I am about to post a video on mineralizing our gardens with Steve’s Mix.
This is the current version of the mix we are using in our acid, sandy soil with low organic matter.
This will not be correct for all soils or conditions, so use with caution. I recommend reading Steve’s book The Intelligent Gardener in conjunction with a soil test to learn get accurate amendment numbers for your area.
Book description:
To grow produce of the highest nutritional quality, the essential minerals lacking in our soil from intensive agriculture must be replaced. The Intelligent Gardener is the practical, step-by-step guide for any serious gardener who wants to:
- Demystify this process
- Debunk much of the false and misleading information perpetuated by both the conventional and organic agricultural movements
- Re-mineralize our soil.
Accompanied with customizable web-based spreadsheets, this toolkit calls for far more attention to detail than the simple addition of composted manure or NPK fertilizers. It conclusively establishes the link between healthy soil, healthy food, and healthy people.
Vegetables, fruits, and grains are a major source of vital nutrients, but centuries of intensive agriculture have depleted our soils to historic lows. As a result, the broccoli you consume today may have less than half the vitamins and minerals that the equivalent serving would have contained a hundred years ago. This is a matter of serious concern, since poor nutrition has been linked to myriad health problems including cancer, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. For optimum health we must increase the nutrient density of our foods to the levels enjoyed by previous generations.
The Intelligent Gardener goes beyond organic―it offers the essential tools for those who care about the quality of the produce they grow.
6 comments
What area does this cover? My coastal Virginia soil sounds similar.
One batch is enough for maybe 1000ft2.
I just did a spreadsheet of the mix and found it to sound really high if you look at the price per ounce….so I hid those columns lol. The prices I used were for my area which is Central Texas and for about $230 I could have this re-mineralization used 2x per year and not have to replace anything for 2 years. All but one of the items I priced off of Amazon (rural area here) and some of the items would last me 50 years lol, not sure I will be still gardening when I am over 100 years old lol. I also found the book on Audible.com for free with my membership so I know what I am listening to next.
Very cool
i have read the book but had problems sourcing the ingredients. I’ve tried 4 different feed stores.
I got the lime and cottonseed meal from feed stores. Ordered all the micros online at Alpha Chemical.
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