*By Anita Lyon

Get your soil test kits out and get ready to call Mom from the moon! You may want to tell her about the moon grapes, and moon zucchini, or moon corn you just grew on the new lunar property you just bought and built your first home on. Sound like something out of a Sci-Fi Movie?

I recently read an article about moon exploration to live and grow communities on the moon. China and Russia are planning to build a lunar substation to explore the probability of life on the moon. Plans for structuring a long-term human presence are set to be anticipated to take place between 2036-2045. So get your soil test kits out and let the imagination run wild. So what’s the science dirt on growing edibles on the moon. Well, you're going to need a fancy soil test kit that’s for sure. We know that moon dust is going to need some help to get moonscapes to grow. Things we do know about plant life and soil is they have a delicate balance with mother nature. In order to grow any kind of plant life you literally have to build from the ground up.

So down here on earth we know that nature is an intricate and complex balance. We will have all types of soil challenges here where mother nature has set the stage for growing your edible landscapes here in your unique corner of the world. For example, your soil may have too much clay, or maybe even have hardpan hiding underneath your soil that is preventing good drainage. Or possible your soil is lacking nutrients needed to sustain plant life. There is a list of benefits and challenges unique to your own front and back yard dirt. So how do we get edibles growing here on earth in your own edible landscape? Well, any garden foundation starts from the dirt up. For example, if you're building a home here on planet earth or a substation on the moon if you don’t construct a strong and solid foundation. Eventually, your hard-earned structure will come tumbling down. Or on the moon up and out (HA, HA). The same goes for gardening and growing your own edible landscape. Your soil is your edible structure's foundation. If your soil foundation is not properly built. Your edibles will not be structurally sound or may not grow at all. So how do you build a strong foundation for your edibles? Well, it’s not rocket science! However, it is definitely Geology and Botany science supported.

You may have or heard of, or you are already an expert with understanding the N-P-K ’s of dirt science. What are the N-P-K’s you might be asking? So we are talking about Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium to name a few of those needed foundation builders. If your lacking Phosphorus in your soil this will affect your root and fruit health. If you’ve given gardening a try you may have had those weird black rot spots on the bottom of those beautiful tomatoes you’ve been laboring to grow. Or it may appear on your peppers or squash plants. This is called end rot which is a Calcium deficiency in your soil. Phosphorus in your soil affects how your plants uptake Calcium. Not enough phosphorus equals not enough calcium uptake which results in poor cell wall building. This then creates those extraterrestrial-looking fruits and vegetables. The N-P-K balance in your soil even affects how your produce is going to taste at harvest time. Good nutrient base equals good tasting results in your garden delicacies. At Agriscaping technologies we love talking about the NPK’s of dirt and how to use sources from mother nature to grow your soil. So whether your goal is to grow on the moon or grow your own space down here on earth. You can look for present and future classes online and in-person from your local Agriscaping Educator. You can learn how to create an edible moonscape, here in your own earthy space. Then you can phone home or phone from your new moon home to tell MOM all about the beautiful, delicious edibles your growing in your own beautiful space ( puns intended).

Best wishes on becoming an edible landscape star!

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