A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 30, 1999 Soil Microbes Make Difference In Health Of Plant , Vegetable Grower Notes ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Fanning Staff NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster Co.) Vegetable producers should understand that the soil used for their crops is a living organism, according to an organic vegetable grower from Lancaster County. And those soil microbes we take for granted “can make a very big difference in the health of your plants,” said Harry Wimcr, farm foreman for Paradise Organics in Paradise. “When we keep our plants growing healthy, they have less pressure from insects and disease,” said Wimer to mote than 100 veg etable producers and agri-industry representatives last week during a session of the New Holland Veget able Day at Yoder’s Restaurant in New Holland. At the Vegetable Day, moved from its previous location at Sum mit Valley Elementaiy School to the conference facilities at the restaurant, more than 240 growers and industry representatives attended. Some learned about how to become certified as organic veg etable growers, an industry that is growing exponentially and which provides premium income for quality produce. Paradise Organics grows field and greenhouse vegetables and other crops cm 4.5 acres. They market their organic products directly to natural health food stores and others. Winter explained that the organ ic vegetable farm maintains a vari ety of practices specific to generat ing a quality product For crop fertilizer. Paradise uses compost provided by a local far mer, spread on at the rate of 3.S tons per acre. They also use a gra nular mix composed of bone meal, blood meal, and kelp (with a 5-2-0 label). In addition, a foliar feed made up of seaweed and liquid fish with a 4-1-1 label is used to main tain the health of the plants. The foliar feed is one of the most effective feeds accepted by the Organic Crop Improvement Asso ciation (OCIA). The compost is a mixture of cow manure, chicken manure, old hay, and end material. The microbial compost takes the raw natural material to a finished humus stage. Winter noted. The benefits of having a com post allow the plant to actively extract nutrients when they need it. The nitrogen is not in a water soluble form. It’s important to maintain the proper nutrient mix so the plants have “what they need when they need it. Keeping the plants fed and watered properly goes a long way to allowing a consistent supply of healthy plants, Wimer noted. “Water with an appropriate amount of water at all times,” he said. Fortunately the past growing .season included a “relative lack of moisture,” he said. Using irriga tion during droughty conditions kept the disease pressure down. Paradise Organics uses a drip irrigation system with timers. They use a flat system that pumps water to a garden hose and from there to a drip hose. The timer is on the header. Tomatoes, when in full produc tion, are watered two hours every day. The farm uses the Caruso tomato variety in the greenhouse and Paragon and Mountain Pride outside, according to Chris Peter sheim, owner of the farm who also spoke at the conference. With the system, number one tomatoes were “way up,” said Wimer. “We’re very pleased with that.” Equipment is kept to a mini mum. The fertilizer is spread with a drop spreader and a rototillcr is used. The fields are moldboard plowed “when we can get in," said Wimer. Insect challenges varied, but included the leaf miner and spi nach leaf miner. Organic spray materials were used. For control of caterpillars, Bt material was used. “We spray only when absolutely necessary and in areas necessary,” said Wimer. The farm regularly scouts to examine insect populations. For weed control, the farm nev er uses herbicides of any kind. They use plastic mulch for toma toes and melons. In between rows. Paradise Organics sows white clover, which is effective in keep ing weeds down. Winter noted that direct sunlight burns up the soil, “and the more we keep the soil covered, the better off we’ll be,” Winter said. “The sun will bum the organic material out of the soil, even in winter.” Weeds are removed by hand or hoe. The important thing to remember, according to Winter, is not to let the weeds go to seed. It’s important to start weeding when weeds are just sprouts, he said. He is reminded of a saying, “one year of seed is seven yeais of weed,” he said. Cultivation is done between plastic to prevent erosion. The farm uses two greenhouses measuring 30-fect by 144-fcct. They also maintain a small green house for starter plants. They plant 6-7 varieties of let tuce with each group and planta lot of baby greens, including lettuce, kale, and collard. “Be a good manager,” said Winter. “We have