BIZ SPOTLIGHT: Robert Deroche - Soil Warrior

One overcast morning...I found myself driving to meet someone in Maberly.

It is early spring here and I am not alone when I say I miss the garden.

The earth is shedding its last bits of white.

The soil is waking up everywhere.

Although it wasn't sunny...it was a BEAUTIFUL day for a drive.

I met a man named Robert Deroche.

He had advertised his services in The Frontenac News.

But what caught my eye was the email address 

soilguardians356@gmail.com

(reprinted with Robert's permission)

I had to meet this guy!

I was fortunate enough to get a tour!

He had sprouts all over in his green room.

Wheatgrass, buckwheat, kale...

I was in heaven!

We chatted for hours, like old friends.

I was enthralled listening to his thoughts on "the circle".

Feed the soil, which feeds the food, which in turn feeds us!

Robert shared with me that he had tried unsuccessfully to grow carrots.

It wasn't until he waded into the world of vermicomposting that things turned around.

"I tried three times (to grow carrots) and then every year I do rotating, 

the carrots came back to this garden and last year 400 pounds of carrots 

and beets so this is really amazing stuff to me."

Worm castings

Wikipedia says:  

1. Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using various worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast (poo).

 By using worms to break down organic material, 

the compost is formed much quicker than traditional composting.

Think of it like you are hiring some labourers to compost for you!

Compost tea contraption

Not only can you use the castings (poo) in your garden around your plants,

 but you can also make compost tea!

Used in a ratio of at least 5:1 water to castings, this brew can be used directly on the plants.

(except stuff like peppers...who don't like getting wet on their leaves anyway)

Way better than hosing your garden with herbicides or steroids!

Speaking about those commercial things you could spray on your garden, he says,

"You set up a situation where you're dependent upon those inputs to maintain your garden."

Robert has a pretty high tech contraption for making compost tea.

He has his reasons.

It's all about the oxygen, baby!

Robert's sifting contraption

We continued the tour in the basement of his home.

I was shown the sifter he uses to separates out the woodier parts of the soil.

Secret worm food

He also has a secret formula to feed the worms.

Don't worry...worm composters don't really require these special amendments.

He just spoils his worms with some of the best stuff going.

I won't ruin his trade secret...you'll have to talk to Robert about that.

Worms hotel

Housed in long crates...his worms are hard at work!

Robert uses red wigglers and African wrigglers.

There is a tiny sliver of silver - that's a worm toddler!

Not sure if you can see it but there is a tiny silver sliver on his finger

(above the dirt clump)

Its a worm larvae!

When you gently move the soil around, you can actually see

many of the forms worms can take.

Worm castings

Not only was Robert welcoming, but a gratious host.

I was able to part with a bucket of castings...complete with worms!

Super juice!

He also served up some of his pressed juice made with vegetables he grew last year.
It was kale, carrot, ginger, apple and I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
It was delicious nonetheless!

He pulled out a Brix meter.

After he explained how it worked...I am now convinced it is the future of food production.

Wikipedia says:

Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is the sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as percentage by mass

(We tested the juice he made)

Its amazing to think that not all veggies are the same.

The tomato you bought in the store has very low nutritional content,

compared to one grown in the castings of worms and fed worm compost tea.

The difference is astronomical!

Here is a chart:

Considering much of what we get at the grocery store has traveled very far to get to us,

doesn't it hurt that they would then sell us food listed less than poor on the Brix chart?

I believe that in the future, we won't have foods sporting ORGANIC labels any more.

We'll be checking to see what Brix rating it has!!!

*****************

All in all, Robert is an enthusiastic lover of gardens, worms and the path to overall health.

It was a treat to meet him and share in the information he has gathered.

Get in touch with this guy if you are at all interested in learning more about

-Worm composting (Vermicomposting)

-Juicing

-organic gardening on a whole new level

-Brix meters

Use the above posted email address for more information...

Robert's Recommends:

Charles Eisenstein "Sacred Economics"

http://sacred-economics.com/

Dr Elaine Ingham  "SFI"

http://www.soilfoodweb.com/

PS.  I couldn't resist...I started a worm farm with the worms I was gifted!

