Start a Window Box Garden by MATTHEW BUQUOI
Gardening is a concept that grows each year, especially as the organic food and whole foods concepts are in full rage. Many people have turned to starting their own garden to go one step further with this concept. Starting your own garden can be time consuming and filled with mistakes. Window box gardening is a good way to learn some basic gardening skills and save a ton of time and money. Additionally, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of gardening from a window inside your home.
Gardening is a pleasure for both the gardener and the chef who will prepare the fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, a window box is a simple and convenient way to maintain a miniature garden. Depending on the season, different plants and techniques are recommended to best optimize your garden. With summer winding down, your garden will need a little special care in order to produce a banner crop.
The first consideration is to plant things that do not need a lot of room. A window box will be somewhat confining and depending on the size of your window box there may be a few limits as to what you can grow in your garden. A window box should be at least 6 inches tall and deep to grow most vegetables, flowers, and plants. Getting a window box large enough for plants and flowers will give you more options year round to use them for other than gardening. Also, consider a no rot window box, which will last up to 30 years without needing to be replaced.
Now is the time to plant additional vegetable seeds for the fall harvest. Peas, spinach, lettuce, endive, beans, carrots, turnips, swiss chard, and beets are all excellent late summer plantings. These vegetables thrive in cool and humid temperatures.
Continue harvesting vegetables when they are young and tender and cook them as soon as possible. This will increase your yields and extend your harvest. Be on the lookout for insects and treat without pesticides if possible. Any plant that is heavily infested should be removed from your garden and destroyed.
With the rainfalls we have received this summer, you will need to give your garden an extra boost of fertilizer. Rainfall leaches the nutrients from the soil and robs the plants of vital nutrition needed to produce. Now is a perfect time to side dress the plants with granular fertilizer or to water with liquid plant food.
Afterwards, what happens to all the vegetables that you've planted and then harvested? Freezing and canning are the answer. You will have vegetables in your freezer or on your shelf to enjoy long after frost ends the season. Almost everything you plant can be frozen or canned. Blanching or steaming is very important in freezing all vegetables. Vegetables should be heated and steamed then immediately cooled before freezing. This process eliminates any unwanted bacteria.
And of course, even a window box needs weed prevention and care to make sure you are maximizing your efforts. The weeds are robbing your plants of moisture and nutrients and are encouraging insects and diseases in your garden. After the garden is weeded and side-dressed with granular fertilizer, water thoroughly and apply Preen or Concern to prevent weeds from returning. These weed killers should keep you "weed-free" through the end of the growing season.
Gardening from a window box is fun and most importantly simple. It's a great way to start a garden and learn the basics in a way that is convenient and time saving. This also gives you ideas of what window boxes can be used for in the hot and colder seasons when spring flower blooms begin to disappear.
Start a Window Box Garden by MATTHEW BUQUOI
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Organic Hydroponics for Beginners
This article impressed me, because many people around the world are suffering from shortages of Top Soil to growing any type of plant.
Organic Hydroponics for Beginners by LING TONG
Articles Written: 228 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR
Organic Hydroponics for Beginners
Hydroponics is the practice of growing vegetables and plants using mineral nutrient solutions rather than soil. The only difference between regular hydroponics and organic hydroponics is what you decide to feed your plants. Much of the work involved in this type of gardening is learning about it, getting it set up and learning how to make adjustments when they are needed. The food is in the water, which is the key element in hydroponics. The three main things you have to focus on are:
- how you can get the food and water to the plants
- how to know how much water to give the plants so that they won't drown
- how to avoid any serious problems
There are many ways of making sure your plants get the food that they need to survive and grow.
1. Watering by Hand. This is an easy method of feeding the plants. You mix vermiculite, perlite and coconut coir together in water. Since none of these contain any nutrients, you will have to add a plant food supplement to the mixture. Coconut coir and vermiculite do retain a lot of the water, so these minerals will help the containers stay moist for a few days. You can also use sphagnum peat, which is the basis for potting soil, in the containers as well and this retains water.
2. Reservoir. The reservoir feeding method is perhaps the easiest way of feeding the plants. Place a layer of about two inches of nutrient solution in a large container and place the containers with the plants in them down into this. You can have small holes in the bottoms of the containers to make sure that the roots grow out into the nutrient solution. Use an aquarium pump to provide constant bubbles in the solution. This will keep the plants from drowning. It is important that you do not allow any light to reach this solution because if it does, algae will develop and this will kill the plants.
3. Flood and Drain. This method has also been called the Ebb and Flow Method in which the plants sit in their own container away from the nutrient solution. From time to time, a pump will kick in and will flood the containers with the nutrient solution and then drain it back out again.
4. Drip System. In the drip system, the plants are separate from the nutrient solution as well. A pump pushes the solution through several tubes, which drips onto the plants from the top. This is the hardest method to use because it is difficult to control the drip rate.
Any of these methods will work with organic gardening. The best feeding solution to use is a teaspoon of Maxsea 3-20-20 dissolved in a gallon of water for the first ten days that the plants have roots. After that, you don't have to worry about a high nitrogen content damaging the plants so you can increase it to a solution of 600 ppm of Maxsea16-16-16. You can finish off with two teaspoons of 800 ppm of Maxsea 3-20-20. Flush the crop with plain water before you harvest to improve the taste. For more information on organic gardening,organic hydropoincs and how to have your own organic garden visit http://www.Organic-Garden.net
Organic Hydroponics for Beginners by LING TONG
Articles Written: 228 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR
Organic Hydroponics for Beginners
Hydroponics is the practice of growing vegetables and plants using mineral nutrient solutions rather than soil. The only difference between regular hydroponics and organic hydroponics is what you decide to feed your plants. Much of the work involved in this type of gardening is learning about it, getting it set up and learning how to make adjustments when they are needed. The food is in the water, which is the key element in hydroponics. The three main things you have to focus on are:
- how you can get the food and water to the plants
- how to know how much water to give the plants so that they won't drown
- how to avoid any serious problems
There are many ways of making sure your plants get the food that they need to survive and grow.
1. Watering by Hand. This is an easy method of feeding the plants. You mix vermiculite, perlite and coconut coir together in water. Since none of these contain any nutrients, you will have to add a plant food supplement to the mixture. Coconut coir and vermiculite do retain a lot of the water, so these minerals will help the containers stay moist for a few days. You can also use sphagnum peat, which is the basis for potting soil, in the containers as well and this retains water.
2. Reservoir. The reservoir feeding method is perhaps the easiest way of feeding the plants. Place a layer of about two inches of nutrient solution in a large container and place the containers with the plants in them down into this. You can have small holes in the bottoms of the containers to make sure that the roots grow out into the nutrient solution. Use an aquarium pump to provide constant bubbles in the solution. This will keep the plants from drowning. It is important that you do not allow any light to reach this solution because if it does, algae will develop and this will kill the plants.
3. Flood and Drain. This method has also been called the Ebb and Flow Method in which the plants sit in their own container away from the nutrient solution. From time to time, a pump will kick in and will flood the containers with the nutrient solution and then drain it back out again.
4. Drip System. In the drip system, the plants are separate from the nutrient solution as well. A pump pushes the solution through several tubes, which drips onto the plants from the top. This is the hardest method to use because it is difficult to control the drip rate.
Any of these methods will work with organic gardening. The best feeding solution to use is a teaspoon of Maxsea 3-20-20 dissolved in a gallon of water for the first ten days that the plants have roots. After that, you don't have to worry about a high nitrogen content damaging the plants so you can increase it to a solution of 600 ppm of Maxsea16-16-16. You can finish off with two teaspoons of 800 ppm of Maxsea 3-20-20. Flush the crop with plain water before you harvest to improve the taste. For more information on organic gardening,organic hydropoincs and how to have your own organic garden visit http://www.Organic-Garden.net
Organic window Box
Start a Window Box Garden by MATTHEW BUQUOI
Start a Window Box Garden
Gardening is a concept that grows each year, especially as the organic food and whole foods concepts are in full rage. Many people have turned to starting their own garden to go one step further with this concept. Starting your own garden can be time consuming and filled with mistakes. Window box gardening is a good way to learn some basic gardening skills and save a ton of time and money. Additionally, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of gardening from a window inside your home.
Gardening is a pleasure for both the gardener and the chef who will prepare the fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, a window box is a simple and convenient way to maintain a miniature garden. Depending on the season, different plants and techniques are recommended to best optimize your garden. With summer winding down, your garden will need a little special care in order to produce a banner crop.
The first consideration is to plant things that do not need a lot of room. A window box will be somewhat confining and depending on the size of your window box there may be a few limits as to what you can grow in your garden. A window box should be at least 6 inches tall and deep to grow most vegetables, flowers, and plants. Getting a window box large enough for plants and flowers will give you more options year round to use them for other than gardening. Also, consider a no rot window box, which will last up to 30 years without needing to be replaced.
Now is the time to plant additional vegetable seeds for the fall harvest. Peas, spinach, lettuce, endive, beans, carrots, turnips, swiss chard, and beets are all excellent late summer plantings. These vegetables thrive in cool and humid temperatures.
Continue harvesting vegetables when they are young and tender and cook them as soon as possible. This will increase your yields and extend your harvest. Be on the lookout for insects and treat without pesticides if possible. Any plant that is heavily infested should be removed from your garden and destroyed.
With the rainfalls we have received this summer, you will need to give your garden an extra boost of fertilizer. Rainfall leaches the nutrients from the soil and robs the plants of vital nutrition needed to produce. Now is a perfect time to side dress the plants with granular fertilizer or to water with liquid plant food.
Afterwards, what happens to all the vegetables that you've planted and then harvested? Freezing and canning are the answer. You will have vegetables in your freezer or on your shelf to enjoy long after frost ends the season. Almost everything you plant can be frozen or canned. Blanching or steaming is very important in freezing all vegetables. Vegetables should be heated and steamed then immediately cooled before freezing. This process eliminates any unwanted bacteria.
And of course, even a window box needs weed prevention and care to make sure you are maximizing your efforts. The weeds are robbing your plants of moisture and nutrients and are encouraging insects and diseases in your garden. After the garden is weeded and side-dressed with granular fertilizer, water thoroughly and apply Preen or Concern to prevent weeds from returning. These weed killers should keep you "weed-free" through the end of the growing season.
Gardening from a window box is fun and most importantly simple. It's a great way to start a garden and learn the basics in a way that is convenient and time saving. This also gives you ideas of what window boxes can be used for in the hot and colder seasons when spring flower blooms begin to disappear.
Start a Window Box Garden
Gardening is a concept that grows each year, especially as the organic food and whole foods concepts are in full rage. Many people have turned to starting their own garden to go one step further with this concept. Starting your own garden can be time consuming and filled with mistakes. Window box gardening is a good way to learn some basic gardening skills and save a ton of time and money. Additionally, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of gardening from a window inside your home.
Gardening is a pleasure for both the gardener and the chef who will prepare the fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, a window box is a simple and convenient way to maintain a miniature garden. Depending on the season, different plants and techniques are recommended to best optimize your garden. With summer winding down, your garden will need a little special care in order to produce a banner crop.
