Perfecting your soil this fall

By nancyc on October 4, 2012

Whether you’re an avid vegetable gardener, a flower enthusiast, or just want a nice looking landscape, the secret to your success begins with your soil. Rather than simple and static, the soil is a dynamic environment. In an ideal situation, it is full of tiny plants and animals, microbial activity, and all of the organic processes that lead to healthy plant life.

Here are a few ways to tell if your soil is functioning properly, and if Monty’s Liquid Carbon Organic Soil Conditioner can help.

Look – The first step to assessing soil health is to simply look for clues.  By observing what is going on at the surface you will have a good indication of what is taking place throughout your soil profile.

Key things to look for include:

  • Large clods after tilling
  • Cracks in the soil as it dries
  • Bare patches or areas where vegetation won’t grow
  • Heavy weed population
  • Standing water after a rain
  • Persistent “wet spots” or mud
  • No, or few, earthworms, pill bugs, and other signs of healthy insects
  • Heavy thatch layer or plant debris that does not decompose after a season
  • Pale soil ranging from almost white to light brown.  Healthy soil should be a rich brown to black.

Touch – Dig in to your soil. This is the fun part of gardening and maintaining your landscape.  By actually getting your hands into the soil you can tell a lot about the make-up, tilth and texture of your soil.  Good quality soil should be loose and light. In the morning when moisture will be at its peak level, dig in a few inches and grab a small handful of soil. Clench your fist around the dirt and then open your hand.  What happens?

  • If it falls apart into small pieces the soil is lacking enough organic matter and is tending towards a sand content that is too high.
  • If it stays together in one large clod it is likely holding too much water and is primarily clay, which can lead to compaction problems and anaerobic conditions which will favor the formation of harmful bacteria.
  • If it forms one central clod that breaks apart easily with slight touch or movement, is encircled by loose, separate bits of soil, you are on your way to creating an ideal environment for most plants.

Finally, if you have problems even digging into your soil at least 5-6 inches, you know that you have compaction problems that need to be addressed.

Smell – This is one that you may not have thought about, however, with a little practice your nose can tell you much about the condition of your soil. Healthy soils should smell earthy and moist, almost like well-maintained compost. If, on the other hand, what you smell is flat or non-existent, if it smells like a stagnant pond, or if it smells somewhat acrid, you know that you have situations that need to be addressed.

Gardening Practices – Some gardening practices themselves actually can be harmful to soil, especially over time.  And, even beneficial gardening practices may be enhanced. If you are currently doing any of these things, consider using Monty’s Liquid Carbon to remediate, improve, or expedite your current practices.

Not all soils can be transformed into an ideal state, but they all can be improved. By observing, touching, and smelling your soil, and by analyzing your current lawn and garden activities you can begin to see where improvements can be made. By making simple, seasonal applications of Monty’s Liquid Carbon Organic Soil Conditioner, either in concentrate or with the new ready-to-spray bottle, you can maximize the potential of your soil and return it to a plant-friendly, vibrant environment.

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Ask Monty’s – “OMRI Listed” versus “Certified Organic” labeling

By nancyc on June 9, 2012

What is the difference between plant food or fertilizer that is “OMRI Listed” and “certified organic?”  Who certifies these organic products?

Rick, Eagle Mountain, Utah

Rick:
This can be confusing and maybe even redundant, but the terminology and two endorsements actually work together and maybe even simultaneously.

First, the term “certified organic” can only legally apply to food and fiber products, and not to fertilizers or plant food.  Second, as mentioned in an earlier post, fertilizer companies can use the term “organic” to refer to organic — or carbon-based — content, without any verification that any or all of the ingredients meet specifications set out by the National Organic Program to be listed by OMRI (see below).

The USDA has established the guidelines to meet “organic certification,” which ensures that the end product — food or fiber — has conformed to their strict uniform standards, which are verified by independent state or private organizations. The certifications include:

  • Inspections of the processing facilities
  • Detailed record keeping, and
  • Periodic testing to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the standards which have been set.

OMRI - Organic Materials Review InstituteThe Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) provides organic certifiers, growers and manufacturers and suppliers a listing of input products for use in the production, handling and processing of goods which will comply with the National Organic Program.  One example of an input product is the fertilizer used in growing a crop.  It is not the fertilizer that can be certified organic, only the food or fiber produced with the fertilizer than can ultimately be certified (by the NOP). The OMRI listing generally reads, “OMRI listed for use in organic production,” and should be accompanied by the OMRI logo.  Again, OMRI does not certify food or fiber (or fertilizers) as organic: OMRI works with the USDA in complying with their standards.

