Regenerative Agriculture in my backyard
I decided to test regenerative agriculture in my backyard, comparing two different crop plant mixes: California native plants vs California Habit Mix, following principals described in Helen Atthowe and Gave Brown.
- step 1. Remove all plants in designated area (two of 1 m x 1.5 m) and dug out 30 cm.
- step 2. Sprinkle thin layers of dried rabbit poops (kept in a compost bin at least for two weeks), which has no more ammonium smell. This is to speed up to grow plants (I assume that the original soil was poor in nutrients). Needs to do soil analysis?
- step 3. Return soil.
- step 4. Sprinkle two different seeds mix; California Native Wild flower in the southern area and California Habit Mix in the northern area (Oct 27 , 2024) and water two times a week until the rainy season starts (Nov 20, 2024).
- step 5. Maw them? Rolling down? When? Probably at Spring? What cash crops? Probably tomatoes.
- step 6. What to monitor? Soil moisture? Soil temperature? Plant health (diseases, pathogens, plant state, yield, etc).
Observations
- Day 1 (Oct 27, 2024)
- Week 1 (Nov 2, 2024)
- Week 2 (Nov 9, 2024)
- Week 3 (Nov 17, 2024)
- Week 4 (Nov 23, 2024)
** Chick Lupine, Lupinus microcarpus seedlings! 
materials
- Scientific names below are searched on line by common names, which were found most of case in Calscape.org.
- California Native Wildflower Mix (Cat #, WB-CN-1000-F, purchused in Nature’s seed)
** contents copied and pasted from the seed bag label, which is slightly different from its website.
| % Pure | Common Name | Scientific Name | Variety | G + D or H | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.70 | Arroyo Lupine | Succulent Lupine | VNS | 26+65=91 | |
| 11.34 | Chick Lupine | Lupinus microcarpus | Densiflorus | 81 - TZ | UT |
| 8.32 | California Poppy | Eschscholzia californica | VNS | 99 - TZ | WA |
| 4.96 | Bluebells California | Phacelia minor | VNS | 97 + 0 = 97 | OR |
| 4.95 | Western Blue-Eyed Grass | Sisyrinchium bellum | VNS | 92 + 0 = 92 | |
| 4.92 | Five Spot | Nemophila maculata | VNS | 90 - TZ | IND |
| 4.17 | Globe Gilia | Gilia capitata | VNS | 73 + 12 = 85 | |
| 4.15 | Mountain Phlox | Phlox austromontana | VNS | 95 + 0 = 95 | OR |
| 4.14 | Chinese houses | Collinsia heterophylla | VNS | 90 + 0 = 90 | |
| 4.13 | Bird’s Eyes | Gilia tricolor | VNS | 96 + 0 = 96 | OR |
| 3.77 | California Goldfields | Lasthenia californica | VNS | 89 + 0 = 89 | CA |
| 3.62 | Red Maids | Calandrinia menziesii | VNS | 75 - TZ | |
| 3.32 | Farewell-To-Spring | Clarkia amoena | Semi-Dwarf | 96 - TZ | OR |
| 3.31 | Phacelia | there are too many Phacelia… | VNS | 94 + 0 = 94 | OR |
| 3.22 | Penstemon, Palmer | Penstemon palmeri | Cedar | 88 - TZ | CO |
| 2.41 | Yarrow, Western | Achillea millefolium L. var. occidentalis DC | Great northern | 95 + 0 = 95 | WA |
| 1.51 | Sticky Monkeyflower | Mimulus aurantiacus var. pubescens | VNS | 80 - TZ | |
| 1.28 | Fort Miller Fairyfan | Clarkia williamsonii | VNS | 88 + 0 = 88 | |
| 0.30 | Owl’s clover | Castilleja densiflora ssp. densiflora | VNS | 44+26=70 |
- California Habit Mix (Cat #, PB-CHM-1-LB, purchased in Nature’s seed) ** contents copied and pasted from the seed bag label, which is slightly different from its website.
| % Pure | Common Name | Scientific Name | Variety | G + D or H | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.93 | California Brome | Bromus carinatus | California | 98 + 0 = 98 | WA |
| 19.51 | California Barley | Hordeum brachyantherum ssp. californicum | Prostrate | 94 + 0 = 94 | OR |
| 19.41 | Wildrye, Blue | Elymus glaucus | Union Flat | 72 + 21 = 93 | CA |
| 12.62 | Purple Needlegrass | Stipa pulchra | VNS | 96 - TZ | |
| 11.68 | Fescue Idaho | Festuca idahoensis | Nezpurs | 73 + 15 = 88 | ID |
| 7.8 | Sandberg Bluegrass | Poa secunda | VNS | 80 - TZ |
0.01 Other Crop Data tested:19-Mar-24 11.45 Inert matter Hard seed: 10.47 0.04 Weed Seed Coverage: 1 x 1000 sf Weight: 0.40 lbs (PLS)/0.50 lbs (Bulk) Mix #269253