Get Personal With Your Garden

If you are putting in a fall garden, grow the vegetables that are most important to you or your family’s blood types. Have you ever thought of what vegetables or foods are best for you and your family? It is important to know your blood type. Some blood types are naturally more acidic than others. All foods are not equally good for each blood type. If your family is all O blood types there generally is little variation in the foods that are beneficial. If your family has a variation of blood types like A, B, AB, and O then foods can affect them differently. For instance, pinto beans are beneficial for A and AB blood types but should be avoided by B and O blood types. Black and English walnuts are just about the only nuts that are beneficial to all blood types. Almonds are neutral for all types. O’s should avoid all wheat products. The only exception is Essene and Ezekiel breads.

Beet greens, broccoli, collard greens, kale, parsnip, sweet potato, are beneficial to all blood types. Squash (winter/summer), Swiss Chard, zucchini, peas(green/pod/snow), lettuce, garlic, horseradish, garlic, kelp, dandelion, celery, beets, bok choy, are vegetables that are beneficial or neutral to all blood types. Neutral means it is not beneficial but is not harmful. The book “Eat Right For Your Blood Type” Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia covers food, vitamins herbs, and treatments for conditions of all the blood types. You may find the key to the annoying bloating or poor digestion issues you may be having. When you think about what you plan to grow think about what is beneficial to you and your family. Many of the green leafy vegetables do well in fall gardens. Broccoli and squash are good fall crops. You will find that heirloom seeds will provide you with superior yield and seeds you can save for your next growing season.

Just as different foods are good for you; different soil mixtures are good for different plants. Different parts of Texas have different types of soil. At your local nursery, you can find out what you need to supplement your soil with for vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees to flourish. In general adding minerals is a good step. Most soil is mineral deficient. When you are starting a raised bed, you can start with soil mixes that already have good organic compost, minerals, Diatomaceous Earth and humic materials. You can also buy each of these separately and mix it in the bed. There are good organic compost (cotton burr Compost), mixes of Diatomaceous Earth and humates, and mineral additives available. The soil in your area of TX may need specific materials added.

It has been shown that minerals strengthen plants and improve growth. Diatomaceous earth from a fresh water source that has a high silica content that is amorphous silica is what you should look for. This form of silica is utilized by plants when added to the soil or combined with humic material. Silica assist plant uptake of nutrients and water. Plants tolerate drought better if silica is available. Diatomaceous earth helps the aeration of the soil and assist in moisture balance. Humic materials increase microbial production increasing the fertility of the soil.

Since fall is still warm in Texas there is still a threat of insects attacking your garden. Use a diatomaceous earth crawling insect control in your garden. That way you have insect control and are feeding your soil. Diatomaceous Earth is safe and inexpensive. It can be used in all phases of plant growth. It is safe for earth worms and bees. Never use the type of DE that is used for filtration. It is larger in particle size, the silica is crystalline, and dangerous to breath.

By Patricia Byrne