Harvest 3 Mittleider garden

Another Great harvest from my Mittleider sustainable organic garden

2010 Phase two Mittleider garden setup

This years Mittleider garden is going to be the biggest and the most accurate ever.

The beauty of the Mittleider method is it is based on science and over 40 years of testing around the world by Dr. Jacob Mittleider all plants need the same 16 nutrients.
Check this out To find out exactly how to feed your plants correctly

Disease prevention in the garden

Have you ever happily watched your garden growing, only one day to discover some plants acting strangely, and then watched sadly as they stopped growing and died?

This happens fairly often in family gardens, and sometimes the affected family of plants can’t be grown in that spot successfully for many years afterwards.

There are many plant diseases that are virulent and destructive to vegetables and fruits. Fungus diseases such as Powdery Mildew and Verticillium Wilt, viral diseases like Tobacco Mosaic, and even bacterial diseases such as Bacterial Wilt, all take their toll.

Pictures of some common plant diseases and their symptoms can be found here.

Books on the control of these diseases fill shelves in libraries all over the world, and research is constantly being done to find ways to stop them – mostly with limited success.

Given this situation, what chance does the small family gardener have to grow plants to maturity successfully on a continuing, or sustainable basis?

Actually, with a little knowledge of how these diseases get started, what they look like, and how to minimize the damage they cause, and by following a sustainable gardening procedure known as the Mittleider Method, you stand a very good chance of growing a successful garden, free of diseases and other problems.

Fungus diseases most often start in damp conditions, such as where plant leaves are thick, This is one reason we teach people to prune excess plant leaves, especially the leaves touching the ground. Pruning excess leaves also allows more light to reach the fruit, hastening maturity.

Another way to prevent fungus disease is to refrain from placing compost, bark, or other organic materials on the ground around growing garden plants, as these tend to create the kind of dark, damp environment in which fungus diseases thrive.

Bacterial diseases enter a plant by contact through a cut or break; therefore, an open wound is an invitation to infection. Fortunately bacterial diseases seldom migrate from an infected plant to adjacent healthy ones unless they, too, have wounds and contact is made.

When pruning your plants use a clean knife or scissors, and wash your hands before starting. Also, avoid getting dirt on the cut or break.

If you find an infected plant, remove it from your garden area quickly and completely, and never handle any other plants until after thoroughly washing your hands.

As with any disease, prevention is far, far better than control or cure. Therefore, you need to keep a garden that is inhospitable to the conditions that harbor disease. Following are some suggestions:

* Weeds in or near your garden plants can provide the environment that diseases and pests need, so a completely weed-free garden is a must. This includes beds, aisles, and a border around the garden. Since many plant diseases are transmitted by insects, our objective with the Mittleider Method is to make sure that everything but the actual planting area is like the Sahara Desert – a place where nothing can grow, and so uninviting that pests won't even venture across it.

* Many times diseases are introduced into a garden by the use of infected seedlings or seeds obtained from a non-certified source. No matter how good the plant may be, if it brings a disease into your garden it could cost you many times that value in lost plants for many years. Growing your own clean, healthy seedlings, or buying them from a certified-clean grower, is one of the best ways to prevent diseases from getting started in the first place.

* Make sure you are using clean water whenever possible, and avoid using water that has run through someone else’s garden – it could be bringing disease with it.

* And finally, harvesting at peak maturity, and never leaving plants to get old in the garden, will also help prevent disease infestation.

Remember: disease prevention is much easier and better than cure. Follow these tips to keep the diseases out for a truly sustainable garden!

Jim Kennard


Jim Kennard is President of the Food For Everyone Foundation, a non-profit organization with the mission of "Teaching the world to grow food one family at a time". You'll find many free vegetable gardening resources, including a gardening ebook, greenhouse plans, automated watering plans, and a free chapter from each of the great gardening books and software CD's Jim offers, at the website: www.foodforeveryone.org

Nutrients "Used Up" in Decomposition

Adding organic material to soil

Because microorganisms use nitrogen in soils to decompose the sawdust, the process of decay can temporarily lower the amount of available nitrogen in the soil. Remember that the loss is temporary, and that proper application of Weekly Feed will almost always eliminate any deficiency.

The only other potential problem is that sawdust typically has a low pH, and so the addition of calcium is important. We do this in the Pre-Plant mix.

There can be some benefits to adding organic matter to your soil. Benefits include the fact that it can:
a.. Increase the soil's ability to hold water.
a.. Create pores in the soil to improve soil oxygen.
a.. Loosen clay soil, making root growth easier.
a.. Help moderate soil temperatures.

The nutritional value is over-rated, however, and you never know how much of anything you're getting, so we do not recommend you count on compost for feeding your plants.

What is the Mittleider Method of sustainable organic gardening?

The Mittleider Method combines the best features of soil-based gardening and hydroponic gardening, but without hydroponic expense! It's a complete, easy-to-follow plan that eliminates guesswork and ensures success anywhere: an apartment patio, a city yard, a country lot, or a farm.

The method is based on maximum utilization of space, time, and resources. Crops are large because plants are close together, nourished by supplemental feedings of natural mineral nutrients (as in hydroponics), but with no special equipment.

Also, unlike hydroponics, the Mittleider Method gives plants access to the natural soil for nutrients as yet unknown or that, while not essential to plant growth, are useful in human nutrition. You can use the Mittleider Method by raising crops in either soil-beds or grow-boxes.

