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1 Part Round House Productions 1 Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2 IMPORTANT: I know you want to get right to all the gardening how-to information. But you will get WAY more out of the experience if you watch the Blueprint VIDEO that goes with it. I give you the play-by-play details on how this can all connect to you getting the methods going in Your Garden right away. Go check it out here: 2

3 The Organic Food Gardener s Success Blueprint Table of Contents Part 1: Why am I smiling? It might have something to do with the fact that I take vacations right in the middle of the summer growing season. Or the fact that my growing methods yield a thousand poundsof fresh produce in my backyard each year, with only a 110 day growing season. (If you want to see something cool - click here to see photos of my garden over the past 14 years.) Your Garden Goal Checklist (print out) Your first fun Homework Assignment lets you find out what s really important to you and your family about organic gardening... Only takes 2 minutes. Primary tools Focusing on what happens below ground Mistake #1: Planting your garden in Rows How bed design helps plants grow The importance of deeply amended beds Now that you know what s possible, and why most organic gardens that start out fail - you re ready to learn how to avoid other key mistakes that stop your garden yields from reaching their highest potential. 3

4 The Organic Food Gardener s Success Blueprint Table of Contents Coming soon... Part 2: Why a forest doesn t need Miracle Grow... When you start to realize how important the microorganisms in the soil are to gardening, it changes the way you approach growing food. By using the benefits of these powerhouses that surround us in the biosphere, you will create momentum in the growth in your garden that will astound you. In this section we will cover: Mistake #2: Compacted, Sterile soil The Soil Food Web and why it s so critical to organic gardening Mistake #3: Reliance on liquid fertilizer Key tips for buying compost (until you can make your own) Prepping soil for the garden Raised Bed Styles: Framed vs in-ground beds Double Digging: the basics Starting a new garden bed from a lawn Part 3: How your garden can take care of itself while you re on vacation... Now that you have mimicked nature by setting up your micro-ecosystem in the garden, you can use proper timing and automation to help continuous growth in the garden while freeing up the need for hand watering. Getting your freeze dates right allows plants to have the full growing season, and a simple, $30 timer can save you labor and time all summer. Mistake #4: Irregular Watering: Humans Forget - Plants Suffer Simple Drip Irrigation Setup: Automated watering on a $30 timer. Mistake #5: Mis-timed planting schedule Finding your Freeze dates and Climate Zone (How to) (How to) Download the Custom Planting Chart software Buying Seeds from Catalogs: recommended sources Tips on starting seedlings indoors Transplant vs Direct Seed Intensive plant spacing for garden vegetables (list) 4

5 The following information will give you an introduction to organic, bio-intensive methods I have used in my home food garden for over 14 years. Following this natural systems- approach is the key reason I get consistently high yields of nutrient dense food. The methods save water, labor, and build soil each year, and allow me to take off during the growing season for weeks at a time due to a simple timer and drip irrigation. My growing season in Colorado is only around 110 days, so timing is tight, but because these methods create such robust growth with living soil, I produce over 1000 pounds of organic food in my yard during those 110 days. This happens year after year. Just integrating these methods into your own gardening efforts can double your yields, while cutting your labor in half. Come join the fun! -Tom Bartels, GrowFoodWell.com 5

6 There are 3 key Participants in any gardening project: You (The Gardener) The Plants The Garden Eco System Let s take a minute and identify the Primary Goals of each group. You're going to have to choose the Gardener goals for yourself on the next page. But I'll be helping you support the goals of the plants and garden ecosystem throughout the videos. What do you want from your garden? Print out the list on the next page and check all that apply to you. Note: in order to take full advantage of the Blueprint: watch the free video training series along with it: 6

7 Goals for the Gardener The free video series that goes along with this blueprint will help you accomplish these goals. I want optimal yields of organic food, with the least amount of work. I want to grow food that is high in nutrition, and free of synthetic chemicals. I want the peace of mind of knowing exactly how my food is grown. I want to be more self-sufficient. I want to save money on food. I want to be able to preserve, freeze, and can foods for the winter. I want to learn all the steps to grow my own food. I want to demonstrate the joy of gardening to my kids/ grandkids. I want to learn how to create a self-sustaining garden ecosystem in my backyard. I want to get healthier through beneficial exercise in the garden. I only want to weed 1 time a year. I want to be able to leave on vacation and know my garden is doing just fine. I want to become more connected to the cycles of the natural world that surround us. I want to help reduce the carbon footprint of the food my family consumes. I would like to support locally grown food. I want to help lessen our collective footprint on the biosphere. I want to conserve water and use it wisely. I want to get healthier through beneficial exercise in the garden. I only want to weed 1 time a year. I want to be able to leave on vacation and know my garden is doing just fine. I want to become more connected to the cycles of the natural world that surround us. Note: in order to take full advantage of the Blueprint: watch the free video training series along with it: 7

