INSECTICIDES  vs  INSECTS ??

In my opinion, backed up by many years of growing daylilies, the use of artificial fertilisers and then the subsequent infestation by insect pests goes hand in hand. As I’ve often written in the past, and stated in my Growing Information sheet — insects cause very little trouble to daylilies when they aregrown well.   

HEALTHY PLANTS GROWN IN HEALTHY SOIL REPEL INSECTS AND DISEASES.  

Every year at the beginning of spring, aphids descend on some of the dormant cultivars, such as PANDORA’S BOX but within two weeks they have usually all disappeared and the plants look as good as their neighbours that weren’t infested. Amazing, isn’t it? However, this year was different — there was no sign of the usual infestation. Does this mean I’m growing them even better than ever and the insects were repelled by something the plants send out?

The Unseen Helpers in our Soils

As I have said many times before, one of the most important components of our soils are the micro-organisms that live in the top 10cm. I suppose it is because we can’t see them that they have never been of concern to many gardeners. There could be billions of these unseen helpers in one cup of soil!  The different kinds of soil organisms carry out a wide range of processes that are very important for soil health and fertility so it is vitally important that we should take good care of them. They are very easily destroyed by rotary hoeing and the use of chemicals.

I have been growing vegetables and flowers organically for over 50 years and I think I have learned something about caring for the soil. I have used this knowledge to grow daylilies. I receive reports from my customers who say that when they plant my daylilies, they establish very quickly and then multiply rapidly. However they would need to be planted in healthy soil for this to happen.

There were some very positive comments from my readers about my last newsletter and about the advice I gave about caring for the soil. However, there are still folks out there who believe that it’s perfectly OK to continue using artificial fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides. In my opinion, if everybody continues to apply artificial fertilisers to their farms and gardens as they have done so in the past, they are going to leave their children and grandchildren a very damaged environment!  Perhaps some of you may change your minds about what you are doing when you read some of the following horror stories.  These are about what happens when artificial fertilisers and chemicals are used — what they have done to the health of the soil and the health of the people and plants in various parts of the world.

Horror Stories from Around the World

Before you grab a bag of artificial fertiliser to spread around your daylilies, garden or farm, please read this. These are some of the horror stories I’ve heard, seen or read about recently. I’ve been motivated to write about these matters mainly because there are daylily growers around this country and in the USA who disagree with me and many of the world’s top soil microbiologists and still think there’s no harm in using artificial fertilisers such as:- Osmocote, Tropic, Q5, Garden Master Lawn & Garden, or the liquid fertiliser Thrive.

Gisborne, New Zealand :-

When I was a student at Teacher’s Training College in 1962 our group visited the Gisborne area to inspect Watties Frozen Food factory and the adjacent farms which supplied their vegetables. I distinctly remember their wonderful fertile soil and wished we had had such rich, easy to work, soil at home instead of the heavy clay we had to struggle with. Now, after nearly 40 years of abuse with rotary hoes, heavy machinery use, chemical fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides, and continuous cropping of broccoli, lettuces, peas, beans etc, this beautiful rich soil has completely gone. The farmer now has to contend with soil that looks like stones. I also observed this on some farms in England recently as well. As Peter Proctor, an organic (and biodynamic, actually) farming advisor from NZ says: “It’s immoral and it’s tragic and everything about it is wrong, because there’s no thought given to the future generations.”

Would you eat the food that’s grown in this ground?  Would you like to be confronted by your children or grandchildren in the future with statements like:- “How can we make a living from the soil on this farm? You’ve abused the soil for years and now it is useless.”

Lahore, Pakistan :-

One very hot afternoon while I was in Lahore, with temperatures around 35C, I visited two daylily growers. The daylilies in one garden were visibly affected by the heat — the foliage was drooping and there was scorching on parts of the leaves. But in the other, the leaves were green and upright and showed no ill affects from the heat. What was the difference in the way the two people garden? One used chemical fertilisers around the plants and makes no use of mulch. The other used old cow manure and no chemical fertilisers.

Northern Pakistan — 90km from the Chinese border :-

Back in the 1970’s I had read and heard a lot about the Hunza people and their agricultural practices, and their incredible longevity. I recently visited the area to meet the people and to trek in the mountains. In the 1920’s and 1930’s visitors to the area were amazed to meet so many elderly people who were believed to be in their 100’s. There was evidence at the time to assume their longevity was due to their simple but healthy diet and due to the water they drank and used to irrigate their crops of wheat and potatoes, and their apricot trees. The water was brought to villages through channels from glaciers many kilometres away. Some visitors called this water “glacial milk” because of its discoloured milky appearance. This was due to it being full of minerals that are scraped from the rocks by the glaciers. Although the porters and guide drank this water, I insisted that it be boiled for 15 minutes and I hoped it still contained all those wonderful minerals that are supposed to be in it which are beneficial to our health.

