MATERIALS:

Newspaper, alfalfa, straw, compost, blood meal and bone meal.

BASICS:

1. Lay 10 to 20 sheets of newspaper on the ground — soil, grass or concrete. This stops weeds and attracts worms. Saturate with water and dust with blood meal and bone meal.

2. Add a pad of alfalfa and dust with blood and bone meal. Bales of hay and straw come apart in 2- to 3-inch-thick pads.

3. Next come 8 inches of straw, again dusted with blood and bone meal. Don’t skimp on the alfalfa and straw, Marfisi says, because “this stuff really compresses in the first few weeks and then you lose the benefits of low water need and thriving plants.”

4. Wet all this down.

5. Finally, top off with 3 to 4 inches of compost, which also will compress.

6. Now plant seeds or seedlings.

FINDING FODDER

Alfalfa and hay can be found at grain and hay suppliers. There are a few near the L.A. Equestrian Center in Burbank. At Stephens Hay & Grain in Glendale, for example, a 110-pound alfalfa bale is $18.50; a 60-pound bale of straw is $7.50. Delivery is available.

NO DIG BOOKS

“Esther Deans’ No Dig Gardening & Leaves of Life,” by Esther Deans. The 2001 reprint is available at harpercollins.com.au.

“How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back: A New Method of Mulch Gardening,” by Ruth Stout.

“The One-Straw Revolution,” by Masanobu Fukuoka.

–

Lisa Boone

By Lisa Boone
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

June 12, 2008

PAT MARFISI carries bales of alfalfa hay and straw into the center aisle of his Hollywood Hills vegetable garden and begins tearing off pieces of the stuff. He doesn’t have any animals to feed, just his “no-dig” landscape: raised beds using lasagna-like layers of fodder, bone and blood meal and compost — and remarkably little water.

Now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought, Marfisi’s 300-square-foot patch seems more relevant than ever. It’s his personal horticultural laboratory for a low-water, sustainable technique he learned working on organic farms in Australia last year.

Since he began gardening in this fashion, he says, he has been “inundated” with food. With the exception of some recent losses to raccoons drawn to the soil’s abundant grubs and earthworms, Marfisi’s garden is thriving with beets, collard greens, chard, celery, tomatoes, chives, peppers, basil, chives, lettuces and leeks. He estimates he grows enough food to feed three people daily.

When asked how much he waters, Marfisi shoves his hand deep beside some Swiss chard and pulls out moist, decomposed soil laced with remnants of straw. “I haven’t watered in 10 days,” he says. “This is what I want people to know: You can have beauty and abundance without a lot of water.”

The retired Marfisi came upon the method while working as a volunteer farmhand Down Under, where the technique has been used since the 1977 paperback, “Esther Deans’ Gardening Book: Growing Without Digging,” promoted it as a solution to poor soil, rampant weeds, water shortages and costly food.

“Today, L.A. faces a lot of the same issues,” Marfisi says. “In addition, we have global warming from pollution, and home gardening is a significant way to reduce transportation cost and related pollution.”

He points out that noted food and science writer Michael Pollan, author of the recent “In Defense of Food,” estimates that the distance traveled by food to the plate of an average American is 1,500 miles. “This number is 150 feet for most home gardeners,” Marfisi says. “That is a huge reduction in transport cost and pollution.”

UNTIL HE had time for hands-on yard work, gardening was a passionate intellectual pursuit for Marfisi, who likes to sit for hours studying bugs with reference books in hand. But after leaving his job as a management consultant, he enrolled in UCLA Extension’s horticulture program, which inspired him to dump water-hungry annuals and replace them with California natives. Then last year, Marfisi, who has a doctorate in economics, decided he wanted to become a farmer.

At age 60, Marfisi became a WWOOFer — he joined World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms ( www.wwoof.org), an international cultural exchange program that provides organic farmers free labor in exchange for providing workers with food and lodging.

The former consultant for big-name clients such as Sun- America thought it would be the ultimate work-study program to learn about sustainable farming and lifestyles.

“The attraction was to get into the heart of the world of permaculture and biodynamics and experience it firsthand,” he says. “Being retired, I had the time. I thought, ‘I’m still healthy and strong.’ I figured now is the time to do it.” (He hopes to join WWOOF again next year in Costa Rica).

