Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

To Lyn in Grand Junction,

I have been using the Mittleider Method in Utah for many years now.  I was also told that we have plenty of calcium in our soil and that we don't need to add gypsum.  But I was seeing such great results from it.  I bought the books on soil deficiencies and realized that many of my gardening problems were caused by lack of calcium, i.e. carrots with multiple tap roots and black spots, blossom end rot in tomatoes.  Although most of the discussion of calcium deficiency in the book deals with acid soils, it would appear that our alkaline soils can also have calcium-deficiency problems.  Maybe somebody else can tell us why that is, but I just know that it is so.  I also find that if I over water (sometimes I have trouble getting even watering in a row and it will mean one area gets too much water while I try to get the water to the dry spot) then I can see calcium deficiencies that clear up if I add a little extra gypsum.  Maybe the over-watering is
leaching minerals from the soil in that area.

One of my neighbors is a retired professor of agriculture from our local university.  He scoffs at my additions of calcium, but he can't argue with my results!

Cindy
Tremonton, Utah

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