The first consideration is to plant things that do not need a lot of room. A window box will be somewhat confining and depending on the size of your window box there may be a few limits as to what you can grow in your garden. A window box should be at least 6 inches tall and deep to grow most vegetables, flowers, and plants. Getting a window box large enough for plants and flowers will give you more options year round to use them for other than gardening. Also, consider a no rot window box, which will last up to 30 years without needing to be replaced.
Now is the time to plant additional vegetable seeds for the fall harvest. Peas, spinach, lettuce, endive, beans, carrots, turnips, swiss chard, and beets are all excellent late summer plantings. These vegetables thrive in cool and humid temperatures.
Continue harvesting vegetables when they are young and tender and cook them as soon as possible. This will increase your yields and extend your harvest. Be on the lookout for insects and treat without pesticides if possible. Any plant that is heavily infested should be removed from your garden and destroyed.
With the rainfalls we have received this summer, you will need to give your garden an extra boost of fertilizer. Rainfall leaches the nutrients from the soil and robs the plants of vital nutrition needed to produce. Now is a perfect time to side dress the plants with granular fertilizer or to water with liquid plant food.
Afterwards, what happens to all the vegetables that you've planted and then harvested? Freezing and canning are the answer. You will have vegetables in your freezer or on your shelf to enjoy long after frost ends the season. Almost everything you plant can be frozen or canned. Blanching or steaming is very important in freezing all vegetables. Vegetables should be heated and steamed then immediately cooled before freezing. This process eliminates any unwanted bacteria.
And of course, even a window box needs weed prevention and care to make sure you are maximizing your efforts. The weeds are robbing your plants of moisture and nutrients and are encouraging insects and diseases in your garden. After the garden is weeded and side-dressed with granular fertilizer, water thoroughly and apply Preen or Concern to prevent weeds from returning. These weed killers should keep you "weed-free" through the end of the growing season.
Gardening from a window box is fun and most importantly simple. It's a great way to start a garden and learn the basics in a way that is convenient and time saving. This also gives you ideas of what window boxes can be used for in the hot and colder seasons when spring flower blooms begin to disappear.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Vegetable Gardening-Which Style Will Suit You
Vegetable Gardening-Which Style Will Suit You? by GRAHAM WILLIAMS
Gardening,Advice,Hobbies
Every gardener has his own set way of growing things, this is what makes him suitable for certain gardening styles. If you know this yourself and your gardening style, then you will adapt the growing of your organic garden to your abilities. This will be a big help for the yield of your vegetables. Doing this will pretty much give you an edge over other gardening enthusiasts. But the Question is, just what are these different gardening types? This article will cover some of the types that you may consider suit you.
Residential Gardening
You will find that this type of gardening is the most common of all the gardening techniques. If you have just started or are a beginner may not be ready or inclined to produce vegetables for commercial reasons yet, Thus, residential gardening will be just right for you. The main objective of residential gardening is to try and sustain a family of two with a regular supply of vegetables.
Residential gardening requires very little space. It can also be done in window boxes on balconies and on many other small areas that are available to you, that is as long as they have enough of a light source. Growing this way is easy for you to monitor, also it is easy to maintain as well, which means you can keep on top of any nasty little pests. The best thing about residential gardening is that way it ushers the gardening wannabe with ease from having no prior planting experience to expanding to the various other gardening styles
Specialized Gardening
Specialized gardening is normally for non residential areas that are often marketed as parks, botanical gardens, amusement parks and other tourist attractions fall under this category. Normally a staff is required to maintain these places, this is due to there size, also administrative skills will be required on top of gardening expertise.
Indoor Gardening
Indoor gardening comes under the huge scope of residential gardening. The types that come in this category are conservatories, greenhouses and academic institutions. Buildings with heating and air conditioning may used to grow certain types of plants. If you are the type of gardener who really loves cultivating plants in and out of season, then indoor gardening is for you
Water Gardening
If you want a garden that requires only minimal supervision, then water gardening will be for you. This can normally be quit a bit of a challenge for most gardeners, this is because it moves away from the traditional gardening techniques that most people are used to. But this style appeals to many because of the aesthetic look it brings to there garden.
So there you have a few different styles to help give you an idea on what may suit you, there are many more for you to choose from yet. Just do a quick search on the internet and choose the garden style to suit you Graham Williams runs a content site about Organic Gardening. A popular website that provides free advice and resources to include information on Organic Gardening Tips.
Articles Written: 43 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR
Gardening,Advice,Hobbies
Every gardener has his own set way of growing things, this is what makes him suitable for certain gardening styles. If you know this yourself and your gardening style, then you will adapt the growing of your organic garden to your abilities. This will be a big help for the yield of your vegetables. Doing this will pretty much give you an edge over other gardening enthusiasts. But the Question is, just what are these different gardening types? This article will cover some of the types that you may consider suit you.
Residential Gardening
You will find that this type of gardening is the most common of all the gardening techniques. If you have just started or are a beginner may not be ready or inclined to produce vegetables for commercial reasons yet, Thus, residential gardening will be just right for you. The main objective of residential gardening is to try and sustain a family of two with a regular supply of vegetables.
Residential gardening requires very little space. It can also be done in window boxes on balconies and on many other small areas that are available to you, that is as long as they have enough of a light source. Growing this way is easy for you to monitor, also it is easy to maintain as well, which means you can keep on top of any nasty little pests. The best thing about residential gardening is that way it ushers the gardening wannabe with ease from having no prior planting experience to expanding to the various other gardening styles
Specialized Gardening
Specialized gardening is normally for non residential areas that are often marketed as parks, botanical gardens, amusement parks and other tourist attractions fall under this category. Normally a staff is required to maintain these places, this is due to there size, also administrative skills will be required on top of gardening expertise.
Indoor Gardening
Indoor gardening comes under the huge scope of residential gardening. The types that come in this category are conservatories, greenhouses and academic institutions. Buildings with heating and air conditioning may used to grow certain types of plants. If you are the type of gardener who really loves cultivating plants in and out of season, then indoor gardening is for you
Water Gardening
If you want a garden that requires only minimal supervision, then water gardening will be for you. This can normally be quit a bit of a challenge for most gardeners, this is because it moves away from the traditional gardening techniques that most people are used to. But this style appeals to many because of the aesthetic look it brings to there garden.
So there you have a few different styles to help give you an idea on what may suit you, there are many more for you to choose from yet. Just do a quick search on the internet and choose the garden style to suit you Graham Williams runs a content site about Organic Gardening. A popular website that provides free advice and resources to include information on Organic Gardening Tips.
Articles Written: 43 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR
Sunday, August 3, 2008
One Vital Aspect Of Organic Gardening Is Feeding the Soil
One Vital Aspect Of Organic Gardening Is Feeding the Soil by GRAHAM WILLIAMS
Articles Written: 43 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR
Here is an important aspect of organic gardening and I'm sure that you will relate to it very well. Just imagine this, you are famished, you are waiting to be fed, you also have not bathed. The thing is you have spent so much time taking care of others and working, so much so you have not had time to look after yourself.
Just think how you would feel? For a certain amount of time, you might be able to accept this. You may still carry on for a while and ask for nothing in return. But as the days pass by, you will feel the negative effect this is having on you. So much so, the effect on you would be that you will not have the energy you once had. You would grow weaker and weaker, until you could no longer carry on the way you used to
Now ask yourself, how is this related to the organic method of gardening? Well that is easy, you should compare this to the state of the soil. Soil is very important in this type and for all other types of gardening. The soil is the base for everything. It is the bed, or the home of your plants
Depending on where you are located, the soil that you will have to work with will vary to a high degree. What you will need to do when choosing what you are going to grow, is only plant anything that is suitable to the soil you have available to you. When you have picked the right kind, then you are now on you way to the first steps of your gardening adventure using the organic method.
As said above, the soil must never be left untended. It must never go hungry. Or else, what happened in the example above will also happen to the soil. You need to constantly feed soil. You have to bathe it and you need to take care of it, just like how you would tend to yourself.
You will know from your school days that the soil needs water, sunlight and air. But if you do everything organically now. Does it make out any difference? Yes, it makes a lot of difference. Although you still have to feed your soil and the plants water, you will have to add something else. Whet you will need to add is organic waste placed in the soil.
Have you ever heard of composting? This is the process where you culminate decaying natural material like leaves, grasses, peelings of fruits or vegetables, even manure and fish heads, all these will act as you soils to act as fertilizer. This is the organic remember? You if you follow this way you cannot resort to anything synthetic.
Not only are you going to feed the soil, you also have to attend to it regularly. Mulching is like massaging the soil to keep its shape. This way, you will be able to get rid of the pests that your soil has got through the coming days or months.
By doing this it will actually help you prevent getting far bigger problems in your garden. There are many types of soil that you will find, they need different types of care and attention. As an example, clay can hold up water better than the sandy kind of soil. You will need to know these kind of details, so you will to be able to improve on your organic gardening adventure. Graham Williams runs a content site about Organic Gardening. A popular website that provides free advice and resources to include information on Organic Vegetable Gardening.
Related Articles - Organic Gardening, gardening, organic gardening, composting, organic,
Articles Written: 43 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR
Here is an important aspect of organic gardening and I'm sure that you will relate to it very well. Just imagine this, you are famished, you are waiting to be fed, you also have not bathed. The thing is you have spent so much time taking care of others and working, so much so you have not had time to look after yourself.
Just think how you would feel? For a certain amount of time, you might be able to accept this. You may still carry on for a while and ask for nothing in return. But as the days pass by, you will feel the negative effect this is having on you. So much so, the effect on you would be that you will not have the energy you once had. You would grow weaker and weaker, until you could no longer carry on the way you used to
Now ask yourself, how is this related to the organic method of gardening? Well that is easy, you should compare this to the state of the soil. Soil is very important in this type and for all other types of gardening. The soil is the base for everything. It is the bed, or the home of your plants
Depending on where you are located, the soil that you will have to work with will vary to a high degree. What you will need to do when choosing what you are going to grow, is only plant anything that is suitable to the soil you have available to you. When you have picked the right kind, then you are now on you way to the first steps of your gardening adventure using the organic method.
As said above, the soil must never be left untended. It must never go hungry. Or else, what happened in the example above will also happen to the soil. You need to constantly feed soil. You have to bathe it and you need to take care of it, just like how you would tend to yourself.
You will know from your school days that the soil needs water, sunlight and air. But if you do everything organically now. Does it make out any difference? Yes, it makes a lot of difference. Although you still have to feed your soil and the plants water, you will have to add something else. Whet you will need to add is organic waste placed in the soil.
Have you ever heard of composting? This is the process where you culminate decaying natural material like leaves, grasses, peelings of fruits or vegetables, even manure and fish heads, all these will act as you soils to act as fertilizer. This is the organic remember? You if you follow this way you cannot resort to anything synthetic.