Monty’s is proud to have our soil conditioners OMRI listed.  For those seeking to improve the condition of their soil while being in compliance with the National Organic Program, but without the labor-intensive, and often expensive, nature of other options, Monty’s Liquid Carbon Organic Soil Conditioner is a terrific product.

For additional insights on labeling, please visit our blog posts from June 6 and June 8, or visit these handy websites:

  • OMRI – information that organic farmers, handlers, certifiers, and other members of the organic community might find useful.

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Ask Monty’s – “Organic” versus “All Natural” labels

By nancyc on June 6, 2012

What is the difference between plant food or fertilizer labels that read “Organic SoilOrganic” and “All Natural?”
Derek, Calera, Alabama

Derek:
That is a good question and one that can be a bit confusing, so I’m going to address “Organic” in this post, “All Natural” in the next posting and “Certified Organic” in yet a third blog post.  Let’s look at “organic” first. It should be understood, as your question implies that there is definitely a difference between “all natural” and “organic” when it comes to plant food or fertilizers – and especially food products.  The terms are not interchangeable.

Organic fertilizers come from all-natural sources such as selected animal manures, mined rock powders, blood meal, feather meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, bone meal, fish extracts and seaweed by-products.  Simply put, organic fertilizers are derived from animal or vegetable matter.  Beyond that simple definition, though, things get a bit confusing.

The federal government has attempted to implement regulations on what it means to be “organic,” primarily with regard to the production of food and fiber.  A fertilizer company could place the word “organic” on most any fertilizer product it chooses to, and some do. After all, as we become a much “greener” society, these types of words have great power in the marketplace. In these cases the word really has little meaning at all, and may only refer to the fact that there is organic — or carbon-based — content, without any verification that all of the ingredients meet specifications set out by the National Organic Program (see below).  Therefore, the burden of proof and the task of sorting out these claims is on the government and the consumer.

Second — and this is where it gets even more confusing — is determining just how organic is “organic.”  For example, a company could blend cow manure with water and claim it is organic and it would be.  But the products produced by that fertilizer still may not qualify under the guidelines of the National Organic Program (NOP) instituted by the federal government.  This is where the organization known as the Organic Materials Research Institute (OMRI) OMRI - Organic Materials Review Institutecomes in.  OMRI is an independent, non-profit institution which serves as the gatekeeper for products which meet the requirements of the NOP.  Input products cannot be labeled “certified organic“: rather, OMRI uses the term “OMRI Listed” for products which may be used in the production of organic food and fiber, under the guidelines of the NOP. Furthermore, the term “certified organic” can only legally apply to food or fiber products.

Use of the term “organic” on fertilizers is generally not regulated. Some of the products listed by OMRI are not, in fact, organic.  Due to a provision in their guidelines for becoming “OMRI Listed,” a non-organic product can be a listed product if no close, non-synthetic substitute exists.

Let’s try to summarize.

  • Products that claim to be organic may or may not be.
  • OMRI lists certain “raw materials” which may be used in the production of organic finished goods, but they do not technically certify the input products.  All they do is say this material will not disqualify the end product from participation in the National Organic Program.
  • The National Organic Program certifies producers and products, but only of finished goods, i.e., food and fiber.
  • In the end, much of what is meant by the term organic is based on the reliability of the company making the claim.

If you are looking for a product that you can use with confidence in your lawn or garden, buy from a reputable dealer who sells products from reliable companies, and look for the “OMRI Listed” designation . Even at that, though, Caveat Emptor!

Stay tuned for our next blog post about the term “All Natural.”  In the meantime, here are some handy links:

  • OMRI – information that organic farmers, handlers, certifiers, and other members of the organic community might find useful.

  • USDA Organic Roots Collection – electronic collection of historic documents published before 1942 – a time before synthetic chemicals became widely used.  Find state-of-the-art information and data that is still pertinent for today’s organic and sustainable agriculture.

  • HowToGoOrganic.com – The Organic Trade Association offers this resource to help cultivate the growth of organic farming.

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It Ain’t Called The Volunteer State For Nothin’

By Dennis on August 2, 2011

When I was much younger, though not raised on a farm, I was raised by a momma who was. And that is the next best thing I suppose.  It was from her that I learned to speak “country’ with the ease of a local using words and phrases like “on the halves,” “mess of beans,” and “good soakin’ rain.”  While other kids were watching Saturday Morning Cartoons, I was up around daybreak and headed out to a local farmer’s field she had discovered that week to pick green beans, or whatever was in season “on the halves”…now for you city-folk that means that you pick the beans for the farmer for free, in return you get to keep half of what you pick.  It is kind of a rural barter system that has worked for generations. Then throughout the week, while other kids got to just watch their TV shows in the evening, my mom believed that our TV was somehow mystically powered by the sound of snapping beans, shelling peas, shucking corn or whatever else was in season at the time.  She would give us a bucket full of the crop d’jour and we could keep watching TV as long as we were working on those crops.  If we stopped, the TV was turned off…and we had to finish working our vegetables anyway.  I am sure that I complained about it, you’ll have to ask momma.  But I also know that I did it and looking back on it, it was not a bad existence.  The real pay off came not only from a good work ethic, but from the tastes and smells of our country kitchen right in the middle of a Dallas suburb.

