Growing Nutrient Dense Vegetables 

What are Nutrient Dense Vegetables?   Certain kinds of vegetables have more nutrients than others, and some people refer to these vegetables as being nutrient dense.  That is not what I am talking about.  By nutrient dense, I mean the high mineral content for any given vegetable variety.  

A nutrient density index can be measured with a refractometer.  It measures the sugar/mineral content in units called “BRIX.”  It’s an easy process that involves extracting a few drops of plant juice, from either the leaves or the fruit.  When BRIX levels are high, the minerals are abundant, taste is superb, shelf life is extended, insect and disease problems are greatly reduced, and the plants are more winter hardy. 

You cannot assume that your produce will have a high brix reading, just because it looks good.  Only by doing a BRIX test (or other expensive type of nutrient analysis) will you know the nutrient density value for your produce.  Here is an example with green beans of why the nutrient density issue is so critical.  It was reported in June, 2007 Acres U.S.A. magazine by Jon Frank.  

Rating            Sample #1      Sample #2

Brix Rating 4.2 6.1

Dry Matter 8.1% 16.6%

Protein 1.75 g 3.34 g

Calcium 70mg               130 mg

Magnesium 30mg                 50 mg

Phosphorus 40mg 80 mg

Potassium 190mg               580 mg

Copper 0.1 mg 0.4 mg

Iron 1.3 mg 2.1 mg

Zinc 0.7 mg 2.3 mg

Manganese 0.29 mg               0.35 mg 

Obviously, just going from Brix readings of 4.2 to 6.1 made a big difference in nutrition.  For green beans, ratings of 4 and 6 would be considered poor and average.  Moving up to 8 or 12 would certainly make some additional gains.  Much of the commercial, store-bought produce that I have tested is in the poor range.   

High Brix readings means greater mineral density; but also (1) greater carbohydrates, (2) increased shelf life, (3) increased insect and disease resistance, and (4) improved taste.  

Why is Nutrient Density Important?   The nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables is not a new concern.  75 years ago, USDA alerted the public to the declining quality of produce, actually reading an article into the Congressional Record, Senate Document 264.  In 1941, the government passed the Public Health Law, which permitted food enrichment.   By 1946, we had the National School Lunch Program, derived in part from observations of physical and mental deficiencies in WWII recruits.  

In the 1930’s, a Cleveland dentist, Weston A. Price (1870-1948), began a series of investigations.  Having observed that teeth 22and oral health problems were increasing in the United States, he traveled to isolated parts of the globe to study the teeth and health of 14 primitive groups untouched by Western civilization.  After 10 years of study, he concluded that teeth problems are due to nutritional deficiencies, not inherited genetic effects.  

Table  2.  Percentages of Teeth Affected by Caries in Primitive and Modernized Groups

  Primitive        Modernized

___________________________________________________________________________

Swiss 4.60 29.8

Gaelics 1.20 30.0

Eskimos 0.09 13.0

Northern Indians 0.16 21.5

Seminole Indians 4.00 40.0

Melanesians 0.38 29.0

Polynesians 0.32 21.9

Africans 0.20   6.8

Australians Aborigines 0.00 70.9

New Zeland Maori 0.01 55.3

Malays 0.09 20.6

Coastal Peruvians 0.04 40.0

High Andes Indians 0.00 40.0

Amazon Jungle Indians 0.00 40.0

_____________________________________________________________________________

From Weston A. Price, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.  1939.

In comparison to American diets of the day, Dr. Price found that the diets of 13 primitive groups provided at least 4 times the water soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least 10 times the fat-soluble vitamins, from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish, organ meats, eggs and animal fats.   

Dr. Price published his research in the book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration in 1939.  Many consider his treatise the single most important work on human nutrition and dietary health ever written.  In 1999, Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig took all of the Price information and published a resource/cook book called Nourishing Traditions.   We have this book available for $25.00.

Organic Gardening Practices.   The practices and products that you use in organic gardening will be different than what are used in conventional gardening practices.  The touchstone practices generally used in organic/eco-agriculture include the use of compost, cover crops, and rock minerals.  Other practices are necessary to produce the ideal system and the production of nutrient-dense produce.  Certified organic gardeners will be using only products that are OMRI approved.  