He started on a farm in New Zealand. Moving to Australia, he eventually worked on farms in six cities in Tasmania, Southern Australia and the Northern Territory. His friends thought he was crazy.

“Here is a guy who made the transition from corporate board rooms to the deserts of Australia and New Zealand to examine horticulture,” friend Perry Parks says. “I couldn’t get my head around it initially. At his age . . . hiring yourself off to various farms? Digging fence posts?” he says, chuckling.

“But tracking him through his e-mail messages, it seemed to be a real change of pace and it took on a kind of a meditative quality. Everything seemed to be slower, simpler and clearer. He got a lot out of it. Now he’s come back and put it into practice,” Parks says.

THOUGH there is some debate over the origins of the no-dig method — Ruth Stout’s “How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back,” first published in 1955, and Masanobu Fukuoka’s “One Straw Revolution,” translated to English from Japanese in 1978, are other references — one thing is certain: It is easy and it works.

Veteran gardeners will say that the greatest amount of work in creating a successful vegetable garden goes into soil preparation. One of the best things about this sustainable alternative: You don’t have to break your back digging and pulling roots.

“It’s a wonderful movement,” says landscape designer and garden writer Rosalind Creasy, author of “The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping.” “So many gardeners presume you have to start with a rototiller. That only destroys the soil structure and burns the organic matter.”

No-dig beds are created by layering organic materials above ground on newspaper. Marfisi starts with alfalfa hay (Deans recommends Lucerne hay, but it’s hard to find locally), then straw and finally compost. Marfisi dusts the newspaper, alfalfa and straw with blood and bone meal. (Details in accompanying story). The layers then decompose, turning into a nutrient-rich mixture much like compost.

Marfisi says no-dig is more efficient, water wise, because once a plant has a 10- to 12-inch root system, the layers of compost and straw keep moisture around the roots. And you can keep layering it over and over again as the organic matter breaks down.

Aside from its looking a little messy, Creasy finds few negatives to no-dig. She does urge novice gardeners, however, to learn about soil nutrients that vegetables need. “You still have to fertilize,” she says. “You still have to renew the nitrogen. Peas are legumes and they have nitrogen-mixing bacteria. Broccoli is a heavy feeder. You [also] have to think about crop rotation.”

Marfisi concedes that it is harder to get nitrogen and the acidity or alkalinity right in a fresh no-dig bed than in conventional soil. But once the organic matter has been in for two or three months and fertilizer is added, these imbalances seem to correct themselves, he says, and his harvests have been bountiful.

It seems Marfisi was destined to become a locavore from an early age. He clearly remembers the first seeds he planted as a 7-year-old in Missouri. The simple act of pushing seeds into soil and waiting to see what happened was the beginning of a lifelong yearning that would haunt him until he retired.

“I was blown away that seeds manufactured flowers,” he says of discovering pink and orange zinnias weeks later. “Even to this day it still amazes me. . . . That picture remained in the back of my mind, while I was working 80 hours a week.”

Now vegetables provide that same fascination. “Reconnecting to earth is huge for people who are contemplating retirement.”

See Pictures about how to do No Dig Gardening

lisa.boone@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-nodig12-2008jun12,0,55177.story

Spring Care

The first thing to keep in mind is that Spring isn’t the only, and not always the best time to do prep work. If you need to re-seed bare patches, just before the first snowfall of the year is a good time to start. The seeds will get worked into the soil by the weight of the snow and lay dormant for Winter.

Then, as Spring arrives with the first melt, the seeds will be in good mud and start the early stages of germination. As the sun hits them, you’ll get good, fresh grass in a couple of weeks.

At the same time, since crabgrass and its relatives don’t thrive in the Fall or Winter, you have a head start on that kind of weed control. As the grass continues to spread, it has a better chance of crowding out crabgrass, which may not develop at all.

Then you can apply the recommended Spring fertilizer at the earliest possible week. That helps to give those young shoots a great beginning and, if you use weed control fertilizer, you can solve two problems with one effort.

As that snow continues to melt off you’ll find areas where the grass has become thatched. That’s a condition in which the blades get lain over one another, then compressed from the snow pack on top. Some of them die over Winter. As a result, you have a kind of straw-like covering, hence the name ‘thatch’.

Solving that problem is easy, though. Just cut the grass a little later in Fall than you need to just for length control. That keeps the height down and helps keep thatching to a minimum.

