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It has been fun to learn some of the principles of soil amendment. I understand better the complexity of soil chemistry and biology. And it has consumed a good bit of my free time during the slow winter time. So both are good.

The first clear indication of effects is that the soil appears and behaves differently. The sandy loam at the garden has a finer appearance. The clay soil at the farm doesn't have as many clods, they're smaller, easier to break up, and tilling it is easier - it appears to be smoother and more friable. These obvious changes don't prove anything, but overall, the soil is easier to work and I sense that positive changes are happening in the soil.

We have an idea of what the soil can grow in the Fall City garden. I will write more here as we see the results. Now I'm considering only those I have direct sowed in the soil there. I evaluated how well the seeds I sowed directly in the garden did (sweet pea, radish, spinach, beet, carrot, turnip). Most germinated well and had healthier plants. Carrots were the only exception - I tried a different and untried way of seeding them - germination was poor.

As of June 1, 2015, I am truly impressed by the color and vigor of plants. Take the potatoes and peas, and notice the tomatillos and quinoa in the background.

The peas, most of which are the same variety (Maestro) we grew two previous years, look stronger and are blooming and putting on pods more quickly.

There may well be other factors, but few plants were affected by bugs this year. Leaves were lush and without holes. Maybe there were fewer bugs around - maybe the healthier plants were not as attractive to bugs. When I read that this can be expected with healthy plants, grown in remineralized soil, I was skeptical that improving soil mineral balance could make a difference. However, this may be the case in my own gardens.

Speaking of leaves, here’s a gallery of photos of the leaves of some of the plants. At both gardens, plants had a healthy, vibrant and rich appearance this year, much nicer than pervious years.

It is fair to attribute some of the vigor of plants we germinated in the greenhouse, but the tomatoes at the farm showed no shock from being transplanted and they are growing more quickly.