It’s a mistake to think that the organic/eco-agriculture system is simply an old fashioned farming model.  Though it may include older methods, it also includes ecological understanding, close observation, and a concern for the entire plant/soil environment. It’s based on solid research and time tested practices. 

Be aware that the general guidelines, practices, and products suggested are not a guarantee to gardening success.   The following guidelines and practices are aimed at developing soil conditions that will eventually give high yields of nutrient dense produce.   

1.  Gradually increase the soil organic matter to  4 or 5 percent..  Have the soil organic matter tested.  Most soils will be at the 1-2% level.  Increased organic matter will reduce erosion, increase water holding capacity, increase aeration, and provide the plants with nutrients. 

A.  Use organic matter sparingly and wisely.  Add compost before planting every crop, i.e. 2 to 3 times a year.  After the first application of about 50 gallons per 100sf (with double-digging); then use about 20 gallons/100 square feet.  For high quality compost or vermicompost, use about half the suggested rate.

B.  Keep the soil covered at all times.  This cover can be a vegetable or fruit crop, a mulch, a nitrogen fixing crop in the summer, or a fall cover crop.  This is essential to building up the soil organic matter and in keeping the soil biologically active.

C.  Grow crops specifically for deep root penetration and/or specifically for high carbon.

2.  Increase the biological activity in the soil.  Treat and feed the soil to promote growth of bacteria and fungi.  Soil microbes will work tirelessly for you.  They are the digestive system, and will feed the crop.  Use dry molasses to promote growth of bacteria.

A.  Develop deep, well aerated beds.   Double-dig and get compost deep into the soil profile. Make raised beds. 

B.  Use minimum tillage.  There is no need for power tools in small gardens.  There is evidence that roto-tilling is hard on the beneficial microbes (especially mycorrhizal fungi), and that tilling, especially in heavy soils, can destroy soil structure.  Avoid compaction of the garden beds.  Do not step on the garden beds.  Good aeration in the soil is essential for good biological activity. 

C.  Keep the soil moist throughout the year.  The microbes need moisture to survive and multiply.

D.  Add microbes, and products that promote biological activity, e.g. carbon compounds, humic acid, dry molasses, enzymes, fish hydrolysates, seaweed, compost teas, and kelp.

3.  Re-mineralize the soil.  Start with a soil test.

A. Select the correct fertilizers.  Understand the difference between those that promote vegetative growth and those that promote flowers/fruit production.  

B.  Use only organic (generally slow release) fertilizers.  Organic meals like feather, blood, cottonseed, and alfalfa meals are all acceptable, primarily for sources of nitrogen.  Hard or soft rock phosphate is a good source of P.  Kelp or green sand is a good source of K.  

C.  Be sure the nutrient levels meet certain levels and certain ratios.  Many in eco-agriculture today use the Carey Reams ratios.   (We spend two hours on soils, soil testing and  and correct fertilization in my Organic Gardening class.  Too much to cover here.)

D.  Add sea minerals, sea water concentrate, rock dust, Azomite, etc. to get all the micro-nutrients.  

E.   Strive for soil pH of 6.4.  If needed, use a high quality source of calcium carbonate to increase the calcium level and the pH. 

F.  Use organic foliar sprays for fine tuning of the nutrient needs.

4.  Use crop rotation, companion planting, and bio-pesticides for management of harmful insects and diseases.  Insects are not attracted to healthy plants.  The chemical or synthetic pesticides are detrimental to the soil microbes and are not allowed for certified organic production. 

5.  Engage the natural energy forces of the cosmos.  Use paramagnetic rock as a conduit for gathering energy in the soil to promote increased growth, increased insect and disease resistance, frost hardiness, plus a longer shelf life and improved taste in all the produce.  

Hot Weather Tomatoes

Just a short note and a few pictures of tomatoes growing in my garden in this HOT and DRY summer. Many gardens have failed completely in our area, and I don't pretend that this is a good year, but I have had good luck with a plum (roma-like) variety (Granadero, F1) tomato. Johnny's Select Seeds (Johnnyseeds.com) has them. They call them a 75-day tomato, with TMV, V F2, TSW, N, and PM qualities.

