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  • From: Bill Scheffler <pureprairie AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] seed starting for home gardeners
  • Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:41:28 -0600

Sorry sisters, I just saw this,

Molasses is a great starter fertilizer. (one-two oz per gallon of water)
Molasses is a mineralized sugar with complex carbs that works well
to give plants a good start.  It has some humates and other complex
carbs which trends the biology to probiotics and away from damping off disease
which likes simple sugars.

Damping off diseases thrive in a low calcium environment.  Yogurt-kefir has both an available
calcium (calcium lactate) and some probiotics that compete very well with
pythium, rhizoctonia and fusarium.  Lactobacillus is a world class competitor
to  pathogens, outcompeting them for food and space. (It is not a fungicide, just
a superior competitor.)

Powdered milk (calcium gluconate) is also a very available calcium and absorbs well.
It can be mixed at 1-2 oz per gallon.

Apple cider vinegar (from the store is ok) has a very nice energy that plants respond
well to.  I mix 1 oz per gallon.

Plants LOVE rabbit food (pelletized alfalfa). The microbial and plant response to
alfalfa is off the charts beneficial.  It is a superior transplant fertilizer.  It is sometimes
called a poor mans seaweed because it is so high in minerals. (seaweed has 68
minerals with 98% availability and alfalfa has 50+ minerals with 98% availability)

I use small amounts in my potting soil and also make a tea with it by soaking a handful
in a gallon or more of water and add it undiluted everytime I water the plants.  It makes a low dose
nutrient bath that continuously feeds plants.  Plant response to alfalfa is incredible.

When the growing season gets going I make a weed tea that I feed to the plants everytime
I water and it also is a fantastic source of nutrients in small amounts with nice bioavailability.
Some weeds even test as high as alfalfa for nutrients.

I put a dozen weeds in a garbage can and soak it.  After a few days it smells fresh and acts
as a soil stimulant.  After a week it smells rank and is starting to become decomposed
enough to become an actual fertilizer.  I use it at all stages.  I add water after every time
I use the tea. ( I learned this trick from the biodynamic greenhouse guys who swear by
this technique.  It is certainly an affordable way to fertilize! )

You could easily title your talk; "Why every gardener should be using vinegar, molasses and
and yogurt" or "Juice your weeds and feed them to your plants! "

Hope that gives you some ideas.

:-)

Bill
Chicago, z5



On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 3:53 PM, Sisters of the Soil <2soilsisters AT gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Everyone,
 
Tomorrow I'm doing a little class on seed starting for home gardeners at a local nursery/garden center and it just occurred to me that I might be wise to ask if any of you clever folks have particularly useful tips you'd suggest I pass on to the audience.  How about ideas for easy interesting demonstrations?
 
Thanks, in advance, for any ideas you care to share.
 
Doreen in Boise, ID.

--
Sisters of the Soil
Jennifer and Doreen

2soilsisters AT gmail.com
Jenn 484-3676
Dor 830-1841

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