Ep 94. Starting an Organic Garden & DIY Soil Testing

In this episode, we chat about Starting an Organic Garden beginning with soil testing from your extension office. And we share fun DIY Home Tests for Contaminants and Soil pH you can do.

Then we review the creative ways to build raised beds as a workaround if you are concerned about your soil. 

Link to Related Stories:

    ***

Starting an Organic Garden

Vegetable Gardening Basics and Starting a No-Till Garden 

Foxes in the Garden

Fun Ways to Test Soil pH

I'd love to hear about your garden and nature stories. And your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com. Thanks so much for tuning in :^)

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Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the garden of life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer
AskMaryStone.com

More about the Podcast and Column:

Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.

It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.

Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com
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Transcript

Ep 94 Starting an Organic Garden & DIY Soil Testing

Sat, Feb 04, 2023 10:52AM • 9:56

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

garden, soil, chemicals, compost, organic vegetable, dilemmas, testing, seeds, ph, fox, fun, alkaline, plants, test, raised beds, growing, organic soil, mary stone, garden, nature, inspiration

SPEAKERS

Mary Stone

Mary Stone  00:00

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone and welcome to garden dilemmas, delights, and discoveries. It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. 

Mary Stone  00:26

Hello there, it's Mary stone on a very cold screen porch, although the sun is shining, and actually, the cold temperatures feel terrific. We've had such an unseasonably warm winter that it's been a perpetual mud season, which makes for very messy doggy feet. I'm not complaining; I have to say Mother Nature has a rhythm. And every day, there was a joy to be found. I hope you feel the same way. 

Mary Stone  00:49

I had a very fun visitor this morning. And that is a red fox that came meandering around our back patio. He looked into one of the vacant pots there, and that was just so adorable to see. I wonder if he's the same fellow that hunkered down behind the vegetable garden last year. Or I should say she because there actually was a den of Fox there. We spoke about Foxes in the Garden in Episode 24, which includes some fun Fox folklore. Many consider them a kind-hearted spirit associated with wisdom, and this ironic thing happened. That is, there's a daily calendar of inspiration by Louise Hay that I gave to Curt for Christmas. I have to say it's pretty much been my calendar since. But today, the photo on the saying is a red fox. And the irony of that is just so beautiful because  Curt is in transition, looking for a new job. And the phrase is, "I turn my face towards a bright future. It is waiting for me." And I just thought it was wonderful because he took that little picture and put it next to his coffee cup. And he never pays much attention to these inspirational moments. So anyway, I thought that would inspire you too. 

Mary Stone  02:06

So, thanks to those that reached back about last week's chat about gardening seasons and how they relate to the cycles in the Garden of Life. One of the things we talked about was the importance of preparing the soil to assure healthy plants and a plentiful bounty. And I got a question from Sarah, who wants to start an organic vegetable garden. Sarah's question turned into a column topic that included fun DIY projects for testing soil pH and the likelihood of chemicals. And it starts like this.

Mary Stone  02:37

 Hello fellow listeners and readers. Sarah, from Oxford, New Jersey, asked how to prepare a plot in her new backyard for an organic vegetable garden. She suspects the previous owners used chemicals, as when they moved in, the lawn looked like a golf course, and I put that in quotes. Kudos, Sarah; it is wise to consider their prior use of chemicals when growing edibles. I always recommend the soil test first. No matter the type of garden you're planning, soil tests done by the local extension office will assess soil nutrients, pH, and physical characteristics. However, identifying chemical contaminants requires specialized testing. Other countries are way ahead of us, by the way, in the concern for chemicals and food production, and so their labs often test for over 400 pesticides. But ours aren't really up to speed on that.

Mary Stone  03:32

 When you arrange soil testing with your extension office, ask if they can refer you to a local certified lab for chemical testing. Especially if you live in an urban area where manufacturing exists or once did or if you live in an older home that may have once had lead paint because sometimes the lead paint is removed and tossed aside in the yard. So it's something to be quite concerned about. So anyway, based on Sarah's description of a golf course lawn, I think it's likely best to install raised beds using chemical-free borders such as rocks or natural lumber, not the preserved pressure-treated lumber that is used on decks and so forth. Then fill your raised beds with organic soil and compost. You could also consider container gardens or growing bags, a hot new trend. I just acquired some growing bags from a project -- we had some young trees grown in them, and I'm going to try them in my garden this spring. 

