Mid June 2008 I imported three of the best local sources of organic soil to build up the biological activity in my new garden. I mixed these three organic soils in with additional soil from my compost pile (over 2 years old) along with some additional soil from the surrounding flower beds. This combination became the base for all 6 raised beds (below) included within a deer fenced area of approximately 200 square feet. The soil and compost from my home had all previously been treated with Liquid Gold and Silica Rich at various times over the last 2 years.
June 24, 2008
Here is the beginnings of my very first garden. There are 6 beds, one on top, one below, and four in the middle. The top and bottom beds are overflow and specialty beds for things we will not eat a lot of. The four middle beds contain basically the same soil compositions, and will be planted similarly, but each one will be treated differently (described below).
No insecticides will be applied (not even natural ones). Instead, even though I have spotted 2 or 3 cucumber beetles, I prefer to leave them unmolested. The plants they are drawn to will tell me which ones are unhealthy so I can be aware to take better care of them or nourish them differently.
The plants in the beds that are visible were transplanted within the previous week. The plants in the bin and pot are from last year and brought in to protect them from the deer. The bare areas were seeded a day or two before or after the full moon (18th) based on whether they were root or aerial produce (see the Farmer's Almanac).
Due to the longest and coldest winter Oregon had seen in 25 years, we were a little late getting the garden going. We decided to put it in anyway, do the best we could, and see what happens.
Being a newby gardener, I consulted with a local organic gardening expert to determine the ideal soil composition and modeled the beds mostly after his suggestions. The fourth bed, furthest away, is the control bed. The other three beds will be amended with Liquid Gold Plant & Soil Revitalizer on a regular basis (once a week) and a small portion of each of the four beds will also be amended with Silica Rich Clay (only once) for comparison.
My objective is to see how much organic homegrown produce can be grown on 200 square feet of soil, with an eye to seeing just how self-sufficient a family can be during this uncertain period of our nation's history.
I have decided to plant a large variety of plants close together. Not good gardening, I know, but like any newby gardner, I knew I would make a lot of mistakes, do some things right, some things wrong, so I decided to just plant it and see what happens! From this experience, I will learn how to do better next year.
I now have a 1/4 inch soaker hose running throughout the beds and an overhead sprinkler system that covers the whole garden. It is being watered once at night and once during the heat of the day. I add water by hand when needed, (which is almost daily, since I have maxed out our sprinkler pressure). I expect the hottest summer we have seen in a few decades, so I watch the water.
July 9, 2008(approx 3 weeks from planting both seeds & transplants).
Here's a closer shot.
Here's a list of what is planted or growing:
Corn, pole beans, peas, zucchini, spaghetti squash, pumpkin, okra, three variety of tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, strawberry, chard, kale, onions, leeks, celery, daikon & watermelon radishes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green & black peppers, habanero, jalapeno, cilantro, oregano, parsley, several variety of basil, spearmint, dill, comfrey, feverfew, plantain, mullein, sunflower, and lots of different kinds of flowers to attract the bees.
Lettuces & bok choi are being grown in another garden in the shade to prevent them from bolting too soon.
We have been harvesting young zucchini, basil, cilantro, parsley, the older herbs, and strawberries, so far.
What I am noticing is that the basic health of almost every plant is high, the color and progress of growth is good in spite of the close quarters (I did have to move a few plants covered by the zucchini leaves and cut a large number of the leaves back), and the vibrancy of the plants is the best I have seen anywhere else so far (granted, I have not been but to a few other organic gardens). This vibrancy factor is very characteristic of plants nourished with Liquid Gold Plant & Soil Revitalizer.
(approximately 4 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in - one full moon cycle.) The new growth has been cut back daily to try to keep that isles clear enough to walk through, and bamboo from the yard has been added in places to train the squash to climb upwards where there is more room. Certainly overcrowded but still growing prolifically. A few plants have been moved so they can get more sunlight.
July 17, 2008 (approximately 4 weeks growth)
July 17, 2008 (approximately 4 weeks growth)
The broad leaf plants are zucchini & squash.
Three reasons for the garden fence, cute as they are!
Update: August 1 , 2008(6 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in - New Moon.)
August 1 , 2008(Squash at 6 weeks from seed)
With the exception of the control bed that has received no Liquid Gold, the leaves of the plants throughout garden are 70-90% blemish-free. Even though the destroyer insects exist (in very small quantities), they are drawn only to the least healthy plants. The control bed has blemishes on 60-90% of the leaves. This is clear evidence that a healthy plant will not attract destroyer insects, even when growing only a few inches away.
Often I have seen where the first several leaves of a plant will show a few bug holes, then as the plant receives regular feedings of Liquid Gold (these have been fed weekly) the improved DNA manufacturers healthier and healthier foliage.
August 1 , 2008 (Corn, beans, squash & sunflower at 6 weeks from seed).
Update: August 7 , 2008 (7 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in.)