Custom made soil

Q. In the past I have purchased bags of potting soil, cut out a portion and planted right in the bag in my little greenhouse. However the plants that I have transplanted a week or so ago in the custom made soil are doing really well. I made it with sawdust and washed sand. I would like to replace the bags with custom made soil in pots placed in plastic flats on the benches in the green house but I would like a lighter mix. Can I make it with peat moss or sawdust, perlite and vermiculite? I would also use this for seed starting.

A. We recommend any of several combinations of materials for your potting soil for seedling production. Normally we encourage people to find the items that are available and inexpensive - and in some countries that may include rice hulls and/or ground coconut husks, or even coffee hulls.

In America, sawdust is often the least costly available material, so it is first on our recommended list.

Peat moss and perlite are also excellent materials. Vermiculite is okay, but doesn't last as long as the others. We like sand as a part of the mix, to improve the drainage characteristics of the mix, and normally recommend 25-35% sand, along with any combination of the other materials you prefer.

Perlite and vermiculite can replace the sand if you prefer, but I personally would always include some sand in my mix - even if it is less than 25%.

When to start seedlings?

Garden Wizard and Garden Master CD's have

When to start seedlings is an important question - no matter where you live,
and the answer is always the same - "When they won't freeze!" So when is
that? It depends on the plant and your weather. First find out the average
last frost date in your local growing micro-climate. The Garden Wizard and
Garden Master CD's do a good job of giving you that for over 3,000 places
in the United States. Others will have to ask your local government Ag.
Extension agent.

Next, determine the frost tolerance of the plant you're growing, to know
when to transplant into the garden. There are 4 levels of frost tolerance -
and I quote from the Mittleider Gardening Course:
1. Hardy plants tolerate frost and cold and can be planted 3 to 6 weeks
before the average date of last frost.
2. Moderately-hardy plants handle a certain amount of cold. Plant these
2-3 weeks before the average date of last frost.
3. Cold- and frost-sensitive plants don't like cold or frost. Plant them
on the average day of last frost and protect them against late
frost.
4. Frost-intolerant plants will not survive any frost and must be
planted 2-3 weeks after the average day of last frost.

With dozens of plant possibilities, I can't tell you here what each plant's
frost tolerance is, but again the Garden Wizard and the Garden Master CD's
give you all of that.

And finally, you need to know how long your plant needs to be in the
greenhouse before being transplanted, in order to get back to the date on
which you plant in the greenhouse. And again I refer you to the Garden
Wizard and Garden Master CD's as the best place to find that information.
Remove the uncertainty and confusion in this very important step by looking
in the Preview Plants section of the Garden Designer. You will learn the
number of days required from planting seeds to transplanting in the garden,
for all the common garden vegetables.

Composting For the Home Gardener

Compost includes 4 basic elements including air, water, carbon, and nitrogen.

There are two types of composting, aerobic and anaerobic, meaning with oxygen and without.

Anaerobic composting (without air) is a cold process, takes as long as two years to produce usable compost, and DOES NOT remove soil pathogens, bugs, and weed seeds. This method is NOT recommended for the family garden for the reasons stated above, plus the fact that it creates an unsightly, smelly mess in your yard that attracts rodents, etc.

Regrettably, anaerobic composting is what 99% of family gardeners usually end up with, because of lack of education and/or effort.

Aerobic composting must sustain temperatures of approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit for three weeks minimum, which kills most soil pathogens, bugs, and weed seeds. It requires a constant supply of air throughout the pile, in order to provide oxygen to the microbes that digest and thus decompose the raw materials into usable compost.

Therefore, the pile should be thoroughly turned daily, and if all other elements are present in the right proportions good compost can be created in as little as one month.

Water is also necessary, but not too much at one time. The pile should be moist - like a wrung-out sponge - but not wet.

Carbon is used as the energy source, and most of the pile should consist of carbon. Common high-carbon ingredients include dry leaves, straw, and corn stalks. High-carbon ingredients will contain more than 30 times as much carbon as nitrogen - sometimes MUCH more - and are often called "browns".

Nitrogen is needed for the proteins that build the microbes' bodies. Ingredients with the most nitrogen are usually green, moist plant matter such as leaves, or an animal by-product like manure. Nitrogen-rich materials - often called "greens" - usually will contain carbon and nitrogen in a ratio close to 20:1.

NEVER use manure from carnivores, and even cow manure sometimes contains e-coli, which can cause sickness and even death. Therefore, any manure should be used with extreme caution.

For efficient decomposition you need a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of about 30:1. If you have too much nitrogen your pile will smell, because the excess nitrogen converts into an ammonia gas. If there's too little nitrogen you will not sustain the necessary heat, plus the pile will break down very slowly.

Fresh grass clippings will have a C/N ratio of about 20:1, so mixing grass clippings and old leaves - one part clippings and two parts old leaves - will generally give you a good C/N ratio.

Unless it's contained in a Compost Tumbler or other container in which it can be turned easily while retaining the heat, you should start with a compost pile of at least 1 cubic yard, in order to have sufficient material to retain the necessary 140 degree heat for 3+ weeks.

Do it right, and you can have material that will improve your soil tilth, and even provide some (unknown) amount of nutrition for your plants.

Or save yourself the time and effort and give your plants a balance diet of natural mineral nutrients, as contained in the Mittleider Pre-Plant and Weekly Feed mixes, which you can mix yourself from materials purchased at your nursery or farm supply store.

