Basement Shaman Blog

Plant Growing Tips - The Trinity

This time of year its only natural that I get tons of email from concerned gardeners seeking to provide their plants with just the right conditions to make them thrive. While the Basement Shaman stocks plants from around the world, there are some surprising few tips which will greatly improve your chances at successful growing.

I think one of the most misunderstood areas is watering. If I took a random tally, I'd say that there's more overwatering going on versus underwatering. Most of our customers container grow their plants, and this in itself can be a bit tricky. Plants evolved to weave their roots into porous substrates of soil, unencumbered by physical barriers such as plastic pots. The environment directly in the soil offers unfettered gas exchage. Our first recommendation is replace plastic pots with much more porous, unglazed clay pots. We've recently begun phasing out our plastic pots in lieu of spun coconut fiber pots. Plant health is closely related to good gas exchange at the root level. Byproducts of plant metabolism must be allowed to escape and oxygen must be allowed in. Overwatering greatly inhibits this process, and literally starves the root zone of critical gas exchange. The end result is poor root health and a weakened plant. In our our greenhouse we allow most of our plant to dry to the point where they just begin to slightly droop between waterings. There are a few exceptions. One simple tip is to always allow the surface of the soil to dry between waterings. Stick your finger into the pot about an inch or two deep and test for moisture. If it's still moist, hold off on watering.

The second most popular question involves fertilizer. Here's a succinct tip, kick the Miracle-Gro habit!Miracle-Gro is a petrochemically-derived fertilizer that contains some inferior sources of nitrogen and other potentially problematic compounds. The nitrogen contained in this formula will produce lush growth but it also seems to produce plants that have very little resistance to pests. Furthermore, high levels of elevated metals have been found in the product, and you don't want these in your nervous system or your environment. Instead choose a good liquid, organic fertilizer. We love the Earthjuice brands and have used them in our own greenhouses for many years now. There are also many powdered organic supplements on the market.

And lastly, there's also a question about appropriate growing media. Avoid top soil. The stuff will eventually turn to cement in your pot. In fact most potting mixes are what are properly termed "soiless" mixes. They usually contain a blend of composted peat, perlite ( a white crumbly, very porous mineral mined from volcanic deposists), vermiculite(another mined mineral product with good porosity, and perhaps some composted bark and sand. Peat bogs have been seriously overmined, and we've selected mixes that substitute coconut coir, a fibrous byproduct of coconut harvesting that has some very beneficial growing characteristics. Once again, avoid the Miracle-Gro type products which now come pre-charged with their own fertilizer.

This is just a quick and cursory rundown. If you have any specific concerns you'd like answered, please post them here, and I'll compile some more growing tips. Remember as, mentioned, we are the point sources for protecting and disseminating these incredible plant allies. Our gardens are the living lineage, the points of light for preserving plant consciousness.

Happiness,
andy

Plant Growing Tips - The Trinity

This time of year its only natural that I get tons of email from concerned gardeners seeking to provide their plants with just the right conditions to make them thrive. While the Basement Shaman stocks plants from around the world, there are some surprising few tips which will greatly improve your chances at successful growing.

I think one of the most misunderstood areas is watering. If I took a random tally, I'd say that there's more overwatering going on versus underwatering. Most of our customers container grow their plants, and this in itself can be a bit tricky. Plants evolved to weave their roots into porous substrates of soil, unencumbered by physical barriers such as plastic pots. The environment directly in the soil offers unfettered gas exchage. Our first recommendation is replace plastic pots with much more porous, unglazed clay pots. We've recently begun phasing out our plastic pots in lieu of spun coconut fiber pots. Plant health is closely related to good gas exchange at the root level. Byproducts of plant metabolism must be allowed to escape and oxygen must be allowed in. Overwatering greatly inhibits this process, and literally starves the root zone of critical gas exchange. The end result is poor root health and a weakened plant. In our our greenhouse we allow most of our plant to dry to the point where they just begin to slightly droop between waterings. There are a few exceptions. One simple tip is to always allow the surface of the soil to dry between waterings. Stick your finger into the pot about an inch or two deep and test for moisture. If it's still moist, hold off on watering.

The second most popular question involves fertilizer. Here's a succinct tip, kick the Miracle-Gro habit!Miracle-Gro is a petrochemically-derived fertilizer that contains some inferior sources of nitrogen and other potentially problematic compounds. The nitrogen contained in this formula will produce lush growth but it also seems to produce plants that have very little resistance to pests. Furthermore, high levels of elevated metals have been found in the product, and you don't want these in your nervous system or your environment. Instead choose a good liquid, organic fertilizer. We love the Earthjuice brands and have used them in our own greenhouses for many years now. There are also many powdered organic supplements on the market.

