Go Food Gardening

Making Bokashi

So how does Bokashi work?
 
In a nutshell, Bokashi involves the use of a bucket (or other sealed container) and a special microbial concoction - known as "Effective or Efficient Microorganisms", or EM for short.
 
The "Effective Microorganisms" concept was developed in the 80?s by a Japanese scientist, Dr. Teruo Higa. The microbes in EM are non-harmful, non-pathogenic, not-genetically-engineered or modified (non-GMO), and not-chemically-synthesized.
 
Placed in contact with organic matter, the organisms which make up EM secrete substances such as vitamins, organic acids, minerals and antioxidants that beneficially affect plants and other micro-organisms.
 
Enhancing the soil biodiversity with EM produces a microbial ecology where beneficial bacteria dominate harmful bacteria, creating a healthier, more vibrant environment which is capable of sustaining high-quality food production.
 
What Do You Need to Start?
 
The EM mixture used for this process is combined with a "carrier" material - typically bran mixed with molasses and water. It is this mixture that is called Bokashi. You can either purchase the Bokashi ready-made, or you can make your own from the raw ingredients. Start with ready-made Bokashi to get a feel for the process. Most garden centres stock Bokashi.
 
Apart from the Bokashi you will also need a Bokashi bucket. You can also purchase it from a garden centre, or you can make your own for a fraction of the cost.

To make your own you need two sealable plastic, 20 - 25 litre, buckets of exactly the same make. They need to fit snuggly into each other, sealing off the bottom bucket - this is very important.
 
Drill two circles of 5mm holes, 2cm apart, in the bottom of one bucket. This is the fermentation bucket that will contain the kitchen waste and it is placed within the other bucket and covered with one of the lids. Cut the other lid so that it fits within the fermentation bucket. The bottom bucket collects the exudate that will drain through the holes that you've drilled in the fermentation bucket.

The Bokashi Process

The actual process of filling a Bokashi bucket is quite straight-forward:

1. Add all the organic waste material from your kitchen to the fermentation bucket. You really can add everything, including cooked waste, bones (think twice if you have dogs that might try to dig them out of your food garden) and dairy. To speed up the process do not add pieces bigger than 2-3cm. The smaller the better.

2. Sprinkle a layer of Bokashi inoculant over the kitchen waste every time you add waste. About a dessert spoon over a 2cm layer is sufficient. Seal the bin again.

Succession Planting

One of the most powerful intensive gardening strategies to add to your Go Food Gardening arsenal is succession sowing and planting. This also prevents the feast or famine syndrome so common to unplanned food gardens. The idea behind succession planting is to phase your annual crops so that you have a continuous harvest and not a series of sudden gluts.

For most crops this means that you'll plant a third of the row or bed allocated to the crop, wait two or four weeks and plant another third, and finally the last section two or four weeks later still.

The result is that you'll be able to harvest the crop for a couple of months instead of just two or three weeks.
There may, of course, be times when you do not want to spread the harvesting. For example, if you prefer making and freezing your pesto for winter use in one go, it's easier if all your basil is ready for harvest at the same time.

Planting a spring-, summer-, and fall garden is another form of succession planting. Cool-season crops (broccoli, lettuce, peas) are followed by warm-season crops (beans, tomatoes, peppers), and where possible, these may be followed by more cool season plants, or even a fall/winter crop.

No two food gardens, or gardeners, are alike; therefore there cannot be a single sowing interval that will work for all gardens and crops. With a little bit of patience you can figure out what works best for you. Start with bi-weekly sowings and keep a journal to note the results. Adjust as needed. It may take three to four seasons to get it right but it is worth the effort.

A proven shortcut is to get an experienced grower's succession planning data and simply adapt it to your own garden and style. This will save you a considerable amount of time and effort. I share mine with participants in the Planning a Food Garden class and most of them use it as is, with great success.

Super Quick Harvests

We live in a fast paced world and one of the crops that keep up with the pace is baby marrows. In just 6 weeks from sowing you can be harvesting your first flowers and baby marrows.

Also known as 'courgette' (French) or 'zucchini' (Italian), baby marrow is one of the easiest veggies to grow.

