The soil of life

The secret is in the soil.

Soil health – comparing the soil of our planet with the “soil” in our body.

When I was lecturing at the University of Western Cape, I used the analogy of soil to show the importance of prebiotics and probiotics.  In the human body, we know how important bacteria are in keeping us healthy. (Actually our bacteria consist of many different types of micro-organism, collectively known as microbiota, not just bacteria.) What many of us don’t know is that bacteria in the soil are just as important, and this article is about your health as well as the health of the soil in your garden or on your farm.

Your digestive tract.

We are accustomed to being given probiotics every time the doctor prescribes an antibiotic. Antibiotics wipe out our bacteria, and the probiotics help replenish the good bacteria. They say that we have more bacteria in our bodies than there are stars in the universe or cells in our body. We need the balance of our bacteria to be a healthy, thriving colony of “good” bacteria keeping the “bad” bacteria in check. Probiotics are naturally available in some types of yoghurt, certain cheeses, sauerkraut, and other fermented  products like miso, tempeh, kim chi and kefir.

What we eat, feeds the bacteria. This is where prebiotics come into the picture. Prebiotics are insoluble fibre from certain foods like Jerusalem artichokes,garlic, onions, leeks, bananas etc. that feed the probiotics. The typical western diet is notoriously low in prebiotics. In my practice I see many people who never eat vegetables and fruit, so their diets will be deficient in prebiotics. If we treat our body like a dustbin, eating loads of “junk food”, we can expect malodorous (bad smelling) wind and stools. This is not a good sign, and I always tell my patients that our stool is a good barometer of our health. Healthy bacteria = healthy person.

This however, is not the whole story. One of the most important prerequisites of a healthy bacterial colony is the “soil” of the digestive tract. The trillions of gut bacteria have to have something to cling to. A natural diet of lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains and legumes provides the fibre which bacteria cling to. This is what I refer to as the “soil” of our digestive tract.

In certain diseases where there is a lot of gut inflammation, gut flora have a hard time establishing a healthy colony on the weeping, raw surfaces. Where there is chronic constipation caused by a diet of refined food, gut flora have a hard time as the “soil” is dry, compacted and stagnant. (Fibre holds moisture and helps prevent constipation.) “Bad” bacteria can contribute to constipation, causing a vicious circle.

Fibre therefore, from a variety of sources (not just bran) is very important for gut health, and contributes towards a healthy inner ecosystem that has a profound effect on our overall health.

 Tips for a healthy digestive ecosystem:

1. Eat plenty of vegetable especially onions, garlic, leeks, and asparagus.
2. Some companies manufacture prebiotics and claim that it is difficult to get enough in your diet. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes will have enough prebiotics.
3. Make sure your gut bacteria are balanced by not mixing foods in weird combinations (steak with a sugary drink and ice cream) or having too much sugar which feeds “bad” bacteria.
4. Have some plain yoghurt, kefir, miso, sauerkraut from time to time.
5. Avoid unnecessary antibiotics (viral infections) and other medication which can upset the bacteria.

Prebiotics and probiotics for the soil.

When we look at the earth, the amount of arable soil is extremely small. So small in fact, that it is endangered .  Farming practices such as overgrazing, excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, ploughing  and natural events such as flooding, wind and drought make for an alarming reduction in arable soil. The soil of this planet is an ecosystem in itself, and needs to be nurtured as such. Bacteria form a vital part of this ecosystem, and influence the plants’ ability to absorb nutrients, just like our gut bacteria help us absorb vitamins.

Just like in our gut, soil bacteria come as “good” and “bad” bacteria. Healthy soil has mostly “good” bacteria, which suppress the “bad” bacteria, help detoxify the soil and provide a medium that is a good home for earthworms, insects and fungi – life forms essential to soil health. Healthy soil also facilitates the absorption of nutrients by the plants. One sign of healthy and balanced soil is the number of earthworms that can be seen when you dig, because healthy soil tends to hold moisture better, allowing them to move closer to the surface. They say you should see about 30 per spade of soil. I’m sure for most of us that is not the case, which shows how much work there is to do!

Each one of us can make an effort to improve the soil that we are guardians of, if we are fortunate enough to have a garden. One thing that farmers and gardeners can do to help the soil stay healthy is to use manure (probiotic) and humus (rotted vegetable matter) to provide fibre for soil bacteria to cling to. Healthy soil is a living substance, teaming with bacteria, just like our digestive tract. Fibre is the key element to ensure that bacteria can cling effectively. Sand and dense clay are not good growing mediums unless they have humus and compost added.

Make your own compost and mix in some manure to add to your soil. It’s more effort than buying fertilizer, but will keep the soil alive and help it to thrive. Every patch of healthy soil on this earth makes a difference. Soil which is alive with bacteria and earthworms is earth which will nourish plants and ultimately nourish us. Soil which is dead from the over use of chemicals and poisons is dirt and only serves to anchor plants.

