VEGANIC FARMING AND GARDENING Veganic farming and gardening

VEGANIC FARMING AND GARDENING

Veganic farming and gardening is a willingness to balance our existence with the natural world. the soil microorganisms we try not to disturb with excessive tillage, the birds, butterflies, and insects we do not poison with insecticides, the weeds that are not killed with herbicides, and the animals who are not killed for food.

Unlike Conventional Organic, Tillage to manage weeds and water

Veganic is livestock-free and does not use manure as a fertilizer…. . Manure problems: herbicide contamination, nitrate-N leaching into ground water, human pathogens such as ecoli…. .

Veganic Works With Nature to Mimic Natural Plant Eco-Systems: Reduced tillage – keeping soil covered, Increased plant diversity, Regular addition of plant residues.

Increased plant diversity, regular additions of plant residues, & keeping the soil covered promotes a healthy soil & Rhizospere (root-soil zone of greatest soil foodweb activity)

To create a healthy rhizsphere: add plant residues. There are many ways to add plant residues…. .

Alfalfa pellets added to greenhouse tomatoes provide nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

Sheet composting or mulching – surface application of grass clippings or hay In a perfect world we would be able to harvest our own hay for veganic growing and wait until mid July to cut, so most grassland birds (and small mammals) have fledged their young. Though less nitrogen and more viable seed in a late cutting, later cut hay holds up better over time - suppressing weeds longer. A late cutting will allow insects to work flowers - at least until the hay is cut.

Dead Mulch – straw and leaves

Living Mulch weeds between crop rows

Planted legume Living Mulch

Living Mulch Suppresses Disease

Cover Crops and Green Manures (spring tillage/incorporation into soil)

Perennials: Rye grass (Lolium) mixed with hairy vetch – good balance of nitrogen and carbon.

Oats and Red Clover (combinations of grasses and legumes are usually best for weed suppression)

Clovers provide the best levels of nitrogen when mowed or tilled into the soil White Clover

Crown Vetch – another good nitrogen source.

Annuals – Buckwheat accumulates phosphorus.

Rye (Secale) – annual – allelopathic (when tilled into the soil, produces biochemicals that inhibit seed germination and seedling growth).

Parabinga medic – handles high p. H and low moisture once established

Snail Medic – drought tolerant once estblished

Winter kills in cold climates

Brassicas – Rape – allelopathic: Inhibits weeds and root rot diseases

Annual Ryegrass – lower nitrogen than legume living mulches or cover crops.

Which organic residue to use? Depends on soil type, texture and p. H, precipitation, and temperature…and cropping system

NUTRIENT CONTENT OF WOODY MATERIALS AND GRASS CLIPPINGS PH N P K composted wood bark – low nitrogen and phosphorus and p. H Soil Pep 5. 0 0. 2 6. 3 0. 2 0. 1 Clark Fork composted wood bark/ human waste mix – higher nitrogen and Phosphorus Ekocompost 5. 9 1. 0 1. 5 0. 4 Glacier Gold 5. 7 0. 5 0. 7 0. 1 Butte Biologic 6. 7 0. 8 0. 6 0. 3 MUSHROOM COMPOST 7. 2 1. 7 3. 7 GRASS CLIPPINGS 6. 6 1. 9 0. 3 0. 8

Green and succulent plant residues (higher nitrogen) vs. brown and dry residues (lower nitrogen, higher carbon) High carbon materials can temporarily steal nitrogen from crop plants as microorganisms break them down

Brown and dry Green and succulent Bio chemical pathways of decomposition both residue types break down to humus, but with different microorganisms and nutrient release rates. Green/succulent = faster Brown/dry = slower

Green Manures Suppress Disease – bare soil (fallow) = more disease.

Organic residues suppressed disease at different levels –alfalfa hay was best. Suppression of Sclerotinia lettuce drop

TILLAGE AFFECTS DISEASE SUPPRESSION Pythium Suppression Decreases With Cultivation Intensity Lourd and Bouhot, 1987

Using Living Mulches Case study @ Biodesign Farm

Soil covered spring, summer, fall, & winter.

Light tillage in the spring (lots of residue left)

Bed making – residue inside beds

Seed new cover between rows in spring, recruits from previous season’s living mulch already re-growing

New living mulch well-established when we plant transplants of warm season crops

Mature living mulch kept mowed monthly (surface-applied residue)

Benefits of Living Mulch System: balanced nutrient supply

Improved yield and quality

Improved cold tolerance

Habitat for beneficials provided

New beneficials appeared – predateous stink bug attacking CPB larvae

Habitat for pollinators = increased fruit set

Long-term soil health improved with Living Mulch system

LM has different nutrients and C: N ratio at different times of the year. High C: N ratio material (greater than 30 -50) may cause temporary unavailability of N and P.

Soil Fertility Summary: Apply plant residue additions throughout the season; mix higher and lower C and N materials

With careful planning, veganic farming and gardening can be bountiful and productive as well as kind to the other organisms with whom we share the earth