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Grounding / Earthing – Literally Our Connection

Grounding / Earthing is literally our connection to the Earth

I Had An Epiphany!

surprised worm

The other night I watched a film about Grounding, or Earthing, that made me realize something.

Since I started down the path of Organic Urban Land Care (and kind of the reason I started in the first place). I have noticed that the people that tend to their garden with a more natural (dare I say organic) mentality, seem to be the ones that enjoy their time working in the garden. They are also the more “laid back” population of gardeners and land care people, it would seem.

I used to attribute this to just personality differences. Then I thought it was chemicals absorbed from traditional landscape practices that made some people uptight, and worried about the bottom line. Because of the money they spent of the chemicals no doubt. Now I think the difference is grounding.

I have also noticed in my own experience. The days that I feel achy and sore, but spend some time in the garden. I improve quickly. When I am walking on grass or soil, my back doesn’t hurt nearly as much as when I’m on concrete or asphalt. I have always been a barefoot walker, and big proponent of it. My kids are often barefoot, and not because I have told them too. They just do it. I thought it was the fresh air, my country upbringing, maybe some acupressure. Now I’m wondering…

grounding / earthing

There has been a Grounding / Earthing Disconnect

2 really.

I have trying to figure out what is the ONE thing that connects us all in the importance of organic urban land care.

Some people do not want to grow their own food.

And, some people do not want to plant all native plants.

Some people are deathly allergic to bees, or generally hate bugs, no matter how important they know they are to the ecosystem and the planet.

grounding / earthing

A great population live in high rise apartments in downtowns.

And so on.

The second disconnection is between us and the planet. Literally, our connection..

rock mulch garden

Our cells are held together by electromagnetic forces. Elements and particles pass from one thing to another by positive and negative forces. The synapses in our brain, and our heart beat. Controlled by electrical pulses. These pulses and electrical reactions all need to be grounded. Just like a television set or computer screen. If it’s not properly grounded it will work, but it will have static. In our bodies, that static is in the form of inflammation. That can cause all sorts of other health issues, if left unchecked.

I’ll only mention the cell phones, Wi-Fi, radio waves, and the Earths own electromagnetic properties that we are surrounded by everyday. We are bombarded with charged particles constantly.

Traditionally Grounding / Earthing would happen naturally.

In order to rid yourself of those extra electrons, you need to be in direct contact with the Earth. Something we are surprisingly, not doing enough of. Or at least, get rid of the electrical insulation between our body and the Earth. Rubber soles, as an example, insulate us electrically from the Earth as we walk. The easiest way to become grounded is to walk barefoot on the ground. On a regular basis. Hang out on the grass. On a regular basis.

The Grounding / Earthing – Organic Urban Land Care Connection

Where the importance of Organic / Regenerative Urban Land Care practices comes into the picture is when we consider our feet. The soles of our feet (and palms of our hands) do not produce the waxy protective coating of sebum the rest of our skin does. So, as our extra electrons are draining, we are absorbing things through our feet. This is what keeps most people from walking barefoot I think. If we didn’t have to worry about the chemicals being absorbed, we could focus on the energy transfer happening.

organic landcare

So no matter who, or where.

Grounding / Earthing is something we all need to do. And, we need to be able to do it in an environment that we only absorb good things through our skin.

New Online Learning Opportunity

Contact me or check out the front page of the website for the new online learning opportunities. I will explain the importance of organic urban land care. And, go through the seasons with tips and ideas for what we can do to bring balance back to the garden.

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Seaweed in the Garden

Seaweed in the Graden

Seaweed in the Garden?!!

While chatting with a friend the other day, the subject of seaweed came up. Living in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, seaweed does not come up in conversation very often! It reminded me of growing up in New Brunswick and the semi annual trip to the beach to collect seaweed for use in the garden.

More to the point of our story though.

My friend has a friend who has some seaweed become a temporary rodent restaurant. It could no longer used for its intended purpose, and rather than send it to the landfill, they figured it could be used in the garden. The question was more if it should be composted first, or added directly to the garden. When that should happen, and should it be tilled into the soil or not?

seaweed in the garden

Using seaweed in the garden has many benefits actually.

Use it as a mulch

A 4-6 inch layer (10-15 cm) of seaweed will suppress unwanted plant growth, and aid the soil in retaining moisture. Slugs, snails, and other pests do not like the salty, sharp edges of seaweed. Seaweed does not dry out in the same fashion as other forms of mulch making it less of a fuel source for sparks. If you live in an area prone to dangerous fire threat conditions, seaweed may be an alternative ground cover mulch.

Feed the soil

Seaweed is full of nutrients and minerals that aid in other plant growth. Nitrogen, Magnesium, Potassium to name a few. There are also a host of micronutrients in seaweed that will become available as the ground cover decomposes. Something you do not get with bark mulch. Seaweed will also aerate the soil, and deter some fungi and diseases as it adds all those nutrients to the soil. If seaweed is added around the same time as some brown mulch, say leaf litter, the nitrogen in the seaweed is balanced by the carbon in the leaf litter.

Put it in your compost

The local variety and quantity of seaweed available will dictate how best to use seaweed in the garden. Kelp, Dulce, Rock-weed, and other forms all have different consistencies and some are better suited for mulch. Others, are more algae than vine, and are better suited for composting. The more algae varieties can still be used as mulch. They will breakdown faster, and require more volume to get the same coverage as a mulch.

Put it in your Tea!

Compost tea set up

Adding kelp or seaweed to your compost tea will help feed the beneficial microorganisms both in the tea, and in the soil. I use a kelp extract in the teas I brew. It is easier to find around here than the raw product. If you have actual seaweed, you can add a couple of handfuls to the tea to get a lot of the nutrients out during the brewing process.

Special note on collecting seaweed

Be respectful of the ecosystem. Only take what you need. Only take when there is an abundance around. Do not take it all from one area if you can. The beaches and the creatures in that ecosystem also need the seaweed. Always check that where you are going to collect from is not a protected area of some kind. Many localities are protecting their beach habitats and have placed certain rules and regulations on the collecting of anything off the beach.