Vegan Organics Aka Veganics With Matt Rize

wheezer

Well-Known Member
congrats to all the new mods. i've been blessed over in the outdoor section with mod access so holler at you boy if you need help over there. rize up!

who's going to INTCHE this weekend?
I must be too busy, or stuck in my cave too much.....what is this intche?
 

KocfOwned

Well-Known Member
Hey matt I've been reading up on what you and kyle have been doing as far as promoting clean medicine..And i totally adopted Vganics :D..I was using Bio bizz which im sure was already Vegan but decided to move towards a different Line because their new shipment didn't contain the Certified Organic label any more...So after some diggen around i found General organics bought their entire in the form of a starter box for $30 they claim to be 100% Organic and Vegan..
 

Wolverine97

Well-Known Member
Hey matt I've been reading up on what you and kyle have been doing as far as promoting clean medicine..And i totally adopted Vganics :D..I was using Bio bizz which im sure was already Vegan but decided to move towards a different Line because their new shipment didn't contain the Certified Organic label any more...So after some diggen around i found General organics bought their entire in the form of a starter box for $30 they claim to be 100% Organic and Vegan..
GO is what I use, but it's not certified organic either. That doesn't matter though. People should be less concerned with OMRI or other certifications and just make sure the source is natural, as that's all that really matters. If you're walking by a river and find a piece of iron ore, is that organic? No it is not, but if a bear eats that iron ore and shits it out it has become "organic" even though it's the exact same piece of iron.
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
GO is what I use, but it's not certified organic either. That doesn't matter though. People should be less concerned with OMRI or other certifications and just make sure the source is natural, as that's all that really matters. If you're walking by a river and find a piece of iron ore, is that organic? No it is not, but if a bear eats that iron ore and shits it out it has become "organic" even though it's the exact same piece of iron.
Agreed and agreed. At one point BioBizz and GO were the same thing. I prefer GO over BioBizz because it's local and not shipped over seas. I use their CalMag. But I replaced their seaweed with technaflora dry seaweed. I replaced their humic with humic and fulvic from www.BioAg.com. I use the Biocanna veg/flower/bioboost instead of the GO veg/flower/boost.
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
beginners-guide-to-veganic-gardening/

Vegan-organic gardening avoids not only the use of toxic sprays and chemicals, but also manures and animal remains. Just as vegans avoid animal products in the rest of our lives, we also avoid using animal products in the garden, as fertilizers such as blood and bone meal, slaughterhouse sludge, fish emulsion, and manures are sourced from industries that exploit and enslave sentient beings. As these products may carry dangerous diseases that breed in intensive animal production operations, vegan-organic gardening is also a safer, healthier way to grow our food.

In veganic growing situations, soil fertility is maintained using vegetable compost, green manures, crop rotation, mulching, and other sustainable, ecological methods. Occasional use of lime, gypsum, rock phosphorus, dolomite, rock dusts and rock potash can be helpful, but we try not to depend on these fertilizers as they are non-renewable resources.

Soil conditioners and fertilizers that are vegan-organic and ecologically sustainable include hay mulch, wood ash, composted organic matter (fruit/vegetable peels, leaves and grass clippings), green manures/nitrogen-fixing cover crops (fava beans/clover/alfalfa/lupines), liquid feeds (such as comfrey or nettles), and seaweed (fresh, liquid or meal) for trace elements.

A border of marigolds helps to deter certain insects, and they also have a root system that improves the soil.

Composted Organic Matter
A compost pile consists of food waste such as fruit and vegetable rinds, that is covered by course material like leaves or grass clippings. The object is to create layers of food material alternating with covering material to allow aeration. When a bin is full, the pile is flipped and covered by black plastic or weed mat to protect it from rain and create heat. It can be flipped again after a period of time, so the bottom becomes the top. Cover again and within a couple of months, depending on the climate, nature’s master recycling plan will have taken its course and you will have vitamin-rich soil.
Click here for more information on creating your own organic compost.