Tips for a healthy soil ecosystem: 

1. Avoid using artificial fertilizers and poisonous pesticides, as these adversely affect the bacterial and insect/earthworm content of the soil.
2. Keep a layer of mulch on the soil to maintain some moisture and allow a natural rotting process. (Many gardeners think it looks untidy and remove all leaves etc. But it’s much better to leave them.)Humus is the prebiotic of the soil.
3. Apply some manure, well rotted compost, and chicken pellets to the surface of the soil from time to time. Don’t dig it in, but allow the earthworms to do the work. Manure is the probiotic of the soil.
4. Plant legumes such as lupins and dig them in when they are young and green. This is known as “green manure” and nourishes the soil.
5. You can buy bacteria for your soil and for use in compost making.

There is a lot more that can be said about soil health, but that can wait for another time. It is very sad that conventional farming and even gardening practices, do a great deal of harm to the soil. Similarly modern medicine incorrectly prescribed and abused is harmful to human gut bacteria.

 

Purslane - free food from your garden

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

This hardy, drought resistant plant grows in summer. It has fleshy leaves, red/brown stems and yellow flowers.

Purslane is an annual plant that self seeds prolifically. It tolerates really dry conditions, so is really sustainable and should be encouraged.

 

It has medicinal benefits, is highly nutritious and can be used as a food in several ways.

 

 Purslane is rich in omega 3 fatty acid and as such is beneficial as an anti-inflammatory, helps to balance cholesterol ratios, helps improve bone density, helps prevent macular degeneration of the eye, helps prevent depression and may help with insulin resistance. Cod liver oil will do the same if taken regularly.

Purslane is a vegetarian option to fish oil, and is free. However it would have to be included in the diet regularly and preferably raw or stir fried. In order for you to have an all year round supply, harvest it in summer and freeze as much as you can.

Another significant benefit from purslane is in it's anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging activity. The flowering plant contains betalain alkaloids which help protect against cancer and other serious inflammatory diseases.

Finally purslane, due to it's slightly mucilaginous quality, is a good prebiotic.

 

The best way to get the health benefits from purslane is as a food.



 

 

Purslane linguini

 

Purslane is not overpoweringly tasty, but has a fairly neutral flavour. It can be likened to waterblommetjie in that regard. As such it blends in with any dish and any flavour. It can be used in stew, stir fry, salad and soup. It can also be served as a vegetable on its own. Combine it with your favourite vegetables and be inventive. To get maximum medicinal as well as nutritional value, use it generously in salads. Wash it well and cut the thickest stalks off. Use the flowering plant whenever possible. It also makes a delicious pickle. (I always use apple cider vinegar for my pickling.)

You can even add it to your dog's food for extra nutrition.

 

Purslane contains high levels of vitamin C and B as well as potassium, magnesium and nitrate.

 

 

So when you are feeling the pinch and need food that is free and highly nutritious, look no further than your back yard or your pavement. 

Lemon thyme cake - using 4 ingredients from the garden

It's thyme to bake a cake!

This cake is delicious and lemony. It is not a light and fluffy cake, but dense and moist.

The first thing you have to do is pop into the garden and pick a handful of lemon thyme and  dry it by leaving it in a basket in the kitchen for a few days. Then, on the day you want to bake your cake, pick one lemon off the tree, collect 4 eggs from your chickens, and honey from your bee hive.

INGREDIENTS

300g of stone ground white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
200g organic sugar
200g butter
4 eggs
2 large, heaped tablespoons lemon thyme (powdered)
Zest of 1 lemon finely grated

Filling

I tub marscapone
2 tablespoons honey

METHOD

Take your dry lemon thyme and grind it in a coffee grinder until it is a fine powder. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the eggs one by one until well mixed in. Sift the flour and the baking powder and add to the creamed mixture with lemon zest and the lemon thyme powder. Mix until it is all well incorporated, and add milk to make a soft dropping consistency. Grease and flour a baking tin and pour the mixture in. Bake at 175deg for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Mix the marscapone and honey until well creamed.
Allow the cake to cool completely and either slice it into two and fill it with the marscapone mixture or use the mixture as a topping.

Enjoy!

Pesky stinging nettles - such a valuable weed

This spring I pulled out loads of stinging nettle in my garden. Most people would be cursing at the stuff, as it is extremely prolific - but I can only rejoice. Nettle is such a versatile plant and can be used by the herbalist, gardener and cook.

                                                 A branch of nettle loaded with seed

Every part of the nettle plant is useful. In the garden nettle plants are important hosts for various butterfly larvae, and I'm always happy to have a good environment for insects. It is my belief that a good variety of weeds and herbs creates a balanced ecosystem, and fewer pests.

In phytotherapy (herbalism) nettle is a most valuable plant. The leaves, seeds and roots are used. The leaves are used as a tonic, anti-histamine, liver tonic, kidney tonic, iron tonic, to mention just a few uses. It should however, be used under the supervision of a phytotherapy practitioner, as it can cause an allergic reaction in some sensitive people. The seeds are used for kidney problems and the roots are used in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Cutting the roots off hundreds of nettle plants is quite a job. Most people would never realise quite how much work goes on behind the scenes of a phytotherapy practice.