In addition to pickin on the halves at area farms momma also always raised a small garden of her own.  It was from there that I learned the joy of “volunteer” crops.  Volunteer crops are plants that come up on their own.  You didn’t plant them, didn’t plan on them, they were just God’s little extras. 

As a general rule the science behind this phenomenon is this, you raise a crop in year one, say corn for example. At some point during the year one of the kernels fall off of the cob either through the action of animals or harvest and lays there on the ground all winter.  In year two, as spring comes and you work the ground you accidentally cover up the seed with soil.  That’s all it takes.  Soon as the soil warms in the spring, the seed germinates and VIOLA! You now have a plant that you were not counting on…a volunteer plant.  Mostly these volunteer plants came up roughly in the area where they were planted the previous year.  But sometimes crops would come up in unexpected places or even from plants that you had never planted.  Those were the mysteries, the ones that made you scratch your head and say, “Now where on earth did THAT come from?”

I didn’t understand it then, but momma was always so excited by these extra blessings. I saw them as a nuisance.  It was the corn stalk that I had to work around when trying to cultivate the beans.  And may the Lord have mercy on you if you uprooted one of momma’s volunteer plants cause it was “in the way.”

Flash forward 25+ years. Now I am the one with the garden out back, pickin on the halves, and teachin my kids the value of shuckin corn. And this year, I built a retaining wall to hold a new flower bed in the front of our house.  I planted perennials, annuals, and some ground cover so that it could grow and develop into a great flower bed and add some color to the front of our house and our otherwise unremarkable landscape.  The one thing I did not plant was a tomato.

Imagine my surprise, then, when in early June, a small plant began to emerge right next to one of my purple pansies. I was about to uproot it along with the other weeds when it occurred to me, “That looks like a tomato plant.” I honestly have no idea where it came from; apparently it was in the leavings as a bird flew overhead and left a deposit. I was about to uproot it, but then the guilt and shame and my momma’s voice rang in my head and I didn’t dare. 

I thought, “Okay, we’ll see what this does. Who knows, we may get four or five tomatoes off of it.  It will be a great conversation piece and I can teach my kids about volunteer crops.”

This is one plant; one volunteer tomato plant.

6 weeks later and a few applications of Monty’s as I was spraying my flowers and it now OWNS my flower bed!  What I expected to be a small plant about two feet tall and spindly has far surpassed any of the cultivated and staked tomatoes out in my garden. This plant is at least 10 feet long, about 6 feet across, and 2.5 to three feet tall.  It has grown from its place in the center of the flower bed to where it is over-spilling my retaining wall on three sides and hanging over my porch on the fourth.  It, quite simply is massive, and full of fruit. (mostly cherry tomatoes). 

This volunteer tomato plant has overgrown the boundaries of my retaining wall flower bed and is spilling over the wall an about two feet out into my yard.

I knew that Tennessee, my current home, is nicknamed the Volunteer State.  I thought it had something to do with the historical nature of the residents to volunteer for battle when the country needed it.  Now I am beginning to suspect it may be due to their vegetables.

This volunteer tomato plant is the most productive plant I have this season. It came up on its own and has been left largely alone, jsut to see what it would do. Who knew?

Whatever the reason, the biggest, healthiest, and most productive tomato plant I have this season is a little plant that somehow mysteriously ended up in my flower bed. It is just a little something extra for a gardener who is just trying to learn and to put into practice all of those lessons I was taught following behind my mom with a bushel basket as we picked beans on the halves.

The lesson here for the rest of you.  Listen to my mom.  If it “comes up volunteer, leave it alone;” nature may be waiting to surprise you.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going in to add a fresh sliced tomato to my sandwich and enjoy my lunch with a little extra blessing on the side.

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Ask Monty’s 7/6/11: Veggies for Novices, Something Dandy about Dandelions, and Swiss Chard

By Dennis on July 6, 2011

Ask Monty’s: “People make dandelion wine out of the weed’s flowers, but an old-timer recently told me you can eat the leaves too. Is this true?”