learned how to budget our time, take notes when we go around, and how to plant for next year.” Paradise Organics also experiments with new varieties and new planting methods. Chris Pctersheim, owner of Paradise Organics, spoke to the vegetable growers. Petershcim, who worked for 19 years (some of them as seedling supervisor) at Winner's Greenhouses in Lancas ter, began Paradise Organics in 1980. The farm began as a small operation which gradually expanded to the 4.5-acre facility today. A small, treated wood-framed, lean-to type of greenhouse was constructed in 1981. The farm began using the greenhouse, which faces due south, to grow trans plants. In 1988 the two large greenhouse were constructed. The business uses refrigerated vehicles for transporting products. Pctersheim reviewed die use of their seedling production, includ ing the company’s vacuum seeder. The medium is a mix of their own soil, including 1.5 parts peat, '/} part compost, and 'A part Pear litc, in addition to rock dust and organic fertilizer. They use a cement mixer. Paradise uses a 30-gallon gas water heater which provides heat to the soil zone in the greenhouse. The soil is heated at the base. Some areas use an incubator system. The large greenhouses are heated by propane gas. Ventilation is by electric fan. “It’s important to have Soil microbes we take for granted “can make a very big difference in the health of your plants,” said Harry Wimer, farm foreman for Paradise Organics in Paradise, left. And growers should beware of how insects migrate and reproduce and incorporate a scouting program into their management, according to Dr. Shelby Fleischer, Penn State, center. At right is Or. Tim Eikner, Lancaster County horticulture agent, who spoke about powdery mildow-resistant pumpkin trials at the meeting. Penn State wants to be on the for cantaloupes (muskmelons). “cutting edge" of the plasticulturc “Don’t use white (plastic) for movement, he said. As a result, the muskmelons," he said, because the new Rockspring research center color actually keeps the soil too has recently installed 12 high tun- cool. nel frames and will install another * Polyon-brown material is 12 in the spring. They will look at almost as warm as the IRT green, tomatoes in the tunnels and exa- * Red mulch. Used by more mine a tomato nutrient program, growers on tomatoes. Some grow- Also, the center wants to look at ets have seen al5 percent increase a variety of plastic color systems, in yield on average. Also reduced They will also be looking at a the incidence of early blight cm moveable, rail-type tunnel system tomatoes. Red mulch is also effcc for cool to warm season crops, tive on egg plants —l3 tons to the The plasticulture center will acre average yield in some cases, look at “really Intensive of * Black mulch. This coles - can agriculture," he said. “It is all produce a tremendous amount of about intensive agriculture how yield for onions. However, using to farm less but produce more on black on melons produced the the land.” The systems are similar smallest fruit size, to how land in Japan and Israel is ' Silver mulch. Highest yield used to the maximum to produce for peppers on silver mulch. How crops. ever, peppers didn’t do so well cm Also, Lamont noted that in Sep- blue or white mulch, tember 2000, the 15th Intemation- • Yellow mulch. Attracts insec al Plasticulture meeting is schc- ts. Yellow mulch decreased yield duled for the Hershcy Convention on eggplants. Eggplants had the Center in Hershey. largest yield on red mulch but the For growers, Lamont provided fruit size was the lowest on silver some research results about the use mulch. of plastics and bedding for maxi- Mulches will effect yields of mum produce production. potatoes (it becomes too hot under “I personally like to use a crown the plastic), bed," he said, “tapered from center In all, it is important to match to the edges by !'/«inches. This the type and color of mulch plastic allows the crop to sit up high and to the crop being grown, dry and keeps the weather away According to Lcland Miller, from the crop. Water moves away Advanced Agronomics, Quany from the'plant." ville, the quality of the product Here are some of Penn State’s starts before the harvest findings cm the use of colored plas- An agronomic consultant. Mill tic mulch: cr worked with the Nelson and • The new IRT green plastics Rose Rohrer farm and learned eliminate the weed problems that about a variety of fresh and cut clear plastic provides. They allow flower growing strategies which heating but not weed-generating he shared with those who attended wavelengths of sunlight to pass the Vegetable Day. through. The IRT green was good good air circulation,” he said. For each transplant, it is impor tant to raise a nice; sturdy product,