Life Experiences: Elders

"I think I learned the most at the feet of my elders" Andy Rooney

A little experince.

My mom is in a nurning home, age 90, memory gone..

In this same home is an 84 yo man, whose body parts wore out.

He has about a 6th grade education.

But on a 50A farm, he learned to grow and manage crops well enough to sent his 2 kids to Ivy league schools.
(they did get a little upset with him casue he went to admissions office and paid cash)

Here is a small sample of what I learned from him...


Soil fungi and bacteria.

Odds are things like phytophthora, and TMV infest tomatoes and peppers etc.

Chemicals to combat many plant diseases are not available to the home/sq ft gardener.

IE Phytphthora, there is a Ridomil(sp) Gold 16E, 1 pint cost (at last check here) $116 to make 1,000 gals. Not practicle for the home gardener.

USDA says leave the ground fallow 5 to 7 years or plant small grain crops like wheat ~~~

Usless tip for the home grower..

Now from and 84 yo that can't read or write.

Most soil diseases live in the top 1/4 to 1 in of soil.

A very simple solution, Double dig, bury the top shovel full at least a shovel full deep. These diseases can not survive that deep.

Just cause your elders can't spell perfectly, It doesn't mean you can't learn something from them

Byron

Thanks Byron! I sure didn't know that about soil diseases living in the top 1/4-1 inch of our soil. Your so right! There's much to be learned from our elders. Now if I can just get my teenager to believe that!

Pete2

"The older I got, the smarter my father got" Mark Twain


Your child will not being to understand this until he/she is in their mid 20's

Grin and bear it, Even Aristotle wrote about it.

Byron

Uh oh...11 more years to go till he's 25! Now that I think about it, that's about the age that I started realizing my parents really knew what they were talking about. Oops! Until then, I guess it's payback time. LOL

Pete2

Pete2

Just remembered something, Further back than Aristotle.

God said to his first 2 kids, Stay away from the serpent
and don't eat the apples. Did they listen??


Byron

Not so Famous Quotes , But to me the most important..

My Gandfather:"pick'in out the rocks Honeychild,That is the most important job.Peas can't grow,if'in they can't breathe"

He's 89 this year.Needs help...but still going!!

My grandmother:"that there's alright babe,you don't need no shoes in the garden.That fresh soil and dung 'ell make you strong"

She's in a home now...she doesn't remember me.I will ALWAYS REMEMBER !!