And lastly, there's also a question about appropriate growing media. Avoid top soil. The stuff will eventually turn to cement in your pot. In fact most potting mixes are what are properly termed "soiless" mixes. They usually contain a blend of composted peat, perlite ( a white crumbly, very porous mineral mined from volcanic deposists), vermiculite(another mined mineral product with good porosity, and perhaps some composted bark and sand. Peat bogs have been seriously overmined, and we've selected mixes that substitute coconut coir, a fibrous byproduct of coconut harvesting that has some very beneficial growing characteristics. Once again, avoid the Miracle-Gro type products which now come pre-charged with their own fertilizer.

This is just a quick and cursory rundown. If you have any specific concerns you'd like answered, please post them here, and I'll compile some more growing tips. Remember as, mentioned, we are the point sources for protecting and disseminating these incredible plant allies. Our gardens are the living lineage, the points of light for preserving plant consciousness.

Happiness,
andy

FDA Bullies Herbal Industry

Listen up friends. This one's important. It looks like the FDA, in it's insatiable desire to wield power over the lives and bodies of free citizens of the U.S, is attempting to increase it's control of many commonly available herbs and nutritional supplements. The vary regulatory agency that can't even seem to ensure a safe food supply for our pets, seems to think it should impose more barriers between what we see fit to put into our bodies. There is a public forum that open for comment by anyone who wishes to do so, and we urge all of you who value the right to access and regulate the natural substances and nutrional supplements you use on your own accord, to visit the link listed below and let the FDA know where you stand on this issue. We need to let our voices be hear here.

Happiness,
andy @ the basement shaman

From the American Botanical Council - Austin, TX:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday extended the deadline
for public comments on the draft document, Guidance for Industry on
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the
Food and Drug Administration. 1
Public Comments Docket:The new deadline for filing public comments is May 29, 2007.

On February 27, 2007 the FDA issued this as a proposed set of guidelines in
the Federal Register (FR) which the agency attempted to clarify its role in
regulating so-called "CAM products". The document stated that the public
would have 90 days from the date of publication to comment. However, the
agency apparently erred in stating that the deadline would be April 30,
instead of 90 days from February 27, which should be May 29. This error was
discovered by the vigilance of the American Herbal Products Association, the
leading trade association dealing exclusively with herbs and herbal
products, and was communicated to FDA in a letter. (Presumably this is the
reason for the agency's extension of the deadline. The actual date on the
document is "December 2006", the time the document was completed, even
though it was not published in the FR until February.)

The FDA's publication of the proposed new guidelines has generated a
significant level of e-mails and Internet discussion among members of the
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) community, health freedom
activists, members of the herb and dietary supplement industry, and others.
During the past weeks ABC has received numerous requests from ABC members
for requests for clarification. Many e-mails and communications among the
lay public have questioned whether the FDA may be reaching out for new
regulatory territory - whether the agency may be attempting to regulate new
domains of activity, i.e., the practice of CAM as opposed to the agency's
traditionally regulated areas, i.e., foods, drugs, biologics, cosmetics and
medical devices.

There has also been confusion about whether FDA is proposing new rules
governing the use of herbs, dietary supplements, or other materials in the
practice of CAM. Some people appear to be unaware that FDA does not create
"legislation" - that is the domain of Congress and state legislatures.

Late Night Guitar

Thanks Eoghan. I'll be picking up some Phil Ochs next time I'm shopping for tunes! I have too often been watching and playing along with the great D.A. Pennebaker film "Don't Look Back" that's recently been rereleased as the boxed 65 Tour Edition including a great little scopitone book. You know that kind of book where you flick the pages and animate a little movie. Playing along late at night you can get a little moody ay?

Johns Hopkins Mystical Mushroom Study

Today I had the good fortune to speak with a loyal Basement Shaman supporter who is passionate about ethnobotany and entheobotany. We exchanged some esoteric info about tropane alkaloids profiles among various species of lovely Brugmansia species, swapped war stories of trying to successfully germinate notoriously stubborn seeds, and pondered whether the archeological evidence of anadenanthera snuffs used several thousand years ago in the highlands of South America is complete.

My companion turned me on to a study which completely escaped my notice, but I think it bears attention. The study involved the use of psilocybin, one of the active alkaloids in what are commonly called "magic mushrooms". The subjects were all quite straight, upright citizen without previous experience with psychedelics/ entheogenic substances. Administration of the compound produced a very high rate of what were termed, positive spiritual experiences which had significant beneficial effects in the subjects outlook and behavior often lasting several months. Further studies are pending. Of course, psilocybin is illegal, and is a officially deamed by the DEA as a pretty evil substance with high abuse potential and little or no medical value. It's refreshing to see an institution with high stature such as Johns Hopkins to brave an area of research that's too often characterized with derision. Check out the link at Johns Hopkins Mystical Mushroom Study