Green Manures (and nitrogen-fixing crops)
Green Manure is a cover crop of plants, which is grown with the specific purpose of being tilled into the soil. Fast-growing plants such as wheat, oats, rye, vetch, or clover, can be grown as cover crops between gardening seasons then tilled into the garden as it is prepared for the next planting. Green manure crops absorb and use nutrients from the soil that might otherwise be lost through leaching, then return these nutrients to the soil when they are tilled under. The root system of cover crops improves soil structure and helps prevent erosion. Nitrogen-fixing crops such as vetch, peas, broad beans (fava beans) and crimson clover add nitrogen to the soil as they are turned under and decompose. Cover crops also help reduce weed growth during the fall and winter months.

Liquid Feeds such as Comfrey or Nettles
Fill a container with grass cuttings, nettles, weed or comfrey leaves. Cover with water at a rate of one part brew to three parts water. Cover the container, and leave for two to four weeks. Preferably strain out (through an old stocking) the weed seeds and plant material that will block up the spout of your watering-can. Nettles give the best multi-purpose feed and comfrey alone will give a feed rich in potash.

Hay Mulches
Using a thick layer of hay to cover the earth feeds the soil with organic matter as it breaks down. It also suppresses weeds and encourages worms to live in your soil. When putting gardens to sleep over the winter, cover them with a very thick layer of hay mulch.

Seaweed (fresh, liquid or meal)
Used for trace elements. Seaweed is best harvested fresh from the sea as opposed to washed up and sitting on beaches. Some veganic gardeners use bulk spirulina or kelp meal (used for potash and trace minerals).

Worm Castings (Vermiculture, Vermicastings, Vermicomposting)
Re-establish natural worm populations in your garden. Composting worms love cool, damp and dark environments (like under black weed mat or a thick layer of hay mulch), and will breed optimally when these conditions are maintained. Worm castings are a rich, all-natural source of organic matter with lots of nutrients and moisture-holding capabilities. Earthworm castings are known to have an extraordinary effect on plant life. They improve the soil structure and increase fertility.

Lime
The primary purpose for using lime in the garden is to reduce the acidity of the soil, otherwise known as raising the pH level or ‘sweetening the soil’. Most plants prefer a fairly neutral soil for optimum growth. You can have your soil tested to see if it is acidic or alkaline. Lime also enriches the soil with calcium and magnesium. Calcium is essential for strong plant growth and aids in the absorption of other nutrients. Lime can also be used for breaking up heavy clay soil.

Gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate)
Gypsum is also used where more calcium is needed, but unlike Lime, it enriches the soil without raising the pH level.

Neem
Known as the wonder tree in India, Neem has been in use for centuries in Indian agriculture as the best natural pest repellent and organic fertilizer with insect sterilization properties.

EM Bokashi
Bokashi is a Japanese term that means ‘fermented organic matter’. EM means Effective Micro-organisms and consists of mixed cultures of naturally occurring, beneficial micro-organisms such as lactic acid bacteria, yeast, photosynthetic bacteria and actinomycetes. It is a bran-based material that has been fermented with EM liquid concentrate and dried for storage. Add to compost to aid in the fermentation of the organic matter. EM Bokashi should be stored in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Green Sand
A soil amendment and fertilizer. It is mined from deposits of minerals that were originally part of the ocean floor. It is a natural source of potash, as well as iron, magnesium, silica and as many as 30 other trace minerals. It may also be used to loosen heavy clay soils. It has the consistency of sand but has 10 times the ability to absorb moisture.

Alfalfa meal, Flax Seed Meal, Cottonseed Meal and Soya Meal
Sources of nitrogen.

Epsom Salts
An excellent source of magnesium.

Dolomite
A finely ground rock dust which is the preferred source of calcium and magnesium.

Rock Phosphate
Phosphorus is an essential element for plant and animal nutrition. It is mined in the form of phosphate rock, which formed in oceans in the form of calcium phosphate called phosphorite. The primary mineral in phosphate rock is apatite.

Rock Dusts (stonemeal)
Used to re-mineralize soil that has become depleted through industrial and agricultural practices. It releases slowly into the soil and can be applied directly, in combination with other fertilizers, or added to the compost. These products have a highly stimulating effect on microbial activity.

