What Is The Best Organic Gardening Fertilizer?

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

People who are new to organic gardening often think that organic gardening fertilizer is just another kind of fertilizer in a bag. If you are a true organic gardener this is not the case.

To figure out what is the best for you we will look at two ways of getting the proper nutrition for you plants. We will look at purchased organic fertilizer and compost you can make at home.

Organic fertilizer in a bag

You can buy fertilizer for your garden that is an organic fertilizer, rather than a chemical fertilizer. The difference is, of course, the organic fertilizer has been produced out of organic matter and without chemicals.

If your only interest is to grow tasty vegetables in your garden then an organic fertilizer in a bag might be a good alternative for you. If you want to grow the healthiest produce for your family, then this is not the best route to take.

Why, you ask? Good question. First, you are relying on someone else for the most important part of your life, what you put into your body. You may have learned that not all things in life are as they seem. This is true with a bag of fertilizer as with other things we encounter.

Recently, a manufacturer of organic fertilizer in California was busted for putting chemicals in his product. People who wanted to grow their food without chemicals trusted this company for the nutrients their food needed and they were being deceived.

Secondly, you get more plant food from compost, if you balance your compost in the pile. To be fair, you do get an analysis of what’s in the bag and, unless you test your compost, you do not know for sure what’s in the compost.

Compost

Compost is something you can make at home and will cost you little, but some good exercise. Compost has been used for centuries by people who rely on their garden to feed them for the whole year. So, this in not just a new idea, it has been perfected through out the ages.

I remember my grandfather used the manure and bedding from the dairy barn on the garden in the spring before plowing. He always raised great tasting veggies. And, he canned enough to get him through the winter, until he could plant a new crop.

Compost is made by gathering different organic materials that will decay and add nutrients to the compost that the plants need. You can vary the content of the compost by varying the materials used to build a compost pile.

The compost pile is made up of the stuff you have around the home. You can use the vegetable trimmings, which you now throw out, to make fertilizer for your next vegetable crop.

To make your compost pile the right mixture you need to add brown and green stuff. The brown stuff can be anything that has dried out, like leaves in the fall, straw, weeds you have cut and have dried, newspaper, cardboard, anything that is dry and organic.

Your green stuff can be the garbage from the house, lawn clippings, alfalfa hay, a green crop that you raise, the list is endless.

All these different materials bring a different combination of proteins, minerals and other nutrients. Added together they provide the plant they are placed around the food that it needs to grow properly and provide you with the food that you need.

Your decision on what type of organic garden fertilizer to use is up to you. The above guideline will help you make the right decision.

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Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

Broccoli is a very nutritious vegetable and ideal for growing in the home garden. It needs plenty of nutrients towards the middle of its growing cycle. Organic mulches and fertilising practices will help prevent nutrient drain and will assist with maintaining moisture. Broccoli is a member of the Brassicaceae family. Broccoli belongs to the same family as cabbage, Brussels sprouts and turnip.

Broccoli likes a soil typical of most other Brassica’s. A soil that allows good drainage and is rich in organic matter id ideal. Like cabbages, Broccoli grows best in cooler weather. It is typically planted as an autumn or winter vegetable but can be grown during summer in cooler areas. Crop rotation is essential in all organic gardening practices, especially so with Broccoli.

Lots of organic composts, manure and lawn clippings should be dug into the garden bed before planting.

Seeds are best sown undercover a few weeks prior to planting out. While your waiting for the seeds to germinate and reach a couple of inches in height (50 – 75mm) you can gradually prepare the bed they will be planted in.

When planting out maintain a gap of around 45 – 60 cm between plants to allow for spreading and an even sharing of nutrients. Plants can be put a little closer but more fertiliser should be added to accommodate for the extra drain on the soil. Plants will be ready to plant out when they have 3 or 4 true leaves.

I always mulch my vegetable garden. It preserves moisture and it adds extra nutrients as it breaks down. A mixture of manure, rotten grass hay or lawn clippings is ideal organic mulch on vegetables. Grass clippings should be pre composted for a few weeks to eliminate any heat. Keep the mulch away from the plants to prevent any rot of the stalk or leaves.