Heidi
Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

Heidi:Yes, the entire dandelion is edible despite its bad rap as a common yard weed. It’s an acquired taste and most recently I discovered a recipe in a copy of an old Mother Earth News magazine for dandelion greens sautéed in olive oil and molasses and served over a baked potato. The flower is also used as an edible garnish in many upper end restaurants, despite it’s number one popularity as a wine ingredient.

Ask Monty’s: “What is Swiss Chard exactly? Is it easy to grow? I’ve been told it tastes a lot like spinach, but it doesn’t look like it.”

Susan
Caney, Kansas

Susan: Swiss Chard is the forerunner of beets and a close cousin to spinach. In the kitchen, cooked chard can stand in for spinach in any recipe, while the crisp ribs of the plant can be steamed or grilled like asparagus. The beauty of chard as a garden plant is that chard tolerates light frost as well as the heat of summer. There are three types of chard I would recommend you take a closer look at. White-stemmed chard out performs their more colorful counterparts in terms of productivity and resistance. Bright colored varieties are the top of the line edible ornamentals when it comes to vegetables, but perpetual varieties have thinner stems and smaller, smoother leaves than large varieties, but they taste more like spinach than the other varieties. With perpetual varieties the more leaves you pick, the more new ones emerge from the crowns, thus reflected in their name.

Ask Monty’s: “If you had to name the top five easiest vegetables to grow, what would they be? I’m a new gardener, so I am going to need some instant gratification to keep my confidence level up. What vegetables do you think make the best use of time and garden space?”

Ronald
Golden, Colorado

Ronald:  Gardening is always an exploration of trial and error because everyone’s garden habits, patience levels and environments are different, so please keep that in mind. It’s a very rewarding hobby, great contribution to your grocery bill and creates an enormous amount of satisfaction when you take that first bite out of that garden fresh tomato, green bean or squash.

That said, regarding your questions there has been a lot of research done on these particular subjects and they do vary from region to region. Research tells me radishes, lettuce, bush snap beans, rhubarb and cherry tomatoes are listed as the top five. For me, radishes and lettuce took a few tries before I finally got it right, so my picks would be bush snap beans, rhubarb, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and green peppers. Squash is pretty easy too, but does take up a lot of room. I even slip my green pepper and broccoli into my flower beds as nice green back drops to other plants and utilize the space that way.

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Reducing (or even eliminating) Transplant Shock

By Dennis on April 7, 2011

The Root of the Problem

Transplant Shock happens when plants are moved.  Unlike humans, plants were not designed to be shuffled around. In nature, once a plant is rooted, that is where it stays.  However, we are always waiting to change and design our environment and that means moving plants; either planting new annuals every year or moving, cutting, and thinning existing plants to more aesthetically pleasing areas. So, transplant shock happens when you move plants, but why?

The answer is all in the roots.  We tend to talk about roots as if they were one ubiquitous mass.  They are, in reality, not a mass but a system with individual parts serving particular functions.  The tap root is one or two long, thick roots that generally go straight down, deep into the soil. Think of this root as the “trunk” of your plant.  This root serves to access deep reserves of water, to add structural integrity, and to provide a wedge which breaks up the soil and allows for development of the second set of roots.  This second set is somewhat smaller and grow out laterally from the main tap root.  If the tap root is the “trunk”, these are the limbs and like limbs they stretch out, cross each other, and provide bulk.  The main function of these roots is to provide stability, serve as an anchor to the plant to keep it from moving, and to hold the soil so that the plant can get the water and nutrients it needs from its environment.  They also serve as host for the most important roots.  The third set of roots is the hair-like feeder roots.  These roots are very small, even on the biggest plants.  They are thin, wiry, and about the size of a human hair.  The ends, or growing points, are the only place where the plant can actually take up nutrients and the majority of water. Without getting too deep into the science, this is where the microbes and beneficial bacteria thrive and do their job of converting minerals into nutrients.

The problem with these feeder roots is even though they are vital to the plant, they are also the most susceptible to damage.  Some research shows that exposure to the air for even 3-4 minutes is enough to cause them to dry out and die.  They are also very easy to break. So, when you transplant the plants, even if you are careful, it is very easy to disturb this section of the root system and when you do, it takes the plant time to replace them.  Until then, the plant is getting very little nutrition or water. The plant enters survival mode, any flower is jettisoned as it fights to allocate stored resources for survival rather than reproduce.  As more resources are required to re-grow these vital roots, (and because it is getting no nutrition) it wilts. And this reaction is what is known as transplant shock.

So what can you do? Here are a few tips:

1) Be as gentle as possible.  Handle the root ball of the transplants as carefully as possible.  But know this. Even though you are careful, the feeder roots are so delicate they are going to break; it’s inevitable.

