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Index
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Introduction
The Soil & Its Inhabitants
Chapter 1: Plants
Plants Love Music
How Plants Eat and Breathe
How Plants Survive
Soil, Water, Air, Temperature and Light
Air
Temperature
Which Nutrients Do Plants Need?
Nutrient Access Versus Nutrient Quantity
Summary
Chapter 2: The Soil Dwellery
What They Need
Bacteria
Fungi
Protists
Animals
Cooperation and Competition
Summary
Chapter 3: All About Soil
Soil Formation
Soil Texture
Soil Texture Triangle
Soil Structure
Fertility
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
Nutrient-Holding Capacity
pH
Organic Matter
Summary
Chapter 4: Soil & Plant Testing
Look at the Soil
pH
Soil Biology
Plant Testing
Summary
Chapter 5: Soil Nutrient Testing
When to Test
How to Take a Soil Sample for a Lab
Choosing a Soil Lab
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
Base Saturation
Anions
The Reams Test — My Favorite
Organic Matter, ORP, pH and ERGS
Soil Contamination
Summary
Six Steps to Creating Healthy Soil
Chapter 6: Water
Water Contamination
Our Water Supply
Collecting Rainwater
Rain Harvesting Into the Soil
Vegetation
Drip Irrigation
Providing the Right Amount of Water
Summary
Chapter 7: Organic Matter
Mulch
Landscaping Fabric
Stones
Peat Moss and Coir
Bark Mulch, Wood Chips and Sawdust
Straw, Hay and Grass Clippings
Leaves
Summary
Chapter 8: Compost
Materials
Carbon and Nitrogen
Other Materials
Activators
Manure
Buying Compost
Using Compost
Summary
Chapter 9: Making Compost
Air
Moisture
Temperature
Carbon to Nitrogen (C:N) Ratio
Building the Pile
Sheet Mulching
Summary
Chapter 10: Indoor Composting
Bokashi
Worm Composting
Summary
Chapter 11: Cover Crops
Legumes
Grasses
Companion Plants and Polycultures
Mixtures
Hairy Vetch (Legume)
Clovers (Legume)
Rye (Grass)
Annual Ryegrass (Grass)
How to Seed and Care for Cover Crops
Summary
Chapter 12: Microbial Inoculants
When to Use Microbial Inoculants
Indigenous Microorganisms
Mycorrhizal Fungi
Other Inoculants
Summary
Chapter 13: Compost Tea
Making Compost Tea
Using Compost Tea
Summary
Chapter 14: Effective Microorganisms
Making Activated EM
Using EM
Summary
Chapter 15: Supplementing Nutrients
Mineral Fertilizers
Fertilizers Derived from Plants and Animals
Blended Fertilizers
Dry Versus Liquid Fertilizers
Where to Find Fertilizers
How to Apply Fertilizers
Summary
Chapter 16: Calcium & Phosphorus
Calcium
Liquid Calcium and Micronized Calcium
Calcitic Lime (30% Calcium and 4% Magnesium — Varies)
Dolomite Lime (22% Calcium and 12% Magnesium — Varies)
Gypsum (22% Calcium and 17% Sulfur)
Phosphorus
Rock Phosphate (Mainly Phosphorus and Calcium)
Summary
Chapter 17: Other Major Nutrients
Rock Dust
Magnesium
Potassium
Greensand (5-7% Potassium)
Potassium Sulfate 0-0-50 (50% Potassium and 17% Sulfur)
Sulfur
Sodium
Nitrogen
Manure and Compost
Chilean Nitrate
Summary
Chapter 18: Synthetic Products
Pesticides
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Chemical Fertilizers
Calcium Nitrate 15-0-0 (with 19% Calcium)
Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP) 11-52-0
Phosphoric Acid (75-85% Phosphoric Acid)
Ammonium Sulfate 21-0-0 (24% Sulfur)
Growth Versus Fruiting
Summary
Chapter 19: Biostimulants & Micronutrients
Sea Minerals (Ocean Water)
Kelp
Fish
Unsulfured Molasses and Other Sugars
Humates
Soil Conditioner
Yucca
Hydrogen Peroxide
Enzymes and Vitamins
Specific Micronutrients
How to Apply
Summary
Chapter 20: Energy
Why We Need Energy in the Soil
Energy Released per Gram of Soil (ERGS)
Paramagnetism
Biodynamics
Radionics
Summary
Garden Action Strategies
Chapter 21: Plant Predators & Weeds
Insects
Diseases
Weeds
Health Management
Summary
Chapter 22: Weeds: A Primer
Ragweed
Quackgrass (a.k.a., couchgrass)
Purslane (a.k.a., pursley, pussley, common purslane, pursley duckweed, wild portulaca)
Hedge Bindweed (a.k.a., creeping bindweed, morning glory, climbing false buckwheat)
Lambsquarters (a.k.a., white goosefoot, pitseed goosefoot, mealweed, baconweed, wild spinach, white pigweed, fat hen, frostbite, chou grass, muckweed, dungweed)
Common Burdock
Dandelion (a.k.a., blowball, lion's tooth, puffball, milk witch, yellow gowan, witch gowan, door-head clock, cankerwort, common dandelion)
Crabgrass
Yellow Nutsedge
Redroot Pigweed (a.k.a., green pigweed, Chinaman's greens, careless weed, green amaranth, redroot, rough pigweed)
Chickweed (a.k.a., common chickweed, starwort, starweed, winterweed, satin flower)
Chapter 23: Amending Soil
How to Improve Heavy Clay or Sandy Soil
Making Your Own Potting Mix
To Till or Not to Till
Summary
Chapter 24: Garden Health Management Plan
Health Management Program
Case Studies
Happy Growing
Bibliography
Resources
Soil Testing Labs
Products
Index
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