Then, follow up in Spring by raking the grass. Of course, if you raked in the Fall, there won’t be any leaves to get rid of. Nevertheless, this helps pull up thatched areas and allows air to get to the soil.

If the ground has become hard, or the soil is the sort to easily become compacted, you can follow that up with an aeration. There are several ways to do that. You can use a special attachment on a riding lawnmower and run it over the grass. There are also special large-drum rollers with spikes poking out you can use.

A very inexpensive method involves using special shoes, somewhat like golf shoes with spikes on the bottom. You just put them on then walk around the area you want aerate. The shoes make tiny holes that allow air to easily penetrate the soil. At the same time, it makes channels for solid fertilizer pellets to fall into.

After you’ve de-thatched and aerated, your lawn will be in good shape to carry out weed control, seeding, fertilizer application and regular mowing.

Whoever said lawn care was easy?

Types of Kits
The fun thing about the herb garden kits is that you can choose from a broad spectrum of themes that offer a variety of plants. For example, you can choose from Italian kits that will come equipped with all of the favorite Italian seasonings like oregano, basil and parsley. Or go for a butterfly herb garden kit that will help you to attract these gorgeous insects to your yard with just the right mix of colors and fragrances. Choose a medicinal herb garden with selections of plants designed to heal and protect the body. These themed kits can be a fun way to delve into the herb gardening experience.

Indoor Herb Gardens
Herb garden kits are an especially easy way to try your hand at indoor herb gardening, and some will even come equipped with artificial light to keep your plants happy and growing without the need for a sunny windowsill. If you prefer, go for the window herb garden kit that will provide the pots, dirt and seeds for your herb garden, while you supply the sunshine and water. There is nothing more inviting in a kitchen than a windowsill lined with fragrant herbs.

Herb garden kits come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and some do not even require that you place the seeds into the dirt. There are kits that include seed filled mats that you simply lay on top of the soil and water. Others come with pre-planted seed pods that you add water to and watch them grow. Other herb garden kits will supply the pots, soil and seeds so that you can get in on the planting action yourself. Some kits are fairly basic in appearance, making them a good choice for the outdoor garden. Others come with decorative pots and planters that make them an attractive choice for indoor gardening or outdoor patios.

Herbs can be a fun and easy crop to grow, even if you don’t consider yourself to have a green thumb. Herb garden kits can make the entire process even easier. Happy gardening!

Miniature Kitchen Gardens

To often the problem with the typical herb is that it tends to spread out if given the chance.  That’s why it’s a good idea to use other methods of finding a good spot to plant them, in order that you can maintain control over how well and how far they spread.

If you have a patio or veranda, why not add an herb or two to the plant pots you probably already have dotted about?  You could build or buy a wooden trough especially for growing them in, and paint or stain it to match in with your existing décor.  Even placing a selection of gravel or decorative pebbles around each herb can help to add a certain degree of charm to the finished result.

Mixing Herb Aromas

Every herb has its own wonderful smell to enjoy, which is why placing them close to any seating area you might have is such a great idea.  Try putting mint near to your back door and you’ll see what an effect it can have each time the breeze picks up!  It’s a strong yet attractive aroma that really smells good when it’s growing.

Rosemary is another good bet if you want to grow an herb which produces a wonderful smell that you will notice every time you walk past it.  If you love lamb you will definitely want to grow it since it really brings out the flavors every time you cook it.

You will find that as you become more adept at growing various types, you will start to think about growing from seed as well as using seedlings, and trying your hand at growing different ones too.  Try and do some research on the internet to get the best out of each herb, to ensure each one lasts as long as possible and always looks at its best. In short, every herb has its benefits and once you start growing them, you will probably never stop.

Here are a few things that you will want to know to get started for creating a basic herb garden. The first thing is to decide what type of basic herb garden you want. Do you want a container herb garden or are you looking for something a bit grander like a kitchen garden or a backyard herb garden.

Now that you have decided the type of garden that you want to create you will need to decide if you want to create your garden from seeds or from already existing plants that you will transplant. Once you have determined the type of planting you want to do for your basic herb garden.