Not only are you going to feed the soil, you also have to attend to it regularly. Mulching is like massaging the soil to keep its shape. This way, you will be able to get rid of the pests that your soil has got through the coming days or months.
By doing this it will actually help you prevent getting far bigger problems in your garden. There are many types of soil that you will find, they need different types of care and attention. As an example, clay can hold up water better than the sandy kind of soil. You will need to know these kind of details, so you will to be able to improve on your organic gardening adventure. Graham Williams runs a content site about Organic Gardening. A popular website that provides free advice and resources to include information on Organic Vegetable Gardening.
Related Articles - Organic Gardening, gardening, organic gardening, composting, organic,
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Growing Organic in harsh enviroments
I have recently relocated to an island off the coast of West Africa and have started to study how they farm and garden in this very very harsh enviroment. The average day time temperature is 22c all year round but when the wind changes direction the temperature climbs up to 43c without any warning, these are called the calimas, and
come from the Saharan desert and carry a lot of sand with them. Also the islands have constant sunshine with very little rain water.
The land is mainly made up of Lava rock Thrown up by many volcanoles, but when exploring this island you do find farming and gardening taking place. Vines are grown here producing there own wine which I must try out.
come from the Saharan desert and carry a lot of sand with them. Also the islands have constant sunshine with very little rain water.
The land is mainly made up of Lava rock Thrown up by many volcanoles, but when exploring this island you do find farming and gardening taking place. Vines are grown here producing there own wine which I must try out.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Making Your Own Compost
Why?
Organic gardening compost solves many problems. So much so that it's tempting to wax philosophical on the merits of making compost. Compost isn't just a gardening topic. It relates to conserving energy, reducing pollution, protecting the environment, feeding the hungry, reducing waste ... and we could go on. See what I mean about philosophical?
Many times, maybe even most times, valuable organic gardening compost is made from household waste that would end up in a landfill. Now that's a waste ... burying valuable raw materials in expensive landfill space.
In many cases, there is little you as an individual can do to solve many of the social ills of our day. Making compost is a small step you can take to make a valuable product from waste. Now that's a good deal!
Build compost in large quantities and you'll become a famous gardener in your neighborhood. It's easy to build compost, but to build the very best product requires both knowledge and skill. Building great compost is part science and part art. It's work, but it's rewarding and fun too.
Composting is a process of decomposition. Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, worms, and all kinds of tiny critters work on organic matter to break it down. This happens slowly in a natural environment. Compost makers can speed up that natural process to quickly make superior compost in large quantities.
Build compost properly and you can add nutrients and stable humus to the soil. Compost improves water holding capacity. It encourages the formation of beneficial soil-borne organisms. It also makes soil nutrients more available. Organic gardening compost is useful when starting and planting. It's helpful for general soil improvement. It improves annual flowers and vegetables; perennials; shrubs; small fruit; fruit trees; lawns. You can use it as mulch and as compost tea. It helps potted plants and seedlings.
But how do you get started?
Getting Started.
Build compost so it has contact with the soil or mix soil with the compost material. The organisms in the soil contact the compost pile and enter into the process. A well built pile doesn't attract pests, nor smell bad.
Bins are helpful to contain the materials, but not at all necessary. Prepare an area for accumulation of the raw materials for the compost pile. Look at your accumulation of raw materials like a savings account ... that's what it is! Try to have more than one pile in the process of composting too.
What goes in the compost piles? The supply of compost materials is limitless. Anything that is biodegradable and contains things usable and available to microorganisms can be composted.
The materials.
Build compost with two categories of materials: high carbon materials and high nitrogen materials. The two categories overlap. The ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) for stimulating the composting organisms is 25:1 - 30:1. Finished compost is 14:1 - 20:1. Don't get overly concerned with these numbers!
High carbon materials are usually dry and bulky. Examples are hay, straw, fall leaves, sawdust, pine needles. The C/N ratio varies from 500:1 for sawdust to 12:1 for alfalfa hay.
High nitrogen materials include manures, grass clippings, table scraps, fish meal, cottonseed meal and soybean meal.
Other useful additives can bolster the micro-nutrients of the finished compost. Examples are rock dust, limestone, seaweed, rock phosphate, greensand, and wood ashes.
The mix.We're trying to start and maintain a controlled aerobic fermentation process when we build compost. Generally, if we mix roughly equal parts of high carbon materials and high nitrogen materials, the C/N ratio will be about right.
In living topsoil, only about half the total volume of the soil is solid. The remainder is air and water. Our organic gardening compost should be like that too. So the particle size of our material is best fairly fine. Grind or chip very coarse materials like corn stalks if you can. If you can't, don't worry about it, it'll just take longer. Particle size should be from dust-like up to 1/2 inch in size.
The pile should be moist. Moist to the touch, but not so wet that you can squeeze water out by hand.
Layer in the materials alternating high carbon materials with high nitrogen materials. Add 5 - 10 percent garden soil throughout the pile. Layers can be 6 inches deep or so. Build compost piles 7 - 10 feet wide at the bottom sloping to 1 - 3 feet wide at the top. Keep the height at about 3 - 4 feet and the length a minimum of 3 feet.
Fermentation.
Build compost piles well and microorganisms grow rapidly and temperature will quickly climb. Temperatures may spike up to 170 degrees F over a few days or weeks. Then the temperature will drop off and remain elevated for a few days or up to several weeks or even months. Turning the pile can speed or slow the reactions especially if the mix is less than ideal. If the mix is right, the pile need not be turned or it may need turning only once.
Never fear, even if conditions are far from ideal you'll still get usable compost. Remember, this is a natural process. You really can't do it all wrong. If the pile doesn't heat up much, it'll take longer to decompose and the quality may be inferior. Maybe weed seeds will still be viable. It will still do the soil good!
Conclusion
Build organic gardening compost well and vastly improve your gardening success. Making compost is fun and a valuable skill. It's art for your garden!
By: Al Bullington
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Al Bullington is a former automotive engineer who enjoys a rural lifestyle with his family. He's an avid compost maker and gardener.
Organic gardening compost solves many problems. So much so that it's tempting to wax philosophical on the merits of making compost. Compost isn't just a gardening topic. It relates to conserving energy, reducing pollution, protecting the environment, feeding the hungry, reducing waste ... and we could go on. See what I mean about philosophical?
Many times, maybe even most times, valuable organic gardening compost is made from household waste that would end up in a landfill. Now that's a waste ... burying valuable raw materials in expensive landfill space.
In many cases, there is little you as an individual can do to solve many of the social ills of our day. Making compost is a small step you can take to make a valuable product from waste. Now that's a good deal!
Build compost in large quantities and you'll become a famous gardener in your neighborhood. It's easy to build compost, but to build the very best product requires both knowledge and skill. Building great compost is part science and part art. It's work, but it's rewarding and fun too.
Composting is a process of decomposition. Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, worms, and all kinds of tiny critters work on organic matter to break it down. This happens slowly in a natural environment. Compost makers can speed up that natural process to quickly make superior compost in large quantities.
Build compost properly and you can add nutrients and stable humus to the soil. Compost improves water holding capacity. It encourages the formation of beneficial soil-borne organisms. It also makes soil nutrients more available. Organic gardening compost is useful when starting and planting. It's helpful for general soil improvement. It improves annual flowers and vegetables; perennials; shrubs; small fruit; fruit trees; lawns. You can use it as mulch and as compost tea. It helps potted plants and seedlings.
But how do you get started?
Getting Started.
Build compost so it has contact with the soil or mix soil with the compost material. The organisms in the soil contact the compost pile and enter into the process. A well built pile doesn't attract pests, nor smell bad.
Bins are helpful to contain the materials, but not at all necessary. Prepare an area for accumulation of the raw materials for the compost pile. Look at your accumulation of raw materials like a savings account ... that's what it is! Try to have more than one pile in the process of composting too.
What goes in the compost piles? The supply of compost materials is limitless. Anything that is biodegradable and contains things usable and available to microorganisms can be composted.
The materials.
Build compost with two categories of materials: high carbon materials and high nitrogen materials. The two categories overlap. The ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) for stimulating the composting organisms is 25:1 - 30:1. Finished compost is 14:1 - 20:1. Don't get overly concerned with these numbers!
High carbon materials are usually dry and bulky. Examples are hay, straw, fall leaves, sawdust, pine needles. The C/N ratio varies from 500:1 for sawdust to 12:1 for alfalfa hay.
High nitrogen materials include manures, grass clippings, table scraps, fish meal, cottonseed meal and soybean meal.
Other useful additives can bolster the micro-nutrients of the finished compost. Examples are rock dust, limestone, seaweed, rock phosphate, greensand, and wood ashes.
The mix.We're trying to start and maintain a controlled aerobic fermentation process when we build compost. Generally, if we mix roughly equal parts of high carbon materials and high nitrogen materials, the C/N ratio will be about right.
In living topsoil, only about half the total volume of the soil is solid. The remainder is air and water. Our organic gardening compost should be like that too. So the particle size of our material is best fairly fine. Grind or chip very coarse materials like corn stalks if you can. If you can't, don't worry about it, it'll just take longer. Particle size should be from dust-like up to 1/2 inch in size.
The pile should be moist. Moist to the touch, but not so wet that you can squeeze water out by hand.
Layer in the materials alternating high carbon materials with high nitrogen materials. Add 5 - 10 percent garden soil throughout the pile. Layers can be 6 inches deep or so. Build compost piles 7 - 10 feet wide at the bottom sloping to 1 - 3 feet wide at the top. Keep the height at about 3 - 4 feet and the length a minimum of 3 feet.
Fermentation.
Build compost piles well and microorganisms grow rapidly and temperature will quickly climb. Temperatures may spike up to 170 degrees F over a few days or weeks. Then the temperature will drop off and remain elevated for a few days or up to several weeks or even months. Turning the pile can speed or slow the reactions especially if the mix is less than ideal. If the mix is right, the pile need not be turned or it may need turning only once.
Never fear, even if conditions are far from ideal you'll still get usable compost. Remember, this is a natural process. You really can't do it all wrong. If the pile doesn't heat up much, it'll take longer to decompose and the quality may be inferior. Maybe weed seeds will still be viable. It will still do the soil good!
Conclusion
Build organic gardening compost well and vastly improve your gardening success. Making compost is fun and a valuable skill. It's art for your garden!
By: Al Bullington
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Al Bullington is a former automotive engineer who enjoys a rural lifestyle with his family. He's an avid compost maker and gardener.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
How To Grow Your Own Organic Worms - Your Silent Workforce
How To Grow Your Own Organic Worms - Your Silent Workforce
Author: Julie Williams | Posted: 13-07-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 1057 | Rating: Ads by Google
Compost Bins & Wormeries
Sales, information & advice on composting & wormery products
www.compostingdirect.co.uk
Accelerated Compost Ltd
Food & Organic Waste Solutions Home of The Rocket Composter
www.quickcompost.co.uk
Wiggly Wrigglers
Get rid of food scraps & turn them into great fertiliser.
www.GreenerCheaper.com
Redworms & Worm Farms
Recycle organic waste fast! All you need to get started right.
www.happydranch.com
Wormery Sale NOW ON
Save 10% Off ALL Wormeries, Worms and Accessories In Our Winter Sale
www.WormCity.co.uk
The main work worms do in your garden is tilling and aerating the soil. They burrow very deep, leaving channels through the soil that break up clods and allow air to enter and water to penetrate and drain away.