Preparing the beds...

Super excited for springtime right now!

Last year we moved into our new home in the middle of May...

So we missed the time of year when you would normally prepare your gardening beds for planting.

This year, however, we are GOOD TO GO!

(I'm clearly very excited about it)

We have several large beds in the front yard as well as our main garden bed in the backyard.

This post will focus on the front beds only.

There were several things that had to be done in the front.

The beds themselves are part of our brickwork in the front patio...so I didn't have to reconfigure them.

Bonus!

We started turning up the existing topsoil in the beds....to see what we were dealing with.

Turns out...there was FAR too much topsoil in the beds, so I had to remove the bricks surrounding the beds and replace them with large rocks found all over our property.

Next I shovelled out over 18 wheelbarrows full of excellent topsoil for use in other areas of our property.

This act made it possible to mix the remaining soil with other things that would help new plants proliferate.

Pure topsoil is great, but after a season of watering and weeding, tends to harden up pretty fast.

Good gardening soil needs a variety of moisture grabbing peat moss and nutrient rich compost.

I use a 3-in-1 topsoil mix and a peat moss mixed together and added to the existing topsoil.

(our sad empty frog pond)

The original owners used driftwood to decorate their beds.

We decided to make things simpler and remove the driftwood so the focus would be on the greenery.

The above shot shows a bed that we didn't do anything with...mainly because it had a lot of ostrich ferns already growing there!  We're leaving it for this year to see how many ferns and their locations.

The above bed is where we are going to plant ever bearing strawberries!

Husband purchased them for a school fundraiser and we are both seriously excited about the ever bearing species.  Having already grown normal strawberries...this should be interesting.

This was a bed long forgotten.

Last year, I started placing rocks around the outside edges.

There is an old metal pipe sticking out of the middle.

Turns out it is from the old well...so one day, when I get a solar water pump system...I'll be set!

I thought this would make a great spot for pumpkins or other melon-type veggies.

I started this bed for cooking herbs...but it turned into my son's play area.

I still plan on planting herbs here...but I thought it wise to make a pathway for little feet.

Why fight it when you can roll with it?

Once I dug out the surplus top soil from the beds, I set out to add the good stuff.

I purchased 4 bags of 3-in-1 landscaping soil and a big cube of peat moss.

I mix them together in a big half barrel, making sure I break up big clumps.

Next I dump the mixed soil into the beds and rake it out,

careful to make the ground level and break up any resistant clumps.

Nice work!

I was given some seeds this year to plant for a church fundraiser...plus I added some of my own selections.

(some seeds were saved from our garden 2 years ago!  We'll have to see if they are still viable)

Edible Plants:

Borage, Purple Cornflower (Echinacea)

Herbs:

Thyme, Basil, Rosemary, Lavender, Dill, Summer Savoury, Chives, Garlic Chives, Lemon Basil, Catnip, Coriander/Cilantro

Another really good buy (a long while back)  was a pack of craft popsicle sticks from Michael's.

I normally try NOT to buy stuff, preferring to make it myself or reuse/repurpose existing stuff.

The popsicle sticks are an amazing time/space saver!

I highly recommend them for marking purposes...mainly for little feet...until the plants start to grow and he can see where not to step.

(I've been using the same bag of sticks for years now...well worth it)

So the herb beds are all planted and waiting for rain...

Check back on my facebook pages to see their progress!

What have you planted already?

The early birds...

Spring is such a wonderful time of year...and I ache to get back into the garden.  I do have trouble resisting the urge to plant stuff outside right NOW...so what do I do to combat those urges?  I plant indoors!  Its a little tricky, as our cat Buster tries to help himself to the new green sprigs....but we try to keep the seedlings in an area that is tough for him to get to.  When the seedlings are big enough and the nights are warm enough...we move everything outside to our enclosed sun porch.  Finally they reach the garden and stay there until they are ready to harvest.

In case you were wondering, there are several things you can plant earlier than others.  There are also some plants that, if you are starting them from seed, you must start them early.  Peppers take a while to grow to maturity in Canadian weather...so be sure to get those seeds germinating well before you plant them outside. 

