Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Oh my gosh!  I am THRILLED that Lee is being featured!  He is one of the most ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS people that I know. 

Lee has two FANTASTIC DVD's available:  ”Organic Gardening Made Easy” and “The Organic Tomato.”  I bought them for my husband's birthday and we watched them (several tims) together.  They are informative and extremely user-friendly.  So much so, that my husband has already started building the raised beds and a compost bin.

Lee is generous with his information and clear, concise and articulate in his delivery style.  His interaction and contributions within the Gaia Community are always positive, uplifting, constructive and healing.  I am so looking foward to this feature!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee and I hold hand and share a common bliss.
May I begin the party with Salutations to Sun, the life giver please

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

it is so nice to see Lee being featured here. I look forward to reading more as the days progress, and the garden party grows :-) Well deserved recognition I think :-)

xo
Leigh-Anne

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Laurie, I'm delighted to see you here. Thank you for showing how Lee's tapes can inspire us to action.  I  smiled happily  when you had requested a few days ago,  that Lee be featured in this group. Your thinking was in line with ours and it all came together.

Eli, thank you for the sun salutation. I found a video for it. It's specially apt for this feature, as Jabakusum, that it mentions, is the hibiscus flower.

Leigh-Anne, thank you so  much for coming by. You have such beautiful photos on your profile pages, and I hope you will share some of them here as well.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hibiscus-lime sun tea, anyone?

There's more in this little corner of our garden.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Meenakshi, Laurie, Eli, Leigh-Anne,and all of you that are coming to this “garden fest”.  This is just amazing to me & I am grateful for the opportunity of serving you.  You have picked my favorite iced tea, Hibiscus-lime setting in a garden with the same colored table cloth Melissa, my wife & I use. I feel virtually at home.  More guests are arriving & there are some questions to answer, as well as the opportunity to ask you a few things.  By the end of this feature we will all receive & gain more knowledge & inspiration about organic gardening.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

oh neat! this makes me think of the Sustainable ..something or other course here at college! i bet that would interest everyone here. now i just wish i remembered what it was called!

awesome that you are being featured Lee! rock on dude!

Namaste,
Suni

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

I love your reminder of 'Victory Gardens,' Lee… it's something I was just talking about recently with some other folks at the office; that is, how many people I've met this past summer who started growing their own food for the first time, and how I couldn't think of anything like this since the same thing happened around World War II. It's been so inspiring to witness, and so empowering–I'd always been under the impression that growing your own food was something time-and-energy intensive and that you'd not get more than a salad or so out of the project, but over the past few months I've learned the problem comes closer to too-much and too-many greens rather than too few!

Again, thank you for being such wise mentor and a brilliant inspiration. :)

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thanks so much Siona for empowering all of us. Gardens have been a part of my life from my earliest memories of picking strawberries with my grandpa in his Victory Garden when I was 3 years old.  And the Tomatoes!  I still enjoy some strawberries now and then, but tomatoes I've craved year round all my life.  There was a period of about 20 years when because of career and location, I had no garden at all.  I'd begun to despair that I'd never again have the flavor of a Tomato.  I began to think that my memory played tricks on me, that they were never really as good as I remembered them being.

Twenty-six years ago, when we first had a place I could have a garden again, the first thing I planted was tomatoes.  I got tomatoes that first year–none we could eat.  The plants were probably what passes as “average,” but that I later discovered were actually stunted runts.  The tomatoes?  Every one of them, had blossom end rot.  Not one of them, not even a taste of one of them, was edible.

If I ever hoped to taste another Tomato, I had to learn more than I thought there was to know about soil and gardening.  I studied everything I could find, every book, every article available on organic gardening.  I read every morning, before sun-up for 2-3 hours before going to work.  By the following spring I was ready!  And the study paid off!  It was a bonanza of every vegetable I planted.  At last I knew that my memory was indeed perfect–Tomatoes have flavor!

Over the last 25 years I've pretty much categorized gardeners:  1) Gardeners, 2) Wanna-be gardeners who would be if they had some space, and 3) People who want to want to be gardeners, but can't get interested.

I can't help group 3).  One either has the interest or he doesn't.  Per hundreds of wonderful e-mails, I've helped group 1) substantially.  I've shown group 2) that you don't need a half acre of land in order to have some fresh vegetables.
I've learned over the past 25 years, the most important thing I know about the food most people can buy today, is that it's pretty much devoid of any nutrition at all.  Organically grown and picked this morning, any vegetable you eat for dinner tonight is going to be a taste sensation that you, like the 3 yr. old and the Tomatoes from grandpa's garden, will always pursue.
Respectfully, Lee O'Hara
www.organichomegardener.com

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Wow, that tea is YUMMY!!!!

I totally resonate with all this. I've had a couple of gardens in my life, but not the benefit of a teacher/tutor.

Last house I lived in had a patch of yard that could have been used as a garden, but (luckily) the landlord told me that section had had a lot of weedkillers put on it in past years, so that was the end of that !!!!!