In the process of eating at the surface and eliminating lower down, they introduce organic matter to the deeper levels and steadily increase the depth of topsoil. Their main role is to digest decomposing organic matter, converting it quickly into a form plants can use as nutrients.
It is important to maintain good soil structure when gardening organically. Unlike mechanical tillers, earthworms do not damage the soil by inverting it, creating hardpans or breaking up the crumb structure. They never have mechanical breakdowns, they do not create noise or pollution, and they use garbage for fuel - an excellent way to dispose of your kitchen scraps, especially if you live in an apartment.
DIY Worm Farming
Commercial worm farms are very practical, widely available, easy to use and are quite aesthetically pleasing. You usually buy them with a small supply of worms to get you started. Choose either Red Worms or Tiger Worms. However, if you already have a suitable 'home' for your worms you don't need to spend the extra money.
A pair of old concrete laundry tubs in a shady spot near your kitchen door or close to your propagating area (or both) is ideal. Have the tubs elevated to make collection of the fertilizer easy. Leave the plugs out and put a strainer in the hole so that any excess water can drain.
Fill the first tub with compost and mix in a handful of dolomite or agricultural lime, along with about a half a bucket of soil. Place a bucket under the plug-hole and water this mix with a fine spray until it is quite saturated and starting to drip into your bucket.
Tip in your starter population of worms and cover the surface with an old hessian sack, wet cardboard, old carpet or similar. Worms usually live underground so they thrive in an environment that is cool, dark and moist. You can purchase a tub of 500 - 1000 worms to get started. They are available from professional worm breeders and can be sent through the mail. Many garden supply centres will also have them.
A close-fitting solid lid on your farm will suffocate your worms, so you need to fit a fly-mesh or shade-cloth screened lid to keep out flies and other insects.
For the first month you need do nothing except make sure the farm is kept quite moist, but not awash. Once the farm is settled in you should not need to add extra water. If your farm is exposed to rain, make sure the plug is left out or your worms will drown.
The compost itself will feed the worms for quite a long time, but to get maximum breeding it is best to add some supplementary feed every few days, especially as the population starts to increase. Add a dessert-spoon-full of lime or dolomite to each kilo of food.
You can vary their feed by rotating between:
- a bucket half-filled with water and cow or horse manure, mixed to a slop and poured over the surface;
- a blender filled with household scraps(not citrus or onion peel or meat) blended to a slop and poured over the surface;
- rotten potatoes, pumpkin or fruit, just placed on the surface;
- half a bucketful of new compost, spread over the surface.
Worms also like:
• soaked and ripped pizza boxes
• shredded and soaked cardboard, paper
• leaves, dirt, hair, egg shells
Worms do not have teeth, so scraps should be cut into small pieces - waste from a vegetable juicer is ideal.
Plants from the onion family (including garlic, leeks and shallots) and citrus fruits contain volatile oils. If any of these are included in the food scraps the worms will climb out of their housing to get away from the smell.
Within a few months the tub should be filled with a writhing mass of worms, and it's time to colonise the second tub.
Half-fill the second tub with the same mixture of compost, lime and soil. Put a strainer in the plug-hole and water the mixture until saturated.
Burrow down to the plug-hole in the first tub and put in the plug. Set a hose to just dribbling into the first tub until it is half-full, being VERY careful not to forget it and fill it right up. Leave the hessian on top to exclude light. The worms in your first tub will all migrate into the top half to avoid drowning.
Scoop them out and, reserving some to put in the garden, transfer them to the second tub. Let the plug out of the first tub and drain into a bucket. You are left with a bucket full of very, very rich liquid fertilizer and a tub half full of worm castings.
From now on you should be able to repeat this process every month or so, transferring about a third of the worms out into your garden or feeding them to the chooks each time. This will also ensure that you always have a supply of excellent liquid fertilizer available as well as the rich worm castings. Your plants will thrive!
Rate this Article:
Article Tags: Gardening, Organic, Soil, Compost, Worm Farm, Worms, Liquid Fertilizer, Worm Castings, Vermiculture
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/how-to-grow-your-own-organic-worms-your-silent-workforce-41229.html
Author: Julie Williams | Posted: 13-07-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 1057 | Rating: Ads by Google
Compost Bins & Wormeries
Sales, information & advice on composting & wormery products
www.compostingdirect.co.uk
Accelerated Compost Ltd
Food & Organic Waste Solutions Home of The Rocket Composter
www.quickcompost.co.uk
Wiggly Wrigglers
Get rid of food scraps & turn them into great fertiliser.
www.GreenerCheaper.com
Redworms & Worm Farms
Recycle organic waste fast! All you need to get started right.
www.happydranch.com
Wormery Sale NOW ON
Save 10% Off ALL Wormeries, Worms and Accessories In Our Winter Sale
www.WormCity.co.uk
The main work worms do in your garden is tilling and aerating the soil. They burrow very deep, leaving channels through the soil that break up clods and allow air to enter and water to penetrate and drain away.
In the process of eating at the surface and eliminating lower down, they introduce organic matter to the deeper levels and steadily increase the depth of topsoil. Their main role is to digest decomposing organic matter, converting it quickly into a form plants can use as nutrients.
It is important to maintain good soil structure when gardening organically. Unlike mechanical tillers, earthworms do not damage the soil by inverting it, creating hardpans or breaking up the crumb structure. They never have mechanical breakdowns, they do not create noise or pollution, and they use garbage for fuel - an excellent way to dispose of your kitchen scraps, especially if you live in an apartment.
DIY Worm Farming
Commercial worm farms are very practical, widely available, easy to use and are quite aesthetically pleasing. You usually buy them with a small supply of worms to get you started. Choose either Red Worms or Tiger Worms. However, if you already have a suitable 'home' for your worms you don't need to spend the extra money.
A pair of old concrete laundry tubs in a shady spot near your kitchen door or close to your propagating area (or both) is ideal. Have the tubs elevated to make collection of the fertilizer easy. Leave the plugs out and put a strainer in the hole so that any excess water can drain.
Fill the first tub with compost and mix in a handful of dolomite or agricultural lime, along with about a half a bucket of soil. Place a bucket under the plug-hole and water this mix with a fine spray until it is quite saturated and starting to drip into your bucket.
Tip in your starter population of worms and cover the surface with an old hessian sack, wet cardboard, old carpet or similar. Worms usually live underground so they thrive in an environment that is cool, dark and moist. You can purchase a tub of 500 - 1000 worms to get started. They are available from professional worm breeders and can be sent through the mail. Many garden supply centres will also have them.
A close-fitting solid lid on your farm will suffocate your worms, so you need to fit a fly-mesh or shade-cloth screened lid to keep out flies and other insects.
For the first month you need do nothing except make sure the farm is kept quite moist, but not awash. Once the farm is settled in you should not need to add extra water. If your farm is exposed to rain, make sure the plug is left out or your worms will drown.
The compost itself will feed the worms for quite a long time, but to get maximum breeding it is best to add some supplementary feed every few days, especially as the population starts to increase. Add a dessert-spoon-full of lime or dolomite to each kilo of food.
You can vary their feed by rotating between:
- a bucket half-filled with water and cow or horse manure, mixed to a slop and poured over the surface;
- a blender filled with household scraps(not citrus or onion peel or meat) blended to a slop and poured over the surface;
- rotten potatoes, pumpkin or fruit, just placed on the surface;
- half a bucketful of new compost, spread over the surface.
Worms also like:
• soaked and ripped pizza boxes
• shredded and soaked cardboard, paper
• leaves, dirt, hair, egg shells
Worms do not have teeth, so scraps should be cut into small pieces - waste from a vegetable juicer is ideal.
Plants from the onion family (including garlic, leeks and shallots) and citrus fruits contain volatile oils. If any of these are included in the food scraps the worms will climb out of their housing to get away from the smell.
Within a few months the tub should be filled with a writhing mass of worms, and it's time to colonise the second tub.
Half-fill the second tub with the same mixture of compost, lime and soil. Put a strainer in the plug-hole and water the mixture until saturated.
Burrow down to the plug-hole in the first tub and put in the plug. Set a hose to just dribbling into the first tub until it is half-full, being VERY careful not to forget it and fill it right up. Leave the hessian on top to exclude light. The worms in your first tub will all migrate into the top half to avoid drowning.
Scoop them out and, reserving some to put in the garden, transfer them to the second tub. Let the plug out of the first tub and drain into a bucket. You are left with a bucket full of very, very rich liquid fertilizer and a tub half full of worm castings.
From now on you should be able to repeat this process every month or so, transferring about a third of the worms out into your garden or feeding them to the chooks each time. This will also ensure that you always have a supply of excellent liquid fertilizer available as well as the rich worm castings. Your plants will thrive!
Rate this Article:
Article Tags: Gardening, Organic, Soil, Compost, Worm Farm, Worms, Liquid Fertilizer, Worm Castings, Vermiculture
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/how-to-grow-your-own-organic-worms-your-silent-workforce-41229.html
Organic Vegetable Gardening1
Organic Vegetable Gardening1
James M. Stephens2
Successful vegetable gardens are not accidental. They are the results of planning, constant care, and the will to make things grow. Among the many things a vegetable garden may offer toward a satisfying experience are fresh air, exercise, sunshine, knowledge, supplemental income, mental therapy, and fresh food, rich in vitamins and minerals, harvested at the best stage of maturity.
Organic gardening differs from "conventional" gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pest control. The organic gardener prefers to use natural and organic materials and methods, and avoids using practices and synthetic chemicals that may be detrimental to his health or environment.
The information in this publication should be beneficial to all gardeners regardless of methods of culture used; however, it is primarily intended to aid the organic gardener to employ workable methods acceptable to him and compatible with the philosophy of "organic gardening."
SOME EARLY PLANS
Consider the size of your family and the amount of produce to be canned, frozen, stored or sold, as well as that used fresh. Don't underestimate the work involved in organic gardening.
Choosing a Location -- Select a plot of good, well-drained soil near a water supply. It should be close to the home for convenience, but should not be shaded by tall buildings or trees. Enclosing the garden spot with a fence is usually profitable.
The Garden Design -- Many gardeners find it helpful to draw out on paper the location of each row and the crop or succession of crops to be planted.
PLANTING GUIDE
Vegetables suited to Florida gardens, leading varieties, seed or plants needed, planting distances and depths, best time for planting by areas, hardiness, days to harvest and expected yields are shown in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103) .
SOIL PREPARATION
Since organic fertilizer and soil conditioning materials are slow working in general, they should be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting and the soil thoroughly prepared for the seed or transplants. Clumps of unrotted organic materials not only interfere with the seeding operation, but may result in nutrient deficiency and possible soil-borne diseases problems such as "damping-off" of young seedlings.