What you Need

There are a few supplies that you are going to need for your herb garden. Of course, these supplies vary depending on which type of herb garden you are creating. The list includes all the supplies necessary for both gardens. Some of the supplies are going to be the same so the list is combined for the purpose of being brief. The items you will need  are: soil, fertilizer, seeds or herb plants, containers, and a spade.

The Basics of Herb Gardens

If you are using a container or containers to create your herb garden, prepare the container by placing the soil in it. Then depending on the type of fertilizer you are using add the fertilizer to create the growing environment. You may or may not depending on the type of soil you get want to wet the soil down before planting. If you are, using seeds follow the planting instructions for the types of herbs you are planting. If you are using already established plants follow replanting instructions. These are usually listed with the plant, but can be found online if necessary.

For kitchen gardens weed and till the area to break up the soil and remove any large objects like rocks. Then add in the top soil and fertilizers and plant the seeds or transplant following the same as above instructions. Make sure that you look at the lighting needs of your herbs and place them in areas that receive the right amount of light and shade to ensure proper growth.

By LEE REICH
For The Associated Press

Posted: Jun. 2, 2008

Sometimes it’s necessary because wind has broken off a branch. Leaving a partial branch after the break is not ideal for the tree’s health and they’re unsightly. Where your property has trees, it may be a matter of safety. Branches too close to the house, especially if they overhang the roof, can break off during the next wind storm and puncture the roof or walls.

Even beyond these emergency situations, there are reasons to prune in order to maximize the tree’s welfare or to produce better flowering or increase fruit production.

In heavily forested property, trees will grow better if they’re pruned. Trees over about 10 years old compete with others for sunlight, soil nutrients, water and space. Cutting large branches allows each tree to receive a share of the available air and sun. If trees are closer than 10 feet from one another, you may want to remove some entirely.

Fruit trees, apple in particular, do much better when they have been pruned. A mature apple tree can produce an overabundance of criss-crossing branches. As they produce leaves, too many will block sunlight from others. As they bear fruit, a superabundance of branches will produce more small fruit. You may prefer a smaller number of larger fruit. Pruning can achieve that.

The best methods for pruning a tree will vary from species to species, so research your specific types before beginning. That will also help you to select and prepare the proper tools. In most cases, though, the basics remain the same from one species to another.

If you need to allow more space and sunlight, you’ll want to carry out what is called ‘crown thinning’. The crown is the total ‘bushy’ portion of the tree formed by the branches. This is distinguished from the stem, which is the central portion.

Cutting back large branches, especially near the base, will help sunlight to reach the lower levels and provide walking area under the tree. This can usually be carried out with pruning shears or an ordinary saw. Larger branches can best be pruned with a chainsaw.

Removing branches from higher up the tree is a task best left to experts. Anything that requires more than a 10-foot ladder with a long pole saw to reach represents a risk most people should avoid.

Branches larger in diameter than about 10cm should be removed with a chainsaw. Some electric chainsaws would have difficulty with branches that thick, so a gas-powered version will probably be required.

If you can support the branch while cutting that is best. That should never be done with a chainsaw, however, since you always want to have both hands on the saw. To avoid the branch breaking prematurely or ripping bark off the stem, make a cut further away from the stem, then just past the ridge forming the branch collar at the stem.

Cut up from the bottom on the first cut in order to prevent bark from being torn down the tree, exposing it. After removing the branch, most trees will heal themselves. If your area is prone to beetle or other insect infestations, you may want to use tree tar to seal the wound.

All these critters, and many more, can make keeping a beautiful garden, a nice lawn or some outstanding trees in good shape a real challenge. Fortunately, there are several simple and inexpensive ways to keep the damage to a minimum.
Deer Food

Deer, for example, are very fond of apples. Having a feeder away from the garden will keep their focus where you want it to be, away from your plants and flowers. Or, you can try one of the many commercially available deer repellent sprays. But, you can add another item to your toolkit by careful selection of what you plant.

If you live in an area where deer frequent (and a surprisingly large number of people do), there are all sorts of options that are attractive to you but not to them. Germaniums, tansy, daffodils and many other flowering plants are not favored by deer. Thyme, myrtle, spearmint and other herbs, too, are generally left alone.
Rabbits Love Your Yard

Rabbits will eat plants and flowers out of gardens, but a simple, narrow mesh fence can keep them out. Surprisingly, even full-sized rabbits can squeeze between the gaps in standard chain link fence.