One of the things that distresses me about gardening these days is the poisoning of nearly all the seeds that are available. Most people don't realize what seeds are coated with, or how genetically modified they can be without labelling. Pure seeds are challenging to find and worth their weight in gold, these days, that's my impression.

Could you comment on these matters, Lee?? We are so lucky to have you here. I hope many people are inspired to create gardens, after this Feature.

Blessings, OM Bastet

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi OM,  This are two places I recommend others to buy seeds called The Garden of Eaden. & Peaceful Valley. I wrote an article about  quick start seeds . We don't use the modified versions.  It is important to be aware of where your seeds come from.

Thanks for bringing up not planting in toxic soil.  There is a remedy for that which starts with planting legumes and not harvesting them, but to dig them back into the soil to feed it. Adding other nutrients back into the soil, the worms and microorganisms will help clean up the the toxins.  Gardeners call it green manure.  Buying top soil and building raised beds in the area you are going to garden works.  As we go through this feature, I will talk more about the soil.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Dear Lee, dropping by to give you a big hug and to leave lots of love for you in your feature this week! And of course a picture :)

Happy Sunday,

Nicole

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

I am honored to be a small part of this feature. Laurie, you made my day. Thanks so much. Lee calls me his virtual gardener & I call him the Tiger Woods of gardening.  I can attest that he is one of the best teachers in this area.  When I started working with him filming 7 years ago, I knew nothing about gardening. After putting together the films & winning 3 awards from film festivals, I shifted to a new level knowing that this would be a pure validation of his works. Now I know that showing each generation how to do this skill, WILL feed the world.  I look forward to all of his answers and will make certain to point out other groups covering eco on Gaia to incorporate a lot of other viewpoints.

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I was unfamiliar with the term “Organic Garden” so I looked up the net and found THIS link. An interesting sentence caught my attention “Organic gardening doesn't mean you have to share your apples with the worms, but you will probably have less than pristine looking plants and produce.”

When I was a child, we lived in a small town and had plenty of spare garden space. My father had hired a gardener and I would often work with him after my school hours. I saw how he helped the plants and trees with home-made nutrients, which, in Hindi, is called “Khaad”. Much of animal wastes, plant wastes, cow dung etc were used. I was told that this is a standard method of gardening and agriculture in rural India.

As I grew up and as India developed (?) agriculturally, I now see tomatoes which don't even resemble the shape of tomatoes which I had been familiar with, and these are available in all seasons (we had to wait for tomato season to get tomatoes then). I see some JUMBO size vegetables and fruits which I could not have even imagined and I am told these are “hybrid” variety, and I ask myself “where can I get a non-hybrid variety?” It seems the non-hybrif stuff and the traditional gardening and agriculture (organic gardening) is lost in antiquity…

Not many in India can afford to own their own garden, so perhaps we must settle for these non-organic stuff, sadly.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee, 

Welcome! It is good to meet you, and see you work and the service you do for yourself and the world around! Thank you for that… 
I know Laurie thinks very highly of you and has shared about you many times, she is not usually wrong when it comes to her sharing of the wondrous people and events/opportunity for us to grow and be inspired…
I am looking to be inspire by your gifts… 
My intention has been to plant and grow and garden, we have a small one, just not very motivated, (this year)… I rather just harvest and make wondrous meals out of the garden but before that photograph them… Let someone else do the work… Hmmm? 

Lee, I look forward to the adventure…

I am Love, Jeff

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Wow, I'm really enjoying all the sharing in this thread. Lots of gardens coming into this thread, and wonderful friends.

Lee, thank you for that experience with your  grandfather. It reminded me of my experience with mine. I was introduced to vegetable gardening from my grandfather also–not so much the 'how to' as the wordless wonder of going into the back of the house and plucking vegetables from the garden to eat raw! My parents followed the tradition in whichever home we went to.
I was really kicked when I saw the end of that DVD that you've made, and saw that it was you, ~KES!!
Bhatta, you know, even in American we have cow manure. I felt really sad to hear how in India also vegetables aren't organically grown. Lee, I too would like to know how to get really good seeds as you have enthused me to going back to vegetable gardening.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Good Morning… I am at the laptop on my picnic table in the garden.  Thanks for joining me on this lovely warm day in Los Angeles.

Gia ”You are a gift to the world!” Back at you!  We love the energy you bring us from Italy.  Thanks for the beautiful vase with fresh flowers to share here!!! You coordinate well with Meenakshi's decor.

Nicole Thank you for the big hug!  I needed it… you have so much energy to spare and I love the flowers that match perfectly with our Gaia frame.

Bhatta Could you upload a picture of the soil in your area for us to see?  Or a yard that one could potentially plant some vegetables in? It would be interesting to know the recipe for “Khaad”. Thanks for finding that link as it is quite helpful. The word organic came from Greek meaning natural sources or the best fodder. I show in my dvd how to do everything from the soil up to keep your garden with no chemicals or pesticides to insure what you are feeding your family is truly fresh.  I spend less than $500 a year on my gardens which could easily feed a family of four.  I can send you directions on how to get started on a small raised bed for much less.  Sorry to hear of the tomatoes… There is simply no excuse.  We can help change that by educating people on the correct approach.  It is healthier to eat organic.  Are there special farmer's markets in your area?

