A Gardener's Retreat

In trying to figure out ways to enrich and add humus to our sandy community garden soil, I realized that without a compost source, some creativity was going to be necessary. Around the same time, I was given a copy of The Permaculture Way by Graham Bell, which inspired me with a wide array of fertilizing options.

For starters, fertilizer is more than just a chemical emulsion that you apply. Chemical fertilizer may provide a cheap shot of “nutrition” for your plants but it won’t do anything for your soil, except possibly kill it. Real fertilizing is more about the soil itself — creating healhty, living soil full of microorganisms and organic matter. You can’t get that out of a bottle, and that’s why learning about soil amendment and natural plant food is so important. In The Permaculture Way, Graham Bell throws out a variety of ideas, most of them cheap and easy to make use of.

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