ORGANIC MATTER
A major basis for organic gardening is the use of abundant quantities of organic material applied to the soil. Usually, it is in the form of animal manures, plant manures, cover crops, compost, or mixed organic fertilizer.
Benefits of Adding Organic Matter
Improves tilth, condition, and structure of soil.
Improves ability of soil to hold water.
Improves ability of soil to hold nutrients.
Improves "buffering" capacity of soil; that is, keeps soil from "over-reacting".
Supports the soil's microbiological activity (or the life of the soil).
Contributes nutrients, both minor and major.
Releases nutrients slowly.
Acids arising from the decomposition of the organic matter help to convert insoluble natural additives such as ground rock into plant-usable forms.
Helps vegetables survive stress, as from nematodes.
Helps dispose of organic waste products.
What Happens to Organic Matter Applied to the Soil or Compost Pile?
Under suitable conditions, the organic matter is decomposed by micro-organisms such as fungi, algae, bacteria, molds, and earthworms. In the process, insoluble and unavailable (to plants) nutrients, such as nitrogen, are gradually changed into simple usable products.
For example, nitrogen is converted from the unusable organic forms to a usable inorganic form through the process called nitrification. Thus, nitrification is the breakdown of protein (organic nitrogen) into ammonia and then nitrate. Some of the organic matter becomes part of the soil humus.
Proper Conditions For Nitrification
First, materials containing nitrogen must be present. There is a great variation in the amount of nitrogen the different organic materials contain. Then certain soil or compost conditions are necessary:
Proper soil acidity (pH) --should be about 7.0; in acid situation below 5.5 it ceases.
Proper temperature of soil -- above 50°F.
Good aeration -- (does not occur with wet, soggy soil or compost).
Adequate lime for use by micro-organisms and to keep the soil from being acid.
ANIMAL MANURES
Where animal manures are available, they are probably the best source of fertilizer and organic matter for the organic gardener. Use manure which has been aged for at least 30 days, or composted.
Manures vary greatly in their content of fertilizing nutrients. The composition varies according to type, age, and condition of animal; the kind of feed used; the age and degree of rotting of the manure; the moisture content of the manure; and the kind and amount of litter or bedding mixed in the manure. Table 1 shows average minimal amounts of nutrients to be expected. They may be as high as 4.5% N; 2% P; and 2% K in some cases. Animal manures also provide most of the micro-nutrients needed. Some manure products are composted, rehydrated or mixed with plant litter to enhance their fertility.
How Much to Apply Broadcast
Before Planting
Cow, horse, hog -- A minimum of 25 pounds per 100 square feet (about 5 tons per acre) of garden soil. For best results, supplement each 25 pounds of manure with 2 to 3 pounds of ground rock phosphate or raw bone meal. Use up to 1 pound per square foot.
Poultry, sheep -- Apply at least 12 pounds per 100 square feet (about 3 tons per acre minimum) - or as much as 3 - 4 inches (20 tons per acre).
Other animals--rabbit, goat, and exotic grasseaters -- 10-12 pounds/100 sq ft. minimum, up to 100 lbs. per sq. ft.
After Planting (As a sidedressing) if needed
Cow, horse, hog -- Sidedress with up to 5 pounds per 100 square feet of row.
Poultry, sheep -- Use up to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of row.
How to Apply
All Types -- Broadcast evenly over plot and spade, roto-till or otherwise work into topsoil. Apply three or more weeks before planting. A small amount may be mixed well in the planting hole; however, plant injury may occur with 1 lb. or more placed in the hole.
How to Apply as a Sidedressing
All Types -- Scatter a band of manure down each side of the row. Place each band at the edge of the root zone and work lightly into the soil surface. For individual plants, open a furrow encircling the plant and fill with manure, then cover.
If a mulch is present, rake it back at the edge of the root zone in order to apply the band of manure, then re-cover with the mulch.
NOTE: Manure is not always a complete well-balanced fertilizer. It is advantageous to broadcast a complete organic fertilizer (such as Fertrell) or ground rock phosphate and potash in addition to the manures.
COMPOSTS Acceptable manure-like organic fertilizer (artificial manure) may be obtained through the process of composting. Simply put, compost is made by alternating layers of organic materials, such as leaves and kitchen table refuse, with manure, topsoil, lime, organic fertilizer, water, and air, in such a manner that it decomposes, combines, and yields artificial manure.
How is the Compost Pile Made?
The compost pile is made of convenient size, usually not less that 10 feet square (100 square feet) and 3 to 5 feet high. The top should be left flat or with a slight depression in the center to catch rain or added water. Too much water eliminates air and slows the decay process.
One way suggested in building the pile is to make a layer of leaves, straw, grass clippings, and other organic materials 1 foot deep, wet down and pack. Spread a layer of manure 4 to 6 inches deep over this layer of wet material. Then spread up to 5 pounds of ground rock phosphate or 1 quart of raw bone meal per 100 square feet, and 1 pound of ground limestone.
Instead of the rock phosphate and bone meal, you could use 5 pounds of a complete organic fertilizer such as Fertrell per 100 square feet. Also, a layer of topsoil is sometimes used.
Then continue to repeat the process until the pile has reached 3 to 5 feet high.
Compost will begin to heat after 2 or 3 days. Keep it moist, but not too wet, and do not disturb for awhile.
After 3 to 4 weeks, fork it over, mixing the parts to obtain uniformity. Fatty animal wastes tend to create bad odors, draw flies and ants; so, try to avoid their use if this will be a problem.
Compost for the garden should be ready from 2 months to 1 year, depending on the time of year, type of materials added, and skill of the composter. When the compost is broken down into a homogenous mixture, and no undecomposed leaves or other material may be seen, it is ready for use.
What Organic Materials Can Be Used in the Compost Pile
Most anything organic, but most popular materials are natural materials such as straw, leaves, pine straw, grass clippings, shrub clippings, garbage, fish scraps, water hyacinths, etc. A list of materials and what each might contribute to the compost is given in Table 2 . In addition, certain of the materials listed as organic fertilizers (for example, tobacco stems) could also be added.
Use of Compost in the Garden
Since compost is artificial manure, it should be used much as you would manure.
Broadcast it over the entire garden three weeks or more before planting. Or if you have only a small quantity of compost, it may be mixed into the soil along each planting furrow or at each hill site. As a minimum, apply it at the rate of about 25 pounds per 100 square feet, or ¼ pound per square foot. Larger amounts are even more beneficial, up to 200 lb/100 sq ft. (2 lb/sq ft.). Caution: If your compost is made from mostly woody materials, it may temporarily deplete the nitrogen from the soil and plants. Be sure to mix manure with it when applying.
NATURAL AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
Natural and organic materials which yield plant nutrients upon decomposition are often available for purchase either separately or in combination. These materials may be applied to the garden separately or combined, used in the compost pile, or mixed with manure.
Many of the more commonly available materials are listed in Table 3 along with the nutrients which they produce. These include both the organic materials derived from plants and animals, plus the natural deposits of rocks and minerals.
Natural Deposits (Rocks, Sands, Shells, etc.)
Such naturally occurring materials are usually not easily obtained in today's modern agriculture; however, where available they represent sources of mainly potash, phosphorus, and lime (calcium and magnesium) for organic gardeners.
Phosphorus -- Rock phosphates are natural deposits of phosphate in combination with calcium. The material as dug from the earth is very hard and yields its phosphorus very slowly. When finely ground and with impurities removed, the powdery material is only slightly soluble in water, but may be beneficial to plants in subsequent seasons following application. The reaction of phosphate rock with acids from decaying organic matter in the garden or compost tend to make the phosphorus available to garden plants. Collodial phosphate is also available and widely used.
Apply both phosphates at the rate of 2-5 pounds per 100 square feet of garden soil.
Or, when applying manure or compost, mix at the rate of 2½ pounds phosphate per 25 pounds manure or compost.
Broadcast the material over the soil surface and work into the topsoil at least three weeks before planting. Manure or other organic fertilizer should be added at this time.
Since the materials are so slowly decomposed, sidedressings are seldom beneficial.
Potash -- Potassium is widely distributed in nature, occurring in rocks, soils, tissues of plants and animals, and water of seas and lakes.
In gardening practice, materials such as wood ashes, tobacco stems, wool suint, seaweed, potash salts, greensand, and ground rock potash are used alone, in combinations with other materials yielding other nutrients, mixed with manure, or in compost piles.
Since the potash bearing materials vary so much in composition and rate of decomposition, specific application rates must be determined for each material and its combinations.
In general, ground rock potash at 5 pounds per 100 square feet may be broadcast over the soil surface three weeks prior to planting and spaded in. Langbeinite (Sul-Po-Mag) is used at 1 lb/100 sq ft.
Micro-nutrients -- An advantage for using organic materials as fertilizers is that they contain many of the elements also needed by the plants in addition to N, P, and K (for example, manganese in manure).
Besides the general amounts of micronutrients found in most organic materials, certain ones are concentrated into such naturally occurring materials as gypsum (calcium and sulfur), marl (calcium), dolomite (Calcium and magnesium), limestone (calcium), basic slag (iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium), and finely ground borosilicates.
Lime -- Reducing the acidity of the soil is the primary purpose for using lime in the garden. However, liming materials also provide nutrients for plant use. Calcium and magnesium are the two elements most commonly provided by lime. Gypsum is used where more calcium is needed without raising the pH.
Natural deposits of lime which are an organic gardener might use are limestone, dolomite, shell, and marl. All these forms must be finely ground to provide maximum benefit to the soil and plants. Dolomite is preferred due to its ocntent of both calcium and magnesium.
Lime to sweeten the soil should be applied only when the needs have been established by a reliable soil test. Under most Florida soil conditions, applications of 2 to 5 pounds of finely ground dolomitic limestone per 100 square feet usually will be sufficient except on very acid soils.
Apply lime well in advance of the planting date, preferably 2 to 3 months before the garden is planted. Mix well with the soil and keep moist for best reaction. Application closer to planting time is permissible, but its benefits are delayed.
IRRIGATION In irrigating the garden, it is advisable to thoroughly wet the soil once a week unless sufficient rain falls. Thus, the soil will be moistened throughout the root zone. Light sprinklings every day merely tend to wet the surface and encourage shallow root growth. Drip or trickle irrigation is encouraged as a method for conserving water.
Use of organic materials as soil conditioners and fertilizers tends to improve the ability of the soil to retain moisture. Also, a good garden mulch will conserve soil moisture. Please observe all local watering regulations.
MULCHING A mulch is any material, usually organic, which is placed on the soil surface around the plants. Organic materials most commonly used for mulching are leaves, grass clippings, pine straw, sawdust, and wood shavings. Synthetic materials, mostly plastic sheeting, have been used quite often in recent years.
Among the benefits of a mulch are (a) conserves soil moisture, (b) conserves nutrients, (c) reduces soil erosion, (d) reduces crop loss due to nematodes, (e) reduces weed growth, (f) provides barrier between fruit and soil, thus reducing soil rot on fruit, and (g) moderates the soil temperature.