Gardening to Produce Food For Everyone

My name is Jim Kennard, and as President of the Food For Everyone Foundation I am excited to help in fulfilling the foundation's mission of "teaching the world to grow food one family at a time."

The first way we do this is by providing a wealth of free vegetable gardening information, training, tips, and advice on the internet at www.foodforeveryone.org. People from all over the world log on here to receive free training and advice, as well as to obtain the great gardening books, CDs and software written by Dr. Jacob R. Mittleider, some of which were created in collaboration with several BYU PhDs and Professors of Educational Psychology and Technology.

The Mittleider Gardening Basics Course ebook is free on the website at www.foodforeveryone.org/learn. The book-length FAQ section also has over 500 short gardening articles, which answer people's questions and give advice on many important vegetable gardening subjects.

In addition we have free greenhouse plans and free plans for automating your garden watering system, as well as a free gardening group where you can share knowledge and experience with thousands of successful vegetable gardeners.

I'll briefly introduce you to the Foundation's gardening methods by describing a few things about the Mittleider Method that are important, and which distinguish it from other gardening methods.

Most of the time our gardens are grown right in the native soil, with no amendments. We promise you "a great garden in any soil, in almost any climate". From straight sand to the worst clay, we'll show you how to have success growing healthy, delicious vegetables the first time and every time. The picture is Jan & Gretchen Graf’s first ever garden West of Santa Clara, Utah in blow-sand. It was a great success.

Grow-Boxes, or containers are sometimes needed for people living in apartments, and for disabled people. Container gardening can be just as effective as growing in the soil. Three of Dr. Mittleider's 10 books are dedicated to the unique features of the container gardening process, and for the next 5 days I will send a copy of the Digital version of Gardening by the Foot to all who request it from me at jim@growfood.com.

The Mittleider Method is sometimes called "the poor man's hydroponic system", because we use some of the principles and procedures of greenhouse growers, such as
1. Vertical growing,
2. Allowing NO weeds,
3. Watering often with small amounts of water,
4. Feeding the plants accurately throughout their growing cycle with natural mineral nutrients, and
5. Controlling temperature extremes, thus extending the growing season in both the spring and fall.


The Second major element in the Foundation's mission is teaching, training, and assisting people directly. One way we do this in America is by conducting free ½-day group gardening seminars. These can be arranged by contacting me by email at jim@growfood.com.

We also conduct humanitarian projects in countries throughout the world. In 2002 I was in Turkey and Madagascar for the Church. Every year since 2004 we have spent time in Armenia. In 2007 and 2008 we were also in the Republic of Georgia, and in 2007-2008 we were on a University campus in Colombia for several months – again for the Church. Everywhere we’ve been we grow many kinds of vegetables the locals thought couldn't possibly be grown in "their region", and we try to leave people in place to be the local “experts” to carry on and expand the work.

Another way in which we extend our reach is to train others who are becoming missionaries. One example is Howard and Glenice Morgan from Southern California, who recently returned from a 2-year LDS mission to Zimbabwe. They were sent to teach Mittleider gardening to Church members throughout the country, and they did a FABULOUS job.

They prepared by studying the Mittleider gardening books. Then, after some training in my garden adjacent to Utah's Hogle Zoo, and using only the simple 6 Steps to Successful Gardening book, the Morgans created 84 large “community” gardens in 4 countries, and taught over 10,500 people to feed themselves by growing their own healthy vegetables.

And Howard and Glenice thanked me for helping them have the time of their lives! Howard was a retired dentist, by the way, with very little previous experience in gardening.

So, whatever level you are currently on, you too can experience this kind of success – whether it's in your own home garden, a community effort, or as a humanitarian missionary in some distant country.

Join us as we teach people how there can be “food for everyone”, and learn to produce the best gardens of your life.

Jim Kennard

Heat treating tomato seeds to avoid diseases

For those who are interested in saving and using seeds from your own garden, or who receive seeds from non-guaranteed sources - here's how we heat-treat tomato seed to kill diseases. Remember, however, that hybrid seeds most likely will not produce the same fruit as the parent plant did. If you want seeds that hold true to their parents you must use open-pollinated, or heirloom seeds.

First, place seeds, along with the natural juices surrounding them, in a bowl or bottle. Place the bottle in a warm place out of the sunlight. Allow to ferment for 5-7 days (the time can vary, depending on conditions). Once the gelatin has broken down from around the seeds, you may proceed to the next step. Pour off all materials other than the seeds. Rinse the seeds gently in fresh water until they are clean - being careful not to wash them down the drain!

After you have fermented the seed and cleaned it, and (preferably) before drying, place seeds in the toe of a pantyhose. Fill a bowl or pan with hot water from the kitchen tap. Using a candy thermometer, adjust the water temperature to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, with more water - cold or hot. Place pantyhose with seeds in water, moving gently to assure even distribution of water over all seeds. Add hot water to bring temperature back up to 130 degrees. Continue the gentle seed movement and maintain temperature at 130 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not allow the temperature to vary more than a degree either side of 130. Less than 130 degrees will not kill diseases, and more than 130 for any length of time will kill the seed.

Remove seeds from water. Spread thinly on a paper towel in a warm dry place. Allow to dry. When completely dry, place in a storage container with appropriate labeling. Do not return seeds to the container they were in before the heat treatment, but use a clean container.

While heat treatment will reduce germination by 10-20%, it is the weakest seeds that are lost, and the reduction in diseases is well worth the effort.

