HANDS ON: THRUSH: Restore Hoof Health Naturally! SOIL & PASTURE: Your Horses Forage? What s in. dedicated to your horse

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1 the quarterly journal of wholistic equine care HANDS ON: Solutions for SHOULDERS dedicated to your horse SOIL & PASTURE: What s in Your Horses Forage? THRUSH: Restore Hoof Health Naturally! Apr/May/Jun Volume 13 Issue 2

2 We Are What We Eat: Square Foot Gardening for Horse and Human Part 2 by Lisa Ross-Williams s by If Your Horse Could Talk, 56 NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2

3 DO IT YOURSELF! Part 1 of this series, I introduced the concept of Square Foot Gardening and explained about benefits, construction of components, and Mel s special soil mix. In Part 2 pres ents planting strategies, shade/ frost cloth supports to extend the season, and finally our finished garden. Planting Strategies We followed the Square Foot Gardening suggestions for construction of the garden and incorporated other strategies as well: Increasing moon (D-shape), from new moon to full moon - plant above-ground plants New Moon to 1st Quarter: Plant vegetables that do not produce seed within a fruit or pod such as salad greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and asparagus. 1st Quarter to Full Moon: Plant vegetables that produce seed within a fruit such as peppers, tomatoes, beans, melons, peas, squash, flowers of all types, and all herbs. 1. Mixed and companion planting Various types of plants, vegetables, herbs and flowers are mixed together offering many advantages - including less chance that a certain pest will wipe out an entire bed, attraction of beneficial insects, and ease of companion planting (certain plants benefit others when planted in close proximity, such as with basil and tomatoes). It also makes for beautiful, varied beds. Most savvy gardeners have heard of companion planting and almost everyone has heard of planting French marigolds in or near your vegetables. Companion planting can help with pest insect problems or protect a special environment for a certain plant. Pest insects are decreased by creating a habitat for beneficial insects, using plants that emit strong odors that may confuse pests or be target plants that draw insects away from other plants, or to attract bees to help with pollination. Some ideas to try: Plant thyme or rosemary with your strawberries to repel white flies. Plant French marigolds anywhere to repel many flying pests. Aphids really dislike mints, especially catnip. Other mints can be invasive, so plant in a container and sink into the beds. Basils of all varieties are said to repel aphids and flea beetles. We planted five different varieties. Basil near tomatoes can help repel horn worms and near asparagus, helps control asparagus beetles. For more companion planting ideas, do a Google search. 2. Planting by the moon cycles Most people attuned to their surroundings, animals and environment know that the moon cycles influence everything to some degree. Old time farmers always planted and harvested according to the cycles, but unfortunately this art has been largely lost. Most savvy gardeners have heard of companion planting Waning moon (C-shape), from full moon to new moon - plant belowground plants Full Moon to 4th Quarter: Plant beets, carrots, garlic, onions, chives, radishes, and potatoes. 4th Quarter to New Moon: This phase is valuable for any cultivating, weeding, improving soil and pest control. Being a scientist by nature, I experimented and planted some crops by the correct moon cycle and others not. I saw a substantial difference. 3. Using vertical space (to grow crops that traditionally take up a lot of space) Construction of vertical trellis was covered in Part 1 (NHM Volume 13, Issue 1). We found this technique to be really beneficial as we wanted to grow watermelons, cantaloupe and cucumbers. We trained the vines up the trellis and interplanted other middle squares with beneficial plants and flowers. For the melons, when the fruit started to form, we stuck it inside a pantyhose foot (dollar store) and tied that to the trellis, which supported the weight of the melon as it grew. Net mesh bags, like from citrus fruits, could also work. 4. Interplanting of flowers for beneficial and visual reasons Not only did we construct this garden for food, we also wanted visual appeal, supporting insects, birds, and lizards. We dedicated two whole 4 x 4 beds for a mix of butterfly and hummingbird flowers. Not only were they beautiful and great cut flowers, the number of butterflies and hummers were amazing. These flowers also attracted a lot of bees that helped with pollination. We also planted a number of sunflower varieties for cut arrangements and when mature, for food for the outside birds and our cockatiels. 5. Allowing some vegetables to go to flower Wanting to attract beneficial insects, we allowed some squares to go to seed rather than harvesting them. These included lettuce, radishes and broccoli. NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2 57

4 Shade and Frost Cloth Supports to Extend the Growing Seasons Regardless of where you live, your gardening is limited by either heat or cold. By extending your growing seasons, you get a much larger harvest. 1 In The New Square Foot Gardening book by Mel Bartholomew, the author suggests two types of frames, both using PVC. To these removable frames ( 1) you can attach shade cloth for summer and frost cloth for winter. CROSSOVER SUPPORTS (2) 10 long ½ PVC pipes Plastic zip ties Bend one piece of PVC from corner to corner. Do the same with the other piece. Attach heavy-duty zip ties at the top point where they cross. COVERED WAGON SUPPORT (1) 10 long ½ PVC pipes (1) 4 long ½ PVC pipe Electric drill gun Nuts and bolts or long zip ties 1. Drill one hole in center of the two 10 PVC pipes. 2. Arch each piece over each end of the box. 3. Drill holes at ends of the 4 PVC. 4. Place on top of the arch and secure with either nuts and bolts or heavy-duty zip ties. 2 When needed, add either shade or frost cloth and attach to the frames. At first, we used alligator clips, but it was hard for me to apply as I didn t have the hand strength. I found some awesome half-pvc clips at com that just clip over the cloth and PVC supports. Our Harvest I will admit, we are not big vegetables eaters - I m more of a meat and starch gal. But the salads, potatoes, onions, garlic and herbs were amazing; we looked forward to our gourmet salads every day and shared our bounty ( 2) with everyone we knew. I even made homemade pesto and pizza sauce NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2

5 Our Finished Garden Our goal with this project was not just to grow food, it was to create a sanctuary for us and our resident creatures. On one side, we added a small pond and waterfall ( 3) with plants and fish, which also provided birds with a drinking source. We used crushed granite as footing and added a flagstone walkway through the whole area, which resulted in a labyrinth that was not circular, but gave the walker direction options. We also placed a large water fountain in the middle ( 4) with flowers around it to provide the sound of running water and another drinking option for the birds and bees. Finally, we placed various sitting benches and chairs to provide a relaxing sanctuary for all who visit. We are proud to have created not just a food source but habitat for many creatures. Plus the horses LOVE the fresh vegetables and herbs organically grown with love. Resources: All New Square Foot Gardener by Mel Bartholomew About the author: Lisa Ross-Williams is a natural horse care consultant and host of the If Your Horse Could Talk webcast available at Lisa has completed the Basic Veterinary Homeopathy course through the British Institute of Homeopathy and holds a degree in Environmental Plant Science (special interest in organics). She is a seasoned writer, Associate Editor of Natural Horse Magazine and author of Down-To-Earth Natural Horse Care, available at Lisa Ross-Williams 4 Full Moons for 2011 JAN 19 FEB 18 MAR 19 APR 18 MAY 17 JUN 15 JUL 15 AUG 13 SEP 12 OCT 12 NOV 10 DEC 10 NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2 59