Apply mulch before or after seeding or transplanting. Roll back the mulch with a rake in order to wet the soil beneath when irrigating, for best results.
At the end of the garden season, the mulch (except plastic) may be removed and composted, or cut into the garden soil. Most mulch is woody and should have manure or other rich organic fertilizer applied with it when cutting into the soil.
WEED CONTROL
The primary purpose of cultivation is to control weeds. Weeds are easy to control when they are small. Shallow cultivation and hoeing are advised in order to reduce damage to the root system. A garden mulch, such as pine straw, leaves, or other material, will help to keep weeds from growing if the mulch is thick enough to exclude light.
INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL
During periods when infestations of various garden pests are high, control by natural means becomes very difficult. However, the following practices will help to reduce losses without use of chemical pesticides.
Plant resistant varieties (see Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide ).
Plant seed from disease-free plants.
Select pest-free transplants.
For cutworms, place a cardboard of tinfoil collar around plant stems at ground level.
Spade garden early so vegetation has time to rot before planting.
Use a mulch; vegetables touching the soil may rot.
Clean up crop refuse early.
Plant as early in the spring as practical.
Keep out weeds which harbor insects and diseases.
Summer fallowing (clean cultivation) helps control nematodes.
Summer flooding, where soil type permits, helps control nematodes.
Hand-pick insects.
Water in morning so plants are not wet at night.
Dispose of severely diseased plants before they contaminate others.
Some insects, like cabbage worms, may be killed by spraying with natural preparations such as Bacillus thuringiensis.
Rotate garden areas (see Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide ).
Bake transplanting soil in oven at 160°F for 1 hour.
Crotolaria spectabalis and marigolds, when planted as cover crops, tend to reduce some kinds of nematodes. The use of marigolds to repel nematodes from interplanted vegetables is not effective control.
A good garden mulch tends to reduce damage caused by nematodes.
Many organic gardeners approve of and use sprays and other preparations containing naturally occurring materials. Diatomaceous Earth comes from petrified sea life. Pyrethrin, rotenone, and ryania are examples of natural poisons from plant parts. These give some control to some insects under certain conditions.
Natural predators should be encouraged wherever possible; however, predators raised in captivity, then released into the garden area are usually ineffective.
Insecticidal soaps, made from fatty acids tend to work well for some insects under average conditions.
Insect traps, baited with phermone lures, work well in some instances. Many of these have sticky adhesives to catch insects.
Solar fumigation is effective in reducing some soil-borne problems such as nematodes. Refer to "Nematology Plant Protection Pointers", such as NPPP-17, for details.
ORGANIC GARDENING SUPPLIES
Suitable materials for growing vegetables the organic way are not always easy to locate. The "conventional" garden supply centers carry many products, especially seeds and equipment, which may be used by the organic enthusiast. However, for the difficult-to-find items, the gardener may have to order from specialty businesses dealing in organic gardening supplies.
SELLING ORGANIC VEGETABLES
Anyone wishing to sell vegetables that are grown by organic methods must be certified by the Florida certification program under the auspices of the FDACS. A prospective organic farmer is advised to contact an independent certifying agency such as Florida Organic Growers (FOG) and Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA).
Footnotes
1. This document is CIR375, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date April 1993. Reviewed May 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. James M. Stephens, professor, Horticultural Sciences Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.
The use of specific trade names in this publication does not consitute endorsement of these products in preference to others containing the same active ingredients. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the authors or the publisher.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.
James M. Stephens2
Successful vegetable gardens are not accidental. They are the results of planning, constant care, and the will to make things grow. Among the many things a vegetable garden may offer toward a satisfying experience are fresh air, exercise, sunshine, knowledge, supplemental income, mental therapy, and fresh food, rich in vitamins and minerals, harvested at the best stage of maturity.
Organic gardening differs from "conventional" gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pest control. The organic gardener prefers to use natural and organic materials and methods, and avoids using practices and synthetic chemicals that may be detrimental to his health or environment.
The information in this publication should be beneficial to all gardeners regardless of methods of culture used; however, it is primarily intended to aid the organic gardener to employ workable methods acceptable to him and compatible with the philosophy of "organic gardening."
SOME EARLY PLANS
Consider the size of your family and the amount of produce to be canned, frozen, stored or sold, as well as that used fresh. Don't underestimate the work involved in organic gardening.
Choosing a Location -- Select a plot of good, well-drained soil near a water supply. It should be close to the home for convenience, but should not be shaded by tall buildings or trees. Enclosing the garden spot with a fence is usually profitable.
The Garden Design -- Many gardeners find it helpful to draw out on paper the location of each row and the crop or succession of crops to be planted.
PLANTING GUIDE
Vegetables suited to Florida gardens, leading varieties, seed or plants needed, planting distances and depths, best time for planting by areas, hardiness, days to harvest and expected yields are shown in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103) .
SOIL PREPARATION
Since organic fertilizer and soil conditioning materials are slow working in general, they should be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting and the soil thoroughly prepared for the seed or transplants. Clumps of unrotted organic materials not only interfere with the seeding operation, but may result in nutrient deficiency and possible soil-borne diseases problems such as "damping-off" of young seedlings.
ORGANIC MATTER
A major basis for organic gardening is the use of abundant quantities of organic material applied to the soil. Usually, it is in the form of animal manures, plant manures, cover crops, compost, or mixed organic fertilizer.
Benefits of Adding Organic Matter
Improves tilth, condition, and structure of soil.
Improves ability of soil to hold water.
Improves ability of soil to hold nutrients.
Improves "buffering" capacity of soil; that is, keeps soil from "over-reacting".
Supports the soil's microbiological activity (or the life of the soil).
Contributes nutrients, both minor and major.
Releases nutrients slowly.
Acids arising from the decomposition of the organic matter help to convert insoluble natural additives such as ground rock into plant-usable forms.
Helps vegetables survive stress, as from nematodes.
Helps dispose of organic waste products.
What Happens to Organic Matter Applied to the Soil or Compost Pile?
Under suitable conditions, the organic matter is decomposed by micro-organisms such as fungi, algae, bacteria, molds, and earthworms. In the process, insoluble and unavailable (to plants) nutrients, such as nitrogen, are gradually changed into simple usable products.
For example, nitrogen is converted from the unusable organic forms to a usable inorganic form through the process called nitrification. Thus, nitrification is the breakdown of protein (organic nitrogen) into ammonia and then nitrate. Some of the organic matter becomes part of the soil humus.
Proper Conditions For Nitrification
First, materials containing nitrogen must be present. There is a great variation in the amount of nitrogen the different organic materials contain. Then certain soil or compost conditions are necessary:
Proper soil acidity (pH) --should be about 7.0; in acid situation below 5.5 it ceases.
Proper temperature of soil -- above 50°F.
Good aeration -- (does not occur with wet, soggy soil or compost).
Adequate lime for use by micro-organisms and to keep the soil from being acid.
ANIMAL MANURES
Where animal manures are available, they are probably the best source of fertilizer and organic matter for the organic gardener. Use manure which has been aged for at least 30 days, or composted.
Manures vary greatly in their content of fertilizing nutrients. The composition varies according to type, age, and condition of animal; the kind of feed used; the age and degree of rotting of the manure; the moisture content of the manure; and the kind and amount of litter or bedding mixed in the manure. Table 1 shows average minimal amounts of nutrients to be expected. They may be as high as 4.5% N; 2% P; and 2% K in some cases. Animal manures also provide most of the micro-nutrients needed. Some manure products are composted, rehydrated or mixed with plant litter to enhance their fertility.
How Much to Apply Broadcast
Before Planting
Cow, horse, hog -- A minimum of 25 pounds per 100 square feet (about 5 tons per acre) of garden soil. For best results, supplement each 25 pounds of manure with 2 to 3 pounds of ground rock phosphate or raw bone meal. Use up to 1 pound per square foot.
Poultry, sheep -- Apply at least 12 pounds per 100 square feet (about 3 tons per acre minimum) - or as much as 3 - 4 inches (20 tons per acre).
Other animals--rabbit, goat, and exotic grasseaters -- 10-12 pounds/100 sq ft. minimum, up to 100 lbs. per sq. ft.
After Planting (As a sidedressing) if needed
Cow, horse, hog -- Sidedress with up to 5 pounds per 100 square feet of row.
Poultry, sheep -- Use up to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of row.
How to Apply
All Types -- Broadcast evenly over plot and spade, roto-till or otherwise work into topsoil. Apply three or more weeks before planting. A small amount may be mixed well in the planting hole; however, plant injury may occur with 1 lb. or more placed in the hole.
How to Apply as a Sidedressing
All Types -- Scatter a band of manure down each side of the row. Place each band at the edge of the root zone and work lightly into the soil surface. For individual plants, open a furrow encircling the plant and fill with manure, then cover.
If a mulch is present, rake it back at the edge of the root zone in order to apply the band of manure, then re-cover with the mulch.
NOTE: Manure is not always a complete well-balanced fertilizer. It is advantageous to broadcast a complete organic fertilizer (such as Fertrell) or ground rock phosphate and potash in addition to the manures.
COMPOSTS Acceptable manure-like organic fertilizer (artificial manure) may be obtained through the process of composting. Simply put, compost is made by alternating layers of organic materials, such as leaves and kitchen table refuse, with manure, topsoil, lime, organic fertilizer, water, and air, in such a manner that it decomposes, combines, and yields artificial manure.
How is the Compost Pile Made?
The compost pile is made of convenient size, usually not less that 10 feet square (100 square feet) and 3 to 5 feet high. The top should be left flat or with a slight depression in the center to catch rain or added water. Too much water eliminates air and slows the decay process.
One way suggested in building the pile is to make a layer of leaves, straw, grass clippings, and other organic materials 1 foot deep, wet down and pack. Spread a layer of manure 4 to 6 inches deep over this layer of wet material. Then spread up to 5 pounds of ground rock phosphate or 1 quart of raw bone meal per 100 square feet, and 1 pound of ground limestone.
Instead of the rock phosphate and bone meal, you could use 5 pounds of a complete organic fertilizer such as Fertrell per 100 square feet. Also, a layer of topsoil is sometimes used.
Then continue to repeat the process until the pile has reached 3 to 5 feet high.
Compost will begin to heat after 2 or 3 days. Keep it moist, but not too wet, and do not disturb for awhile.
After 3 to 4 weeks, fork it over, mixing the parts to obtain uniformity. Fatty animal wastes tend to create bad odors, draw flies and ants; so, try to avoid their use if this will be a problem.
Compost for the garden should be ready from 2 months to 1 year, depending on the time of year, type of materials added, and skill of the composter. When the compost is broken down into a homogenous mixture, and no undecomposed leaves or other material may be seen, it is ready for use.
