Ecological Gardening

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Ecological Gardening

• Presented by Marc Landry CEPIT
• Organik Touch

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Notion

• Soil
• Characteristics
• Thickness of the deposit
• Organic matter (humus)
• Rock content ( gt 2 mm gravel, stones, rocks)
• Texture (lt 2 mm limon, argile, sand)
• Ionic exchange capacity

Did you know ? The soil in our region was formed
more than 225 millions years ago!
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Factors that influences the development of the
soil

• Climate (temperature and precipitation)
• Action of the humus
• Fauna / Flora / Human
• Origine of the deposit

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Influence of the soil on plants

• Exchanges between the soil and plants
• pH
• Available elements
• Disponibility of water and air
• Temperature

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Plant needs

• Source of water
• Soil (pH, organic matter, nutriants in minimal
  quantity, minimal compaction)
• Temperature
• Sun
• Air

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pH

• The pH is a limitant factor and influences the
  disponibility of some elements and make other
  toxic
• Ideal pH for most plants is 6.5
• Affect biological activity in the soil

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Roles of major elements

• Nitrogen
• Growth and formation of chlorophylle
• Phosphorus
• Root system, general process in the plant and
  development of fruits and flowersFruits et
  fleurs, catalyseur, protection, transport
• Potassium
• Fruits and flower and general plant functions

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How to control some factors

• Soil structure organic matter
• Plant Nutrition - maximise fertilizer
  applications
• Plant Type - rustic, growth period, disease
  resistance
• Water - minimise water loss with compost and
  mulch
• pH - neutralise the soil to favor biological
  acticity and exchanges of the elements
• Soil Temperature constant temperature with
  organic matter and mulch will favor plant
  development
• Timing- minimise risk and other dangers (forst,
  insectes, minimum temperature)

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Fertilizers and uses

• Fertilizers are supplements that you add to the
  soil to provide better growing conditions for the
  plants
• Fertilizers can not substitute organic matter
• They need to be manage properly
• How can we identify fertilizers and how to use
  them efficiently (type, water soluble, length of
  release)

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Biological fertilizers

• Green Fertilizers
• Alflafa, clover, soja that can be planted
  directly in the soil and turned directly in the
  soil
• This method add organic matter and help to fix
  certain elements in the soil

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• Granulare and liquid fertilizers
• Nitrogen (feather meal, powder or fish emulsion)
• Phosphorus (rock phosphate and bone meal)
• Potassium (mica)
• SulPoMag
• Algea emulsion
• Mineral Rock (bio rock, basalte)
• Lime
• dolomitic (Mg) and calcic

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When to use fertilizers ?

• Transplantation
• Critical feeding period
• Fast growth, root development, fruits/flowers,
  dormancy
• Completes Organic matter
• Increase performance and resistance of plants

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Feeding Cycles of plants

• Spring (early June)
• When the soil temperature is constant (5oC) you
  can start adding fertilizers
• Fast growth period needs nitrogen
• Minerals
• Organic matter
• Mulch

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• Summer (end of June end of August)
• Constant nitrogen need
• Phosphorus and potassium demand increases rapidly
  
• Minerals help to minimize chocks due to heat and
  drought
• Organic matter

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• Fall (September - October)
• Plant nutrition decrease rapidly
• Nitrogen needs decreases
• Phosphorus and potassium demand constant
• Constant mineral needs
• Add lime
• Organic matter