S3E20 Life under the soil, Storing food without canning, Guest Kevin Espiritu - The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio show

Replay of The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio Show from 7-6-19
Heard on 860AM WNOV & W293cx 106.5FM Milwaukee, WI Saturday mornings 9-10AM CST
Heard on WAAM 1600 AM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8AM est
Heard on WWDB 860 AM Philadelphia, PA Sundays 7-8AM est
Heard on KMET 1490 AM Tuesdays 9 - 10 AM pst Banning, CA
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Check out https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/

In segment 1 Joey and Holly talk about Life Under the soil

There are more soil microorganisms in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the earth! Millions of species and billions of organisms


Soil Horizons (layers): Soil is made up of distinct horizontal layers; these layers are called horizons. They range from rich, organic upper layers (humus and topsoil) to underlying rocky layers ( subsoil, regolith and bedrock).

Soil Lives
Healthy soil is a living, dynamic substance! Soil is sand, silt, clay, air, water, minerals and organic matter crawling with earthworms, moles, grubs, centipedes, millipedes, snails, slugs, beetles, ants, fungi, insect larvae, bacteria, mushrooms and many other organisms. An average soil sample is 45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air and 5% organic matter. The soil’s texture comes from the different sizes of the rock and mineral particles. Sandy soils have larger particles. Silt is fine particles, and in clay soils, the particles are too fine to be distinguished with an ordinary microscope.


Of all the countless millions of organisms that live in an acre of soil, earthworms are perhaps the most significant group of larger organisms. Earthworms can range in number from a few hundred to more than a million per acre. They digest organic matter, recycle nutrients and can make the surface soil richer.

Soil life is a collective term for all the organisms living within the soil.
In a balanced soil, plants grow in an active and vibrant environment.
Without the activities of soil organisms, dead matter would accumulate and litter the soil surface, and there would be no food for plants
.
Building healthy soil
Reduce Inversion Tillage and Soil Traffic. Excessive tillage is harmful to soil health in a number of ways. …
Increase Organic Matter Inputs. ...
Use Cover Crops. ...
Reduce Pesticide Use and Provide Habitat for Beneficial Organisms. ..

Beneficial insects that contribute to biological control or pest organisms can be harmed by the application of broad-spectrum insecticides..
Rotate Crops. … or add more compost
Manage Nutrients.

In segment 2 Joey and Holly talk about how you can store food without canning

Think about what you are storing and how its sold in a store - freezer section?
Root crops store well in fridge, cool storage - leave dirt on them - mimic root cellar
Blanch and freeze many crops
If making stock/ soup-puree to freeze, think about how to store efficiently - freeze in blocks to stack, freeze flat, etc
Nestle potatoes in shredded paper in cardboard boxes with air holes
Consider vacuum sealing

In segment 3 Joey and Holly talk with their guest kevin espiritu

kevin espiritu is the founder of Epic Gardening https://www.epicgardening.com/. He founded it in 2013 to help the average person learn how to garden, grow your own food, troubleshoot common garden problems, grow in an urban setting and more. He does this through social media, youtube, podcasts, and his website.

We all get into gardening somehow - you started in a very urban setting - how did you get into gardening and what was your very first set up like?
What is the biggest challenge people face with urban gardening?
What are some good methods for getting rid of crab grass?
We have a dwarf lime tree we are reviving from an attack of scale - what is scale and what are some good ways to c(continued)