Begin Organic Gardening With Me! From Scratch!

I have finally taken the plunge and started my own organic garden (in a very small way but with great plans for expansion as my knowledge expands). Getting to that point proved tremendously difficult and caused a real internal battle for me. I knew I wanted to save money, do my bit for the environment, save my family from the pesticide ridden, tasteless, mass produced excuses for vegetables and feel the tremendous pride derived from growing ones own food. However, I was severely lacking in confidence and ever making lame excuses for not biting the bullet.

For some people, gardening is a passion while for others garden it is an enjoyable and rewarding hobby. Increasingly, people are turning to gardening as a way to feed their families. We think Shirley MacClaine’s character in “Steel Magnolias” said it best. “Because that’s what Southern women do – we wear funny hats and grow things in the dirt.” You don’t have to be from the South or be a woman, or even wear a funny hat to enjoy gardening (although I’m sure it helps). They say the thrill of seeing your first red, ripe tomato or watching your first stalk of corn reach from the ground can be an earth-shattering experience (ok, less bad puns and hyperbole!).

Gardening is also a great way to provide healthy food for you and your loved ones. When you buy (plastic, tasteless) produce from the store, it just isn’t the same as presenting a salad to your family that came exclusively from your garden worked by your own two hands (this is what I’m looking forward to albeit my 4 year old will probably baulk at my offerings). Many people choose to garden so they can have control over what type of food they eat without fear of chemicals or preservatives. More often than not, commercially grown produce is cultivated in greenhouses with the use of pesticides and chemicals to enhance their growth.

Any quick study on these types of artificial applications can be unnerving for the most stout hearted. The side effects of chemical pesticides on the human body can, overtime, truly take its toll. So, many people are jumping on the “organic bandwagon” as a way to minimize the risks to themselves and their loved ones that often comes with commercially prepared foods. You don’t have to be a health nut to embrace organic gardening – I’m a prime example of that. But, just imagine the wonderful way you’ll feel knowing that you are serving foods that were grown all naturally without the risks that come from applying chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

They say it’s easier than you think. If you’ve been gardening for years or are just beginning to grow your own food, organic gardening can provide you with peace of mind and pride in your produce. Don’t have any clues how to start? Neither do I so, let’s begin this journey of learning and dirty fingernails together. Let’s explore the advantages of organic gardening as well as the best way to begin an all-natural garden. Let’s delve deep into the world of mulching, weed control, and composting. Soon we’ll be regaling our friends with ideas on all-natural pest controls and ways to make sure the garden thrives – without chemicals! Watch this space for our continued journey into “Organic Gardening for Beginners”!

How Does a Farm Co-operative Work?

If you have ever lived in or driven through one of Canada’s many rural, agriculturally supported towns, it is likely that you have come across the manifestation of a co-operative in some form. The most visible signs of a co-operative, particularly to the traveler, are stores (often including gas stations) that are simply called “Co-op”. If you have ever wondered what this means, read on!

The idea of the Co-operative

You have probably heard the old axiom “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. People tend to throw ideas like that around as if it were something new, but in fact the tendency for wealth to become concentrated in the hands of a few has always been around. When people insist on working as individuals, they cannot help but water down their potential earning power.

The idea of any co-operative is to start an organization whereby individuals retain power and an equal share of the proceeds of their labour, without the intervention of costly middlemen. There are several different types of co-operatives, but all have the same basic structure.

All are based on democracy and equality; all participating members have the right to a vote and an opinion.

They are legal entities (registered and recognized by governments, with charters much like a business).

Members do not receive dividends on co-operative stock, but rather receive profits (patronage).

The farm co-operative

A farm co-operative is a co-op that is owned by farmers. Usually these farmers produce certain type of product in common (they may farm chickens, grow fruit or wheat, and so on). The different families involved will agree to a certain type of crop and then the co-operative will use its number power to find a market for the goods and sell them.

Often, farm co-operatives find that the ability to work together greatly increases their buying power. Thus, new land acquisitions and mergers are made. One of the most important aspects of the farm co-op is the local store, in which not only is produce sold, but also the co-operative may expand to include the sale of farming necessities with the profit returning to the co-operative.