The seed germinates within a week and the plants are vigorous and easy to please. Keep the soil evenly moist, particularly when they are flowering and bearing heavily. Feed with a liquid feed or compost tea every 2 to 4 weeks. A mulch to keep down weeds and conserve moisture is helpful.

They grow into big plants that need a lot of space. In my intensive beds I plant one plant in the centre of the bed and I space the plants 75cm apart down the length of the bed.

Each plant will produce at least one baby marrow every day (sometimes up to three per day) for up to 12 weeks. I plant a succession every eight weeks which allows me to replace the declining plants.

Happy food gardening!

Boosting Crop Yields All Year Round

Last Saturday's workshop was a resounding success and we now have 16 very happy food gardeners who have mastered the art of setting up their own multiple food gardens, and improving their soil fertility.

On the 4th of September we will tackle the all important aspects surrounding boosting crops yields all year round. And I still have space available. Please see www.masterherbgardening.com/workshops.html
 
So come join me and discover the thrill and satisfaction of successfully boosting your year round crop yields.

Happy food gardening.

Home-Grown Rheumatism Remedies

There are more than 100 conditions that are technically classified as rheumatic diseases. These conditions share many common symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and the swelling of joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles.

In classic Nature Cure, one of the proposed causes of rheumatism and arthritis is the accumulation of toxins or waste products in the affected tissue. Herbologists therefore follow a holistic approach that focus on lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.

There are dozens of herbs that have a reputation for preventing, relieving, or curing rheumatic problems. Some of them such as cayenne, horseradish, parsley, rosemary, turmeric, yarrow, and ginger, are very versatile herbs that make a great addition to our food gardens.

Yarrow for instance is a good diuretic herb that helps to eliminate toxins; it is also a useful bitter tonic that helps ensure that the digestive system is in good working order. But that's not all, it is also one of the best first aid remedies to stop bleeding from cuts and small wounds and it also helpful with women's health concerns.

In the food garden it is a wonderful compost activator and it makes a good compost tea as well. An added bonus is the lovely cut flowers to brighten up the home.

For rheumatic problems one can take up to three cups of yarrow tea a day, drinking it as hot as you possibly can and taking care to sip it slowly.

Go Food Gardening Get Together and Workshops

Don't miss out on these great opportunities. Time is running out. Booking is essential. See www.MasterHerbGardening.com/workshops.html for more details.

Wk 29: Go Food Gardening Guide

If you haven't done so yet, pruning your stone fruit trees should be high on your list of priorities this week. With most of the soil preparation done this is also a good week to start sowing fruit and flowering crops indoors. Use your average last frost date and your local sowing chart to guide you.

Here's the best food gardening activities for week 29 (Monday 19 July - Sunday 25 July)

• Monday - Tuesday: Good days to sow fruit crops and flowering crops. Good days to water and fertilize as needed.
• Wednesday - Thursday: Good days to sow chilli peppers. Prune fruit trees.
• Friday - Sunday: Good days to sow fruit crops and flowering crops. Prune fruit trees.

Just for Fun (and Profit) Go Food Gardening Challenges

Don't you just love a good challenge every now and then? Here are two: one for food gardeners and one for cooks.

Food gardeners, go check out Janet Salmon's challenge on Go Food Gardening. If you share her Go Food Gardening spirit add your acceptance and comments to her post. This is just for fun... and to profit your planet.

Cook's here's your challenge. Show the world what you do with your food garden crops. Enter your recipe and stand a chance to win a SA Herb Academy gift voucher valued at R150. The only criterion is that the main ingredient of the recipe must be from YOUR food garden. Meaning you must be harvesting it right now.

To enter, simply email your recipe to Teresa at herbacademy (at) gmail (dot) com. Include a short description of the recipe: where it comes from, why you like it, etc. And if you like taking photos include a photo as well.

The winning recipe will be published on this blog and on Go Food Gardening.

The recipe challenge closes at noon on 31 May 2010.

Have fun and good luck.

Late Autumn (May) Go Food Gardening Sowing Guide

This is a rough guide for South African food gardeners. Adjust it to suit your local conditions and the prevailing weather.