It doesn’t generally need to be more than 18 inches high to discourage them, especially if there are easier food sources elsewhere. Rabbits can dig a hole under fencing, so it’s not a foolproof method. To discourage them further, sink the fencing a foot below the ground as well.

Planting a section of clover near the back of an unfenced yard will tend to keep them there and away from your garden. Monks hood, hollyhock, aster, borrage and many others are beautiful as well as not preferred by rabbits.

Gophers

Gophers (and some types of mole) are found in many places around the U.S. Even a single gopher can cause considerable damage in only a few hours. And, if you find evidence of one, there are often at least one or two more around, sometimes more. They make roundish holes in the ground, sometimes with a mound with tunnels going off in two directions. Sometimes all you see is a very neat hole.

There are several methods for dealing with them, including chemical repellents, vibration producing devices and a variety of traps.

One common chemical repellent is a solution of Castor oil. The theory is that spraying it on grass and plants near where the gopher has been observed causes the oil to coat the roots. The gopher feeds on the roots, gets a sour stomach and leaves. It has been known to work.

Vibration devices are available, but the results are more difficult to judge. In theory, the beep and vibration they emit annoys the gopher and they leave the territory. The labels often say it takes up to two months to judge results. That makes it difficult to know whether they had any effect or the gopher left for other reasons. In the meantime, they can do lots of damage.

Using Traps…be humane

I would never use these types of traps because they work by killing the gopher. A common type is similar to a mousetrap, except it has jaws which clamp the gopher around the middle. They are effective, but fairly gruesome, and using them requires practice and persistence. Don’t be cruel..remember YOU MOVED INTO THEIR HOME.

Other traps lead them into a chamber, where they can be trapped harmlessly. The gopher can then be transported to another area. However, catching a half-dozen gophers this way is time consuming and difficult and the traps require digging large holes in your yard to get them into the gopher’s tunnel.

No single method will eliminate all wildlife from your lawn and garden. A good fence is a good start, but fencing off a large yard particularly in a rural area on a large property can be very expensive. But a combination of low-cost, low-effort methods can improve your situation dramatically.

It’s a wonder you can’t detect a pulse from a seed, considering all the life within.

Even before they germinate, you can predict how their life cycle will evolve. Each seed carries a genetic mix that determines hardiness and disease tolerance, plant size, texture and color and distinctive blooms or fruit.

Then there are the differences visible only to the practiced eye between conventional seeds and their organic equivalents. The variations can make all the difference in your garden.

“They come from altogether different circumstances so they have altogether different traits,” said Frank Morton, a seedsman and plant breeder from Philomath, Ore.

Organic seeds are often large — containing their own food reserves. Their roots dig deeper to mine the soil and spread leaves quickly to stay ahead of weeds. In other words, they can flourish in poor soil and compete with other plants.

Organic growers are learning to expect more vigor from their seeds, Morton said. While conventional seeds and hybrids often have one gene that stands up to pathogens, organic seeds have the kind of disease resistance found in nature.

“That means a variety of things working together to give a plant a strong constitution and a better ability to combat ailments,” he said.

Then there are the environmental benefits.

“Commercial seed growing is one of the most intensive users of farm chemicals going,” said Jim Gerritsen, who with his wife, Megan, operates WoodPrairie Farm in Bridgewater, Maine.

In conventional seed production, soil must be free of “plant pests,” so the ground is often drenched in chemicals, he said. Organic seeds are free of that kind of production — and good ones are also bred to resist pest pressures.

It remains debatable, though, whether organic seeds produce a more flavorful harvest than conventional strains.

Morton says it’s no contest when he compares conventional tomatoes to organic — although that may be because he’s getting them locally, so they aren’t traveling as far after being picked. And genes eventually tell.

“You can give them all the composts and fertilizers and clean things you want but if a particular carrot isn’t genetically predisposed to crispness, it won’t make any difference,” Morton said.

In the grand scheme of backyard gardening, working with organic seeds is more a matter of lifestyle than it is utility, said Ellen Ogden, of Manchester Village, Vt., co-founder of the “The Cook’s Garden,” a seed catalog for gardeners who love to cook.

“We need to be more careful with what we’re putting into the ground,” said Ogden, who designs kitchen gardens. “Herbicides and everything else. Whoever uses organic seeds is thinking a little more about what they’re doing.”