Safe Wood Treatment for Vegetable Grow-Boxes

Some have worried about using treated lumber to make their Grow-Boxes because of warnings about harmful materials in store-bought treated lumber.
Following is a recommended treatment you can apply yourselves to untreated lumber. This comes from an article in a recent Organic Gardening magazine, for which we thank them.

• "Melt 1 ounce of paraffin wax in a double boiler. DO NOT heat over a direct flame (that's a great way to start a fire).
• Off to the side, carefully place slightly less than a gallon of solvent (mineral spirits, paint thinner or turpentine at room temperature) in a bucket, then slowly pour in the melted paraffin, stirring vigorously.
• Add 3 cups exterior varnish or 1.5 cups boiled linseed oil to the mix, stirring until the ingredients are blended. When it cools, you can dip your lumber into this mixture or brush it onto the wood."

This should give you several years' extended life for your Grow-Boxes.

The other alternative, as I have suggested previously, is to paint them with a good exterior paint – preferably acrylic. The boxes in Dr. Mittleider's back-yard garden were in use for 25 years.

Introducing the Best Gardening Methods on the Planet

My name is Jim Kennard, and as President of the Food For Everyone
Foundation I am excited to help in fulfilling the foundation's
mission of "teaching the world to grow food one family at a time."

We do this by providing a wealth of free vegetable gardening
information, training, tips, and advice on the internet at
www.foodforeveryone .org. People from all over the world come here
to receive free training and advice, as well as to obtain the great
gardening books, CDs and software written by Dr. Jacob R.
Mittleider.

The Mittleider Gardening Basics Course ebook is free on the
website. The book-length FAQ section also has 365 short gardening
articles, which answer people's questions and give advice on many
vegetable gardening subjects.

In addition we have free greenhouse plans and free plans for
automating your garden watering system, as well as a free gardening
group where you can share knowledge and experience with thousands of
successful vegetable gardeners.

I'll briefly introduce you to the Foundation's gardening methods by
describing a few things about the Mittleider Method that are
important, and which distinguish it from other gardening methods.

Most of the time our gardens are grown right in the native soil,
with no amendments. We promise you "a great garden in any soil, in
almost any climate". From straight sand to the worst clay, we'll
show you how to have success growing healthy, delicious vegetables
the first time and every time.

Grow-Boxes, or containers are sometimes needed for people living in
apartments, and for disabled people. Container gardening can be
just as effective as growing in the soil, and 2 ½ of Dr.
Mittleider's 10 books are dedicated to the unique features of the
container gardening process.

The Mittleider Method is sometimes called "the poor man's hydroponic
system", because we use some of the principles and procedures of
greenhouse growers, such as vertical growing, feeding the plants
accurately throughout their growing cycle with natural mineral
nutrients, and sometimes extending the growing season in both the
spring and fall.

The Second major element in the Foundation's mission is teaching,
training, and assisting people directly. One way we do this in
America is by conducting free ½-day group gardening seminars. These
can be arranged by contacting me by email at jim@growfood. com.

We also conduct humanitarian projects in many countries throughout
the world. In 2006 I went to Armenia with my wife Araksya and spent
5 months - from February to mid July. We created a gardening
training center in the village of Getk, with housing, classroom,
greenhouse, and 3/4 acre garden. We taught students, who became the
gardening experts in their own villages, and we assisted them in
working with about 200 families in those villages. We left the
training center and garden in the able hands of an Armenian couple,
and expect the work will continue there, with our occasional visits.

In Armenia, as in other places we've worked, we grew many kinds of
vegetables the locals thought couldn't possibly be grown in "their
region", and often had many non-participating village families
coming to our garden for advice, coaching, and free produce.

Another way in which we extend our reach is to train others who are
becoming missionaries for their churches. One example is Howard and
Glenice Morgan, from Southern California, who just returned from a 2-
year mission to Zimbabwe. They were sent to teach Mittleider
gardening to their church members throughout the country, and they
did a FABULOUS job.

They prepared by studying the Mittleider gardening books. Then,
after some training in my garden at Utah's Hogle Zoo, and using only
the simple 6 Steps to Successful Gardening, the Morgans created 84
large gardens and taught over 10,500 people to feed themselves by
growing their own healthy vegetables.

And Howard and Glenice thanked me for helping them have the time of
their lives! Howard was a retired dentist, by the way, with very
little previous experience in gardening.

So, whatever level you are currently on, you too can experience this
kind of success – whether it's in your own home garden, a community
effort, or as a humanitarian missionary in some distant country.

Join us as a Mittleider Method gardener, for the best gardens of
your life.

Jim Kennard

All about the Mittleider Organic Gardening Program

Welcome to the Mittleider Gardening Program. It is a proven, efficient, High-yield method with a 100 percent record of success in growing vegetables and field crops for 39 years, in 29 countries and 77 separate demonstrations around the world. This booklet is a capsule form of the procedures:

Part I - General Information:
1. Soil is soil, whether sand, calcareous, clay, adobe, gravely, rocks, peat, no red worms, no humus, etc. Land quality is not a major concern.

2. There are only two kinds that cannot be used:
A. Soils in or under standing water.
B. Toxic soils, meaning they contain high levels of toxic chemicals. Examples: boron, aluminum, sodium, etc.

3. Nearly all soils available to gardeners are poor, hard, or rocks, and devoid of humus and red worms.

4. If this is the picture of your soil you have nothing to fear. Follow the simple outlines that follow and you will be rewarded with the healthiest, tastiest produce that can be grown.