What Organic Materials Can Be Used in the Compost Pile
Most anything organic, but most popular materials are natural materials such as straw, leaves, pine straw, grass clippings, shrub clippings, garbage, fish scraps, water hyacinths, etc. A list of materials and what each might contribute to the compost is given in Table 2 . In addition, certain of the materials listed as organic fertilizers (for example, tobacco stems) could also be added.
Use of Compost in the Garden
Since compost is artificial manure, it should be used much as you would manure.
Broadcast it over the entire garden three weeks or more before planting. Or if you have only a small quantity of compost, it may be mixed into the soil along each planting furrow or at each hill site. As a minimum, apply it at the rate of about 25 pounds per 100 square feet, or ¼ pound per square foot. Larger amounts are even more beneficial, up to 200 lb/100 sq ft. (2 lb/sq ft.). Caution: If your compost is made from mostly woody materials, it may temporarily deplete the nitrogen from the soil and plants. Be sure to mix manure with it when applying.
NATURAL AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
Natural and organic materials which yield plant nutrients upon decomposition are often available for purchase either separately or in combination. These materials may be applied to the garden separately or combined, used in the compost pile, or mixed with manure.
Many of the more commonly available materials are listed in Table 3 along with the nutrients which they produce. These include both the organic materials derived from plants and animals, plus the natural deposits of rocks and minerals.
Natural Deposits (Rocks, Sands, Shells, etc.)
Such naturally occurring materials are usually not easily obtained in today's modern agriculture; however, where available they represent sources of mainly potash, phosphorus, and lime (calcium and magnesium) for organic gardeners.
Phosphorus -- Rock phosphates are natural deposits of phosphate in combination with calcium. The material as dug from the earth is very hard and yields its phosphorus very slowly. When finely ground and with impurities removed, the powdery material is only slightly soluble in water, but may be beneficial to plants in subsequent seasons following application. The reaction of phosphate rock with acids from decaying organic matter in the garden or compost tend to make the phosphorus available to garden plants. Collodial phosphate is also available and widely used.
Apply both phosphates at the rate of 2-5 pounds per 100 square feet of garden soil.
Or, when applying manure or compost, mix at the rate of 2½ pounds phosphate per 25 pounds manure or compost.
Broadcast the material over the soil surface and work into the topsoil at least three weeks before planting. Manure or other organic fertilizer should be added at this time.
Since the materials are so slowly decomposed, sidedressings are seldom beneficial.
Potash -- Potassium is widely distributed in nature, occurring in rocks, soils, tissues of plants and animals, and water of seas and lakes.
In gardening practice, materials such as wood ashes, tobacco stems, wool suint, seaweed, potash salts, greensand, and ground rock potash are used alone, in combinations with other materials yielding other nutrients, mixed with manure, or in compost piles.
Since the potash bearing materials vary so much in composition and rate of decomposition, specific application rates must be determined for each material and its combinations.
In general, ground rock potash at 5 pounds per 100 square feet may be broadcast over the soil surface three weeks prior to planting and spaded in. Langbeinite (Sul-Po-Mag) is used at 1 lb/100 sq ft.
Micro-nutrients -- An advantage for using organic materials as fertilizers is that they contain many of the elements also needed by the plants in addition to N, P, and K (for example, manganese in manure).
Besides the general amounts of micronutrients found in most organic materials, certain ones are concentrated into such naturally occurring materials as gypsum (calcium and sulfur), marl (calcium), dolomite (Calcium and magnesium), limestone (calcium), basic slag (iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium), and finely ground borosilicates.
Lime -- Reducing the acidity of the soil is the primary purpose for using lime in the garden. However, liming materials also provide nutrients for plant use. Calcium and magnesium are the two elements most commonly provided by lime. Gypsum is used where more calcium is needed without raising the pH.
Natural deposits of lime which are an organic gardener might use are limestone, dolomite, shell, and marl. All these forms must be finely ground to provide maximum benefit to the soil and plants. Dolomite is preferred due to its ocntent of both calcium and magnesium.
Lime to sweeten the soil should be applied only when the needs have been established by a reliable soil test. Under most Florida soil conditions, applications of 2 to 5 pounds of finely ground dolomitic limestone per 100 square feet usually will be sufficient except on very acid soils.
Apply lime well in advance of the planting date, preferably 2 to 3 months before the garden is planted. Mix well with the soil and keep moist for best reaction. Application closer to planting time is permissible, but its benefits are delayed.
IRRIGATION In irrigating the garden, it is advisable to thoroughly wet the soil once a week unless sufficient rain falls. Thus, the soil will be moistened throughout the root zone. Light sprinklings every day merely tend to wet the surface and encourage shallow root growth. Drip or trickle irrigation is encouraged as a method for conserving water.
Use of organic materials as soil conditioners and fertilizers tends to improve the ability of the soil to retain moisture. Also, a good garden mulch will conserve soil moisture. Please observe all local watering regulations.
MULCHING A mulch is any material, usually organic, which is placed on the soil surface around the plants. Organic materials most commonly used for mulching are leaves, grass clippings, pine straw, sawdust, and wood shavings. Synthetic materials, mostly plastic sheeting, have been used quite often in recent years.
Among the benefits of a mulch are (a) conserves soil moisture, (b) conserves nutrients, (c) reduces soil erosion, (d) reduces crop loss due to nematodes, (e) reduces weed growth, (f) provides barrier between fruit and soil, thus reducing soil rot on fruit, and (g) moderates the soil temperature.
Apply mulch before or after seeding or transplanting. Roll back the mulch with a rake in order to wet the soil beneath when irrigating, for best results.
At the end of the garden season, the mulch (except plastic) may be removed and composted, or cut into the garden soil. Most mulch is woody and should have manure or other rich organic fertilizer applied with it when cutting into the soil.
WEED CONTROL
The primary purpose of cultivation is to control weeds. Weeds are easy to control when they are small. Shallow cultivation and hoeing are advised in order to reduce damage to the root system. A garden mulch, such as pine straw, leaves, or other material, will help to keep weeds from growing if the mulch is thick enough to exclude light.
INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL
During periods when infestations of various garden pests are high, control by natural means becomes very difficult. However, the following practices will help to reduce losses without use of chemical pesticides.
Plant resistant varieties (see Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide ).
Plant seed from disease-free plants.
Select pest-free transplants.
For cutworms, place a cardboard of tinfoil collar around plant stems at ground level.
Spade garden early so vegetation has time to rot before planting.
Use a mulch; vegetables touching the soil may rot.
Clean up crop refuse early.
Plant as early in the spring as practical.
Keep out weeds which harbor insects and diseases.
Summer fallowing (clean cultivation) helps control nematodes.
Summer flooding, where soil type permits, helps control nematodes.
Hand-pick insects.
Water in morning so plants are not wet at night.
Dispose of severely diseased plants before they contaminate others.
Some insects, like cabbage worms, may be killed by spraying with natural preparations such as Bacillus thuringiensis.
Rotate garden areas (see Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide ).
Bake transplanting soil in oven at 160°F for 1 hour.
Crotolaria spectabalis and marigolds, when planted as cover crops, tend to reduce some kinds of nematodes. The use of marigolds to repel nematodes from interplanted vegetables is not effective control.
A good garden mulch tends to reduce damage caused by nematodes.
Many organic gardeners approve of and use sprays and other preparations containing naturally occurring materials. Diatomaceous Earth comes from petrified sea life. Pyrethrin, rotenone, and ryania are examples of natural poisons from plant parts. These give some control to some insects under certain conditions.
Natural predators should be encouraged wherever possible; however, predators raised in captivity, then released into the garden area are usually ineffective.
Insecticidal soaps, made from fatty acids tend to work well for some insects under average conditions.
Insect traps, baited with phermone lures, work well in some instances. Many of these have sticky adhesives to catch insects.
Solar fumigation is effective in reducing some soil-borne problems such as nematodes. Refer to "Nematology Plant Protection Pointers", such as NPPP-17, for details.
ORGANIC GARDENING SUPPLIES
Suitable materials for growing vegetables the organic way are not always easy to locate. The "conventional" garden supply centers carry many products, especially seeds and equipment, which may be used by the organic enthusiast. However, for the difficult-to-find items, the gardener may have to order from specialty businesses dealing in organic gardening supplies.
SELLING ORGANIC VEGETABLES
Anyone wishing to sell vegetables that are grown by organic methods must be certified by the Florida certification program under the auspices of the FDACS. A prospective organic farmer is advised to contact an independent certifying agency such as Florida Organic Growers (FOG) and Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA).
Footnotes
1. This document is CIR375, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date April 1993. Reviewed May 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. James M. Stephens, professor, Horticultural Sciences Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.
The use of specific trade names in this publication does not consitute endorsement of these products in preference to others containing the same active ingredients. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the authors or the publisher.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Why Isn't Organic Gardening the Only Way to Garden?
Why Isn't Organic Gardening the Only Way to Garden?
By: Jim Brown
What is the meaning of organic gardening, anyway? Well, OG is the science and art of gardening by incorporating an entire garden design and environment to improve and maximize the garden soil's health, texture and structure. Basically, organic gardeners don't use anything that has any potentially harmful chemicals, preservatives, colorings, etc. Thereby, trying to reach the targeted goal, which are maximizing the production of healthy fruit and vegetable plants without the use of commercial synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. If one wasn't completely aware, studies have been proven that commercial synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides are harmful to our health. It's even harmful to our animals and to our overall environment. So why isn't organic gardening the only way to garden?
Well, sadly our food source and all its agriculture is a major issue of politics and is controlled by the government. So why politics and the government you wonder? You guessed it: Money - or should I should say "big money" in the food business. When Americans got in touch with their food, various political and social connections came into focus in many different media sectors. Successful selling of books and major films were put into production based on the production of our food verses organics. Also as a result of American's food focus, animal welfare groups became concerned as well. Since our entire food source contains harmful chemicals we, as humans, will eventually develop chronic illnesses and possibly die, right? Well, this keeps the doctors making money.
Then, since the doctors are in cahoots with the pharmaceutical companies, they will prescribe us drugs, which keep them in business. Again, this is big business by the way. Have you ever researched the actual cost of our medications? They are literally, forget double, but quadrupled to the tenth power the actual cost of our prescribed pills!
Organic gardening is the safest choice for you and the environment. However, since the purchasing of organic fruits and veggies can be quite expensive, organic gardening is not as expensive as one would believe. It is also easier than expected and the results of your plants will surprise you. It's all about having good managing skills, proper seed or plant selection along with some sound soil and climate tips. In the end, organic gardening will create positive results in contributing to the longevity of your life, the animals and our environment all in one swoop.
To stock up on all of your supplies to start your organic gardening, check out links as per attached below.
Jim Brown writes about HomeGarden Coupons, SpringHill Coupons, Henry FieldsSeedandNursery Coupons, ParkSeed Coupons
Article Source: http://addondashboard.com
By: Jim Brown
What is the meaning of organic gardening, anyway? Well, OG is the science and art of gardening by incorporating an entire garden design and environment to improve and maximize the garden soil's health, texture and structure. Basically, organic gardeners don't use anything that has any potentially harmful chemicals, preservatives, colorings, etc. Thereby, trying to reach the targeted goal, which are maximizing the production of healthy fruit and vegetable plants without the use of commercial synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. If one wasn't completely aware, studies have been proven that commercial synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides are harmful to our health. It's even harmful to our animals and to our overall environment. So why isn't organic gardening the only way to garden?