Jeff WOW!!! Now that's a tomato!  If I could photograph like that, I would grow a garden just to put a frame around that, hang it in the kitchen as I am enjoying a salad.  Hang in there… we will get you motivated once more.  It is a plus that you have a place to grow.  What veggies do you like?  For a small area, I recommend lettuce, potatoes, zucchini… but let me know your favorites!  You must take more photos of food.  You put spirit into your photos and they just shine!

Meenakshi Thanks for mentioning ~KES/Kathy!  I wouldn't have found Gaia without her, nor have any films to share.  I am grateful for the friendship. I haven't tried ganth gobhi mentioned on your blog.  This is something I love about these features.  We keep learning from each other.  I like the manure site. I feel that no matter where you live on the planet, it is important to develop a relationship with your nursery. Ask what is in the things you buy, and if in doubt ask where they get supplies to insure things are organic.

If something is new I test out the products for soil in just one of my raised beds first.  I don't use Miracle Grow as it acts more like an anchor for your plants rather than feeding them or the soil. If earthworms won't stay in your garden, that is a sign of chemicals or pesticides that were toxic.

I am putting together something on Word just now on the seeds so that from my latest research I can give you accurate data… more than just from my website.

Thanks again & again for this wonderful chat.  I will check back after I go read your blogs as well.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee wrote above and ask of me :



We really did not focus on the garden much this year because we had a ground hog that eat everything if we did not keep our eyes on it… so this year we sort of just let it go… 
There is mostly herbs, basil, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, different varities of thyme, lemon and original. 
I would like tomatoes, pepper, green & chile peppers, cucumbers, lettuces, greens, etc… but I would really like to work more with the herbs, for healing and teas, etc…
Thank you for your praise of the photo! 

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thanks Jeff,
I am scrolling around to find all of you… typical of gardens which are like a maze.
The only natural pesticide that stops ground hogs is Juicy Fruit gum. [PLEASE OPEN LINKS IN A NEW WINDOW SO NOT TO LEAVE THIS SITE.]  Chew a pack and spit it out in the hole or have your gardener do this while making sure they don't use anything toxic on your sacred gardening ground..  You have displayed another culinary delightful photograph!  I hope Gaiam hires you some day for their corporate site.  You are pure magic capturing life.
Regards to you,
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee - We are at HolEssence this morning setting up for a Radiesthesia workshop that I'm going to teach this afternoon.  I've read Len the comments up to this point and he's asked me to ask you the following questions.  As you can tell, I'm in a supervisory category while he's moving the heavy stuff and setting up chairs (tee hee) …

We have started our raised beds.  Our concern is that the soil we have may not be the right composition.  We have no idea what is – or is not – in it.  How do we test the soil so that we know what to add?

And/or …

Do we add nutrients based on what will be planted in a specific bed?

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Laurie,

I'm sure I received this too late to help the immediate problem, and I apologize for the that.

Soil and Composition:  Without seeing the soil, I can give you a universal truth about garden soil–The more organic matter you have or can add, the better the soil will be.  I've never tested my soil for nutrients.  There are test kits that you can buy, in fact I have one in the basement that I bought with the best of intentions-but have never used, and probably never will.  You can also send samples to a Dept. of Ag. office in your local area to have tested.  The problem with that is that it's expensive, and they'll tell you what chemicals to add.  I have nothing but contempt for the advocacy of adding chemicals to soil.  The only test I've ever made on my soil is whether or not it produces great vegetables. The answer always being 'yes,' is all the test that matters. 

My best suggestion is that your soil is adequate, but it needs loads of organic matter–compost, alfalfa hay or meal, dried leaves, coffee grounds, trimmings from any organic vegetables you might use, etc.  I also add bone meal, kelp meal and blood or fish meal, in amounts suggested on the containers.

If you do the above, I think your soil composition will be as perfect as it can be, and the test that matters will be how beautiful are the vegetables it grows?  And they will be.  There's much talk about pH.  Most vegetables will create the pH they need.  I've never checked that either.  If they have lots of organic matter, they're magnificent life forms.  They can take care of themselves if they're healthy.  All they need to be healthy is what I've outlined above, and on the DVD's.

You'll do just fine, Laurie, and I appreciate the questions!  Please let me know how it goes?
Best Regards,
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Ah, I see that you have answered the question about seeds in your reply to OM above, Lee.

Recommendation to readers - To see all posts in this thread, please set the setting to newest first. 

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

A sprouting cabinet for organic sprouts and organic peppers. Self Watering systems.

A good season : - )

Daniel

Thanks for the ongoing tips!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Meenakshi & Laurie… We are going to a quick soccer game of my grandson & I will be back in a few hours to answer you properly.  Thanks!  I will keep up… Keep 'em coming.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

I have more data on seeds as my other answer was a bit rushed.