5. No previous gardening experience is necessary. If you have only rocks, then study the information on Grow-Boxes. Yes you can grow vegetables on rocks.

6. If you have land (dirt), whether good or bad, study the information on Soil-Beds. You can use the very poorest ground just as it is - no amendments are needed.

7. Plants, like people, need 16 nutrients. Three (carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen) come from the air. Thirteen can be regulated by man. A complete nutrient mix, containing all thirteen nutrients, has been developed and is available in many places as Mittleider Magic Weekly Feed. Giving your plants all the essential nutrients will let you grow a great garden in any soil, in any climate, with a minimum of cost and effort per unit of production, simply by following the instructions below.

8. Materials list - String, hammer, pick axe, stakes (4/bed), shovel, 12" rake, scuffle hoe, spirit level, fertilizers (Mittleider Magic or Part III (5)(E) & Part VIII.

Part II - Soil Bed Gardening:

1. Soil Beds are narrow strips of land (dirt).

2. A standard size is 18" wide, 30' long. The length can vary, according to the slope of the land, or the size of your property, but the width should not vary. The aisles between the beds are 3 ½' wide.

3. The Soil Beds have ridges on both sides and a flat area 10" to 12" wide at the base (bottom) between the ridges.

4. The Soil Beds should be level and the ends of the beds are closed off to hold water in the narrow strip. However, in high rainfall areas the ends must be open for drainage.

5. Plants and/or seeds are planted on both sides of the 10" to 12" flat area.
6. Water is channeled along the base of the ridges between the two rows of plants.

7. There are two rows of most varieties of vegetables planted in each Soil-Bed. But cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, pole beans, and squash have only one row in a bed.

8. Plants are living things and need living space. Therefore, the space between plants varies from 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, and 21", depending on the variety (see seed packet,The Mittleider Gardening Course, or The Garden Master CD).

9. Granulated fertilizers are applied in a narrow band down the center of the bed where water is applied.

10. Some plants are natural climbers. Some others can be trained to grow vertically. Vertical growing has very specific advantages, including less space required and elimination of losses from insects, disease, and foot traffic.

Part III - Step By Step In Your Garden:

1. Choosing a garden plot:
A. Avoid trees, shade, shadows, strong winds, steep North slopes, low wet areas, etc.
B. Essential elements are sunlight (all day long if possible), drainage (gentle Southern slope is ideal), and adequate water.

2. Preparing the Plot:
Remove rocks, brush, annual and perennial weeds (dig up roots, rhizomes, and runners), and junk. Clear and haul away everything, down to the bare leveled ground. Install water supply to end of each Soil Bed. Enclose with good high fence.

3. Garden size:
Consider the amount of time available, the tools to use, whether hand tools or machines - roto-tiller, etc., the type of terrain - sloping or flat, and the size of your family. Only do what can be cared for comfortably and well. Measure, stake, and tie strings to define the garden perimeter.


4. Measure and stake the individual Soil Beds. The standard size bed is 18" wide, 30' long, with aisles between beds 3 ½', and aisles on the ends 5' wide.

5. Making the Soil Beds:
A. Tie two strings to the 4 stakes that outline the 18" wide Soil Beds.

B. With a common garden rake pull a little soil from the aisles (2-4"), on both sides, into the center of the 18" bed.

C. Flatten the ridge in the 18" bed.

D. Use a simple "Spirit-Level" attached to a straight 8' 2X2 board and level the Soil Bed. Do not level the aisles. To accomplish this, take soil from the high spots in the Soil Bed and put it on the low spots. If the slope is too steep to level, divide bed into 15' or even 10' sections. On steep hillsides shape and level beds along the contours of the slope.

E. Apply Pre-Plant nutrients evenly over the Soil Bed: Use Mittleider Magic Preplant Mix, or if unavailable, mix 5# lime (20+" annual rainfall) or gypsum, 4 oz Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate), and 1 oz Borax (Boron). Spread 2# of above formula, along with 1# 16-8-16, 16-16-16, or 20-20-20 compound per 30' bed.

F. Preparing the seedbed: Remove strings. Til Soil Bed thoroughly to a depth of 8" with Roto-tiller, if available. Otherwise use a round-headed long handle shovel, and break up any clods with the rake. Do not spade or til the aisles. Re-tie strings to stakes. Rake tilled soil back into bed area.

G. Make a 4" high ridge along each string, using the soil in the Soil Bed. Start with a small ridge first by pulling a little soil from the center of the Soil Bed to the string. Repeat 2 or 3 times, until the ridge is 4" high, and the flat area at the base of the ridges is 10" to 12" wide. This area should be slightly higher than the aisles for proper drainage. Re-check level.

Part IV - Planting - choosing seeds or plants for transplanting:
With the previous steps accomplished, the beds are ready for plants or seeds. Before deciding whether to plant seed or to transplant sturdy seedlings, consider this fact: "Reducing the number of days it takes a plant to grow and mature is the surest way to reduce the hazards and risks that result in loss and failures."

Nearly all plants can be transplanted. The few exceptions are carrots, radishes, and parsnips. These should be grown from seed sown directly where they will mature.

Heat, light, and water are the determining factors when growing seedlings for transplanting. One way is the time-tested and proven method called "cold frame", which is the cheapest and will produce good plants several weeks ahead of the time it is safe to plant sensitive crops in the garden.