Rock Potash (potassium or wood ash)
Potassium is an essential nutrient that enhances flower and fruit production and helps ‘harden’ foliage to make it less susceptible to disease. Rock potash is very slow-acting. It releases gradually as it weathers, which can take years. Use it when preparing soil before planting.
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
http://www.goveganic.org/spip.php?article206

Different ways to garden veganically
Table of contents
Container gardening
Ruth Stout technique - (...)
Biointensive
Lasagna gardening / Sheet (...)
Forest gardening
Permaculture
Self-fertilizing gardens
Japanese natural agriculture
Square foot gardening
"Standard" gardening
There is no single way to "do" veganic gardening. It is not a specific technique, but rather a set of ideals and guidelines that shape the way we garden. Veganic means that a gardening system is plant-based (free from animal products and chemical fertilizers). Beyond that, veganic also means that the gardening techniques are respectful of free-living animals, encourage natural biodiversity, and aim for ecological sustainability.

There are many different ways that these ideals can be applied in your backyard, or even on rooftops and balconies. This article presents some of the key approaches that work well for a home-scale veganic garden: container gardening, Ruth Stout technique, biointensive, lasagna gardening / sheet composting, forest gardening, permaculture, self-fertilizing gardens, Japanese natural agriculture, square foot gardening, as well as "standard" gardening as we typically know it. Many of these techniques aren’t inherently veganic, though they can easily be applied in a veganic way. Perhaps one approach will best suit your bioregion, personal situation or available resources, or perhaps you can combine more than one approach to meet your needs.

To learn more general tips about preparing the ground for planting, and the difference between till, no-till, and raised beds, click here.

Container gardening
Container gardening offers a versatile option for people living in city environments, and can be done veganically by using vegetable compost. Container gardens can be grown on balconies, rooftops, patios, concrete surfaces, contaminated lots, staircases, and suspended from fences, railings and ceilings. Fruit-bearing plants, like tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplant, do especially well in container gardens with ample sunlight. Learn about making your own self-watering container garden from re-used food-grade buckets and styrofoam coolers, as well as tips for a successful season of container gardening.


Ruth Stout technique - Permanent mulch
Ruth Stout was a self-proclaimed “lazy gardener,” and she gardened well into her 90’s. She developed a gardening system that is based exclusively on mulching with a thick layer of vegetable matter (at least 8 inches thick). The soil is never tilled or dug, so the soil ecosystem is undisturbed. As the mulch decomposes over the course of the season, it feeds the soil food web and keeps the soil fertile. The mulch conserves moisture and really cuts down on weeds, so with the exception of perennial weeding there is very little maintenance needed. At the Veganic Agriculture Network, this is the technique we choose for our garden in the countryside, mulching twice a year with hay as the only source of fertility.


Biointensive
Gardener and researcher John Jeavons asked the question, “What is the optimum way to grow enough food for one person on the smallest amount of land possible in a way that is self-fertile and ecologically sustainable in the long term?” After decades of research and testing, he developed the biointensive approach. Biointensive is essentially veganic by default, as raising animals takes up too much space and resources. The garden soil is loosened with double-digging, so root systems can go deeper instead of competing for space near the surface. Plants are grown densely, and plants are chosen that will meet our year-round nutritional needs. Learn more about the biointensive approach from the non-profit organization Ecology Action (growbiointensive.org), from their free online self-teaching handbooks and videos, and from Jeavon’s instructive gardening books, including How to Grow More Vegetables than you Ever Thought Possible on Less Land than you Can Imagine.


Lasagna gardening / Sheet composting
In lasagna gardening, also know as sheet composting, layers of organic matter are piled on the surface of the ground. The soil isn’t dug or tilled, so it’s an especially good method to keep the soil in good health and avoid physical strain for the gardener. Several layers of cardboard are placed directly on the lawn. Layers of organic matter are added on top, alternating between layers of "browns" (leaves, small twigs, newspaper, cardboard), and layers of "greens" (fruit and veggie scraps, grass clippings, weeds that haven’t gone to seed). Initially stacked two feet high, the materials decompose in place, shrinking down and creating a fertile medium for gardening. If you have enough organic matter available, this is even an option for gardening on concrete surfaces. Learn more here.