The seed dilema is, I'm starting to understand, an important issue.  I buy nearly all my seeds from www.groworganic.com The link above  The Garden of Eaden
is the other one I use when I can't find what I want from Peaceful Valley

Much has been said about hybrid seeds, treated seeds, etc., and some of it is partially true.  If we consider that virtually every plant on earth has been genetically modified over the millenia, it might help focus on more real issues. 

The horror stories we used to read about the lab boys crossing halibut with cabbage, tomatoes with tuna, or whatever were true.  They did try those experiments.  All of them dismal failures.  Some of the less evil experiments did work, such as adding Bacillus Thurengiensis, Kurstaki strain, (BTK) to corn.  The first year it was done, 30% more corn was harvested and the price of corn and corn products plummeted.  What is BTK?  It's a bacteria that is virtually harmless to the environment or any other living thing than moth and butterfly larvae..  It's approved for use in Certified Organic vegetable growing. 

Corn ear worms are the larvae of a variety of moth or butterfly, and they're the ones you find–or found when you shucked a fresh ear of corn.  It had eaten some portion, or all, the ear of corn from the silk end on down.  Since they started using that seed, I've not had one ear of corn damaged at all.  If it weren't in the seed, I would have had to spray my corn and be very certain to get every ear treated.  I buy Certified Organic seeds from www.groworganic.com, or from local nurseries. 

When I can get quality seeds.  I won't accept inferior products or seeds just because they're organic.  Purely organic, unmodified seeds and vegetables are only going to be as good as the soil.  I'll compete my purely organically grown, standard heirloom vegetables against the chemical guys any time–for size, flavor, lack of insect or pest damage, vitamin and mineral content, shelf life, or anything else.  The soil you create and continue to create, is the key to healthy plants.  And what is “heirloom”?  It used to mean a variety of vegetable that had been being grown for 100 years or more.  Today it means only 50 years or more.

I buy organic seeds of heirlooms, absolutely, when possible.  But I won't buy them if I feel I'm being taken advantage of over some overblown scary “news” report that turns out to have been knowingly falsely reported.
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Lee and Meenakshi,

I have been asked by my revered Guruji, Swami Eli, to post the translation of the Sanskrit Sholka which he mentioned (Surya Pranaam Mantra).

I feel humbled. Here is the translation:

 “Om Jabakusum sankasyang Kashayapeyang mahadutyim
Dhantaring sarbapapeghnya, pranatahashmi Dibakaram”

Jaba = the hibiscus flower, Kusum = the yellow pollen of the flower, sankash = near, resembling
Thus “Jabakusum sankasyang” Means one whose radiance resembles the bright color of the hibiscus pollen grains

In Hindu mythology, Sage Kashyap is considered to be father of Sun- thus “Kashayapeyang” means Son of Sage Kashyap.

Maha = great, huge, immense, dyuti = brilliance, brightness, Thus “mahadutyim” means one with immense brightness/brilliance

Dhant = darkness (symbolically ignorance) Ari = enemy, destroyer, Thus “Dhantaring” means He who destroys all darkness

Sarva = All,  papeghnya = destroyer of all sins (pap=sin), Thus sarbapapeghnya means one who destroys all sins
Pranat = to bow, to salute asmi = Myself, I, me, Thus “pranatahashmi” means I bow, I salute
Dibakaram = another Vedic name of Sun (again a combination of two words which mean One who gives us daylight)

So put together, here is an approximate translation:

OM, I humbly bow and salute Him whose color resembles the pollen grains of the hibiscus flower, the brilliantly shining son of Sage Kashyap, who is the destroyer of all evil darkness, ignorance and sins, Sun the life and daylight giver.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thanks for this translation Bhatta!  What a beautiful opening with more meaning than ever.  That is brilliant that you speak that language too.  Reading these conversations makes me feel like we are under the sun, drinking special tea enjoying the warmth of all.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee - did you build that sprouting cabinet as well?? what a brilliant idea. I can smell the wood from here. I am going to explore some options for building a cabinet for my new home. The vegetables from my garden this year are going to the nutrition program that we run for the children at work - we feed 100 + children a hot dinner each night… hard to get people to donate fresh veggies! I think with a sprouting cabinet I will be able to expand the garden considerably :-)

Meenakshi - some flowers from my garden for you :-)

love this garden party - off to watch the video link now Lee!
xo
la

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Leigh-Anne


Hawkeye's the man behind the sprouting cabinet for organic sprouts.  


The program to feed 100 children nightly is perfect.  I hope this gets documented so we can pass such an idea onward to the world too.  That would be a good thing for the “Grow Your Own Lunch” programs that schools put in for the students.


mmmmmmm…  you captured their beauty in these eye candy flowers.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Leigh-Anne,

Okay, I've just added you to my list of Heroes!  Thank you for your great service!

I'm afraid I'm very spoiled with being able to grow vegetables of some kind on a year round basis, so I've never gotten into sprouting.  For your location, and for what you do, nothing could be more ideal.  The incomparable nutrition the kids will get from the sprouts will help them not only today, but will set them on the road to understanding not only their own bodies, but is a major step toward the probability they'll develop good lifelong eating habits.

