Blog Post

Shemitah Garden Year

Jackie Haywood '13 • Jun 05, 2022

At the beginning of this Sabbatical year questions emerged about how to observe Shemitah in the Eco Judaism gardens at Ohef Sholom Temple.

A Sabbatical or Shemitah Year is the final year of the seven-year agricultural cycle prescribed in the Old Testament.  During this year the soil is allowed time to rest. No new planting is supposed to be done. These are some of the questions that we wondered about:


Do we allow the garden to go wild or do limited care of them? 


What will happen when the soil is left alone?


How will Eco Judaism use the time?


In answer to the first question, we decided that we would not plant new plants although we will transplant plants that are in the wrong place. We will have the soil tested and put down compost to improve it. We will harvest the food that had been planted. We will not leave the garden to go wild and allow weeds to reseed.

Plants that fixate nitrogen

So far, we have observed both expected and unexpected changes. First the nonedible (poisonous when eaten) Sweet Peas, Lathyrus odoratus, from last year surprised us by self-seeding or volunteering. Besides their fragrant and lovely blossoms, Sweet Peas are nitrogen fixers. Most living things need nitrogen to live. There is an abundance of nitrogen in the air, but most living things are unable to use it in that form. Plants get their nitrogen through the soil. We get nitrogen from eating plants. That means that nitrogen must get into the soil to be used by the plants and then by us. Some plants such as those in the legume genus, like beans, peanuts, peas, alfalfa, and clover are nitrogen fixers. This means that these plants provide shelter, in the form of root nodules for the nitrogen-producing bacteria that are in the soil to live in. Some of these nitrogen-fixing plants are intentionally planted by farmers to enrich their soil. These plants are plowed under leaving the roots and stored nitrogen in the soil.

So far, we have observed both expected and unexpected changes. First the nonedible (poisonous when eaten) Sweet Peas, Lathyrus odoratus, from last year surprised us by self-seeding or volunteering. Besides their fragrant and lovely blossoms, Sweet Peas are nitrogen fixers. Most living things need nitrogen to live. There is an abundance of nitrogen in the air, but most living things are unable to use it in that form. Plants get their nitrogen through the soil. We get nitrogen from eating plants. That means that nitrogen must get into the soil to be used by the plants and then by us. Some plants such as those in the legume genus, like beans, peanuts, peas, alfalfa, and clover are nitrogen fixers. This means that these plants provide shelter, in the form of root nodules for the nitrogen-producing bacteria that are in the soil to live in. Some of these nitrogen-fixing plants are intentionally planted by farmers to enrich their soil. These plants are plowed under leaving the roots and stored nitrogen in the soil.


       Nodules that bacteria live in.

We had a few turnips, kale, and bok choi that bolted (bloomed) and had bright yellow blossoms. Those were removed after the pollinators finished enjoying their nectar.  We harvested and shared the horseradish with religious school students in time for Passover.  Some weeds, especially chickweed, (Stellaria media) which is edible, henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), pig weed (Amaranthus retroflexus), annual blue grass (Poa annua), hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) and common wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), both are edible, have come up.  Bittercress and wood sorrel spread their seeds through ballistic dispersal or by catapulting them out. We are keeping the weeds in control through mulching, hoeing and hand weeding. 

Henbit
Wood sorrel
Bittercress

We are currently focused on soil improvement, workshops, education, and planning. We are also working on plant supports, trimming and pruning, replanting the horseradish for next year in containers, and growing sunflowers in containers. 


This may be a Shemitah year but there is still a lot to do since a garden always needs attention and always has a new surprise for us when we visit.


Editorial Note: Jackie is the Eco Judaism Co-chair at Ohef Sholom Temple.

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