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On Today’s Podcast Episode, Harold and Rachel Discuss Several Ways To Feed Your Garden and Maintain Healthy Soil and Healthy Plants.

The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 242 – May 21, 2024

Listen To The Podcast

Why You Need To Feed Your Garden Soil

• Feeding the soil increases nutrients and water retention, and improves soil structure.

Organic Commercial Fertilizers

• NPK – Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
• Hoss
• Dr. Earth
• Azure Standard

Compost

• How To Make Your Own Compost
  • https://redemptionpermaculture.com/composting-basics-make-use-of-waste-and-improve-soil/ 

• How To Apply Compost
  • Amend Soil 
  • Side Dress Plants

Compost Tea

• What Is Compost Tea?
  • liquid version of the solid compost material

• How To Make Compost Tea
  • 40 gallon Compost Brewer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCK_pjcQOTo
    • 7 Pounds of Good Compost in Bag
    • 2 T of Humic Acid Extracted From Compost
    • 1 Cup of Horticultural Molasses – https://amzn.to/4bhRuVJ 
    • 1 Cup of Organic Hydrolized Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer – https://amzn.to/44OryP4 
    • 2 T of Mycorrhizal Inoculant – https://amzn.to/44IUyYo 
    • 2 Pounds of Worm Castings in Bag (optional)
    • 1 Pound of Crushed Comfrey Leaves In Bag (optional)
    • Bubble with Air Pump for 20 to 24 hours

• How Often Should You Apply
  • I personally apply monthly but could be applied more often if needed

Weed Leach Tea

• What Is Weed Leach (or Infusion) Tea?
  • Plants soaked in water for an extended amount of time allowing them to break down and infuse into the liquid. The benefit is liquid has no seeds in it, but you still get all the phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, magnesium, sulfur, copper, boron, and other minerals and nutrients they have stored in their roots and leaves.

• How To Make and use Weed Leach Tea
  • Place an air stone hooked to an aquarium air pump in the bottom of a bucket.
  • Fill the bucket with a variety of valuable plants or weeds. Comfrey, dock, dandelion, etc. Avoid toxic plants like poison ivy.
  • Fill the bucket with water and let aerate for 7 days.
  • Strain the plants from the water and dilute 1 to 10 and spray on garden soil.

Other Ways To Feed Your Soil

• Chop and Drop
• Urine
• Symbiotic relationships like nitrogen fixing plants 
• Vermiculture In Place – https://amzn.to/4bIUWsf 

Links

• Aquarium Air Pump: https://amzn.to/3WIJGrm
• Let it Rot by Stu Campbell: https://amzn.to/4dIsLv4
• Fertilizers For Free; A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin: https://amzn.to/4arCgvX
• The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments by Nigel Palmer: https://amzn.to/3yoam6H
• The Complete Book of Composting by J.I. Rhodale and staff: https://amzn.to/3QNZjKw
• My interview with Nigel Palmer: https://redemptionpermaculture.com/closed-loop-soil-fertility-with-guest-nigel-palmer/
• Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels – https://amzn.to/44HCCxf 
• The Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost – https://amzn.to/3WKtzcX 
• The Compost Coach: Make compost, build soil and grow a regenerative garden – wherever you live! by Kate Flood – https://amzn.to/4bux77Q
• Soil Science for Gardeners: Working with Nature to Build Soil Health by Robert Pavlis – https://amzn.to/4bKjlNP

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