On arriving at a village from which the trek started, I was amazed and disappointed to spot huge apricot trees that were obviously many years old suffering from dieback. Although I’m not an expert in these matters, I could only presume that the roots of these trees were infested with phytopthera and perhaps other invasive pathogens. Apparently the trees were perfectly healthy and almost free of insect pests up until 10 years ago — which was when the village people discovered Urea and Nitro-phoska. Well-meaning advisors (??) must have suggested they use these products on their crops to increase productivity. In the past all the animal manures were collected and added to the soil in early spring but now they have much less manure than before because they have less animals. And the reason for the decline in animal numbers — you have to blame progress! The children used to be the shepherds and take the animals up to the pastures and look after them but now most of them go to school.

The oldest person in the village was supposed to be 93 but I don’t think there will be many of the next generation who will reach their sixties. The Hunzas live in a very harsh climate and in the past it was very difficult for them to grow and store enough food for the long, bitterly cold winters. The seven porters on my trek were from this village and they were great fun. They listened attentively to my talk about the dangers of the over-use of artificial fertilisers but I don’t think they will make any changes. Towards the end of our discussions, a four-wheel drive arrived with 6 bags of urea!

The “Green Revolution”

In the 1960’s scientists and agricultural advisors working for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation decided that Third World countries needed their food production boosted so as to feed the rapidly increasing population. Farmers were encouraged to abandon their traditional crop varieties and agricultural practices for the new varieties and new methods (which included, of course using artificial fertilisers). Now, 30 to 40 years later the land has been devastated and millions of people are dying of diseases and starvation in countries such as Pakistan and India.

Agricultural areas which previously received only 10 inches of rain and used to be able to support millions of people in villages that utilised 2000 to 3000 year old traditional farming methods, are now drought stricken — and yet they still receive 10 inches of rain! When the rains come, most of the water runs off and not into the subsoil or root zone of the crops. The soil structure and the soil life have been destroyed and the soil has become compacted.

How did the land become this way? Quite simply . . . by the use of artificial fertilisers, herbicides, and weedicides.

I would like to take these so-called experts (if any of them are still alive) to these places and introduce them to the people and tell them that these "experts” made the momentous decisions that were supposed to improve their lot. I wonder what the present farmers would like to do to them?

I don’t have to guess what the experts will tell them now . . . . “You’ll have to use our wonderful genetically modified seed — and now you’ll be able to feed starving millions with it.”

Of course genetically engineered seed is not the great “saviour” that it's cracked up to be!  It's just another cunning ploy by the petro-chemical companies, chemical and seed companies to continue dominating agriculture in the world - all for the sake of the mighty dollar.

Genetically engineered seeds are supposed to have the potential to add nutritional benefits to the plant, and so GE crops will increase farm productivity and feed the world’s hungry people --- Don’t listen to this propaganda !   The world already produces enough food to provide for the world’s population (although, in my opinion, much of this food is not as nutritious as it could be because of present agricultural practises, but at least it has not been tampered with by bio-tech companies)

Yes - these are some horror stories and there are lots more of them, and they are happening all around the world . . . . And yes, they are happening in Australia as well.

I don’t usually write about negative, unhappy topics such as the above — but, because of what I’ve recently seen, I feel it is important to bring these issues to your attention.

I’d like to hear from farmers who have experienced the problems associated with the use of chemicals and have now “seen the light” and have made dramatic changes to their agricultural practices. I’m sure there would be other farmers who would like to read about what you are doing.

There are dairy farmers around Maleny who still follow the advice of the Dept. of Primary Industries and pile urea on the pastures. They probably don’t realise how compacted their pastures are and nor do they realise that earthworms won’t live in this soil environment.

Recently I met a dairy farmer who told me about the change he had made from urea and super-phosphate to using just crusher dust. He says that the soil has now become much more friable and there are lots of earthworms present. His production did drop a little over the last 7 years, but the health of his herd improved, the quality of his milk has improved and his profits have increased dramatically !

If only one person out of the 5500 people I’ve sent my newsletter to makes a change to more sustainable farming or gardening practices, I will be very happy indeed!!!

The Earth is a living organism. The soil is a living organism. Just suppose the micro-organisms, which populate a healthy soil at the rate of about 6 billion per handful, were magnified so that you could actually see them moving around busily doing their jobs.  Would you then carry out gardening or farming practices which would kill them ??

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daylily@bigpond.com
I’ll add your name to a special file and then I’ll be able to send you information of interest regarding daylilies and horticulture.

You will also receive email notification of our on-line special offers.

WHAT DO WORMS EAT ?

In the last newsletter I asked you what you thought worms ate. If you thought the same as I did, that worms ate organic matter in and on the soil surface and broke it down into humus, then you are wrong !   According to my supplier of worm castings, the worms eat the bodies of the dead soil microbes, the "bad" microbes, tiny seeds, and the waste products of the microbes. When you put your kitchen scraps into your garden or worm farm, the microbes rush to it to break it down and then the worms follow, so as to be in the vicinity of the busy little fellows.

