On Apr 30, 2008, at 7:26 PM, Lisa K.V. Perry wrote:
Thought it was interesting that you add calcium to broccoli to help
it grow
and that it ends up being a good source of calcium.
The vast majority of people do not make the connection between soil
constituent parts and plant nutrient parts. Plants are miraculous in
genetic uniqueness and photosynthesis. But they cannot manufacture
minerals. If the soil is lacking, the plants and fruits will be
lacking. Monoculture of any plant mines the soil. Very few commercial
farmers replace all the various micronutrients taken up by the plants.
All those cute nutrition books that purport to tell what various
nutrients foods provide are based on old data derived from the
analysis of plants from decades ago, useless today. If you want your
garden to do its part to help maintain your optimal health, you will
provide a wide range of mineral products to the soil.