The idea of the co-operative has allowed many individuals, and farmers in particular, to overcome the specific burdens when it comes to turning a profit on an individual farm. Farm co-operatives have allowed individual farmers to grow and even thrive when more independently minded peers have been forced to shut down.

An online greenhouse supplier is a very convenient way to order your supplies when you are overloaded with your daily chores.

Article Source: http://www.organicgardenarticles.com

Benefits of Organic Lawn Care

Have you ever wondered why organic lawn care is talked about so much at garden centers and lawn care product stores? Or have you wondered why you would want to use organic fertilizer instead of the standard man-made fertilizer?

I wondered that for many years as well, until I started researching the benefits of organic lawn care. Now that I have done my own researched and talked to many different people in the lawn care industry, I will always use organic products on my lawn. And I will do so not only because it is better for the environment, but because in the long-run it is much better for my lawn and will make it so I actually
don’t have to do as much yard work.

Many people think that if they pay someone $400 a year to spread fertilizer and weed killer on their yard that their yard should look great. However, if they do not pay attention to the quality of their soil then they will never have the yard they dream about, and the grass will literally be greener on the other side (i.e. the neighbors yard you always envy).

The soil is the base of your lawn and developing good soil could very well be the most import aspect of a good lawn care system. This is because the roots, or the most important part of your grass, live there. If you do not have healthy roots, then you will not have healthy grass; and, if you do not have healthy soil, then you will not have healthy roots.

Cultivating and developing healthy soil can be a difficult process, but it can be accomplished if you work at it over time. Even though you will have to work hard to develop healthy soil, you won’t have to work as hard after you get there. Good watering habits, good mowing techniques, and good organic lawn care products will help you greatly in both developing your soil and then maintaining your soil afterwards.

Good watering habits and good mowing techniques are what I call obvious factors in a good lawn care program, everyone understands that you need to water and mow your lawn properly in order to have a healthy lawn. However, many people do not understand why using organic products on your lawn is much better than using man made fertilizers and other man made lawn care products.

To explain, remember that while your lawn needs the ingredients found in all fertilizers, that is not all your lawn needs to be healthy. Your lawn also needs microbial macrobial life. Worm and other critters are great for your lawn in producing much needs nutrients for your soil. However, man-made chemical fertilizers usually will deter them, while the organic fertilizer will attract them (no you will not have tons of bugs crawling over your lawn, they will be in your soil where you can’t see them).

Man made fertilizers usually contain a lot of salt, which microbial life does not like at all. While these unnatural fertilizers will make the blades of grass turn green quickly, it will do nothing to cultivate your soil and will actually hurt your soil over time. An organic lawn care program will do the exact opposite for the soil. It will help you cultivate and develop the soil, while also feeding the grass.

In the long-run, using organic products on your lawn will give you the lawn you want and you won’t have to pay the $400 a year for someone to come out and take care of it for you.

About the Author

Author: mobilephonegeek | Total views: 50

Find out more about Organic Lawn Care. You can also read more about Organic Lawn Fertilizer.

Organic Gardening

Think of the earlier days when chemical fertilizers and harmful pesticides were not invented and people used to grow cereals and pulses, fruits and vegetables, flowers and seedlings using fertilizers from natural waste products. They were dependant on home made pesticides instead of chemical pest removers. The produces looked better, tasted better and were absolutely harmless.

Well, people have come to appreciate today the practice the earlier generation accomplished so well and regenerate the system for their own benefit. In short, the method involves no inorganic substances to be used in planting, nutrition or growth of plants and trees. Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and supplements are all obtained only from nature. When this technique is applied to gardening, it is called Organic Gardening that is gaining popularity pretty fast and the produces thus obtained are termed Organic Food.

Though Organic Food is also available at most supermarkets, people prefer to grow them on their own for the extra satisfaction that no adulteration has taken place and the produces are genuinely ‘home grown’.

The organic movement has gained momentum and has now become a national hobby that is as interesting as it is productive. However, pests are pests and they are merciless when attacking plants and herbs in an organic garden. But there are ways to get rid of them in a natural way. One simple method is to plant marigolds near the vegetable patch; another is to make a concoction of cooking oil, dish washing soap and water and spray the mixture to remove the pests.