Here are a few things that you can plant directly in the ground just before the May 24th weekend:

Peas
Spinach
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Kale
Some lettuce varieties

We like to get some going before that though...so here is the growth update on our spinach!




Pictured taken right before said cat dumped the lot...some lived...miraculously

 We start the seeds in manure or potting soil with a layer of plastic wrap on top.  The plastic wrap acts like a mini-greenhouse, trapping in the heat and moisture.  Use a spray bottle to wet down the soil once a day or so for the first while.  It takes some time, but if you persist, the seeds will sprout.  Once the seedlings reach the plastic wrap, we peel it back and let them soak in the sun!

When we start things like peppers, the package says to start them in a soil-less medium.  If you're wondering, we use a clear pyrite baking dish, 9 x 13".   You wet down a paper towel and line the bottom, then sprinkle in the seeds.  Add another layer of wet paper towel and seal with plastic wrap.  Set in a sunny window for a few days, checking on moisture and spritzing down when needed.  You should be able to see the seeds sprout a tail and then its ready for the soil medium!  Start pepper seeds in March if you have a warm sunny place available.  Keep planting pepper seeds each week to get a full crop that lasts the whole season.  Peppers, sadly don't store well for a long period of time.

Spinach is a great plant for succession planting, as you can plant in cooler weather and  it will still grow wonderfully.  August is tough for spinach though...dry and hot...spinach tends to bolt (go to seed) quickly in those conditions.  Last year was terrible for our spinach...but then again, we were experimenting with location of leafy greens.  Can't always predict what will happen in new conditions. 

What are you planting these days?

Are you itching to turn soil yet?

I am...

Prepping the Ground pt 3

Prepping the Ground pt 3

I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing the Mathers.  Cam and Michelle are truly inspirational when it comes to all things gardening.  They have a combined gardening knowledge that astounds.  It is because of them that our garden this year was exceptional and far less trial and error.

Last May, I was able to attend a seminar that Cam was hosting at Burt's Greenhouses in Odessa.  It was a fantastic overview on how to start, maintain and relish your garden.  Cam is a garden fanatic of sorts and his enthusiasm is contagious.  He also happened to have his new book available after the seminar.  Lucky me I was able to snag one...but if you have someone who's a gardener on your Christmas list...feel free to pick one or two of them up here:

http://www.amazon.ca/All-You-Can-Gardening-Handbook/dp/0981013228

It is without a doubt the only gardening book I've ever read cover to cover....its that readable!

Manure

Now, about that manure.  It is in the aforementioned book that I discovered the true value of manure.  We are finally at a point in our lives (my husband and I) that we were able to grow asparagus.  It takes about 3 years before you can  harvest the asparagus after its planted.  A very kindly neighbour of ours (Thanks again Mrs Goodberry!) showed up one afternoon with a basket full of new asparagus seedlings.  I had no idea how to grow asparagus.  My family had been through 4 years of moving once a year.  The garden selections were strickly annuals.   


It was in Cam Mather's book that I discovered that you have to "do your part" as he says.  Yes, asparagus is the gift that keeps on giving, but you should assist it when you can.  Manure is the best way to boost your asparagus...as it has been traditionally grown in it for centuries.

The absolute best time of year to buy manure (unless you are in a rural area and can get some from nearby farms) is late summer or fall.  Garden centers will be wanting to get rid of this garden gold.  We picked up the stack shown above for only $1.99 a bag.  How's that for 'small purse'?  We choose a mix of sheep and cow.  There's no real reason, mind you, just personal preference.  If we had chickens at the house, my husband would skip buying manure and just shovel out the coop. 

Reading Cam Mather's book, I learned that you add manure in the spring to give the plant roots plenty of minerals and nitrogen to grow.  The result?  A very tall hedge of asparagus.  The lesson learned?  I wouldn't have planted the asparagus on the side that blocks all of the morning sun...but I was thrilled that the manure had such an effect!