Corn is now 4-7 feet tall in most places. Tassels started showing up just after 6 weeks. Spaghetti Squash spots the garden everywhere, but not yet ripe. Cucumbers are ripening and appear to be coming in with abundance. Tomatoes have finally begun to turn red. Pole beans are now edible and have climbed to over 8 feet in places. Sunflowers are 5-7 feet tall.
So far we have harvested 6 lbs of zucchini, 3 lbs of cucumbers, a couple handfuls of beans, a tomato, lots of basil, lettuce, strawberries, several herbs, and I eat fresh purselane everyday (my favorite).
I tried growing zucchini and cucumbers to extra large sizes to find out whether they would still taste OK and remain soft with the larger size. Sure enough, I found the seeds were still small, the meat tender and the taste still flavorful, even somewhat sweet in places. Here's the pics:
2 lb. 2 oz. Zucchini
1 lb. 6 oz. Cucumber
This tells me we can allow the produce to grow to the larger sizes before harvesting, (which may come in handy if you're feeding a big family).
The best part about this Garden Experiment with Liquid Goldand Silica Rich is that all of the food grown under its influence, when eaten, produces a tingly, vitalizing feeling running up and down the body. The food is very enticing and is building such an interest in eating the plants and produce raw & freshly picked, that other food is becoming less and less inviting.
We are left with a subtle, vitalizing influence for several hours. This experience became noticeable with the first few harvests of lettuce, especially if eaten immediately, directly off the plant. We have since noticed this same vitalizing, brain clearing experience with each new variety that ripens in the garden. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer eating from the garden!
Update: August 16 , 2008 (8 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in.)
Corn, pole beans, squash and sunflowers have reached 7-9 feet. The corn is pregnant. Beans and cucumber are abundant. Peppers are maturing. Spaghetti squash is turning yellow. Until this week the weather was always cold in the evenings and mornings (40-60 degrees F) slowing growth, now we have temps over 100 every day. Watering more deeply to offset the heat. Due to the weird weather this year, everyone's tomatoes were late turning red. We have been harvesting for a week in small amounts, now everyday.
Looking around the city at other gardens, I find some of those that planted earlier are further advanced but generally smaller in size and not as vital looking. Some are only half the size. Water has been my biggest challenge, first too much (costing me our only pumpkin after a heavy rain from swelling too much and splitting), then too little just as the heat was coming on (causing some wilting in the undergrowth). Most of the plants still look vibrant & healthy. Destroyer bugs are few and do very little damage. Bees are always present, so pollination is going well. That vitalizing feeling from eating the produce is always present.
Update: August 21 , 2008 (9 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in.)
The deer fence is 7 feet tall and the tallest of the plants are over 9 feet of which there are several corn, sunflower and beans. A new variety of winter squash is coming in abundantly, along with the usual beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. Cabbages have begun to form heads. Zucchini, slowed from over watering, are coming back. A new pumpkin is coming in to replace the one that split from over watering.
The cucumbers we picked today were allowed to grow large to see how well they would taste. All were sweet, tender and vitalizing! It appears as though they could have grown for another few days and still been delectable.
Over 25 lbs. of produce overall has been harvested so far with most of what's there still on the vine.
Update:
September 8, 2008 (11 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in.)
I have begun to thin out the garden of squash plants and others that have run their cycle. The sunflowers are flowering more abundantly and stand 8-10 feet tall.
Spaghetti Squash - the largest weighing 5 lb. 2 oz.
Until I had eaten the spaghetti squash, I had no idea just how good squash could be. (I have never been a fan of squash until now.) Cut in half and baked for 25 or so minutes until tender, then topped with coconut oil - absolutely delectable!
Next year I'll be growing even more squash plants. They are so much fun to both eat and give away.
Update: September 14, 2008 (approx 12 weeks from both seeds & transplants going in.)
Beautiful sunflower towering 10 feet tall.
Continued with the thinning out of the garden to increase the available light for the remaining plants. The corn produced a healthy ear or two on every stalk (even three ears on two stalks getting the most sun), but rather small due to the colder weather (most nights this month were in the 40's to 60's) and heavy shading from the close planting and larger foliage growth.
If I had built the beds east to west, rather than north to south, more sun would have made it to the plants via the open isles. Something to remember for next year.
The interesting part about the corn though, is that not one ear had any insect damage on either the silk or the corn cobb itself. I looked forward everyday to eating the corn within seconds of picking it from the stalk. It was sooo sweet and delectable!
Realizing that the fresh silk of the corn is a powerful blood purifier, providing excellent support for the kidneys, I began to eat the silk as well - also sweet and tasty.
Pulling up the remaining corn stalks (this one being one of the stalks that had produced 3 ears), as I began chopping it up, a small, undeveloped ear of corn fell off into the bucket. Realizing that this must have grown since the last time I had examined this stalk a week or more previous, I recounted the ears of corn that had been on the stalk.