I planted them May 7 and began eating them by July 4th.... less than 60 days. Our spring conditions can be described as very wet, and then followed by consistently hot and dry weather -- no significant rain from May 24 until now (Aug 7).

Perhaps the unusual fact is that all my tomato plants are looking good now. They have had regular watering. While all my varieties have yielded some tomatoes, only "Granadero" continues to flower and and set fruit in 100 degree-plus weather. See the photos. We have picked 20 pounds per plant and there is another 30 pound still on each of the plants. With a change to more normal weather, production per plant could easily total 75 pounds.

With the VERY HOT weather I did try a new twist. In mid July, I covered the plants with floating row covers. Mostly, I covered the top and the west side of the plants. It provides some shade and serves as a windbreak to the prevailing hot winds. It appears to have helped. More details on production will follow.

Tree and Shrub Watering Guidelines

EMERGENCY: Aug 2, 2011. Since writing this article in mid July, the drought (heat/wind/dryness) has become much worse. And it promises to go on for an extended time. I have discussed this topic with many, and one thing seems clear. Gardeners are NOT checking their soil to actually feel the moisture. I strongly recommend: Dig down at least 8 inches into the soil (for garden, shrubs and trees). At that depth, a handful of that soil should be wet enough to not fall apart when squeezed and dropped. Tree tops are turning brown in our native forests --a sure sign of severe stress.

Here in Northwest AR, the hot/dry/windy weather that we are currently experiencing, is ow taking its toll on our shrubs and trees. The low humidity and wind has depleted the soil water to an extent that I have not seen in the past decade. If you have not watered your trees and shrubs, do it now. You could lose them.

How Much Water to Apply? First, here are some facts. A one-inch rain supplies 62 gallons for each 100 square feet. A tree can easily use one to two (or more) inches of rain per week. Consider the watering area for a tree to be at least as large as the the area under the crown. (Just get the average distance in feet across the whole crown and square it). A small tree (5-inch diameter stem) can easily have a crown area of 200 square feet and a mature tree can easily have a crown area of over 600 square feet.

For each 100 square feet, add roughly 90 gallons of water per week. For most small trees (200 hundred square feet of area under the crown), I simply turn on the faucet so that I am getting 1 gallon of water per minute, and let it run for 5 hours. A soaker hose is ideal for getting good distribution. For a large, mature tree (600 square feet of area under the crown), I let the water run for about 15 hours. If you have not watered in the past 8 weeks (with essentially no rain), you should start by doubling these amounts. The soil is gun-powder dry and this amount of water is needed.

I know this may sound excessive, and I understand if you have concerns. However, consider the costs associated with tree removal, replacement, energy savings from shade on a house, and/or losses from fruit or nut production. It will quickly add up, so don’t wait and don’t skimp on the water. Use this as a guide and adjust on the methods that fit your situation. Water at night if possible.

Water Costs will vary by where you live. At Washington Water, without city sewage costs, I pay about $12.00 per each 1,000 gallons. I have 15 trees, averaging about 300 square feet of crown area per tree. At the rate of adding 90 gallons per 100 square feet, that means I need about 4,050 gallons of water per week, at a cost of about $50.00. Even if I have to do that for 6 weeks, i.e. $300.00, that is a real bargain compared with loss of shade, future pecan production, and tree removal and replacement.

Water Conservation. Anything you can do to help the soil hold more water is beneficial. I use a 6-inch layer of mulch of wood chips and leaves around my trees. As the trees grow I make the mulch circle larger each year, up to 8 feet in diameter. As the mulch decomposes, it gets incorporated into the soil, which increases the soil water holding capacity. Through transpiration, trees use a lot of water and there is not much you can do to change that water consumption.

Priorities. You may feel that you cannot water all your trees. If so, select those for watering on the basis of value. Water those Of the trees you plan to save, water those in the driest places (shallow soils) first.