2) Prepare the new home.  Even if you are planting into the ground, you will want to provide a new home that is delicate.  Heavy clay soils are generally compacted and hard for the tiny roots to penetrate so mix some of the host soil with sand or soilless media and fill the hole loosely BEFORE transplanting.  Then remove just enough of the soil to make room for the new plant. 

3) Make sure the transplant is not root bound.  There should be a good amount of roots at the outer edges but they should not be circling around the root zone in a solid mass of white.  If they are, they will need a haircut, either by actually cutting and freeing some of the roots or by pulling them away to thin them out. This will kill of some of the feeder roots, but will cause fewer problems in the long term. You should introduce the plant to its new home as quickly as possible. I usually root-dip my plants for 10 minutes or so in a weak solution of Monty’s 4-15-12 or 2-15-15 (1 ounce per gallon of water) prior to placing them in the new environment.  This loosens up their native soil and gives them a quick shot of energy. Then once all the plants are in, I water them in with any remaining solution. The picture to the right is lettuce and spinach two days after transplanting.  Notice no signs of shock or wilt. You should place the plant its new environment just deep enough so that the stem and root ball is below ground level. Once the plant is in place back fill with the soilless/host soil mix. Be carefull not to press the soil around the plant as this can lead to problems with compaction.

4) Feed the plant. Some experts advise putting a bit of fertilizer in the bottom of the new home prior to transplanting. I have done it both ways and have not noticed much difference either way.  USE A LOW SALT, LOW NITROGEN fertilizer.  Nitrogen can burn even healthy plant material, much less tender feeder roots. Plus, nitrogen is the nutrient responsible for growth.  There will be a time for that, but now it is too early.  One of the biggest problems I see with zealous homeowners is giving the plant too much nitrogen too quickly.  This is especially true for perennials and larger transplants like trees and shrubs.  For these, I recommend very little nitrogen at all for the first full season.  Here’s why.  Nitrogen generates growth.  The mere presence of the nutrient tells the plant to get bigger, taller, and put on more leaves.  If you do that, and do not have an underlying root system to support this vigorous growth a few things can happen:  One, the plant will become top heavy and a strong wind will uproot the plant because there are not enough anchors holding it place. Two, and this is the biggest problem.  You know that droughts are going to happen.  When they do, the plant needs a good root system to access available sub-soil moisture reserves.  If, by applying nitrogen, you have spurred top-growth you have increased the burden on the plant by giving it more leaves, stems, and flowers to maintain and by not giving it the root system that it needs to provide the water and nutrients it is starving for. Instead of nitrogen, look for a fertilizer that is relatively higher in potassium and phosphorous (the second two numbers on the label).  These are the nutrients that a plant uses to develop good root systems and the ones you need to ensure successful transplants. 

By using a product like Monty’s 2-15-15 or 4-15-12 you can give the plant what it needs, and according to gardeners across the country, as well as my own experience, virtually eliminate transplant shock.  Get more details on transplanting in our how-to guides on our website. While this is still true for annuals, it is not as critical, cause let’s face it, you will be throwing them away in 6 months anyway.  Give them a week or two to settle in, then you can start using a higher nitrogen fertilizer.  The low-salt issue is still a concern so I recommend using Monty’s 8-16-8.  It’s high in nitrogen, but it has one of the lowest salt indexes on the market.

5) Water.  Believe it or not, most homeowners are so afraid of under-watering their new plants, that they go too far and over water them.  Over-watering is just as bad.  It depletes oxygen form the soil, collapses pore space, compacts the soil, and creates an environment ideal for developing anaerobic bacteria (the bad ones) which leads to rot, disease, and can increase the likelihood of insect problems.  If you are watering your plants keep them evenly moist so that they have to grow their roots both out and down.  this will give you a better anchor and will get feeder roots out of the topsoil.  If the roots stay in the upper reaches of the soil profile you will end up fighting drought conditions throughout the life of the plant as this layer of soil is the first to dry out in the hot dry days of summer.  To accomplish this, stick your finger about an inch deep into the soil (up to your first knuckle) at the edge of the drip line.  If the soil does not feel noticeably damp at your fingertip, it is time to water.

By following these few simple guidelines and by incorporating Monty’s Fertilitly Products you can get your plants off to the best start possible and virtually eliminate transplant shock.

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Wiggly, Squiggly, Subterranean Farmers

By Dennis on April 5, 2011

Earthworms. Just the sound of them can make guys happy and girls squeamish.  I remember chasing the neighborhood girls through the yard with an earth worm dangling from my fingers as I threatened to throw it on them.  Well, time has moved on, I no longer chase girls through the neighborhood, and I have found a greater use for earthworms (yes, even besides bait).