Forest gardening
Forest gardening, also known as food forests and three dimensional gardening, takes an ecosystem approach to gardening. It makes ample use of vertical space by growing multiple layers of plants in the same area: a canopy of fruit or nut trees can have understories of edible shrubs, herbs, vegetables, berries, roots and fungi, and as well as supporting fertility plants. Requiring an initial investment of time and energy, forest gardening is a long term, sustainable and low maintenance system that is well suited to those who have access to an area of land over a long period of time. Learn more here.


Click to zoom
Permaculture
Permaculture is based on sustainability, and designing gardens, farms and settlements to meet the needs of the earth and humans in the long term. In permaculture, we imitate natural ecosystems by carefully observing the world around us and applying ecological principles to our garden designs. Neither permaculture nor veganic is a specific “technique”: both are based on ethics and principles, and veganic permaculture involves the merging of these two sets of ethics. Permaculture principles help us design veganic gardens from a deep ecological perspective. Learn more about veganic permaculture here.


Self-fertilizing gardens
Les jardins auto-fertiles (self-fertilizing gardens) is an approach to gardening based on permaculture principles. It was developed by Emilia Hazelip from France, and further developed by Rejean Roy of Quebec. It involves permanent raised-beds, permanent ground cover, surface composting, a diversity of plants in each bed, the presence of living roots at all times (i.e. perennial plants or successive crops), and using the vertical plane with climbing plants. Biomass from leaves and stalks are left directly on the surface to decompose, and roots are left to decompose naturally underground. The three principle elements of self-fertilizing gardens are raised beds, water points, and trees, and the interconnection between these elements is highly valued. The aim is to create a dynamic ecosystem that self-fertilizes.


Japanese natural agriculture
Japanese natural agriculture was developed in Japan independently from North America’s organic agriculture movement, and most practioners use entirely plant-based techniques. Spiritual leader Mokichi Okada came up with a "no-fertilizer" technique in the 1930’s, which he later named nature farming. It differs from typical organic agriculture in two main ways: the crops are not rotated, and it is considered part of a spiritual pursuit for beauty and peace (see Shumei). A separate branch of Japanese natural farming was developed by farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One Straw Revolution, He was a proponent of no-till methods for growing grains and vegetables. With resemblances to permaculture philosophy, he encouraged careful observation of local ecosystems and collaborating with natural cycles. Learn more here and here.


Square foot gardening
Square-foot gardening involves an open-bottomed box, divided into a grid, that is filled with a mix of light soil and compost. Each section in the grid is one square foot. Each square foot contains the optimum number of plants, depending on the space that the plant takes up (i.e. one brocolli, or four lettuces, or sixteen carrots) and companion plants are often planted in the same square. Once planted, there is less weeding and watering than with typical gardens. This technique is especially well suited to people who prefer linear methodology and a scientific approach to gardening. It’s also well adapted to urban settings and areas with contaminated soils, since the dirt is bought in. Square foot gardening is also an option for people with reduced mobility, as it can be built on a tabletop. Learn more here and here.


"Standard" gardening
You know what we’re talking about... the typical home garden where the soil is dug up and plants are grown in rows. Most books and websites about gardening will describe this technique. This is a perfectly fine way to grow a veganic garden: just make sure that your fertilizers and amendments are from plant or mineral sources, like compost, alfalfa meal and seaweed (learn more here). We hope, though, that this article has piqued your interest about the lesser-known approaches that can be taken to home gardening.
 

Rayne

Well-Known Member
Although I disagree with the thickness of mulch she used. I like the Roth Stout "method" I don't have to water as much as I used to. Plus the soil microbes compost the fruit and vegetable scraps I put under the mulch.
 

KocfOwned

Well-Known Member
GO is what I use, but it's not certified organic either. That doesn't matter though. People should be less concerned with OMRI or other certifications and just make sure the source is natural, as that's all that really matters. If you're walking by a river and find a piece of iron ore, is that organic? No it is not, but if a bear eats that iron ore and shits it out it has become "organic" even though it's the exact same piece of iron.

Hmmm i know they mentioned it on their webpage about being 100% organic but i could be mistaken :D....I agree to about making sure its a natural source ...and isn't anything containing a carbon Molecule organic?????
 