QUESTION :   How does the worm farmer manage to get all those worms out of the big boxes when they are full of castings, and into the adjacent boxes where the worms will create more castings for him to sell? When he sells that beautiful vermi-compost he doesn’t want to lose all his precious worms, does he?

WHAT TO DO YOU THINK THE ANSWER IS ????

(All will be revealed in E-zine Number 3 !) 

Believe it or not !.......

Charles Darwin considered the worm the greatest ploughman, an animal of greater value than the horse, relatively more powerful than the elephant, and more important to man than even the cow.

Cleopatra is believed to have issued a decree that the earthworm be revered and protected by all her subjects as a sacred animal. Egyptians were forbidden to remove it from the land, and farmers were not to trouble the worms for fear of stunting the renowned fertility of the Nile valley soil.

FOLIAR FERTILISING

I am often asked to explain a little more about foliar spraying—how it’s done, when, and what can be used. The following information is a summary of information that is relevant.

Plants source just 20% of their nutritional requirements from the soil and 80% from the air.
Foliar fertilising can be 20 times more efficient than root feeding.
Foliar feeding is an economical and efficient method of feeding but should not replace a good soil fertility programme.
The pores on the leaf, called stomata, are the main entry points for nutrients but all parts above the ground can actually absorb nutrients.
For good foliar uptake of it is important that there are adequate levels of calcium in the soil.
It is best to use mist type sprayers because the smaller the particle size the better the response by the plant.
You don’t have to see the droplets on and under the leaf to confirm that the plant is absorbing the fertiliser.
It is best to spray early in the morning or evening when relative humidity is high. Temperatures should be above 12 C
The majority of the stomata are on the underside of the leaf so spray nozzles should be facing upwards.
There is a link between moon cycles and performance of foliar sprays. The best response is achieved during any of the six days leading up to a full moon.
Soluble artificial fertilisers can be used with safety. For example a very dilute mixture of urea can be applied as a mist to the foliage of potted up plants and broad-acre plantings of grain crops. Any trace element deficiencies can be remedied with foliar sprays.
There are many advocates of the practice of applying foliar sprays very early in the morning accompanied by classical music and bird sounds. They say that plants absorb more nutrients when it is done this way!

My Foliar fertilising programme at the Farm

Three times a year — September, December, and April — I apply a very nutritious (- and smelly ! ) mixture of liquid worm castings, seaweed, fish, humic acid, molasses and other natural products as recommended by my fertiliser advisors at Nutri-tech Solutions. I have to warn you that foliar sprays are difficult to apply to the undersides of daylily leaves. Although I aim to apply it as a mist, and try to direct the mixture under the leaves, it doesn’t always quite work out that way and some of the mixture runs off the foliage either onto the ground or down to the crown. This is good food for the soil microbes and will eventually end up as plant food.

Sources of Information & Products

GREEN HARVEST ORGANIC GARDEN SUPPLIES
52 Crystal Waters
MS16 Maleny Q 4552
Ph 07 5494 4676               Email: greenhar@ozemail.com.au

Send for their 48 page catalogue that lists soil improvement products, (includes microbe and foliar products) natural pest management products for house and garden, books, tools & accessories, seeds & plants.

Jeff and Francis are very knowledgeable about all aspects of organic gardening.

NUTRI-TECH SOLUTIONS
P O Box 338
Eumundi Q 4562
Ph 07 5473 2500               www.nutri-tech.com.au

This company has been giving me excellent advice and supplying my fertilisers for the last 5 years. They make up a special blend of fertiliser according to my soil test.

They have a comprehensive catalogue that lists products suitable to use for just about all horticultural activities, including liquid seaweed and fish foliar fertilisers, microbe product 4/20 (the microbes in this control the soil diseases that can affect daylilies), solid fertiliser mixes, (Nutri-Store 180 which is an organic blend, and Nutri-Store Gold, both of which are being used successfully by some of my customers). All these products are very reasonably priced and can be shipped to you wherever you are. (Please note - Australian residents only).

SOIL MICRO BIOLOGY

May I recommend that you visit the website of one of America’s top soil scientists, Dr Elaine Ingham ? There you’ll find many interesting articles and fascinating photos, for example you can see beneficial microbes attached to the roots of plants. Go to   www.soilfoodweb.com

ROCK DUST  

If you are in SE Queensland and are interested in getting truck loads of this wonderful stuff for your farm, contact

Sunrock Quarry, Beerburrum, QLD.     Ph: 07 5496 9444.
Sunshine Coast Quarries, Kenilworth, QLD.   Ph: 07 5446 0390

You can also buy rock dust from some nurseries & farm supplies in 20kg bags.