To give input, or ask questions, about this guide visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Food-Gardening/363723207110

Highveld: Broad bean, lettuce, peas, radish.

Middleveld: broad bean, coriander, lettuce, peas.

Lowveld and KZN Coast: beetroot, broad bean, cabbage, carrot, celery, cress, coriander, cucumber, dwarf bean, eggplant, ginger (plant rhizomes), kohlrabi, lettuce, marrows, parsley, parsnip, peas, pumpkin, radish, runner bean, sage, spinach, Swiss chard, tomato, turnip.

OFS and Northern Cape: carrot, coriander, garlic (plant cloves), peas, radish.

KZN Midlands: broad bean, kohlrabi, leek.

Eastern Cape and Karroo: broad bean, garlic (plant cloves), onion, radish.

Western Cape: beetroot, broad bean, cabbage, carrot, coriander, garlic (plant cloves), horseradish (plant root cuttings), kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, onion, parsley, parsnip, peas, radish, spinach, turnip.

Do You Like Socializing?

I'm sure you will agree that most of us food gardeners are the social type. This is what finally swayed me to get Go Food Gardening on Facebook. And since Facebook lends itself to sharing visual material (like photos), discussions and lots of social interaction I'm sure we are all going to have lots of fun food gardening.

So go and have a look at our very humble beginning. Even if you are not a Facebook member you can visit us and see what we are up to. There are photos of a small food garden with an abundance of crops and there are behind the scenes photos of Bouquet Garni Herbs relocation. Check out the unique ladders they are using. And with this coming Sunday being World Water Day there are details about a water website that will blow your mind.

And once you've become a fan please be your sociable self, tell us whether you like our posts, leave your comments, write on our Wall, start a discussion or upload your own food garden photos.

Lastly, please help us spread the word about food gardening by inviting all of your Facebook friends to become Go Food Gardening Fans at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Food-Gardening/363723207110

Think Like an Annual

One week to go and then it is officially the beginning of autumn in the southern hemisphere (and the beginning of spring in northern hemisphere).

I trust that you're quite busy harvesting and processing the last of the summer crops from your food garden right now.

If not..

• You are probably living in the northern hemisphere (looking forward to spring) or,
• You are finished already and thinking of ways of putting your bounty to use or,
• You don't have a food garden or don't know how to start one, or,
• Your crops look so miserable that you don't even think they're suitable for making compost.

If you don't have any crops to harvest right now, promise me that starting this week, you'll do everything you possibly can to ensure that you have some to harvest in 12 weeks time. Actually you could be harvesting your first crop in 5 to 6 weeks from today.

How? Start by learning from one of the best teachers - nature. Everything happens in cycles and phases. Look at annuals for example: They germinate from a seed, then grow stems and leaves, then form flowers, then they do the bees-and-butterflies-thing, make seed, then die happily. Only to start all over again when the weather warms up.
The same applies to your food gardening efforts. Think one cycle, three main phases.

In phase 1 you plan the current season's garden, prepare the ground, source the plants and plant them. Think like the annual that needs to find a suitable place to germinate. Germinate your garden. Even if you battle to find the perfect spot, or time, or excuse. Now is the best time for this phase to happen. So, just do it.

During phase 2 you simply nurture what you've done in phase 1. You water, fertilize, prune, and take care of pests and diseases if necessary, do some weeding, replace a few herbs here and there, sow a few succession crops. Most of all: you have fun like an annual - grow stems and leaves, form flowers, do the bees-and-butterflies-thing.

Phase 3 is your reward phase. Harvest time. Time to go to seed and die happily. Only to start all over again when the next season starts in a few months time. And if you've started all this at the beginning of summer you'll be enjoying this phase as well right now.

In which phase(s) are you currently?

What do you need to do in the next seven days to move to the next phase?

GROW YOUR OWN HERBS AND VEGETABLES

Discover a complete, easy-to-follow, scalable organic herb and vegetable gardening system that eliminates guesswork, shortens your learning curve, produces quick results and ensures success anywhere.

Get your free report at www.GoFoodGardening.com.