Humates (Humic Acid) -- Good for all Soils

                          Humates

On a world-wide basis, roughly two thirds of the planet’s organic carbon has been lost during the last 50 years of extractive agriculture. In Arkansas, the average soil organic matter has decreased to 1.25 percent. Five percent organic matter is a reasonable goal for garden soils.

Whether you use organic or conventional methods, adding humates to the soil is a good choice. Almost all humates are extracted from Leonardite or lignite, often referred to as brown coal. Humates not new, and fifty years of research has quantified the multiple benefits. Though often labeled simply as “humid acid,” there may be many organic acids (like those that are found in humus) in the product. Humic acid is available locally.

The benefits of humates directly parallel the benefits of humus -- pH buffering, moisture retention, microbe stimulation, soil structure enhancement, improved nutrient uptake, and even removal of toxins (like Roundup). These and other benefits result in reduced need for fertilizers. Humid acid has an extremely high Cation Exchange Capacity (450), so serves a tremendous benefit in reducing leaching of other minerals. We all needed that in April and May. Reduced leaching saves money.

The product comes in liquid or the dry form. Several on-line sources mix the product with other helpful soil amendments like kelp (for potassium) or beneficial microbes. Whether you use the liquid or the dry, a little goes a long way. One quart of the locally available humic acid (12%) covers 5,000 square feet.

This is not just a garden product. It is used on lawns, orchards, pastures, and grain crops.

Spring and Summer Crops are turning out very well, despite the cool spring, rain and now the HOT June. The photos below show onions, beets, carrots, cabbage, peppers, and potatoes harvested on June 17. Tomatoes, beans, okra, and sweet potatoes look very good. Of course, they love this hot weather. These are some of the easiest vegetables to grow. Learn the details. See below.

Fall Gardening is just six weeks away, and I have already been talking with folks about some of the specific things that are needed to be successful. It seems, just when the gardening enthusiasm begins to wane (in hot August), that is the time to re-charge for the fall. Paying attention to the garden in the fall is critical to winter weed control and having a healthy soil in the spring.

Waterlogged Soils and Soil-less Growing Mix

Waterlogged Soils. After a very dry early spring we hit the jackpot in late April with 12-16 inches of rain in a week. That has caused many problems. The most noticeable effects were the erosion and soil compaction. On even a slight slope, that pounding rain may have taken away an inch or more of top soil. You may have also noticed some plants turning yellow and some of them even wilting. The Reason -- those waterlogged soils contain almost no air and the plants can not take up nutrients and grow.

If you had serious soil issues, plan now for making some changes. Wet soil problems are usually fixable. It may be that drainage ditches are needed, or maybe you even have to change the garden location.

The value of raised beds was never more self evident than with these recent rains. Except for one bed of newly emerging carrots, all my raised beds were covered with spring vegetable crops and/or mulched with straw. They suffered very little with the rain. A couple days after the rains stopped, I “fixed” the carrot bed by adding a little compost and covering the area with finely chopped, old straw. Production for the spring crops looks great.

Soil-Less Growing Mix. One gardening book, and other “experts” advocate growing gardens in a soil-less mix composed of several different kinds of organic material. I am opposed to this practice. It is not surprising that I have had several calls this year from soil-less mix

users who describe past results as “poor” to “miserable.”

These soil-less mixes are generally not sustainable and far from what I call good organic gardening practices. Produce from those gardens are invariably poor in nutrient content. As a rule, if the plants can even get

started in such a mix, they end up having lush vegetation, with little to no fruit production, and a preponderance of insect issues. It is no wonder. As a rule compost does not have the correct ratios of minerals needed by plants for good fruit production. I have heard gardeners say, “you can’t use too much compost.” That is not true. I caution gardeners routinely, to use compost wisely, i.e. sparingly.

There is no simple solution for those garden beds filled with a soil-less mix. Several gardeners I know are digging out their expensive soil-less mix and starting over with some top soil at about ten percent the cost. A small amount of the mix may be useful as a soil amendment. It will depend on the nutrients in the mix, but I would start with no more than 10 parts soil to 1 part soil-less mix for any vegetable garden. See photo below for results comparing a soil mix(left )from a soil-less mix(right).