I wish you every success, and I applaud your purpose!

Best Regards,

Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Ah, the amazing earthworm has made its appearance! Thanks for this gem, Lee.

“If earthworms won't stay in your garden, that is a sign of chemicals or pesticides that were toxic.”

What if we just don't see earthworms in our garden- what do we do?[though I can in mine, fortunately, there aren't as many as I would have thought]
And if I plan to have container gardening, do I still need earthworms?

Images - cute one - cuter one!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Meenakshi,

That's not necessarily always true so I wish to add more.  Generally, the kinds of toxic chemicals sold for household use will lose their toxicity in about 3 months.  Worms will go where there's food.  Chemicals will drive them away, for sure, but after 3 months or so, they'll come back.  If you load your soil with compost and organic matter, that will speed the process of the worms returning in great numbers.  I don't suggest buying worms.  Those that are in your soil are well adjusted to your area.  Worms: introduced worms from another area may or may not thrive, or even survive in your area.  I think over 1,500 species have been identified, and not all do well in every environment.

Sure, worms are extremely important to any kind of gardening.  They make holes for air circulation around the roots, provide holes for water, and keep the soil loose.  They're also an ongoing source of nitrogen, with their castings containing 5 times as much nitrogen as contained in the organic matter they ingested.

Good luck, and Best Regards,
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee, I smile deeply as I read through your feature. I remember the first time we connected and you sent me a long email about getting started with my gardening on Mayne Island. We now have the green house ready to install on a shelf near the bottom of our property where we have full sun - all the pieces have been specially designed, cut and delivered for assembly. We will get manure delivered from our neighbour and if all goes well - we will be planting in the early spring (we still need to get the water cisterns installed).

Your knowledge and generosity are so much appreciated… I feel extremely fortunate to have you as part of my community and as a resource to refer other gardening enthusiast. Going beyond gardening though - it is your vibrancy and compassion that inspires me. I know the two are connected but I wanted to ensure that you know how much you offer that goes beyond “the sprout.”

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Terrill,

I remember our earlier e-mails.  I'm glad to hear from you again. I hope all is going smoothly for you & David.  Thank you so much for the wonderful comments!  I hope I deserve such compliments.  We all look forward to you posting a picture of the green house & surrounding areas. I have built on hillsides too. I attached a shot Kathy took from the street looking down on my roof. Please don't hesitate to let me know how I might be of assistance at planting time! By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Bringing you the red balloon to honor you.

Very Best Regards,

Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

I am so happy to see you honored here, Lee. 

My family made a decision to eat organically, whenever possible, when I became pregnant with my older son, now 8.  Both of my children were breastfed for over a year.  

My cat, however, refuses to eat the organic canned cat foods and so, we are stuck with the conventional kind.  I do manage to get the cats - both indoors and out (and the possums and raccoons) to eat the dry foods that are “natural” and have meat as the first ingredient.

This year we have a very minimal garden, cherry or grape tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers.  We have alot of wild berries that ripen in season, where we live.  Right now we have Autumn Olives - full of lycopene and Vitamin C.  Soon, we'll have PawPaws - a mango-like fruit.

We buy beef from a local grass fed producer; and all other meat and fish from Whole Foods Market in St Louis, 2 or 3 times a month on average.  I also buy most of my other organic foods there.  I have definitely noticed a difference in taste with Bananas and Apples.  The flavor of organic produce is richer.

I am happy that you go about spreading the word, 
and I am happy to have made your acquaintance,
thanks to KES and to Gaia.

Deb

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thanks deb for the warm welcome and generous note.  You have a very healthy array of fruit & veggies in your Missouri forest. I visualize a special basket to harvest those berries. Cats can be finicky at times. That is truly the type of thing we call marketing by word-of-mouth and from the heart.  Your children started out organic, hm!?  Very well done.  We shop at Whole Foods too and Trader Joes here in LA.  Not to be a copy cat, but quietlaughter recommended Dharma the Cat which I spent an entire hour combing their site which she posted in Happiness & Humor on Now I can see the moon. You brought me to that moment.
Best regards to you and your family,
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Lee and everybody.

I like how a true gardener knows how to take sh**t (horse manure) and turn it into something wonderful. We have lots of horses around here and the gardeners love to get their hands on that stuff.

It's been great hearing about everybody's growing experiences. Right now we just have a herb garden. I just love to cook with fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano. I mix it with my bread dough all the time.

I'm lucky in that my neighbor has a huge garden and can't eat all that it produces. We eat the overflow. :-)

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Yancey,
Right on about the natural resource!!!  My neighbor has that with me that you have with yours.  One of the greatest joys is sharing the garden with others.  Here is a picture of the raised bed i made for Melissa filled with herbs for the spaghetti sauce she makes from the tomatoes & onions I garden.  I am getting a bit hungry after reading these and will be back tomorrow.  Thanks you all for your time and contributions.
Warmly,
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

So how was the soccer game with your grandson, Lee? How fortunate to live close by and be able to be in his life. Is he learning from his grandfather what you learned from yours, I wonder?