Earthworms serve two functions for me in my garden and flower beds.

First they are the proverbial “canary in a coal mine”. Simply by their presence they let me know that everything is okay.  Even before I ship my soil off to be tested, I can be relatively certain that I have a reasonable amount of organic matter and that my pH is neither too acidic or too alkaline if i see earthworms wriggling about.

Secondly, they help me till and fertilize.  The tunnels they create beneath the soil provide channels for air and water to move through the soil profile. The air is necessary for good nitrogen and CO2 exchange with the air…yes Virginia, plants can get nitrogen from the air (it is a two step process involving nitrogen fixing bacteria and nitrifying bacteria in the soil, but good aeration makes it possible). 

For the most part, the tunnels are not created by simply squeezing through the soil but by them actually consuming the soil and other decaying organic matter laying in the soil.  As with all living things, what they consume is partly used in their own bodies what is unused is eliminated through effluent material (casts).  Earthworm Casts are high in nitrogen, phosphates, and potash. Consider this if you have just 10 earthworms in a square foot of soil you will have 800 lbs of earthworms per acre.  The worms will provide you with 40 tons of castings annually which will equal 1 lb of actual N, 12 lbs of phosphorous, 28.5 lbs of potash, 36 lbs of magnesium, and 200 lbs of calcium.  Earthworm castings also improve the water holding capacity of your soil, reduce erosion, and improve nutrient availability. One earthworm can digest up to 36 tons of soil per year according to the US Soil Conservation Offices.

Worms are great indicators of the overall health of your soil, especially in terms of biological activity. If you have earthworms, chances are that you also have all of the beneficial microbes and bacteria that make for healthy soil and strong plants. So how do you check for earth worms.  Grab a shovel and lets go out to the garden:

Be sure the soil has warmed to at least 55 degrees, and that it is at least somewhat moist, but not soaking wet.

  1. Dig a hole one foot across and one foot deep. Place the soil on a tarp or piece of cardboard.
  2. Sift through the soil with your hands as you place it back into the hole, counting the earthworms as you go.

If you find at least ten worms, your soil is in pretty good shape. Less than that indicates that there may not be enough organic matter in your soil to support a healthy worm population, or that your soil is too acidic or alkaline.

If you do find fewer worms than what you had hoped for, how can you encourage higher populations. 

1. Keep the soil evenly moist.  Too much water and they will flee their burrows, too little and they will dry out and die. Evenly moist soil should feel like a wrung out sponge.

2. Add up to 3 inches of organic mulch over the surface of your garden.  If you are buying it, this can get expensive.  However there are affordable and free composts available, if you are willing to look.

3. Add NON-PROTEIN food scraps to your compost.  things like produce trimmings, coffee grounds, and tea bags work great.

4. Be careful about the amount and the kinds of pesticides and chemicals you apply.  Broad spectrum pesticides can also reduce your earthworm (and other beneficials) populations. When possible opt for natural remedies that are targeted to specific pests.

5. Use compost or manure teas for fertility.  Chemical fertilizers increase the acidity and salt content of soil which repels earthworms.  Monty’s offers a complete line-up of fertility products that are very low in salt and are all naturally derived products that will not effect the pH of your soil.  This makes these products an ideal choice for fertilizers (without the hassle and malodorous nature of the compost teas and manure teas.)

6. Use Monty’s Liquid Carbon to create a favorable soil environment that will help create a favorable environment for all soil microbes and organic material.

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Instant Green Thumb, Instant Savings!

By Dennis on April 4, 2011

Monty Justice, the founder of our technology, is turning 84. We talked with him about ways to celebrate his birthday and he wanted to have an online party, but here’s the catch.  You get the gifts!

From now until April 14th, you can get our Garden Trial Pack for nearly 50% off!

You can see the Garden Trial Pack, here.

But this special offer is only valid if you enter this exclusive code at checkout: MONTY84

Our Garden Trial Pack is a collection of our three most popular products,  Monty’s 8-16-8, Monty’s 4-15-12, and Monty’s 2-15-15, in convenient 8-ounce sizes.  If you have never tried Monty’s Products, this is a great opportunity to see how they can help you with your houseplants, flower beds, vegetable gardens, or lawns and landscapes.

If you have tried one product but not experienced the advantage of our exclusive feeding program designed to target and time specific nutrients to particular times in the growth cycle of your plants. This offer will give you a low-cost opportunity to try the other products as well.

This is an exclusive offer only available until April 14th, and only available to our blog readers.

