Gardening, Hobbit Style

So the elephant in the room, what is with the hobbit stuff? A long time ago, an old friend gave me the nickname “Hobbit.” (The friend is Harmon Davidson, owner and president of Green Air Products, now retired.) Even though I am short and have big feet, I didn’t like my nickname until I read the below quotes about hobbits from the man himself JRR Tolkien: 

“One constant among the hobbits is their love for good things. They loved finely crafted objects and well made food. They enjoyed nature, a good smoke and the world around them.” 

“Most hobbits enjoyed farming, ales, parties and the giving and receiving of presents. They were usually friendly and happy-go-lucky.”

So to this day,  my old friends still call me Hobbit.  Let's get started. 

A Hobbit's Soil Mix (For High Quality Homegrown Outdoor)This recipe creates 100 gal or 13.5 cubic feet of organic soil.Five different types of compost in 1 cubic ft bagsWorm, cow, fish, vegetable, mushroom (1 cubic ft each)1 cubic ft rice hulls (if unavailable replace with perlite/pumice mix)1 cubic ft perlite/pumice (50/50 mix)1 cubic ft Bio Char or BioAg soil conditioner (coming soon)1 cubic ft Royal Gold coco or peat (50/50 mix)(3) 1.5 cubic ft bags of VERY HIGH QUALITY POTTING SOIL such as:

• Organic Matters (my personal favorite)

• Mendo Mix of Basement Mix Royal Gold

Combined together, this will create 13.5 cubic ft of material which is equal to 100 gallons (1 five gallon bucket with handle = 1 cubic ft.) Amendments for 100 Gallons of Organic Soil13 cups total of the below ph adjuster and calcium mix:

• 1/4 fine dolomite lime

• 3/4 cup oyster shell

• 1/2lb to 1lb of VAM (6 species of mycorrhiza blend with humic acid)

• 2 cups of Ful-Humix (high quality humic acid)

• 3.5lbs to 5lbs of high quality organic fertilizer mix. My favorites are:

  • DTE Rose & Flower mix ( 4-8-4)

  • DTE Bio-Live (5-4-2)

  • Gaia Green All Purpose (4-4-4)

  • Gaia Green Bloom (2-8-4)

 Mix all ingredients thoroughly, EXCEPT the 3 bags of high quality organic potting soil. Make sure to set this aside until planting time. Prepare 4 to 6 weeks before planting and remix at least once before planting!In summary, 5 different composts, 5 different mediums/aggregates and 5 different amendments = one great soil mix that can be reused and re-amended every growing season!To find any of these wonderful products head on over to:Concentrates: 5505 SE International Way, Milwaukie, OR 97222. Phone # 1-800-388-4870Legacy Garden Supply: 2011 25th St SE, Salem, OR 97302. Phone #1-503-967-7843Emerald Valley Gardens: 88680 Mcvay Hwy, Eugene, OR 97405. Phone # 1-541-636-3763 All three of these stores are staffed with very knowledgeable and helpful gardeners and they take their jobs very seriously."NO SNAKE OIL HERE"If they don't have it they will have a good alternative.Bring the list and tell them that Josh or Hobbit from BioAg sent you and they will set you up. If you don't live in Oregon, try your local gardening or hydroponic store.This recipe has been used in one form or another for more than 40 years in the Central Valley of Oregon. It was given to me, and now it's yours to do with what you like."Like all good things, a soil recipe grows with knowledge and experience."This recipe is not carved in stone! Make it your own-change things, add new interesting amendments (insect frass, crab meal, neem meal, karanja meal) or take stuff away to your liking to fit the garden you want with the plants that you love."A Hobbit's Garden is earth, sky, woods, plants, sun, and rain... a Hobbit's Garden is a place of learning-learning about how we live upon the earth and how we can better live upon the earth, creating as small an ecological footprint as possible."STAY TUNED FOR MORE GARDENING HOBBIT STYLE ARTICLES!COMING UP NEXT:CUTTING/SEEDS AND TRANSPLANTING HOBBIT STYLEAFTER THAT:BIOSTIMULANTS, TOPDRESSING, COMPOST TEAS, AND SPROUTED SEED TEAS Thank you for your time,Your friend and Gardener: Josh H. AKA Hobbit