Part V - The Cold Frame (the size is typically 4' X 6' X 3' high - but this can vary):

1. Dig a hole in the ground 4' X 6', and 3' deep.

2. Fill the hole 2' deep with horse manure.

3. Cover the manure with 12" (one foot) of clean sandy-loam soil.

4. Construct a frost-proof frame to place on this soil, 3' high on the North side, and 2' high on the South side.

5. Cover the frame with fiberglass, heavy plastic, or glass.

6. Scatter seeds in narrow furrows (depressions) made in the sandy-loam soil. Cover with 1/4" of sand. Do not plant more than you have room to transplant.

7. Water immediately, and keep soil moist. The manure will warm the soil and sprout the seed.

8. Transplant the seedlings after they have grown the first one or two pairs of true leaves.

9. Mark the soil in the "cold frame" with a space of 2" to 4" between the marks.

10. Transplant one plant per mark.

11. Water plants daily, or as often as necessary, always with a dilute Weekly Feed fertilizer solution (1 oz to 3 gallons water). If Mittleider Magic Weekly Feed is not available, see part VIII for Weekly Feed formula.

12. When weather permits, lift or remove the lid to expose the plants to full sunlight and provide fresh air.

Part VI - Planting seed in Soil Beds:

1. Prepare the beds as outlined in Part III above.

2. Make 2 furrows the length of the bed, one on each side of the 12" flat area.

3. Mix 1 teaspoon seed with 16 ounce can of sand or sawdust. Take a small amount of mixture in hand and with swing motion, throw into length of furrow (fast and eliminates later thinning - plants 2 30' rows).

4. Cover seeds with course sand (preferred). avoid covering with clay soil.

5. Keep beds moist until seedlings appear, but do not float seeds to the surface.

6. Follow Part VII procedures (below), starting with #10.

Part VII - Transplanting plants in Soil Beds:

1. Prepare the beds as outlined in Part III above.

2. If water is available, transplanting can be done in dry or damp soil.

3. After deciding which variety to transplant, mark the beds to show the space between the plants.

4. Water the seedlings which are to be transplanted beforehand.

5. Avoid losing the soil on the plant roots when lifting and taking to the garden.

6. Use your hand or a trowel to make a hole at a mark. The hole should be large enough and deep enough to accommodate the plant roots and plant stem below the crown (the growing tip) comfortably.

7. Set the plant deep - down to the crown if possible; but avoid dirt on the crown, which will kill the plant.

8. Fill the hole with soil around the plant, and firm it lightly.

9. Do not pack the soil around the plant.

10. After planting a bed, promptly apply 8 ounces ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) fertilizer in a narrow band down the center of the bed.

11. Water thoroughly to wet and settle the loose soil and dissolve the nitrogen.

12. Three days later, apply 1 pound of Mittleider Magic Weekly Feed fertilizer (if not available, see Part VIII for mixing instructions). Water after each application.

13. Thereafter, apply 1 pound Weekly Feed fertilizer per bed once every seven days for 4 to 7 applications - depending on the variety of the crop.

Part VIII - The Weekly Feed fertilizer formula - when Mittleider Magic Weekly Feed complete nutrient mix is not available, mix your own from the formula in The Mittleider Gardening Course or other books. An adequate temporary formula follows. Mix together:
6 pounds compound 16-8-16, 16-16-16, 20-20-20, or something similar.
4 ounces Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt).
1 teaspoon (5 grams) Boron (Borax).

Note: When more of this formula is needed, repeat the formula.
Also, mix only enough for a 5 to 6 weeks supply. The reason: several weeks after the materials are mixed together, they will become sticky and wet. This does not affect the fertilizers, but it is hard to spread and apply.

Organic gardening Control of voles and Meadow Mice

The following information was gathered from several sources on the internet.

Cultural Methods and Habitat Modifications
Weeds, ground cover and litter provide food and cover for voles. Eliminating them in and around crops, lawns and cultivated areas will reduce the capacity of these areas to support voles. Lawn and turf should be mowed
regularly, and mulch, if used in orchards, cleared 3 feet or more from the base of trees.

Soil tillage is effective in reducing vole damage since it removes cover, destroys existing runway burrow systems and kills a percentage of the existing vole population. Because of tillage, annual crops tend to have
lower vole population levels than perennial crops. Voles nevertheless are capable of invading and damaging annual crops, especially those that provide them with cover for extended periods of time.

Repellents
Repellents containing Thiram or a "hot sauce" type of ingredient are registered for meadow voles. These products (as well as products registered for other vole species) may afford short-term protection, but this has not been demonstrated in many areas of the country.

Toxic Baits
Toxicants have been a mainstay in vole damage control. Zinc Phosphide has been the toxicant most frequently used. It is a single-dose toxicant available in pelleted formulation. Zinc Phosphide baits generally are broadcast at rates of 6 to 10 pounds per acre., or placed by hand in runways and burrow openings. Although pre-baiting (application of a non-toxic bait prior to applying toxic bait) is not usually needed to obtain good control, it may be required in some situations such as when a population has been baited several times and bait shyness has developed. ZP Gopher Bait is the best zinc Phosphide bait to kill voles.

When voles are numerous or when damage occurs over large areas, toxic baits may be the quickest and most practical means of control. Take necessary measures to ensure the safety of children, pets, and non-target animals; follow all product label instructions carefully.