Purchasing Monty’s is now easier and cheaper than ever before. But, hurry, this offer ends April 14th.

Click on this exclusive link, enter the coupon code: MONTY84  and enjoy the savings as we celebrate Monty’s 84th Birthday.

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Ask Monty’s 4/3/11: Nettles, Onions, and Burrs, Oh My!

By Dennis on April 4, 2011

Weeds are everywhere this time of year.  They are in your lawn and obviously on your mind as our mailbag has been full of questions about them.  This week our Ask Monty’s segment is dedicate to all of those pesky, unwanted invasive species.

First, just for information’s sake.  There is no scientific definition or classification of a weed.  A weed, by definition, is any unwanted plant.  Therefore, any plant, even a rose or tulip can be a weed if it is growing in an area where you do not want it to be.  When commercial gardening stores and manufacturers talk of weeds they are generally speaking collectively about a group of grasses and plants that are commonly thought undesirable.  For example, consider dandelions.  They are the bane of my existence.  However, in the culinary world, people like the bitter, peppery flavor of dandelion greens in salads.  So, even though I cannot imagine it, some people actually cultivate them and there are even farmers who raise them as a cash crop!

All weeds serve a purpose, it is only when they violate our plans and living spaces that they become problems. So use care in eradicating all of them. They may be providing you with benefits that you are not aware of or could be helping to tell you a story about the condition of your soil. Listen to them, work with them when you can.

That said, I know how frustrating they can be and fight the good fight against some of them myself.  Here are some questions and answers that have been on your minds lately.  Oh, and if you have additional questions either post them in the comments section or e-mail me at pallan@montysplantfood.com .

Ask Monty’s:

“We recently bought 50 wooded acres in the country as sort of a place to getaway on the weekends.  It’s a great camping spot, but when I let our dogs out to run they came back covered in burrs!  I have never seen so many of them.  Is there a way to get rid of them?”

 Gayleen
American Fork, Utah

 Gayleen:

Meet the cocklebur, one of the most annoying, evasive weeds found throughout the entire United States except in Alaska.  Their most notable characteristic is their abundance of spiney burrs that have hook-tipped spines that easily attach themselves to clothing, fur or passing, happy dogs playing.  Often referred to as “hitchhikers,” that’s how they seem to spread so easily by attaching themselves to anything that moves.

However, these horrible plants do have to have the right growing conditions to thrive in areas that are washed out, wetlands, disturbed areas, drainage channels, or in unattended fields.

In addition, their seeds and seedlings are also poisonous.  Animals rarely eat them unless they get in their grazing paths, but children and young people have been made seriously ill and have even died from eating the seeds, which both look and taste like sunflower seeds.

The best way to get rid of these weeds is to apply weed killer in the fall and spring.  Your local farm store, extension service or larger nurseries will be able to advise you on what is the most aggressive product to use.

One of the things to try this season if you are looking for a total kill with a ‘round-up’ like product containing glyphosate is adding Monty’s NanoBoost.  It is an herbicide additive that dramatically improves the efficiency and kill rate of glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides.  This product is only available from our agricultural dealers at this point, but with Southern States Co-ops now on board it should be fairly easy to find in the Eastern third of the country. Or you can call toll free and order it direct.  Read more about NanoBoost, here.  Then call us at 800-978-6342 to order NanoBoost.

Ask Monty’s:

“Last summer I noticed I had a lot of strange, thick-leafed patches of grass in my lawn.  A friend told me that it looked like wild onion.  Curious of course, and because it was obviously unsightly and out of place on the lawn, I dug one up to discover it had bulbs like an onion.  Am I going to see more of this in the spring?  If so, how do I get rid of it?  Is it poisonous, as I have pets and I’m afraid my cat may mistake it for catnip?”

Riza
Nicholasville, Kentucky

 Riza:

Wild Onions are harmless weeds, but they do stick up boldly out of a manicured lawn, looking very similar to an onion plant.  They are found all over the world and grow wildly, although some species are treated as culinary delicacies.  Nonetheless, having them come up in unwanted areas does not redeem their weed qualities.  They grow in the fall to early winter and can be controlled through post-emergent broadleaf weed killer on individual plants.

 Ask Monty’s:

“I have a patch of stinging nettles sprouting up in the corner of my yard, an area that I just haven’t had the time to maintain as well as I should.  What’s the easiest way to get rid of these?  They aren’t bothering anything, but I think I should get rid of it.”

