Q. I am curious if there are any Mittleider Method materials that have been adapted for organic vegetable production. I have grown vegetables for many years and prefer avoiding soluble commercial fertilizers.
A. We do not use soluble fertilizers, such as Miracle-Gro, but prefer to use the simpler, more natural compounds. All of the materials we use and recommend have been approved by the USDA for use in organic gardening.
We know exactly what we are feeding our plants, whereas organic growers often find themselves not knowing what they have, especially with the micro-nutrients.
Our experience around the world has also taught us that manure and compost often contain weed seeds and diseases, and sometimes even bugs. We get great yields for an entire growing season while some of our organic neighbors watch their gardens stop producing in July and August.
If you are skeptical, I recommend you plant some of your garden using each method separately, and compare the results.