Like Terrill, I feel that you have such a wonderful community presence on Gaia. Whenever I encounter your posts in a group, I see the way you enhance conversations, and also how you go the extra distance to bring about harmony.

Perhaps it's something to do with cultivating - gardens or communities! And somehow I keep remembering how Gaia has the intermingling of so many metaphors about gardening and growing and cultivating growing through it!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

He won… then it took a while to get to my car because someone closed the gates to where we parked so the families hiked around the park to our cars.  Good exercise.

Thanks for your kind words.  I will work to live up to them.  You sure throw a great garden party!  I do feel that by the time we are done I wouldn't be surprised if we motivate starting some gardens from meeting each other on Gaia with all of the permaculture, sustainability, eco, green groups that also cultivate here.  I will be bringing you links of other gardeners I have met from here as well so you can all share more tips from the different regions.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Lee,
You said
1. Could you upload a picture of the soil in your area for us to see?  Or a yard that one could potentially plant some vegetables in?
2. ……. Sorry to hear of the tomatoes… There is simply no excuse
3……….  Are there special farmer's markets in your area?

To reply your queries, I am going out on a photoshoot using my cell phone and I hope to capture some images…. give me 24 hours or so and I promise to take you on a visual tour.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Bhatta!  Thanks so much for translating the most sacred words from Eli.  I felt what you had expressed on his behalf.  Swami Eli gave us a tour of India
from the cellphone gallery.  I grabbed one for here to show the contrast. You will get some wonderful shots and we all look forward to your light paintings coming up of gardens & soil.  Namasté, Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

What a great party and an honor to be here.  Thank you for hosting.

I've brought some veggies  in Thai rice spring roll wraps, great for munching :)

I am hoping Lee can tell us what should NOT go in the compost pile.  I heard somewhere citrus is not good for the compost and also that corn husks are a no, no.  Is this true?

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thank you, Ohmsmom. Actually the corn husks take a very long time to break down, tying up nitrogen in the process. I wouldn't use them.  Citrus, however, is loaded with phosphorous and potassium, among other things, and I use all we have-grapefruit rinds, orange peels, lime and lemon peels in my compost. Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee -

“it needs loads of organic matter–compost, alfalfa hay or meal, dried leaves, coffee grounds, trimmings from any organic vegetables you might use, etc.  I also add bone meal, kelp meal and blood or fish meal, in amounts suggested on the containers.”

This information is precisely what we needed to hear.  We go through loads of loose tea leaves.  And we use organic eggs.  We are assuming that the used tea leaves and egg shells would be good to add to the compost bin as well - is that correct?

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Yes, Laurie, absolutely.  The egg shells are loaded with calcium and minerals.  The take a while to break down, so if you crush them up as much as you can, they'll be able to break down faster.

Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

MMmmm another wonderful party, thank you Meenakshi and Lee for hosting and the guests for adding interesting tit-bits. I have been in the city working, and came home today and thorougly enjoyed reading this thread.
   
Lee, I am fortunate to live in a river bottom with a giant spring (20 Million gallons per day) about half a mile down stream from the end of my property. Every night a fog/mist comes up stream and waters my land ,it is amazing,the trees drip and the grass is soaking wet. So as you can imagine everything grows,especially the weeds. This has brought me to the idea of raised beds….with plastic on the ground covered with mulch..

A question for you,is treated lumber going to be too toxic to use? Should I use cement blocks instead? My soil is FULL of worms,but the weeds are just overwhelming me,and I feel that I could control the raised beds better using the existing soil, which I amend with cow patties and compost in the fall and let it winter .I roto-till in the Spring….Also want to say that there is a huge movement here in the mid-west to gardening and we have a thriving Farmers Market.  

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. ….

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thank you, Ralph!  The picture you paint of your gardens make me envious!  I made some of my first beds with treated lumber many years ago, and had no problems of any kind.  I figured that anything that might be in the wood would become inert in a short time, and anything that might be released would go straight down, rather than radiate outward.  That may be completely wrong, but that was my thinking at the time.  Even the treated wood only lasted 8 years before dry rot and termites made it necessary to replace–which I did with Trex, which is a composition of plastic and hardwood sawdust.  Every time we turn your soil we destroy about 10% of our worm population.  If you can, and if it's practical, let me recommend against roto-tilling.  I've never killed a worm with my digging fork.  My soil, and no doubt yours is just as good, is very loose and very easy to turn over.

Thanks very much for your comments, Ralph!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee I found a few seconds and must just jump in here…
You never killed a worm with a digging fork?

There's a rumor that if you cut a worm in half you get two worms. I checked and it isn't true but if the wormy is cut in the right place the head will survive. Can you guess how to figure out which end is the head?

