adequate nutrients and water to grow together so closely. Providing
extra synthetic fertilizers and irrigation will help, but there's no
substitute for deep, fertile soil high in organic matter -- just 3 to 5
percent would probably give you that proverbial green thumb. Humus rich
soil will hold extra nutrients, and existing elements locked up in the soil
are released by the actions of earthworms, microorganisms and humic acids.
---------------

Ohio State University
from http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1257.html

Intensive organic gardening offers a means to produce large quantities of
fresh vegetables in a small area without the use of synthetic pesticides or
fertilizers. It is an excellent gardening method for city dwellers who have
limited yard space and who do not wish to expose themselves, their
children, or their pets to potentially dangerous chemicals. It is also
well-suited to small market garden operations.
...
Intensive organic gardening has its roots in the French market gardens of
the 19th century. Parisian gardeners at this time were able to grow over
100 pounds of produce annually for every person in the city. They achieved
this remarkable productivity through the use of raised beds (up to 18
inches in height) built with horse manure, which was abundant at the time,
close plant spacing, and the use of glass cloches to allow for growth even
in the winter. These techniques were brought to the United States by Alan
Chadwick in the 1930s, and have continued to be refined and promoted by
John Jeavons. Simultaneously, J. I. Rodale began demonstrating organic
practices on his Pennsylvania farm. Rodale emphasized the creation of
healthy soil through the use of organic amendments. The Rodale Institute
now promotes the same philosophy of soil management for small gardens as
well as farms, and Rodale Press has published much literature on organic
gardening.
...
To maintain the fertility of the soil, intensive organic gardeners use crop
rotation, cover cropping, and compost. Crop rotation means alternating
plantings each year between heavy feeders (most vegetable crops),
soil-building crops (such as nitrogen-fixing legumes) and light feeders
(most root crops). More elaborate rotation schemes are possible. Cover
crops are soil-building crops that are not harvested, but are composted or
tilled back into the soil. They can be part of a crop rotation, or can be
used over winter to prevent soil erosion and improve fertility. ... Pest
management in the intensive organic garden begins with the soil. Healthy
soil leads to healthy plants that are better able to withstand damage.
...
Intensive organic gardening is a set of practices and techniques that
allows for the production of large quantities of fresh produce in a limited
area in an environmentally-friendly manner. It is ideal for backyard
gardens, community gardens, and small-scale market operations.

(and the OSU professors recommend these books, which we've promoted all
along)

Bradley, Marshall. 1993. Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic
Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener. Emmaus, PA:
Rodale Press. An excellent all-around reference book for organic gardening.

Coleman, Eliot. 1995. The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools
and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener. White River Junction, VT:
Chelsea Green Publishing Co. Tips and techniques from one of America's
foremost organic gardeners.

Jeavons, John. 1995. How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought
Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
The classic book on the Biointensive method. Contains detailed planning
tables and step-by-step instructions.
-------------------







  • [Livingontheland] mainstream sources on intensive growing with humus-rich soil, TradingPostPaul, 08/31/2006

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