The Garden Master Blog

Why the sand for the growing medium?  This question is asked daily.  Then there is; you can’t grow in sand, it is impossible!  Well here is the why.

Bedding sand in the correct composition is of course indigenous and provides us with a perfect and sterile foundation for building the most perfect and inexpensive root medium that exists.  It has the perfect moisture holding capacity, the perfect oxygen exchange ratio, the perfect temperature buffering properties, the perfect regenerative soil health properties and we can build it into sandy loam, the perfect soil.  This process takes from 12 to 18 months and some times sooner depending on the gardener’s skill level going in.  In the first 12 to 18 months through the Garden Master’s Growing System Process, we will develop a level of 25% to 30% organic matter.  There is no mechanical turning of the soil outside of the normal process of planting and harvesting.  On the microbial level it is a whole different story.

We discussed why we start with a special blend of sand, or bedding sand as we call it, now we will discuss the How!  There are a few confused souls that for some reason seem to believe that there is a foundational difference between the Garden Master’s Growing System root medium and dirt!  Now we know that the word dirt in the realm of soil science is of course slang for soil, but let’s take a look at this myth.  What is soil?  Soil is the sum total of clay, sand, organic matter, water and air. A typical soil sample would test out at 45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air and 5% organic matter.  It is the percentage of each that varies widely and that is most important.  The Garden Master’s Growing System starts with a mix, as dry material, that is 10% to 15% clay and 85% to 90% sand that is made up of approximately 8 aggregate sizes or you could say screen sizes.  When installed in the growing bags, watered and made ready for planting the mix becomes, by volume, 60% mineral, 15% water, 15% air and 0% organic matter.  Within six months under the Garden Master’s management the soil mix becomes, by mix, 15% clay, 55% sand and 30% organic matter, and by volume, 35% minerals, 25% water, 25% air & 15% organic matter.  In addition, the water that is present in the soil is highly oxygenated due to the irrigation system design and placement.  So, what do we now have?  Not just dirt, but perfect dirt or technically speaking, sandy loam!  The perfect root medium!

How do we increase the organic matter from 0% to 30% by volume in six months?  We let Mother Nature go to work by enhancing her work environment.  Except for root crops nothing is ever pulled out of the soil.  When the crop has reached the end of it’s usefully production it is cut off just below the soil line leaving the entire root system in place to decompose with the help of the super charged microbes.  All plant tops removed from the garden are cut up into 2 inch or less pieces and placed in the Garden Master Power Composter, which is turned twice each day.  In 12 to 14 days you have mature compost that you then add as a top dressing to your soil in each bag and/or as a seed cover on your secondary plantings.  No digging other than what is required for planting transplants.  Through the natural process of transplanting, harvesting of root crops, top dressing and microbial action you have built the perfect soil!  You call what you are putting your hands in dirt!  You don’t know what real dirt is until you put your fingers in the dirt of a mature Bucket Garden!  And the smell…..ohhhh now that’s sweet and fertile!

We will come back later and discuss what makes a perfect microbe environment for live fertile soil.  What is that sweet soil smell?  That smell is the indication of the presence of a specific microbe family and boy is it important!