Anticoagulants, often referred to as multiple-feeding baits, interfere with an animal's blood-clotting mechanisms, eventually leading to death. They are probably the safest type of rodent bait for use around homes and gardens because they are slow acting, must be consumed over a period of 5 or more days to be effective, and there is an effective antidote, vitamin K1. Anticoagulant baits are available at many county agriculture commissioners' offices as well as at retail stores.

Some anticoagulants such as brodifacoum and bromadiolone cannot be used for voles because of the potential risk they pose to predators such as cats and dogs; check the label carefully to ensure that the bait has voles or meadow mice listed.

Because the pest must feed on anticoagulant baits over a period of 5 days, the bait must be available until the vole population is controlled. Usually baiting every other day for three applications is effective. As with trapping, bait placement is very important. Place the recommended amount of bait in runways or next to burrows so voles will find it during their normal travels. Generally, spot treating (placing bait in a specific place, such as a runway) is the preferred method of baiting, but if there is a heavy ground cover or if the area to be treated is quite large, broadcasting might be a better option if the label allows it. When broadcasting bait, be sure to spread it evenly over the infested area. If you use this technique, you will probably have to broadcast every other day for a total of three or four applications.

Trapping
When voles are not numerous or when the population is concentrated in a small area, trapping may be effective. Use a sufficient number of traps to control the population: for a small garden a dozen traps is probably the minimum number required, and for larger areas at least 50 or more may be needed. A simple, wooden mouse trap baited with a peanut butter-oatmeal mixture or apple slices is commonly used. Often, no bait is needed because voles will trigger the trap as they pass over it.

Trap placement is crucial. Voles seldom stray from their runways, so set traps along these routes. Look for burrows and runways in grass or mulch in or near the garden. Place baited traps at right angles to the runways with the trigger end in the runway. Examine traps daily and remove dead voles or reset sprung traps as needed. Continue to trap in one location until no further voles are caught, then move the trap to a new location 15 to 20 feet away. Destroy old runways or burrows to deter immigration of new voles to the site.

Bury dead voles or place them in plastic bags in the trash. Because voles may carry infectious pathogens or parasites, do not handle them without rubber gloves; you can use a plastic bag slipped over your hand and arm as a glove. Once the vole is removed from the trap, hold it with your "bagged" hand and turn the bag inside out while slipping it off your arm and hand. Be sure to keep small children and pets out of the area where you have set traps.

Though voles rarely invade houses, when they do they can be controlled by setting snap traps (see Victor Snap Traps with expanded trigger) or live traps (the Tin Cat is best) as you would for house mice. To protect
non-target wildlife from injury, you can use a combination of snap traps and Tin Cats. Simply place two snap traps inside your Tin Cat, with triggers facing the entry holes. This prevents birds and other wildlife from being
hurt by the snap traps. Only mice and voles will be able to enter the Tin Cat.

Trapping is not effective in controlling large vole populations because time and labor costs are prohibitive. Mouse snap traps can be use to control a small population by placing the trap perpendicular to the runway with the trigger end in the runway. A peanut butter-oatmeal mixture or apple slices make good baits for trapping voles

Exclusion
Wire fences at least 12 inches above the ground with a mesh size of 1/4 inch or less will help to exclude voles from entire gardens. These fences can either stand alone or be attached to the bottom of an existing fence. Bury the bottom edge of the fence 6 to 10 inches to prevent voles from tunneling beneath it. A weed-free barrier on the outside of the fence will increase its effectiveness.

Young trees, vines, and ornamentals can also be protected from girdling with cylinders made from hardware cloth, sheet metal, or heavy plastic that surround the trunk. Support or brace these devices so that they cannot be pushed over or pressed against the trunk. Also, make sure they are wide enough to allow for tree growth and, in areas with snow, are tall enough to extend above snow level. Bury the bottom of the protective device below the soil surface to prevent voles from digging under it. Individual milk cartons, tin cans, or plastic soda bottles can also be cut at both ends to fit over small plants. Be sure to frequently check protective devices to
make sure meadow mice have not gnawed through or dug under cylinders and are hidden by the tree guard while they feed on the tree.

Repellents
Commercial repellents are available for protecting plants from voles but their effectiveness is questionable and their use is often not practical. They must be applied before damage occurs. Voles usually damage plants at or just beneath the soil surface, making adequate coverage difficult or impossible. Do not apply repellents to food crops unless such use is specified on the product label.

Biological Control
Many predators, including coyotes, foxes, badgers, weasels, cats, gulls, and especially hawks and owls, eat voles. However, in most cases predators cannot keep vole populations below damaging levels. Many predators simply do not hunt close to homes and gardens where control is needed. Most predators have a broad-based diet and readily shift to alternative prey when the number of voles declines. Predators rarely, if ever, take every last vole thus, a residual population remains. With their extremely high reproductive potential, any remaining voles could repopulate an area in a short period. With this potential for severe damage, a homeowner or gardener cannot afford to wait for a predator to appear, but must take immediate action to prevent the loss of valuable plantings. Effective, immediate action usually involves baiting or trapping and habitat modification.

As with all animals, natural constraints limit vole numbers. Because populations will not increase indefinitely, one alternative is to do nothing and let nature limit the voles. Experience has shown, however, that around
homes and gardens the natural population peak is too high and damage will be above tolerable limits.

Other Control Methods
Burrow fumigants are not effective for the control of voles because the vole's burrow system is shallow and has numerous open holes. Electromagnetic or ultrasonic devices and flooding are also ineffective against voles.