Broccoli can be fertilised with liquid chicken manure. Chicken manure should always be well rotten before using. Always add liquid animal manure to the ground not over the vegetable, especially leafy heart forming vegetables as it can trap bacteria as the plant grows. “Pea straw tea” can be made by soaking pea straw in a large bucket of water for two or 3 weeks this tea can be poured around the plants for a tonic and feed. The straw can also be used around the plants as extra mulch

The larva of the white cabbage moth is the biggest concern with broccoli. Companion planting with Dill, Chamomile and Onion. Dill will attract wasps, which will control the larva. Garlic spray may also assist in controlling the moth larva.

The broccoli head is a collection of flower heads that haven’t opened. It should be picked before the yellow flowers appear.

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Organic Garden – Helpful Ideas and Tips

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

Organic gardening is growing in popularity as people increasingly see the need to avoid chemicals and synthetic products. Organic gardens also provide protection form genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the garden.

Those who take up organic gardening often are at a loss as to where to buy supplies. They don’t know what products they need for soil nourishment or pest control. They may not know how much water to supply, or how to go about composting kitchen scraps for their gardens. They need more than a few organic garden tips and ideas.

Organic garden helpful ideas and tips are widely available, if you know where to find them. Here are a few places to begin your search.

Organic Garden Helpful Ideas

One of my favorite organic garden tips is this one. The most important thing you can do to control pests in the organic garden is to keep the soil healthy. Healthy soil produces healthy plants. Healthy plants, like healthy humans, are better able to withstand disease.

A second helpful organic garden idea I like is to control pests with ladybirds (ladybugs). These beautiful little red insects with shiny black spots control aphids naturally and totally. You can order them from several organic garden places on the Internet. Until they arrive, spray every part of aphid-infested plants with well diluted soapy water. Rinse with clear water.

My third favorite organic gardening idea is to plant guardian plants around and among tender vegetables. Marigolds make the organic garden border colorful, and ward off many pests. Onions and garlic are also great deterrents to pests that would like to break in and steal organic produce.

Sources for More Organic Garden Helpful Ideas

We do not give specific websites here, but most of these groups or products can readily be located on the Internet. Simply use key words from any one of these categories in your search engine to find more organic garden ideas.

* Cooperative Extension Office: The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide network. Every U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university. They also have a network of local or regional offices. The staff at these offices includes at least one expert who can give you useful, practical, and research-based organic garden helpful ideas.

* Park and Recreation Departments: If you live in a large neighborhood, your local park and recreation department will be a good source of helpful ideas for your organic garden. Classes may be available on topics such as organic garden plans, planting seed, and how to compost.

* YMCA / YWCA: In some areas, these organizations provide workshops on organic garden topics, with plenty of helpful ideas and tips. These are led by local organic garden experts. They may include vegetable organic gardens and organic gardening of flowers.

* Gardening Stores: An increasing number of gardening stores are beginning to offer organic garden products, seeds, and supplies. Many try to have at least one person on staff who can give organic garden helpful ideas.

* Nurseries: Local nurseries may have helpful ideas and tips for your organic garden. As the demand becomes greater, they are learning that they must provide not only organic fertilizer and seedlings, but advice also.

* Magazines: Organic gardening magazines have been around for many years now, and are filled with organic gardeners’ helpful ideas and tips. Visit your public library and browse the magazines. Some are aimed at small farming size organic gardens. Others focus on organic gardening of vegetables for family or farmers’ market. Choose one that has the most helpful tips for you, and subscribe for ongoing organic garden help.

* Seed Catalogs (catalogues): Many times, seed catalogs have not only organic seeds, but also ideas and tips for the organic garden. Look for major seed companies’ catalogs.

* Books: If you are new to organic gardening, you will want to invest in at least one good book on organic gardens. Books can explain how seeds and produce are certified organic. They can provide organic gardening advice from ants to weed control.

* Family and Friends: They say we all have a circle of 250 acquaintances. Within that circle, you will likely find at least one person who is experienced in organic gardening and has ideas or tips that will help you. Their own organic garden may be only a container, or it could be 50 containers. Anyone who does any organic gardening will be eager to share the tips and helpful ideas they have received.

* Internet: The Internet excels in providing information. It is a wonderful source of organic garden helpful ideas and tips. Become a member of an organic gardening forum and share ideas. Read organic gardeners’ blogs. Finally, visit Cornell University’s organic garden website. They offer an online class in organic gardening. The professor is sure to have helpful organic gardening ideas and tips.