You put both ends in a bowl of flour and wait for it to fart.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

oh! we used to try that as kids.. cut the worm in half and get two. both ends seemed to be fine, wriggling around, but we were kids and didn't realize that the worm was probably in excruciating pain :(

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee, thank you for the expert answers to my question about seeds, and toxic soil. The matter of seeds is much more complex than I realized, but that's the difference between an expert and an amateur, haha!! I did a google search for “heirloom seeds” and found a lot of places, none of whom on the first 3 pages are the place I kinda remembered, perhaps I will think of the name later and ask your opinion of them. The nice thing is that google also suggests other related searches. One could easily become educated, if not careful, LOL !!!!

Folks have mentioned sprouting, and I used to do that a lot, and am soon to get back to it. A totally fabulous way of getting raw nutrition in any setting!

Sure enjoying the conversation here!

Also confirming about compost: no meat or cheese? And can compost spontaneously combust?

Blessings, OM Bastet

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Meat and cheese will breed the kind of bacteria you don't want, draw critters including mice and rats, and so no, you really shouldn't use them.  I've never had my compost combust spontaneously, but it certainly is possible.  The hottest soil I've ever seen–1st degree burns on my hands, was the year I dug in 2 lbs. of alfalfa meal per square foot of bed surface the day before planting my tomatoes.  After the first day my 7 plants were flat on the ground.  I dug into the soil with my hands to find out what was happening at the roots.  I didn't take the temperature, but it had to be close to 200 F.  If you don't stack green matter too deeply, say more than 6 inches, put an equal layer of carbon—-dried leaves, newspaper, straw, hay, etc., and keep it moist as in a wrung out sponge, you don't have anything to worry about.  The hotter it gets, the faster it will compost, but of course there is a limit.

Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Again reminding folk to set the reading setting to this AMAZING thread on newest first so that all the messages can be read. Lee, I've learned so much from the questions that our friends are asking [the value of asking questions that others may not even have thought of!] I like the natural way in which you prepare the soil - not feeling the need to test it, for instance.

I see a photo of yours with children in the vegetable garden. Do you teach classes in gardening?

And may I ask an indelicate question about compost - doesn't it smell? How is that handled so that family/neighbors don't complain?

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Not formally, Meenakshi, but I think just answering the questions that kids and guests have as they tour the gardens are lessons they'll always remember.  That's why I do the yam fests–the city kids get to do it all.

And may I ask an indelicate question about compost - doesn't it smell? How is that handled so that family/neighbors don't complain?

No, it's really not a stinking stack of stuff.  I put everything in clear plastic bags, seal them and let them sit in the sun for several days or weeks.  The green stuff builds very high heat inside the bags as it breaks down, killing any diseases, fungi, molds, etc., that may have attached to the plants at the end of their lives when they're weak and unable to fight them off.  When I open those bags–to put it my compost bin, they stick horribly!  By the end of the day, the odor is completely gone.  The only time a neighbor ever commented was when I put a big load of spent cauliflower plants in the bin without covering them or putting them first in the plastic bags.  I guess she didn't like cauliflower?  (It realllllly did stink!)

Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Oh, count me in as another huge fan of Lee's work. We watched both DVDs at Gaiam not long after starting our own organic garden out behind the building, and I couldn't believe how much we all learned from them. It's been a wonderful experience; I'm looking forward now to starting an edible garden in my own backyard next spring.

Thank you, Lee, again and again, and thank you, Meenakshi, for this fabulous feature. :)

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

I only wish I had more time to cultivate our garden. The sweet treats that spring from our hand cultivate patch has gone mostly untended…I have a personal garden that requires most of my time. I will look forward to crawling your information in detail this winter Lee.

The tomatoes did manage to come forth this year, in abundance.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thanks, Lars,  Glad your tomatoes came through!  If you have any questions as you crawl through it, please don't hesitate to send them along.  It sounds like you haven't had to work too hard at it.
Respectfully,
Lee

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Phew! Rushing in with some eats. Organic wild salad, anyone?
And my favorite - red radishes- these are from the Gaiam garden, no less! It's something I snack on thru the day [don't come near me anyone!!!!]

Siona, I loved the discussion at  the Deep Ecology:  group back when you described the Gaiam breaking ground  cearmony and Lee, you'd given information about composts - that's what I need to read up again!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Thanks for invite Meenakshi and Big Thanks Lee for giving time.   Your words are very informative, true and relative.   The direct and indirect benefits by growing fruit and veggies are immeasurable.   Intensive industrial farming is causing havoc, part destroying our Biosphere and lives.   For example, it's directly responsible for approx 30% of world CO2 emissions.    Anyone sitting on the fence, please jump into a veggie plot if possible.   For health, life and to aid Mother Nature, grow, pick, eat, share and savour.  Simply divine!

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Hi Richi, I sent you a friend invitation.  Welcome to Gaia and thanks for joining Gaia Networking.  We look forward to interacting with you again & again. We are moving the conversations to the next thread Richi and this will be mentioned before this week is over so we can all be further enlightened.
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FastDart… thanks for the humor & cartoon…lol!!!

and… Suni, I just saw your post above. Suni oh neat! This makes me think of the Sustainable ..something or other course here at college! I bet that would interest everyone here. now I just wish I remembered what it was called! awesome that you are being featured Lee! rock on dude!  It was added later. You Rock! College can be where gaining a deeper understanding of the environment start, even though you have been around it years before by the fact of eating & playing outdoors… Becoming aware of sustainability, organics, eco, permaculture, whatever it is named or placed under in terms of the subject of “green” or ecology–it's not too late to study more in this area for your generation and those to come. 

