Ready for your Tomatoes?

They are ready for you!

We started our tomatoes in January and they are now transplanted into gallon pots, ready to find their home in your garden.

We are selling 10 variety of tomato plants each week at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market (7:00am-1:00pm)

We'll also be at the Master Gardeners Fair at the Rodeo Grounds this weekend Saturday May 2 (9:00am-3:00pm).  This is by far the best place to buy your vegetable, herb and flower starts.  It's a free event with free workshops (see: http://sfmga.org/garden-fair)

Plants are also available for pickup at the farm on appointment 505-796-6006
 
$7 each, or 3 for $18  

 

Seed Balls making party Thursday April 23, 3:00-6:00pm

 












   

Please join us this coming Thursday afternoon April 23 from 3:00-6:00pm for our seed ball making party.  Bring your kids.

We plan to spread hundreds of seed balls in the area between the farm fence and the Arroyo trail to turn that area into a feast for the eyes and the bees.

A Seed Ball is a marble sized ball made of clay, earth, and seeds that is used to replant areas where the natural flora has been destroyed. Also, referred to as seed bombs for guerrilla gardening, who first developed how to make seed balls is a bit of a mystery. Some say it originated in Egypt while others claim Japan or Greece, but the important thing is that the native plant seed ball has now been used around the world to reseed land that has been abused by man or by Mother Nature herself.

Before the development of the native plant seed ball, reseeding some natural areas was difficult. The traditional method of broadcasting seed comes with several major drawbacks. The seed is sown on top of the soil where it may be baked dry by the sun, blown away by the wind, washed away by heavy rains, or nibbled away by birds or other small wildlife. Very little is left to germinate and grow.

Making seed balls addresses all of these problems. These clay balls protect the seed from the heat of the sun. They’re heavy enough to be unaffected by the wind or heavy rains and the hard clay casing deters animal nibblers as well.

Why Seed Balls Work

In dry areas, the shape of the ball actually gives enough shade to conserve moisture. The seeds begin to germinate and the ball breaks apart. The small pile of crumbles provides the start for the root system, but is still heavy enough to anchor the emerging seeds to the ground.

The small leaves of the new plants provide enough shade for the soil to conserve more moisture. The plants then mature and produce their own seeds and provide shelter once the second generation seeds fall to the ground. The seeding and regrowth continues until complete plant cover is achieved. Making seed ball gives nature the extra boost it needs to make things right.

Please park on our side of the street.  If you bring a dog, it needs to be on a leash at all times.

Aerated Compost Tea-Probotics for the Soil

Our Compost Tea Brewer

WHAT IS COMPOST TEA?
Compost Tea is a naturally aerated liquid solution brewed in a compost tea brewer that is teeming with beneficial microorganisms (all species of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi) and soluble nutrients extracted from compost.  The aeration in Compost Tea creates optimum levels of oxygen for growth and reproduction of beneficial aerobic microorganisms. Compost teas are now being produced and used in large-scale agriculture, viticulture, horticulture, nurseries, lawn care, and residential gardens.

HOW IS OUR COMPOST TEA MADE?
The quality of the tea is only as good as the compost used to make it.  We use our own worm castings made at the farm because of their highly diverse microbial composition.
 

15lbs of fresh worm castings are brewed in a 55 gal drum of well water.   Organic apple juice, organic kelp and humic acid* are added to the mix.  An electric bubbler runs air through the tea for 48-72 hours.  The combination of sugars from the apple juice, kelp, humic acid and oxygen help the microorganisms and fungi multiply in the tea. 

We bottle our tea at 6:00am on Sat. before the Farmers Market.   Compost Tea is highly perishable and must be used within 6 hours to preserve its microbial qualities

BENEFITS OF COMPOST TEA
•    Improve plant nutrition by increasing nutrient availability in the root system
•    Increase plant growth as a result of protecting foliage with beneficial organisms, preventing disease-causing organisms from weakening the plant
•    Increase plant growth as a result of improving nutrient retention in the soil, and reduce fertilizer use
•    Reduces water loss and improves the water retention of the soil thereby reducing the need for frequent watering
•    Improve and build a better soil structure

DIRECTIONS FOR APPLYING COMPOST TEA
Compost tea is a biologically active liquid concentrate that is very perishable. It should be used as soon as possible after bottling. The millions of live microorganisms in the tea use up available oxygen very quickly in the confines of a small container where they can go dormant. Our goal is to put as many active organisms as possible back into the soil or onto the leaf surface, so apply the compost tea as soon as you arrive home.
Compost tea is normally applied at the rate of five gallons of concentrate per acre.
 
As a soil drench, we recommend 2-3 applications during the growing season. Beneficial organisms can't live long on the leaf surface, so foliar applications should be made every 10 days during periods of high disease pressure.

* Humic Acid is a principal component of humic substances, which are the major organic constituents of soil (humus), peat, coal, many upland streams, dystrophic lakes, and ocean water. It is produced by biodegradation of dead organic matter. When applied to clay soils, humic acid can help break up compacted soils, allowing for enhanced water penetration and better root zone growth and development. When applied to sandy soils, humic acid adds essential organic material necessary for water retention thus improving root growth and enhancing the sandy soil's ability to retain and not leach out vital plant nutrients.  Today, there is a recognized and increasing use of humic acids for their beneficial impact on the growth and cultivation of crops (vegetable & non-vegetable), citrus, turf, flowers, and particularly in organically-deficient soils. Humic acid is not a fertilizer as it does not directly provide nutrients to plants, but is a compliment to fertilizer. Benefits include:

•    Addition of organic matter to organically-deficient soils
•    Increase root vitality
•    Improved nutrient uptake
•    Increased chlorophyll synthesis
•    Better seed germination
•    Increased fertilizer retention
•    Stimulate beneficial microbial activity
•    Healthier plants and improved yields


NOW SELLING COMPOST TEA and EARTH WORMS
  
Starting tomorrow Sat. April 18 at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market (8:00AM-1:00PM) we'll be selling Compost Tea ($8/gal or $3/quart) and Earth Worms ($13/quart)
You can also come to the farm on Friday afternoon to get your compost tea.  ($1 off if you bring your own gallon jug) Please call ahead of time.

We only bring a small amount of compost tea due to its highly perishable nature.  If you want some, please email poki@nodilus.org to reserve your jug.