8 Goals for the Garden Plants They need an uninterrupted growth cycle from germination to harvest. They need ideal growing conditions, with deep beds, aerated soil, compost, and intensive spacing. They need access to nutrient-rich living soil. They need to be planted on time so the entire growing season can be used. They need access to the benefits of microorganisms in the soil. If cared for, they should reach their full genetic potential in your backyard. 8

9 Goals for the Garden Ecosystem The creation of a natural, sustainable, living ecosystem Plants that grow without any reliance on artificial fertilizers Plants that grow without the need for daily human intervention Living mulch micro-climates that protect the soil in each bed The creation of a closed loop where all bio-matter is composted and returned to soil. Continual support of the soil food web using the Natural Law of Return A density of 6% organic matter in the soil for continual fertility An annual supply of open-pollinated seeds that may be replenished indefinitely 9

10 To be interested in food but not in food production is clearly absurd. -Wendell Berry 10

11 Initial Garden Priorities Avoid the use of synthetic chemicals. Garden location should be as close to house as possible with 6 hours of sun exposure during growing season. Locate in flat area with good drainage, with beds aligned from north to south. Fence the garden from unwanted pets and pests. If you want a baseline soil test, contact your county extension office. But it isn t always necessary. 11

12 Primary Tools Web-link for example of Spade & Fork Digging shovel D-handled garden fork D-handled garden spade, Boots, gloves, garden hose, and spray wand Buckets or wheelbarrow Level-headed rake 12 Leaf rake

13 Where is Your Main Focus? When there is a problem... Are You Looking Deeper? Many food gardeners focus on what s going on above the soil in their gardens, and react to it above ground, with regard to pests, leaves, top growth, etc... And that makes sense, because it s the part of the growth cycle we can SEE, so we react to it. But that s usually just a symptom......what happens below the ground is the biggest key to success. 13

14 Roots... have relationships with: 3 Bacteria Fungi Protozoa Nematodes Micro-arthropods Magic happens down there. Notice the Root Hairs. This is key to healthy plants. Roots need: Cabbage Root Profile Loose, living soil Minerals and Nutrients Water Oxygen 14

15 The Five Biggest Mistakes People Make in Food Gardens (and How to Avoid Them) If you avoid the major mistakes and integrate the methods from this series into your food garden, you can double your yields and cut your work in half. It really is possible. 15

16 The Five Biggest Mistakes #1: Planting Your Garden in ROWS The Top 16 Rows Lead to: Compacted soil Weeds Less plantable space Temperature swings Increased

17 Row gardens lead to compacted, exposed soil. Roots are forced to grow laterally in search of food and water. X Double Dig 2 Double digging allows for aerated soil down two feet, which opens up more growth opportunity for plants and less competition with their neighbors. 17

18 Garden Bed Profile 2 feet Top Soil Compacted Soil Compacted soil leads to poor plant growth. 18

19 Garden Bed Profile 2 feet Worked and Amended Soil Deeply worked and amended soil lead to vibrant growth. 19

20 Garden Bed Profile 2 feet Roots grow through amended soils with more vigor, which leads to more vegetative growth. 20

21 Solution: Beds are planted in blocks 20 long 5 wide 1 path No walking on beds, only pathways. In this example, each bed is 100 square feet. Top view of two bed system, 24 deep 21

22 The Top One Foot Between Beds 22

23 Example of in-ground raised beds planted in blocks The Top Plant canopy covers entire bed. This creates a microclimate that protects the soil. 23

24 Notice how little soil is exposed inside each bed. The Top Rows between beds only need to be 1 wide. 24

25 You can get the same living mulch effect in framed beds. 25

26 Part 1 Review: Get proper tools ready Focus on deep soil health Treat Garden as Mini-Ecosystem Plant in Blocks, not rows Deeply worked beds (2 down) Amend with compost. 26

27 The Five Biggest Mistakes #2: Compacted, Sterile Soil (without any mulch cover) 27

28 I m going to show you how to quickly correct sterile soil using bio-intensive methods in Part 2 of the Food Gardener s Blueprint. I ll also be showing you: How to build the Soil Food Web How it helps super-charge your garden s fertility. What to look for when buying compost Raised bed styles, Tips on the best way to double dig a garden. Watch your ! It should be ready in a few days. Please add Comments or Questions Below this Video! 28