 Carly
Abbeville, South Carolina

 Carly:

Stinging nettles and common nettles are one and the same: vicious weeds that are not pleasant to come in contact with no matter what.  It’s a perennial like most weeds, so unless you get rid of it soon, it will spread and become an even bigger problem year after year with its finger-like roots.  It’s hard to believe that some people will harvest it and cook it for its nutritional value.  

When eradicating this weed you can either go after it with an all-over weed killer in the winter or early spring or manually remove them by cutting them to the ground with a hedge trimmer and then digging up their roots.  Once you get rid of the roots though spray a herbicide over the area for extra measure.

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One of the Worst Gardening Chores Made Easy

By Dennis on April 1, 2011

Most people, when you ask them why they don’t garden; or if they do garden if you ask what they hate about it will tell you weeding.  I am no different.  I hate weeding, that is one of the reasons i con my kids into helping me do it.  Well, my plan backfired on me.  My oldest child, my son, is now working a ‘real job’ and is graduating this spring.  So, I was faced with a thirty percent reduction in my work-force.

I happened to see a commercial on TV for a Mantis Tiller.  Now, with a background in media, I am naturally skeptical of ads; especially for over-hyped tv products. But, I was desperate for some other option other than chemicals or spending 1-2 hours a day out in my veg garden weeding. I finally gave in, if nothing else, to help me keep the morning glories at bay until my veg crops can get big enough to out-compete them.

This is not an endorsement of their product.  I do not sell them, Monty’s does not sell them nor are we suggesting you should buy one.  However, since I did purchase one  and since this blog is all about gardening, I thought I would share my experience.

I purchased the model that came pre-assembled.  All I had to do was pull it out of the box tighten the handles, fill it with a fuel/oil mix and go.  My garden is too small for this size tiller but I believe it will still come in handy for weeding/cultivating. I have not planted my garden yet because it is still a bit cold and way too wet so I decided to experiment with the new tiller in these flower beds. On this day I would be using it for two purposes 1) to renovate two flower beds 2) to edge my yard with the optional edger attachment.

The two flower beds were suffering from years of relative neglect and from encroaching Bermuda grass.  I love Bermuda grass.  It is hardy, it chokes out other weeds and looks good once it is warm enough to green up.  However, it has one problem.  It grows from rhizomes and refuses to stay where you want it.  It will invade everywhere and can be a real nuisance in flower beds.

You can see for yourself the job the tiller did on the front flower bed…total time, about 10 minutes.  The bed is a mixture of compost I have laid on top since last summer and native, moderately heavy clay soil.

After using the Mantis in this limited setting, these are my thoughts.

Starting – I have a gas weed trimmer and this is easier to crank than it.  Though, I recommend the quick-start option. If you let the tiller set and cool for even five minutes, you will have to re-prime it and use the choke to get it started again.  Otherwise it starts quickly.

Ease of use – Very easy, and very light.  It has a black handle by the engine and I was easily able to carry it where ever I needed it, one handed. (there is another grip if you want to use both hands. The speed controls are located on the right handgrip and easy to operate with your thumb and index finger. The thumb-controlled safety switch guarentees that you will no accidentally engage the tines.

Effectiveness – Very effective.  It chewed through everything:  Small roots, Bermuda grass rhizomes, thatch and compacted soil.  The trick is to keep it moving in a back and forth motion.  If you want to go deep, it will easily go down to about 7-10 inches.  The only drawback is that it does tend to pile up dirt behind it so you need to keep it moving.  This little tiller made the job of getting rid of the Bermuda grass and working my compost into the clay soil a snap.  I am looking forward to seeing what it does on morning glories in the veg garden this summer.

If you do have Bermuda grass, the rhizomes do tend to get wrapped around the tine axle. I had to clean mine off by disassembling the tines between flower beds.  However, that said, the cleaning process only required removing two cotter pins and took all of about 3 minutes.

As an edger – Okay, so maybe it was too much to hope for.  Once you start asking any product to do something other than that which it was originally designed, you run into some problems.  First, the optional edger attachment is easy to put on (see removing tines in the paragraph above).  It did cut through the soil and grass fairly easily and did establish a decent, if not perfect, edge.  In fact, it probably put a more consistent edge on my lawn than my weed trimmer does.    The biggest problems were in design.  It does not have a guide or a guard so it is hard to keep it next to the driveway/sidewalk without occasionally hitting the pavement.  I can see where this could lead to chipping and scarring the edge of the concrete, given time, and for some (me) that is unacceptable.  So If I were to give it a grade as an edger, I would say B-.

All in all, it is light, and it is effective.  It is a purchase that I am glad I made.  Though I would not count on it for heavy tilling or tilling extremely large areas (My garden plot is 150′ x 75).  I think it might be able to do it, but at only 9 inches wide, it would take forever.

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