I noticed for the first time that where the corn plant decides to grow an ear, there is a groove in the section of the stalk along the line where the corn will sit, and that the grooves alternate sides of the stalk so that the weight of the corn on the stalk will remain balanced as they develop. Recounting the grooves were the corn had been, I found that this little ear was the stalk's fourth ear of corn.
The other stalk that produced three ears showed a groove in a fourth section of the stalk but no ear of corn showing. This was a promising sign for what may show up next year with better growing conditions.
Later, cutting down the few remaining stalks of corn (that were previously holding up a pole bean plant), I counted the grooves in the stalk and found 6 sections on the stalk with grooves that potentially could have grown an ear of corn, given proper growing conditions. This stalk only produced 2 actual ears of corn, but it causes me to wonder what might have happened if it had been grown under more favorable conditions!
Mind you, none of the corn on the stalk with four ears were of any mentionable size, and the last two were too small to eat, but it confirmed my earlier suspicion that the corn plant was actually designed by Nature to be much more abundant than what is common today. I actually believe that in much earlier times, when the earth was much more fertile than it is today, that the corn plant was designed to deliver 6-10 ears of corn per stalk and that the stalk itself, was probably averaging 14+ feet tall. (At a meeting this week on the subject of Seed Saving, a grower brought in a section of corn stalk with 2 small ears growing out of the same section of the stalk!)
(For those that understand the importance of kernel count around the girth of the corn, the ones I checked of the more mature ears had 14 kernels around the circumference.)
Given proper organic nourishment, light and water, subsequent generations of today's corn will naturally return to its heritage roots. An OrmaliteEnhanced soil amendment (such as Liquid Gold) is likely to accelerate this process dramatically. I have saved the seed on most of the plants in the garden for replanting next year. Second gerneration Ormalite Enhanced Seed will naturally produce a stronger, healthier plant from the start. Further amendment with Liquid Gold during the second year will build upon this DNA improvement process even further.
Next year will be an interesting year. I plan to start earlier, position the corn (and the rest of the garden) for more sunlight, and prepare the soil so its roots have 2 or more feet of humus depth through which to reach for nutrients. Stay tuned for a complete update on the full list of upgrades for my 2009 Garden Experiment.
Due to our recent move into the new facility, I will close out our updates of this year's garden. We still have pole beans, the new winter squash, tomatoes, some corn, sunflowers, green peppers, jalapeno, basil and several other herbs, radishes, carrots, onions, cabbage, kale, chard, & broccoli developing or harvestable.
So far we have harvested over 125 lbs. of food. All told, this 200 square feet of home garden space (just under 15' X 15") will likely produce over 150 lbs. of produce. If we were staying, additional winter produce would have been planted by now to carry us through the next several months, then in the Spring start all over again, improving as we go.
With this experience in mind, it is clear to me that with a few adjustments in design and growing methods, a small backyard garden of only 200 square feet can be at least partially sustainable for a small family year round. It is likely, with a few revisions, the same space will be able to produce twice as much food as this year's first experiment. Add fruit bearing trees to the surrounding property, along with various berry vines, and an abundance of flowers and other flowering bushes (to attract the bees), garlic, onions and potatoes planted among the roses and other flowering plants in the yard, tall ornamental grasses (for compost biomass and plant available silica), plus various medicinal herbs, and possibly a bee hive (for those who dare), a small plot of land with no more than 1/4 acre or less can produce a sizable amount of food and medicinal resources. Remember to save your own seeds!
Even to this day, when I have the opportunity to visit my old garden, the feeling of standing within the little 200 square foot area, even without the majority of the plants that used to be there, a tangible quality of peace, relaxation, joy and comfort permeates the space. It is truly a "Space of Love" generated by the plants, the soil, the months of care and attention, the organic, chemical-free nature of its components, the high vibration contribution of the Angstrom Minerals in the Liquid Gold, now infused within the soil and remaining plants. It was always the highlight of the day to visit that small piece of land, and still is.
The new place is pretty much a bare canvas, starting all over with poor soil conditions (worse than before), but more space to grow and experiment. Having gained a great deal of wisdom on how to do it better, creating a new Space of Love out of this property is now a compelling adventure. For now, until I can devote more time to planting, I am simply growing dirt - you know, compost!
In due course, I will post a list of all I have learned and how I intend to improve on this coming year's garden.
Until then, enjoy the simple gifts from life,
Michael King
Also see our 2009 Garden Experiment
What's in Liquid Gold?
The new 2010 version of Liquid Gold Plant & Soil Revitalizer contains Silica Rich, Ormalite, a few other full spectrum clay mineral sources, worm compost wash, Mychorrizae, Humic Acids, & Sea Solids.
The above examples bring up some important questions worthy of thorough scientific investigation (stay tuned). Is it possible that the DNA and subsequent genes are being improved upon by the nutrients in the Liquid Gold and Silica Rich causing this exceptional growth? If they are able to do this for a plant, could this explain the remarkable benefits that humans are deriving from the use of the Mineral Manna and the Sacred Clay?
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