KocfOwned

Well-Known Member
Agreed and agreed. At one point BioBizz and GO were the same thing. I prefer GO over BioBizz because it's local and not shipped over seas. I use their CalMag. But I replaced their seaweed with technaflora dry seaweed. I replaced their humic with humic and fulvic from www.BioAg.com. I use the Biocanna veg/flower/bioboost instead of the GO veg/flower/boost.
yea i was going to go with biocanna but it was to expensive for me ATM...also i went to bioag's webpage and saw the Ful-Power but its description only seemed to talk about it containing Humic acid..does it also contain Fulvic acid?
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
yea i was going to go with biocanna but it was to expensive for me ATM...also i went to bioag's webpage and saw the Ful-Power but its description only seemed to talk about it containing Humic acid..does it also contain Fulvic acid?
yes, it is almost pure fulvic but due to labeling laws its called humic in CA and OR.
 

IVIars

Active Member
I was using the GO line, but i didnt like the fact i had to add 90ml per feeding (1 3/4 gal 1000ppm). I was wondering what the application rates were with the Biocanna line to achieve around the same ppm?
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
I was using the GO line, but i didnt like the fact i had to add 90ml per feeding (1 3/4 gal 1000ppm). I was wondering what the application rates were with the Biocanna line to achieve around the same ppm?
yeah, that's about normal for vegan organic nutes. I'm up around 1000 as well for full feedings.
Application rates for Biocanna are between 5 and 15mL/gallon for the base and boost.
 

Afka

Active Member
At the Veganic Agriculture Network, this is the technique we choose for our garden in the countryside, mulching twice a year with hay as the only source of fertility.
The problem I see with adding only carbon rich straw is that you'll eschew the soil C:N balance, all the N being cycled into decomposing the carbon and being immediately consumed upon mineralization to further the composting process. Eventually, the plants will be deprived of adequate Nitrogen. If you're bringing in outside material to a closed cycle, you're debalancing it. You need to bring in further sources of N to retain your balance.

If you bring in C, you have to bring in N even if you compost all of your plant matter directly on the mulch (Which remedies extraction of N from the desired closed loop environment.)
 

KocfOwned

Well-Known Member
Hey guys i got a couple of questions not pertaining to GO and for this i apologize..I would like to brew a Microbial tea for my plants as a soil drench to ensure my soil has the required activity to properly break down all the nice organic nutrients im going to be giving them...Does anyone have a basic/efficient recipe that would give results like the vermi-T people boast.Having over 35,000 Microbes? And how often could/should i use the Tea.Also will i have to brew a different kind of tea once the plants are in flower?
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
Hey guys i got a couple of questions not pertaining to GO and for this i apologize..I would like to brew a Microbial tea for my plants as a soil drench to ensure my soil has the required activity to properly break down all the nice organic nutrients im going to be giving them...Does anyone have a basic/efficient recipe that would give results like the vermi-T people boast.Having over 35,000 Microbes? And how often could/should i use the Tea.Also will i have to brew a different kind of tea once the plants are in flower?
Alright, you already know the people at Vermi-T are lying, because they are boasting. This whole industry is full of crap in all honesty, the marketing is 95% lies. In short: Aerated Compost Tea is (vermi)compost and molasses bubbled for a day then diluted and watered in. Here is the basic recipe from a guy who really knows his tea. For more info on teas this article I put up is very comprehensive: It's Tea Time & What is Compost Tea by Tim Wilson

TEA RECIPE from Tim Wilson of www.microbeorganics.com

1 gallon = 16 cups = 256 tablespoons

2.38% by volume compost or vermicompost (EWC) per gallon = .38 cups or around half a cup max or about 2 cups in 5 gallons max.

0.5 to 0.75% molasses by volume per gallon = 1.28 to 1.92 tablespoons per gallon. 0.75% is the maximum I use. It is a good bacterial and fungal food.

0.063% fish hydrolysate by volume per gallon = 0.16 tablespoon = 0.479 teaspoons or half a teaspoon

0.25% (max) kelpmeal by volume per gallon = 0.64 tablespoon or half a tablespoon"
 
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