Prepping the ground pt 2

Soil

So on the last post I showed you how we add leaves to our compost and gardens to add lightness to the soil...which the plants love as they have loads of nooks and crannies to grow huge root systems. 

Now its time to talk about other ways in which you can help keep the nutrients in your soil.  We actually add soil directly into our soil....does that even make sense?  Ok, I'll illustrate...



top left: planter soil, top right: end of the season plants, bottom: more leavings

Planter Soil
We have a lot of planters around...we use them for herbs and cherry tomato plants, but we also have a lot of houseplants.  Sadly, our houseplants do very well all summer long on the back porch, but they barely survive indoors in the winter time.  Between the lack of direct sunlight on a lot of our windows and our menacing cat called Buster...they don't stand a chance.  Usually I need to make tough decisions in the fall.  Which plants will I save and which will I use for compost?  Once I've decided...I dump the soil from the planters directly on our garden patch (as shown in the top left hand picture)

End of Season/Leavings
Once the plants in your garden are spent (meaning not giving you glorious fruit or veggies any more) then you can leave the stalks and leaves right in your garden!  We pull ours up to speed up the decomposition process.  Pull and leave then directly on your garden patch.  Easy!  (as shown on the top right hand picture)

The bottom picture shows our main garden patch with the leaves from our parsnip plants.  It this time of year that everything else is spent in our garden, but we still have parsnips to dig up!  We wait for the first few frosts, then dig them up for the best flavour. 

Since we use a roto-tiller in the spring time, there is no reason why the composter must do all of the work with the heavy parts of plants.  The stalks are tough to break down..so we let the winter and the tiller do the work for us.  Keeping in mind that the plant parts themselves must be free of parasites and other harmful things...if they do we burn them in our burning bin...(I like to play it safe, but this is overkill....and if you have an urban garden, this may not be allowed).  Healthy plants parts still contain nutrients that will break down over time and again leaving room for the roots of next years plants to grow strong.

Next post:  MANURE! 

Prepping the ground...

This time of year can be kind of depressing for gardeners...most of the crops are either harvested or dying.  The garden itself is a barren version of the lush, vibrant area you tended so lovingly all summer long. 

It may not be the prettiest thing in the world, but there is no shortage of things to do!  Preparing the soil for next year is just as important as the planning and planting you'll do in the spring.  So here is a pictorial post on the kinds of things we do to stimulate the soil right now.

Leaves

I'll talk about our composting efforts in a subsequent post, but for right now I'll discuss our leaf situation.  As we live on a fairly tree-less lot in the country, we have had difficulty in getting our soil light and airy.  We keep garbage bags in the trunk of our cars in case we happen upon a stash of leaves.  We'll bring them home and add the leaves to our compost bins (of which we have 3 now).  The nice thing about the garden being empty is that you can just dump the leaves right on the garden plot!



(dumping leaves and grass cuttings directly on our patch)   

We do have some trees on our property, but luckily we have neighbours and sons.  The neighbours have the trees and they love that our sons will go and rake away those pesky fall leaves for free!  Its also hilarious to see the two boys operate the wheelbarrow and make the biggest pile they can...for jumping of course!  After the leaves have lost their jumping value...we mulch them with our lawn mower and add to compost bins or directly on the garden patch....depending on how soggy the leaves are.



my 3 yr old son Owen and our 'borrowed' leaf pile

We scavenge leaves from nearby neighbours (because we don't own a truck and because kids running through the whole town with wheelbarrows is funny) and vacant lots.  We live next door to a mechanic shop with a large parking lot lined with trees....so we clean up the town and also fill our composters too!  Its a win/win situation.  If you live in a city, the leaves are so conveniently left out at the curb on 'leaf day' for pick up from the city waste services...but why not help yourself?  Our family has often caught a neighbour filling those paper bags with their leaves...we ask nicely, take the leaves and return with the paper bags (because they aren't cheap!) AND its neighbourly!

If you start to look around, you'll start to see a leaf opportunity EVERYWHERE!

My only problem with leaves....is the endless trail of them entering my house...on little shoes...

Next post:  Soil sources for your garden...