How to Bring Minerals Back Into the Soil and Food Supply. Dr. MercolaWaking Times There are now many studies clearly documenting that if you eat processed foods, you’re being exposed to toxic herbicides. These toxic chemicals have been found in everything from breast milk to umbilical cords and placentas. This of course means that children are now born with a chemical burden unknown to previous generations. What are some of the relatively unknown consequences of this exposure?
In this interview, Dr. August Dunning, chief science officer and co-owner of Eco Organics, helps answer this important question. While contraindicated for citrus, these mineral extracts can do “miracles” for most flowering plants, fruits, and vegetables. “We tried some of these ocean minerals on some roses in the backyard of her house in Bakersfield, California.
Eventually, his interest in organic gardening led him to evaluate glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s broad spectrum herbicide Roundup. Glyphosate Use Has Rapidly Increased Disease Rates Dr. Alternative Soil Amendments. DIY Soil Acidity Test. Using Multi-Species to Improve Soil Health. Soil texture by feel. Balancing Soil Using Organic Minerals. Soil Fertility Fertile soil is a mixture of well-balanced minerals, high organic matter, humus, humic, fulvic and carbonic acids, good aeration and bountiful soil life. The biology or life in the soil is at its healthiest when the nutrients are plentiful and balanced, and there is sufficient oxygen and water. The top few inches of soil is the most vital, holding about 70% of the life and 70% of the organic matter. Below 6 inches the roots are feeding on mostly soluble nutrients since the micro-organisms are not able to thrive without sufficient oxygen.
Compost The best and cheapest organic fertilizer is compost. Taking a Soil Sample The aerobic zone is usually only 6-7” deep and should be all you need to sample for annual crops. Reading the Soil Test There are many labs around the country that give soil results. Organic Matter (O.M.) Phosphorus Phosphorus is most important in the storage and transfer of energy in the plant. Potassium Potassium is a regulator of metabolic activities. Magnesium. BioChar. While none of the techniques listed below approach industrial scale, they are illustrative and engaging ways to make small amounts of charcoal for experimentation. In developing world scenarios, biochar will most likely be made in small amounts using simple techniques like these. Over time, vast areas of soil can be regenerated in places of the world where it is needed the most to ensure food security.
If you'd like to contribute a design, please email us at info@carbonzero.ch. Thanks! The CarbonZero team has constructed a simple closed retort kiln using an insulated firebrick enclosure designed for a 200 liter steel barrel as a retort. Folke Gunther demonstrates how to construct and use a simple biochar kiln made from two metal barrels with ample images and explanations here. This article by Gary Gilmore contains a wealth of basic information for newcomers to charcoal making, and explains how to construct and use another simple two barrel kiln with a retort and afterburner here.