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The Benefits of Growing Peas in the Organic Home Garden

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

Peas are a one of the most popular vegetables grown in the organic home vegetable garden. The are prolific self-pollinating plants providing bumper crops in cooler climates.  Botanically recognized as Pisum sativum, Peas have many uses not only in the Kitchen but also in the garden.

Peas typically come in 2 varieties. Podded peas have had the outer shell removed. Snow peas are eaten pods and all but have very small often negligible peas inside the pod. Snap Peas are similar to snow peas but with slightly larger peas inside the pod.

Peas are from the Fabaceae family of plants also called Legumes (or Legumenaceae). Legumes are recognized for the benefits they bring to a soil by building up its reserves of nitrogen through the nodules, which develop on the plant roots when the plant fixes nitrogen from the soil.

In an Organic Garden Peas are often grown as a precursor to Brassicaceae species, which are known for having a drain on soil fertility.  After a pea crop has been harvested the plants are typically cut of with shears or a Scythe depending on the size of the area planted.  The roots of the plant remain in the soil waiting for the next crop to be planted over.

The plants or “Pea Straw” are then used in several ways in the garden such as mulch around vegetables or roses.  Added to compost as brown for aeration.  Pea straw tea can also be made for liquid fertilizing of vegetable, annual, perennial or houseplants.  It makes an ideal organic soil conditioner.

Peas are very easy to grow. The soil does not need much attention but a typical conditioning boost when preparing for planting will help maintain a good soil. Seeds should be planted around 2 inches (5cm) apart. More vigorous species could be planted up to 4 inches apart and trained along a trellis for easier picking and maintenance.

Organically grown Peas are prone to fungus infection, which can be treated with a mixture of 1 litre of cow’s milk to 10 litres of water. Using a watering can wet this solution over the entire foliage of the infected crop. A simple solution but very effective. Small insect pests such as Aphids or thrips can be kept under control with a homemade white oil solution or a soap spray.

Peas are a relatively quick growing crop with a seed to harvest period of 8 to 12 weeks depending on the air and soil temperature at the time of planting. Ideal growing temperatures are between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius.

In addition to cooking podded peas and snow or snap peas, the young growing shoots of the pea plant can be used in fresh green salads with young beet leaves, rocket and baby lettuce leaves.

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Benefits of Mulching Your Vegetable Garden

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

Mulching is important in all garden settings whether using Organic Methods or not. There are many benefits to be gained from mulching your ornamental garden beds and many of these benefits are well known. Water retention, weed suppression and aesthetic appeals are just a few. Mulching your vegetable garden is perhaps less thought about but there is many benefits to doing it.

Vegetables are mostly annual plants, meaning they are grown and harvested within a twelve-month period. Most are typically harvested within a two to four month growth cycle. This is a quick growing phase, which can make mulching seem not worth pursuing. But there are benefits to the current crop and future crops.

Mulching vegetables helps prevent water loss, which benefits the soil, soil organisms and the crop.
As mulches break down they add additional organic matter to the soil, feeding current crops while supporting soil organisms. This organic matter is available to future crops.

Soil erosion is a problem faced by large-scale farmers but can also be an issue in smaller organic home gardens. Mulching helps prevent this by keeping the soil covered and away from the elements.

Mulching slows the growth of weeds making maintenance of your organic vegetable garden physically easier and is less time consuming.
Mulching vegetables makes harvesting a cleaner job. Many vegetables are due to be harvested when the weather begins to cool down. Harvesting can be a messy job.

Now you know a few of the benefits of mulching, so what do you use to mulch?

Vegetable gardens can benefit from Lucerne Hay mulch, which can be available as chaff for easier spreading around plants.
Pea Straw makes excellent organic vegetable garden mulch. It’s great around Brassica’s such as Cabbage, Cauliflower and Broccoli.
Wheat and Barley Straw is also excellent garden mulch. Like Lucerne, it is also available as chaff.

Organic Grass hay, is my favorite option as it is loose, easily laid, can be added in “bricks” or fluffed up. It is freely available in my area and is generally well priced. Some people prefer not to use it due to the presence of grass and other seeds, but I find they are not a major issue when used in conjunction with lawn clippings or other green matter between crops.

Mulches are usually available from your local garden center or can be purchased directly from farmers if you live in a country area. Old season mulches are ideal. You could also use mulch collected from stables or other farm sheds using hay or straw as bedding material.

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