Well, sadly our food source and all its agriculture is a major issue of politics and is controlled by the government. So why politics and the government you wonder? You guessed it: Money - or should I should say "big money" in the food business. When Americans got in touch with their food, various political and social connections came into focus in many different media sectors. Successful selling of books and major films were put into production based on the production of our food verses organics. Also as a result of American's food focus, animal welfare groups became concerned as well. Since our entire food source contains harmful chemicals we, as humans, will eventually develop chronic illnesses and possibly die, right? Well, this keeps the doctors making money.
Then, since the doctors are in cahoots with the pharmaceutical companies, they will prescribe us drugs, which keep them in business. Again, this is big business by the way. Have you ever researched the actual cost of our medications? They are literally, forget double, but quadrupled to the tenth power the actual cost of our prescribed pills!
Organic gardening is the safest choice for you and the environment. However, since the purchasing of organic fruits and veggies can be quite expensive, organic gardening is not as expensive as one would believe. It is also easier than expected and the results of your plants will surprise you. It's all about having good managing skills, proper seed or plant selection along with some sound soil and climate tips. In the end, organic gardening will create positive results in contributing to the longevity of your life, the animals and our environment all in one swoop.
To stock up on all of your supplies to start your organic gardening, check out links as per attached below.
Jim Brown writes about HomeGarden Coupons, SpringHill Coupons, Henry FieldsSeedandNursery Coupons, ParkSeed Coupons
Article Source: http://addondashboard.com
Monday, January 14, 2008
Organic Herb Gardening, Grow Herbs Organically
Organic herb gardening, for those who don't have enough time to devote to the garden or maybe you are a new gardener, is the garden to start with. If you have a small area, then an organic herb garden is ideal as it need not take up much room. Organic Herb gardening is a popular hobby and is so simple and easy to do, the children can get involved and grow to love gardening.
Herb Gardening Organically
As a hobby herb gardening the organic way, gives you a way to use what you have grown in your favorite recipes and add great flavors. You will find that organic herb gardening supplies are not expensive and your local garden center will have everything you need to get started. Herbs are so easy to grow and can be very rewarding for the home hobby gardener. There is nothing more satisfying than to be able to go out into our own gardens and pick something so fresh to add to our favorite dishes. With organic herb gardening what is planted can be used so well and the organic type of gardening is much healthier.
Herbs And What To Grow
Herbs have so much value, they are not just aesthetic, although herbs will add a wonderful fragrance to the gardens. There are several types of herbs that you can grow, why not start with the varieties for a particular type of cooking like, Italian or Thai. These types of herbs are called the culinary herbs. Why not research the different types of herbs that can be grown in your area. Once you start using your home grown herbs, from your very own organic herb garden, there will be such a difference in the flavor they add to your cooking that you will never want to use the dried herbs again. That is unless they are the dried herbs that you have dried yourself, as these taste so different to the commercial ones you buy in the grocery stores.
Herb Plants
If you start with the herb seeds, make sure you read the instructions on the packet first and follow them. Some seeds can be sown directly where they are to grow, others need to be raised in seedbeds and planted out later when they are a certain size. Organic herb plants are easy to take care of and are not bothered by too many pests. The mint variety should not be planted out into a garden as it will become almost like a weed and take over everything. But by all means, plant mint in a pot, I would plant all types of mint in pots, regardless of their variety. Organic herb plants can be grown in a window box, all types of containers, amongst other plants and flowers. Make sure that wherever you plant your herbs they have the right growing and soil conditions and of course, drainage. These organic herb plants have so many options for you, use fresh, dried or extract the oils. Oils from herbs have so many uses.
Organic herb gardening is all about growing herbs using the same methods as for organic farming. Organic herb gardening can be less expensive than other methods. The key to being successful with organic herb gardening is working with nature, this is better for you, your family and your pets. There is plenty of information today on how to treat common garden pests organically. Much of this information can be found on the Internet with recipes for getting rid of different types of pest and these recipes can be made with products you may already have in your pantry and all helpful to the environment. When you garden, your compost bin becomes your best friend, sounds strange I know, but once you get into organic gardening, it will become so clear. For the organic gardener there is nothing like a good compost bin.
If you are a person who likes to keep up with what is happening around you, then get into organic herb gardening as using fresh herbs in your cooking is just so "in" as people are finding out how much of a difference they make to our cooking. So if you want to use herbs for cooking, medicinal or even the wonderful aromatic value they have, then get your organic herb gardening started. Not only is it a great hobby but once you get into herbs there is such a wide variety to learn about, it can be such a fascinating pastime
By: CTBaird
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
©2007 CTBaird. Carmel Baird contributes to Online Gardening Information where you will find information, tips and hints with new articles about many aspects of gardening added every week. Find out more about organic gardening here
Herb Gardening Organically
As a hobby herb gardening the organic way, gives you a way to use what you have grown in your favorite recipes and add great flavors. You will find that organic herb gardening supplies are not expensive and your local garden center will have everything you need to get started. Herbs are so easy to grow and can be very rewarding for the home hobby gardener. There is nothing more satisfying than to be able to go out into our own gardens and pick something so fresh to add to our favorite dishes. With organic herb gardening what is planted can be used so well and the organic type of gardening is much healthier.
Herbs And What To Grow
Herbs have so much value, they are not just aesthetic, although herbs will add a wonderful fragrance to the gardens. There are several types of herbs that you can grow, why not start with the varieties for a particular type of cooking like, Italian or Thai. These types of herbs are called the culinary herbs. Why not research the different types of herbs that can be grown in your area. Once you start using your home grown herbs, from your very own organic herb garden, there will be such a difference in the flavor they add to your cooking that you will never want to use the dried herbs again. That is unless they are the dried herbs that you have dried yourself, as these taste so different to the commercial ones you buy in the grocery stores.
Herb Plants
If you start with the herb seeds, make sure you read the instructions on the packet first and follow them. Some seeds can be sown directly where they are to grow, others need to be raised in seedbeds and planted out later when they are a certain size. Organic herb plants are easy to take care of and are not bothered by too many pests. The mint variety should not be planted out into a garden as it will become almost like a weed and take over everything. But by all means, plant mint in a pot, I would plant all types of mint in pots, regardless of their variety. Organic herb plants can be grown in a window box, all types of containers, amongst other plants and flowers. Make sure that wherever you plant your herbs they have the right growing and soil conditions and of course, drainage. These organic herb plants have so many options for you, use fresh, dried or extract the oils. Oils from herbs have so many uses.
Organic herb gardening is all about growing herbs using the same methods as for organic farming. Organic herb gardening can be less expensive than other methods. The key to being successful with organic herb gardening is working with nature, this is better for you, your family and your pets. There is plenty of information today on how to treat common garden pests organically. Much of this information can be found on the Internet with recipes for getting rid of different types of pest and these recipes can be made with products you may already have in your pantry and all helpful to the environment. When you garden, your compost bin becomes your best friend, sounds strange I know, but once you get into organic gardening, it will become so clear. For the organic gardener there is nothing like a good compost bin.
If you are a person who likes to keep up with what is happening around you, then get into organic herb gardening as using fresh herbs in your cooking is just so "in" as people are finding out how much of a difference they make to our cooking. So if you want to use herbs for cooking, medicinal or even the wonderful aromatic value they have, then get your organic herb gardening started. Not only is it a great hobby but once you get into herbs there is such a wide variety to learn about, it can be such a fascinating pastime
By: CTBaird
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
©2007 CTBaird. Carmel Baird contributes to Online Gardening Information where you will find information, tips and hints with new articles about many aspects of gardening added every week. Find out more about organic gardening here
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Why Mulching Needs To Be Part Of Your Organic Gardening System
The word “mulch” comes from the old English word “melsc” – meaning rotten hay. In today’s language it has come to mean any material that covers the soil to preserve moisture content, prevent soil erosion and inhibit weed growth. For organic gardening I choose materials that will break down over time, feeding my plants and contributing to the amount of humus in the soil.
Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.
Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soul cooler. In a cool climate a light straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables – so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.
I’ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.
Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, them use as mulch.
Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds. One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw – usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent. But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.
Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.
Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.
They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist.
The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.
Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.
Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.
Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!
Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.
Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.
Whatever your choice of mulch, your organic garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.
By: Julie Williams
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Julie is an avid organic gardener and recycler, living on a small country property in South Australia. Her mission is to encourage as many people as possible to garden organically. Please visit her website for great info Beginners Organic Gardening or Companion Planting Guide
www.1stoporganicgardening.com
Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.
Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soul cooler. In a cool climate a light straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables – so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.
I’ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.
Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, them use as mulch.
Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds. One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw – usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent. But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.
Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.
Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.
They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist.
The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.
Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.
Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.
Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!
Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.
Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.
Whatever your choice of mulch, your organic garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.
By: Julie Williams
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Julie is an avid organic gardener and recycler, living on a small country property in South Australia. Her mission is to encourage as many people as possible to garden organically. Please visit her website for great info Beginners Organic Gardening or Companion Planting Guide
www.1stoporganicgardening.com
Why Mulching Needs To Be Part Of Your Organic Gardening System
Mulch
The word “mulch” comes from the old English word “melsc” – meaning rotten hay. In today’s language it has come to mean any material that covers the soil to preserve moisture content, prevent soil erosion and inhibit weed growth. For organic gardening I choose materials that will break down over time, feeding my plants and contributing to the amount of humus in the soil.
Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.
Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soul cooler. In a cool climate a light straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables – so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.
I’ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.
Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, them use as mulch.
Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds. One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw – usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent. But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.
Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.
Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.
They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist.
The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.
Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.
Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.
Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!
Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.
Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.
Whatever your choice of mulch, your organic garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.
By: Julie Williams
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Julie is an avid organic gardener and recycler, living on a small country property in South Australia. Her mission is to encourage as many people as possible to garden organically. Please visit her website for great info Beginners Organic Gardening or Companion Planting Guide
www.1stoporganicgardening.com
The word “mulch” comes from the old English word “melsc” – meaning rotten hay. In today’s language it has come to mean any material that covers the soil to preserve moisture content, prevent soil erosion and inhibit weed growth. For organic gardening I choose materials that will break down over time, feeding my plants and contributing to the amount of humus in the soil.
Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.
Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soul cooler. In a cool climate a light straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables – so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.
I’ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.
Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, them use as mulch.
Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds. One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw – usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent. But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.
Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.
Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.
They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist.
The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.
Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.
Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.
Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!
Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.
Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.
Whatever your choice of mulch, your organic garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.
By: Julie Williams
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Julie is an avid organic gardener and recycler, living on a small country property in South Australia. Her mission is to encourage as many people as possible to garden organically. Please visit her website for great info Beginners Organic Gardening or Companion Planting Guide
www.1stoporganicgardening.com
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