Types of Bark or Sawdust Not Recommended

Some people think that because Cedar or other kinds of bark are used to keep weeds down, sawdust from those sources will be bad for plants. This is not the case. Bark and other types of mulch inhibit weed growth primarily by denying light to emerging weed seedlings.

On the negative side, mulches also encourage garden pests and diseases by giving them a cool damp place to live and multiply.

We recommend you keep your garden clean, clear, and dry, except at the root zone of your plants.

When you plant according to the Mittleider Method the close-planted vegetable plants will quickly shade the ground and minimize water evaporation and weed growth, without any need for other ground cover.

Walnut sawdust is the only material - at least in North America - that we have found to be a problem for vegetable plants.

Materials to use in Grow-Boxes and Seedling Trays

Here's the basic information you need to acquire and mix your organic soil mix for use in Grow-Boxes or seedling trays.

1) Soil mix percentages are figured by volume, and sand should be between 25% and 35%. The other ingredients, both type and amount, are your choice from the list below, based on cost and availability.

2) Extremely fine sand isn't the best, but you don't want anything too coarse either. It should be clean (no seeds, bugs, diseases, or dirt). In the USA we request "concrete sand".

3) The best soil mix alternatives are generally whichever are the least expensive among the following. Sawdust lasts longer than peat-moss, and perlite lasts longer than vermiculite, but sawdust takes some nitrogen while it is fresh (rarely enough to be a problem, if you are feeding properly), and vermiculite is
preferred by some growers over perlite because of the smaller particles.

4) Other materials to consider, in the order of our preference, include pine needles, coconut husks, rice hulls, coffee hulls, Bagass (sugar cane refuse), and the last choice would be leaves (but avoid scrub oak below 5,000 feet elevation and black walnuts).

These may be available free or at very low cost in many places. You should find a hammer mill or good chipper/shredder to chop the materials finely, and any of the above will work for you.

Sustainable organic gardening the easy way.

The Best Gardening Method on the Planet

My name is Jim Kennard, and as President of the Food For Everyone Foundation I am excited to help in fulfilling the foundation's mission of "teaching the world to grow food one family at a time."

We do this by providing a wealth of free vegetable gardening information, training, tips, and advice on the internet at www.foodforeveryone.org. People from all over the world come here to receive free training and advice, as well as to obtain the great gardening books, CDs and software written by Dr. Jacob R. Mittleider.

The Mittleider Gardening Basics Course ebook is free on the website. The book-length FAQ section also has 365 short gardening articles, which answer people's questions and give advice on many vegetable gardening subjects.

In addition we have free greenhouse plans and free plans for automating your garden watering system, as well as a free gardening group where you can share knowledge and experience with thousands of successful vegetable gardeners.

I'll briefly introduce you to the Foundation's gardening methods by describing a few things about the Mittleider Method that are important, and which distinguish it from other gardening methods.

Most of the time our gardens are grown right in the native soil, with no amendments. We promise you "a great garden in any soil, in almost any climate". From straight sand to the worst clay, we'll show you how to have success growing healthy, delicious vegetables the first time and every time.

Grow-Boxes, or containers are sometimes needed for people living in apartments, and for disabled people. Container gardening can be just as effective as growing in the soil, and 2 ½ of Dr. Mittleider's 10 books are dedicated to the unique features of the container gardening process.

The Mittleider Method is sometimes called "the poor man's hydroponic system", because we use some of the principles and procedures of greenhouse growers, such as vertical growing, feeding the plants accurately throughout their growing cycle with natural mineral nutrients, and sometimes extending the growing season in both the spring and fall.

The Second major element in the Foundation's mission is teaching, training, and assisting people directly. One way we do this in America is by conducting free ½-day group gardening seminars. These can be arranged by contacting me by email at jim@....

We also conduct humanitarian projects in many countries throughout the world. In 2006 I went to Armenia with my wife Araksya and spent 5 months - from February to mid July. We created a gardening training center in the village of Getk, with housing, classroom, greenhouse, and 3/4 acre garden. We taught students, who became the gardening experts in their own villages, and we assisted them in working with about 200 families in those villages. We left the training center and garden in the able hands of an Armenian couple, and expect the work will continue there, with our occasional visits.

In Armenia, as in other places we've worked, we grew many kinds of vegetables the locals thought couldn't possibly be grown in "their region", and often had many non-participating village families coming to our garden for advice, coaching, and free produce.

Another way in which we extend our reach is to train others who are becoming missionaries for their churches. One example is Howard and Glenice Morgan, from Southern California, who just returned from a 2-year mission to Zimbabwe. They were sent to teach Mittleider gardening to their church members throughout the country, and they did a FABULOUS job.

They prepared by studying the Mittleider gardening books. Then, after some training in my garden at Utah's Hogle Zoo, and using only the simple 6 Steps to Successful Gardening, the Morgans created 84 large gardens and taught over 10,500 people to feed themselves by growing their own healthy vegetables.

And Howard and Glenice thanked me for helping them have the time of their lives! Howard was a retired dentist, by the way, with very little previous experience in gardening.

So, whatever level you are currently on, you too can experience this kind of success – whether it's in your own home garden, a community effort, or as a humanitarian missionary in some distant country.

Join us as a Mittleider Method gardener, for the best gardens of your life.

Jim Kennard

My Mittleider sustainable garden 2009

From total gardening slacker



To a person with a plan and goal



I create the platform for success



To a great garden, but it needs as we all do pruning and weeding.

How to create the Mittleider gardening weekly feed

How to level a organic garden soil beds

Anyone can change the world if they try.