Another testimonial and more gardening questions

Another encouraging testimonial: A friend with prostate cancer went on the Budwig protocol using cottage cheese and flaxseed with a diet of vegetables and also adding the alkalizing drink supplying the big missings in our diet, omega-3 fatty acids(delivered in a water-soluble form in combination with sulphur containing amino acids) and alkaline minerals. In just a few weeks has noticed that his back pains are gone, his mood has greatly improved and his energy levels are way up. Thank you.

I've started foliar feeding with seaweed. But I may just harvest the veggies as is to provide room for more transplants and keep working on raising brix for my next harvest.

When do I test for brix after adding a soil drench or a foliar feed? Is it a matter of minutes , hours, days?

I still do not have mulch, but have added the bonemeal and gypsum to help with excess nitrogen. I also have an aquarium aerator with bubbling stones which i hope to use to raise the aerobic bacteria population in the mix adding a liittle bsm to feed the little guys( time and inexperience is a huge constraint on what i am able to do). That will perhaps help with acids until i get the mulch down and even afterwards? What do yo think?

For my education, would you be kind enough to take the time to go through the pros and cons of the fertilizing procedure below and compare it to the procedure you recommended which I am trying to follow? I am also wondering whether I can use the procedure below as a simple,inexpensive way to supplement the procedures you gave me to raise brix in the short run until I am able to raise the population of microbes to a level where they can make the minerals in the rock powders available? (The book “Making bread from stones” which you recommended I read is not available in our public library system and consequently, I have not had opportunity to read it.)

These are some comments about Jacob Mittleider’s method:
When Dr. Mittleider began teaching and growing there in 1989, the USSR’s Agriculture Agents actually stole plants from his garden, looking for nitrate toxicity in "those dark green, beautiful plants," hoping to expose him and force him to leave the country. But there was no toxicity! And before long the Agriculture Minister went on their National TV to proclaim "The only food grown in Russia that’s fit to eat is grown in a Mittleider Garden."

"In the middle of Monument Valley's desert area, lush vegetation is flourishing. Dr. Jacob Mittleider, an expert on gardening . . . has shown that food can be produced in the world's worst soils."
(Marsha Keele, Monument Valley, Utah)

"Everyone in the Agriculture Department has been amazed at the results obtained. I didn't think we could do it, but you have shown that it could be done in this country."
(Bob Ackeroid, Papua, New Guinea)

"Dr. Mittleider has demonstrated that despite extremely unfavorable soil conditions, an abundance of vegetable crops can be produced by using his procedures. And this method has given hope to discouraged farmers throughout the Island."
(General James p. Lampert, Okinawa, Japan)

Jacob Mittleider advocate Jim Kennard on the
http://www.foodforeveryone.org
writes concerning 16 essential nutrients by a pre-plant mix and a weekly fertilizer mix that will produce high brix plants in a year without the need for foliar feeding:

Step 1: Pre-Plant Fertilizing Before planting, apply pre-plant fertilizers to the grow-boxes and mix with the soil. At this time you should fertilize with the Pre-Plant Fertilizer as well as an application of the Weekly-Feed Fertilizer
To make Pre-Plant Fertilizer, mix together the following:

* 5 pounds of lime or gypsum
* 1 ounce boron
* 4 ounces magnesium sulfate

It is easier to mix these ingredients evenly in these smaller amounts. (Doubling this mixture will sufficiently prepare five 30-foot grow-boxes.)

Step 2: Transplant Fertilizing After transplanting seedlings, apply 8 ounces (1 cup) ammonium nitrate fertilizer (34-0-0) in a narrow band between rows in each grow-box. This will help jump-start the young seedlings.
Step 3: Weekly Fertilizing After crops are in the soil, apply only the Weekly-Feed Fertilizer on a regular basis, every 7 days.
Be accurate in measuring and applying fertilizers to the soil. Overfed plants can produce poor yields just as underfed plants can.

To make 26 pounds of Weekly-Feed Fertilizer, mix together the following:

* Calcium Nitrate—CaNO3 10 pounds
* Ammonium Nitrate—AmNO3 (34-0-0) 3 pounds 8 ounces
* Phosphorus—P (0-45-0) 3 pounds 12 ounces
* Magnesium Sulfate—MgSO4 (Epsom Salt) 2 pounds 12 ounces
* Potassium—K (0-0-60) 4 pounds 12 ounces
* Boron—B (Borax) 3 ounces
* Manganese—MnSO4 2 ounces
* Zinc—ZnSO4 3 ounces
* Iron(Fe) Chelate #330 ½ ounce
* Copper Sulfate—CuSO4 ¼ ounce
* Molybdenum—Mo ¼ ounce
* Gypsum—CaSO4 1 pound

Before planting, evenly spread the following on each 30-foot grow-box:

* 2 pounds of the Pre-Plant Fertilizer
* 1 pound of the Weekly-Feed Fertilizer

Mix thoroughly with the soil.

Apply 16 ounces (1 pound) of the Weekly-Feed Fertilizer evenly down the center of each 30-foot soil-bed.

Water after applying fertilizer to dissolve the granules.

Alternatively, they sell a micro-nutrient package for $11:

Mix one 8.5 oz. package of Micro-Nutrients with 3 lbs. of Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) and 20 lbs. of 16-8-16, 20-10-20, or even 16-16-16 to make your own Weekly-Feed.

Step 4: Special-Need Fertilizing If plants show symptoms of nutritional deficiencies, apply corrective fertilizing formulas in addition to the Weekly-Feed Fertilizer.
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