Mary Stone  04:31

While buying vegetable plants at a local grower a few years back, I ran into a fellow who had an interesting way to test to see if his compost or soil was affected by herbicides. Robert is a self-described amateur farmer though his knowledge of organic practices is beyond novice. He and his wife farm about an acre of produce and organic eggs. He was telling me Buckhorn Creek Farm is the unofficial name of their farm and White Township. Robert advised recent chemical introductions with more prolonged residual effects may impact large-scale organic soil and compost operations. In other words, he was concerned that some of the places where he gets his organic soil and compost might have impacts of leaching, so he often uses this home remedy of testing. 

Mary Stone  05:21

He shared that pea seeds, sensitive to chemicals, can be used in a home test. Roll 10 seeds in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag. Then plant 10 seeds in your moist compost or soil to be tested. Place both in a warm spot no need for the sun. In two to five days, check germination. If the number of seeds, typically eight or nine, germinate in the paper towel and the soil, you should be good to go. If fewer seeds sprout in the soil compost, there is likely a problem of contaminants. 

Mary Stone  05:55

While vegetables vary and how deep their roots grow, twelve inches is an excellent standard depth for raised beds. Robert mentioned using COR-TEN, which is weathering steel as a raised bed border. It's the same steel developed for the railroad industry and used in garden art; only the outer level rusts which would make a strikingly rustic garden edge. Veggie gardens, especially when they are organic, are indeed works of art. Garden dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone.com. 

Mary Stone  06:27

Speaking of art, on the column post on the garden dilemmas website, the photos are of my design colleague and friend Marty Carson's gorgeous, organic vegetable garden. It really is magnificent. I hope you take a look at those beautiful photos. And Roberts pea test makes me think of a fun science project-like way of testing soil pH that you and your kids will love. 

Mary Stone  06:51

Snag a cup of soil about six inches below the surface. Be sure the area has not been limed or fertilized within the past six weeks and is free of sticks, rocks, or mulch. Pour two cups of distilled water into a pot. Don't use spring or tap water, as that will impact the pH. Chop and add a cup of red cabbage and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about five minutes. Then allow it to cool for about a half hour or so—strain off the liquid which should be bluish purple showing a neutral pH. Pour two inches into a clean cup and add two teaspoons of soil. Wait 30 minutes, then check the color. If purple or violet, the pH is near seven or neutral. Pink means the soil is acidic. The more acidic the soil, the brighter the pink. Blue or green means its alkaline pH -- The more brilliant the green, the more alkaline. So this all seems very complicated. There will be a link in the show notes to this menu. So don't worry about taking notes, especially if you're driving. 

Mary Stone  07:53

There's a vinegar and baking soda option, which is fun to play with too. Put two teaspoons of soil into two separate containers. Add half a cup of white vinegar to the soil in one container. If it fizzes, your soil is alkaline. If there's no fizz, add enough distilled water to the other container to muddy it. Pour half a cup of baking soda into that cup. And if it fizzes, your soil is acidic. If neither sample fizzes, you likely have neutral pH, which is a beautiful thing. Most plants and lawns love to be neutral. 

Mary Stone  08:27

Some naysayers claim vinegar and baking soda are not strong enough to give an accurate result. But I say, why not have some fun before reaching out to your extension office? That way, you can compare the results and maybe poopoo the naysayers-- what fun it is to be a big kid—highly recommended. Yes indeed. It reminds me of when we sprouted avocado seeds way back in Episode 39. Mine is now two feet tall. How big is yours? I would love to hear. Anyway, thanks so much for coming by. I always enjoy our time together. And if you have, please share the podcast with a friend or two, and I would appreciate some more five-star ratings. For some magical reason, the more five-star ratings you have, the more likely folks will find us. And the more of us that work together and learn and grow in the garden of life, the healthier our world will be, right? Thanks so much for joining me. See you next time.

Mary Stone  09:26

 You can follow garden dilemmas on Facebook or online at Garden Dilemmas.com and on Instagram at hashtag Mary Elaine Stone. Garden dilemmas, delights, and discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by.

I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch. And always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.