Raised Beds and Tilling

Let’s hope that the real cold weather is behind us by April 1, but don’t count on it. Some of you remember the frosty white, 18 degree morning on Easter, April 8, 2008. Remember that our average last spring frost occurs about April 10. If you not yet started, you can still plant all of the spring crops in April. There is also still time to start new beds. One of the first decisions is whether or not to use raised beds.

Raised beds have some real advantages. They are better aerated, they drain better after heavy rains, and warm up faster in the spring. I recommend using 4-foot wide beds, double-dug, with a 2-foot pathway. Coupled with close-spacing, raised beds can make more efficient use of your garden area.

Raised beds are also appropriate if you bring in soil for your stoney site. In either case, you do not need side boards for your beds

(unless the site is on a steep slope.) Raised beds or not, you next need to decide on your method of tilling.

Tillage. After double-digging, and adding a one-inch layer of compost and appropriate minerals (based on a soil test), many gardeners think that the tiller is the next tool to use. It is not necessary to use a tiller and it can be easily argued that it does not fit in the “going sustainable” model. A tiller can actually destroy good soil structure, especially in working heavy soils. In these soils, tilling can decrease the soil water holding capacity. A garden fork is all you need to gently twist-in fertilizers and compost. Using a tiller is somewhat of a guy thing -- a show of macho power and control.

The first question concerning tilling is often, “then how do I control weeds?” Its simple -- mulch and cover crops will take care of most weeds. The photo shows the dense crop of Austrian winter peas and oats, and how it can suppress any weeds. The next question is, “But how do I loosen the soil?” That is primarily the work of of the soil organisms,

Choosing the Right Fertilizer

I often get calls saying, “I am ready to plant, what fertilizer should I use?” That’s an excellent question, but I can’t answer it very well without additional information. I have seen hundreds of soil test reports and it is clear that that gardens are extremely variable in mineral content. Without a soil test report, adding fertilizer is just a guess. Even with a soil test in hand, my recommendation is always, “go slow when adding fertilizers.” This also applies to the use of compost.

The easiest soils to adjust are those where the original mineral contents are slightly low. This is likely to be the case with our native prairie/pasture soils that have not been fertilized. The hardest, and sometimes nearly impossible adjustments, are those soils where the gardener has added excessive amounts of compost and/or certain minerals.

The goal in gardening is to slowly raise the soil organic matter to about 5 percent, and get all of the minerals to an acceptable level. Once you get to that level, high quality compost may be all you need to add to your garden. Your compost quality will only be as good as the material from which it is derived.

Organic fertilizers are available in the area (Nitron Industries and others) and you have options for what to use for the various elements needed for good plant growth and production. Here are some fertilizer recommendations for nitrogen-N, phosphorus-P, potassium-K, calcium-Ca, and boron-B. The percent of the mineral in the fertilizer may vary with source of material. It will specify the amount on the bag. Unless

specified otherwise, the ratios indicate the percent N, P and K in the fertilizer.

Nitrogen: Use alfalfa meal (3-1-2), fish meal (10-2-2), or feather meal (14-0-0).

Phosphorus: Use soft rock phosphate (0-5-0). The 5% is available the first year, and more each year, up to 22%. Soft rock phosphate also contains calcium.

Potassium: Use greensand (0-1-5) or kelp (1-0-8). Many local soils have a near-adequate amount of K.

Calcium: Use high quality calcium carbonate or lime (0-0-0-38 percent Ca). Most local soils will need additional Ca.

Boron: Use Borax, which is 10% boron. Remember this mineral is involved in the plant’s ability to use calcium. For local soils that test zero for boron, add 4 Tablespoons of Borax per 100 square feet.

The advantages of these fertilizers are: (1) they are slow release and provide long-lasting nutrition for good plant growth; (2) they are not detrimental to soil microorganisms, as is the case with some high-salt fertilizers; and (3) they are mostly single element fertilizers, which can be tailored to the specific needs defined by the soil test.

For those wanting information describing how organic systems build soils, check out the recent March 2011 USDA Organic Farming Systems Research Conference. Evidence from long-term studies shows the values of the organic approach for the health of the soil, the plant and the consumers.