Dried nettle roots

 



Historically nettle stems have been used to make a cotton-like cloth, but I think I'll give knitting with nettle a skip. But it's an easy job to make a wonderful rich fertilizer with nettle. Once I've removed all the roots, I dunk the entire nettle plants into buckets of water and wait until the resulting brew stinks nicely. I don't dilute it as everyone says you must, but use it neat on tomato plants and other vegetable plants. Nettle is also a great compost activator, and I like to put it in a drum with other weeds to make a rich tea for the garden. One of my clients who has a wine farm, sprays his vines with nettle tea to fertilize them.

As a food, nettle is a wonderful addition to soups, stews and even your dog's food if you cook for your dog. It has a very high protein content and is very rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron and calcium. Some farmers add nettle to their feed for cows, as it encourages milk production.

So next time you feel overwhelmed by nettles, think of all the things you can do with them, even if it is only to put them on the compost heap!

Moving the bees

Before the move. This is the entrance to the owl box which in the space of one year got filled up with bees.

Luckily the side panel of the owl box is removable and this is what was revealed when it came off. 

Here is the "bee whisperer" at work.

 

 

 

 

The new hive.

 

 

The new hive going into its new place. 

 

Honey comb which I was allowed to keep. The rest went into the new hive.

Down the garden path

 

 

Spring is a time of lush abundance and here in Cape Town, getting some rain at this time of year is such a bonus. My tanks are full and give me 6000 litres of water for the dry months. I walk around the garden in awe. Hypericum, Verbena and Chamomile are rocketing with spring energy and forming a dense woodland atmosphere. Over the arch a banksia rose glows in delicate yellow and sends showers of petals like confetti over the pathway.

 

 

 

It isn't always as cool as this at this time of year, so walking down the path feels a bit like being in England, with a cloudy sky above and a deep shady green all around. Shepherd's purse, Chelidonium and Marrubium abound. They love my garden and their babies are everywhere.

 

 

Feverfew has self seeded so much that one can hardly see some of the paths in the bee garden. I like to leave things as they are and have to step carefully over trailing Rue (as it gives me a rash if I touch it) and cascading Geraniums. The scents are subtle but heavenly. The leaves of my showy Vitex tree have just as wonderful a scent as the berries. The Hawthorn tree is a beautiful green with florets of buds just waiting to open. The apple tree is full of blossoms.

 

 

What a joy to wander down one's own garden path, to breathe deeply and absorb the peaceful atmosphere. I am truly grateful for this abundance, for the quince blossoms, the aroma of fig leaves, and above all the splendid glory of the roses.

 





 



Thank you for sharing this little walk with me. I get a lot of inspiration from other people who love their gardens, and hope that I can do a bit of that myself. 

 

 

 

 Have a wonderful day in your garden.

A tortoise in the veggie patch

 At one stage my veggie patch was more like a veggie jungle with so much chickweed and stinging nettle. It took quite a bit of sweat to make it look presentable and to reveal the vegetables that had thrived during the winter and our very wet spring. The weather was ideal for seedlings as warm days were followed by copious rain, and even seeds that I sowed directly into the soil, germinated and have grown nicely as can be seen in the picture of purple Kohlrabi below.

Kohlrabi growing nicely

 Chickweed is a herbalist's dream herb for skin conditions, especially itchy skin. It also is reputed to have fat dissolving properties and I've always wanted to test this out on my dog's lipoma. However the timing of chickweed's appearance in such monstrous, strangling abundance is totally at odds with my attack on the weed jungle, especially when the sun is scorching my neck! So the chickweed lands up in my green bin where it rots to make a wonderful compost tea, together with all the other lush greens that get pulled out at this time of year. It really is frustrating, but there's only so much a person can do!

 Strawberries in pots and one dog trespassing.

In June I planted a whole lot of potatoes that had sprouted so much they looked like hedgehogs. They came up with alacrity and I harvested quite a few kilograms of beautiful potatoes in September. Now I have sown maize in that spot - purple maize that I bought from Gravel Garden (Non GM as it is heirloom seed). I got it at the Oranjezicht Urban Farm where they have a market on Saturday mornings. That place is fabulous and well worth a visit. It is so inspiring. You can follow them on Facebook.

In the veggie patch I have so much growing, but it is all a bit haphazard, not in very neat rows, although I do try! At the moment the broccoli and the tomatoes are in neat rows, but cutworm are attacking my broccoli so the rows are getting shorter. Today I will put toilet paper roll collars around the stems - that usually helps. Also things do tend to self-seed, and land in the rows, so what starts out as a row of one vegetable, ends up having rocket or chicory growing in between.

So right now broad beans are ready to pick, peas (entwined round the broad beans) are coming on nicely, garlic is swelling, and the odd strawberry lands in my mouth. So nice to eat an organically grown strawberry!! I am put off buying strawberries because of the amount of spraying they get. I also have youngberries in bloom, and have planted a grapevine. It would be nice to report that I can eat some grapes from it in the future!

And somewhere in the jungle is a tortoise. How it came to be in my garden is a mystery (the dogs discovered it). The only place where it is safe from the dogs is in the veggie patch. I suspect it does a bit of damage here and there, but not enough for me to banish it.