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By: Jim Kennard
I teach the Mittleider Method of vegetable gardening. It’s
often called better than organic gardening, because we use
only natural mineral nutrients, and eliminate weeds and pests
without pesticides and herbicides. In addition, virtually
nothing is left to chance – much different from those
who depend on the unknown composition of manure and compost
as their only source of food for their gardens.
I teach the Mittleider Method of vegetable gardening. It’s
often called better than organic gardening, because we use
only natural mineral nutrients, and eliminate weeds and pests
without pesticides and herbicides. In addition, virtually
nothing is left to chance – much different from those
who depend on the unknown composition of manure and compost
as their only source of food for their gardens.
I’m asked occasionally if the Mittleider gardening
method is sustainable in the long run, “since it seems
to be based on the availability of modern day fertilizers.”
Since some folks feel that today’s fertilizers may not
always be available in the future, how viable is this system
for ongoing sustainability in the long run?
First, the Mittleider method is NOT dependent on commercial
fertilizers for viability. Our experience around the world
for over 40 years, however, is that everywhere we have been
- including several countries in Africa, Armenia, Madagascar,
Papua New Guinea, Russia, and 23 others - fertilizers have
always been available.
The careful use of natural mineral fertilizers increases
a family's gardening yield many times - sometimes as much
as 10 times what they were growing without them. This is what
has allowed America to change from one person feeding 4 or
5, to one person feeding 100 other people. So why would we
NOT use them?? And why would we not want to teach people in
the developing countries to use them - unless perhaps we WANT
them to stay in the 19th century?
We recommend people obtain enough natural mineral fertilizers
and seed (a #10 can of 15 varieties of heirloom seeds is available
at www.growfood.com) for at least one extra year's garden.
Mineral Fertilizers keep almost indefinitely, and they cost
very little, compared to the yield they produce. Small storable
packages of micro-nutrients are also available at www.growfood.com.
Here’s how you can grow a productive and healthy garden
using manure tea. Get a large burlap bag and a 55-gallon barrel.
Find cow or horse manure (chicken or turkey is twice as hot,
so less will be needed), and fill the bag 2/3's full. Place
the bag in the barrel and fill it with water. Let the manure
"tea" soak or "steep" for 24 hours, then
use the tea to water your vegetable plants.
Replace the bag of manure in the barrel and let steep for
48 hours. Use the tea, then dump the spent manure out and
dig into an unused portion of the garden - it has almost no
nutrient value, but can improve soil tilth.
Remember to plant your plants a little further apart when
using this method, because they will be competing for less
available nutrition. In addition, every watering should be
with the manure tea for your plants to be healthy and thrive.
You should expect to grow a smaller garden, and spend some
time finding manure.
If manure just isn't available, consider saving kitchen scraps
and human waste. Many countries do it all the time, so it's
not the end of the world. And all clean, healthy plant residue
should be saved and properly composted for re-use in the garden
- again preferably as manure tea.
The Food For Everyone foundation teaches the Mittleider method
of organic gardening. Know as the poor mans hydroponics you
can increase your yields five to ten times. Tomatoes, vegetables,
herbs, berries you name it these nutrients will produce the
best results.
I’m asked occasionally if the Mittleider gardening
method is sustainable in the long run, “since it seems
to be based on the availability of modern day fertilizers.”
Since some folks feel that today’s fertilizers may not
always be available in the future, how viable is this system
for ongoing sustainability in the long run?
First, the Mittleider method is NOT dependent on commercial
fertilizers for viability. Our experience around the world
for over 40 years, however, is that everywhere we have been
- including several countries in Africa, Armenia, Madagascar,
Papua New Guinea, Russia, and 23 others - fertilizers have
always been available.
The careful use of natural mineral fertilizers increases
a family's gardening yield many times - sometimes as much
as 10 times what they were growing without them. This is what
has allowed America to change from one person feeding 4 or
5, to one person feeding 100 other people. So why would we
NOT use them?? And why would we not want to teach people in
the developing countries to use them - unless perhaps we WANT
them to stay in the 19th century?
We recommend people obtain enough natural mineral fertilizers
and seed (a #10 can of 15 varieties of heirloom seeds is available
at www.growfood.com) for at least one extra year's garden.
Mineral Fertilizers keep almost indefinitely, and they cost
very little, compared to the yield they produce. Small storable
packages of micro-nutrients are also available at www.growfood.com.
Here’s how you can grow a productive and healthy garden
using manure tea. Get a large burlap bag and a 55-gallon barrel.
Find cow or horse manure (chicken or turkey is twice as hot,
so less will be needed), and fill the bag 2/3's full. Place
the bag in the barrel and fill it with water. Let the manure
"tea" soak or "steep" for 24 hours, then
use the tea to water your vegetable plants.
Replace the bag of manure in the barrel and let steep for
48 hours. Use the tea, then dump the spent manure out and
dig into an unused portion of the garden - it has almost no
nutrient value, but can improve soil tilth.
Remember to plant your plants a little further apart when
using this method, because they will be competing for less
available nutrition. In addition, every watering should be
with the manure tea for your plants to be healthy and thrive.
You should expect to grow a smaller garden, and spend some
time finding manure.
If manure just isn't available, consider saving kitchen scraps
and human waste. Many countries do it all the time, so it's
not the end of the world. And all clean, healthy plant residue
should be saved and properly composted for re-use in the garden
- again preferably as manure tea.
The Food For Everyone foundation teaches the Mittleider method
of organic gardening. Know as the poor mans hydroponics you
can increase your yields five to ten times. Tomatoes, vegetables,
herbs, berries you name it these nutrients will produce the
best results.
About The Author
Jim Kennard is the president of the Food for everyone foundation
and a principal author for the organic gardening website http://www.Howtoorganicgarden.com.
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