As mentioned on thread 2, Keep your card of seeds as a keepsake… my advice or just plant it when your are ready and have the special place to tend the garden.

You told Meenakshi: no, I haven't used them, because they are pricier than the other cards. Around $5 or so. gardening? I suppose I do mini gardening at the shop with the plants there.. making dishgardens, cleaning plants of dead parts, repotting things, pulling out smaller plants from the big ones (things like Baby's Tears or small little shoot thingys, or the common MUSHROOM, which is NOT a plant, but you know this as well as I do).  Thanks for your enthusiasm & interest in this area.  Hopefully you can start a patch at the college with your roommates. Meantime, here's a Grow-A-Note.

[mod note- link added to next thread]

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Richi, thank you SO MUCH for joining us and bringing that lovely feast. I do remember that when we grew veggies in the back [childhood homes] even a little patch of squash or pumpkins would be far too much for what we needed and my mom would just give the veggies to the vegetable seller! He used to go door to door selling veggies out of a cart. I loved their distinctive calls as they announce their visit.
—–
Lee, can you tell us some sources of info for containers?


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Note to readers - if this thread is getting slow loading please let me know and we'll start a new one.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Lee you are doing a great job encouraging others in organic gardening, and it is wonderful to see everyone's enthusiasm.  Sorry I am late to the party, but caring for my Mum takes up a lot of my time.  I have been gardening organically for about 60 years, since childhood, an allotment helped to feed a growing family healthily and cheaply, I can thoroughly recommend it. Today we had mixed green salad, tasty home grown tomatoes and cucumber and a cheese and onion flan with our own home grown onions and eggs from our own birds for supper. Gardening helps to keep me fit. I am 69 on wednesday and hope to keep gardening for many years to come. I still garden organically, but have learned new tips in my old age to make it easier and cheaper, I use heritage varieties that I can save seeds from and am amazed at the abundance of seed from some varieties. I only purchase one packet then save seed from year to year. I had enough cabbage, tomatillo, tomato, cucumber, squash, chilli and cape gooseberry seeds to supply the whole village!

I have also stopped digging, I use raised beds, and mulch with compost, straw grass clippings etc. instead. This helps the soil structure, and sequesters one third more carbon into the soil, it increases humus, also helps moisture retention and fertility. For example when the pea crop finnished I pull vines back dowh on to the soil, mulched on top with straw placed a wood frame on top and let my turks turban squash clamber over the frame, (they grow 25 ft.) while the squash grow, the worms till the soil underneath, and convert the remains of the pea crop into nutrients again.
When the squash are harvested, I rake off any remaining straw and the groumd is
refreshed and ready for planting again. 

LOL The chickens like to scratch up the mulch to get at all the tasty worms underneath given half a chance. For those tackling new weedy land, scythe or mow down top growth, lay cardboard or full thickness newspaper to cover the mulch on top. By spring the cardboard will have been digested by the worms and weeds will be gone back into the soil as nutrients, and you will have a clear space to plant. There are several really interesting gardening links on my profile if anyone is interested.

I would love to try the heritage variety Cherokee purple tomato if anyone has some seed and could swap for citrus chilli seed, or tomatillo seed or anything else they fancy?  I save small  seed by simply drying naturally on kitchen paper spaced ready for planting, keep dry, then the folowing year plant the whole sheet. It works a treat.

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

The garden party now moves to Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara- continued as this thread is slow-loading. I'm carrying over some conversations from this thread to that one. come on over- more eats will be served! [and a surprise entertainment!]

Re: Organically Cultivating Gaia with Lee O'Hara

Catching up to you on the new thread … Thanks Meenakshi for being our guide.
You and Zephyr posted the same time too so I copy/pasted hers here:

Zephyr said
meanwhile tips for containers, potatoes in woven sacks plant tubers near base and earth up as they grow, carrot and beetroot in jazzy tubtrugs, radish in plastic serving bowls, salad in old washing up bowls or an old large colander, herbs in old wicker baskets, old wooden boxes, with imagination and flair you can recycle
lots, just make sure depth is right for the roots of your intended plant and drill drainage hokes where needed, you can recycle anything, old galvanised buckets, plastic shopping bags, if frost might be a problem polystyrene vegetable boxes make cosy protective containers with a few drainage holes.  ~ Gael ~
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WOW…  I have also learned many new things from you Zephyr & am honored and thrilled you stopped by with these gems. I will add some tips on this on Thread 2.  This one is easy to open to just read but answers to what has been discussed here can be put HERE.

Thank you everyone for making this simply THE HEALTHIEST thread, informative and wonderful reads.  Post things your do on the next thread… Lee