Nor is the subject of natural fertilizers ignored. Merely using kitchen and garden waste materials that may contain potato and other vegetable peelings with a touch of rose prunings to improve the texture has solved the mysterious way of compost making. Coffee grounds add an agreeable smell to the blend. This also does away about disposing all that waste products. But make sure that everything is dry.

If you are interested to know how the organic garden lovers insulate and enrich the soil, I may till you now. It is a simple matter composed of pine needles and grass clippings gently spread over the ground right under the plant. Ingenious, isn’t it?

By the way, parents of young children are worried about the chemicals that usually find their way in our food production and sometimes these chemicals get into the waterways, causing unknown damages to the human system. However, organic gardens are free from such hazardous chemicals and your kids and the dog, already a family member, can play there safely since it is a natural chemical free zone.

People indulge in organic gardening not only to obtain the product but also for their own mental satisfaction. Any creative work, big or small, always has its reward. Lovers of organic gardening derive immense pleasure in planting, pruning, enriching and taking care of their garden. And this taking care also becomes a part of the entire family as others are encouraged to take active part in the organic garden. They learn that it is important to identify with nature to survive and flourish.

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Article Source: http://www.thereprintsite.com

For more information about Organic Gardening and other outdoor activites visit our website at Outdoor Activities.

The Benefits Of Organic Gardening

Organic Gardening is gardening without the use of man-made chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers. It is said by some of its supporters to be more in harmony with nature. An organic gardener strives to work in harmony with natural systems and to minimize and continually replenish any resources the garden consumes.

Organic Revolution - The organic revolution is a global phenomenon witnessed in every part of the world. Global organic food market was about USD36.7 billion in 2006 and over 30 percent or USD13.6 billion of the global demand stems from the US, according to Datamonitor.

Organic Food - Organic food refers to food items that are produced, processed and packaged without using chemicals. Organic food is increasingly becoming popular due to its perceived health benefits over conventional food. Droves of people are turning to organic produce as a way to feel safer about the foods they eat. People are worried about the foods they put into their bodies. With all of the reports of food poisoning from fruits and vegetables, many people are worried about what they are eating.

Organic Cosmetics - The organic concept is not limited to food items. Due to excessive usage of harmful chemicals in cosmetics, people are turning towards organic cosmetics also . One can often see organic skin care products, organic shampoos, organic soaps, and organic make up products on the shelves of organic stores.

Organic Chemicals - We now know just how dangerous all of those chemicals that we spray plants on can be, too. Many chemicals have been banned because they were shown to cause cancer! But some of these dangerous chemicals have not yet been banned, and there may be plenty of hidden dangers that have not yet been discovered.

Organic Gardening - When you garden organically, you can feel safer about the food you eat. You all know that the food you are feeding your family is safer and healthier than the questionable stuff you find in the grocery store. You and your family deserve to eat food that will not give you all cancer!

For example, organic carrots are widely known for being much sweeter than traditionally-grown carrots. They do not have the same bitterness that other carrots can have. This is a very good reason to grow your produce organically, even if you are not worried about the chemical effects to your body and the environment.

There are obviously a few drawbacks to gardening organically, too. You have to deal with pests differently, and it can be a longer and more complex process to rid your plants of certain pests. Instead of picking up some chemicals, you have to pick off insects by hand and drop them into soapy water.

You have to spray your plants with solutions made of things like hot peppers and garlic to prevent some bugs from eating them. It can be difficult. You also have to stick to organic fertilizers, rather than using easy chemical fertilizers.

Then anything that depends on the second species for food might start to die. This could spin out of control if the problem became too widespread. This is unlikely, but it is not impossible. Organic produce is also known for its superior flavor.

Organic Fertilizers - Organic fertilizers can actually be cheaper, because you can make them yourself. Fish emulsion is a common organic fertilizer. It is a sort of tea made from dead fish. Seaweed fertilizer is another tea-like fertilizer that many organic gardeners swear by.

And of course there are natural compost that can help you make use of your kitchen waste! The benefits of organic gardening far outweigh the few drawbacks. It may be a bit more work, but it is so rewarding!

Wildlife Protection - Organic gardening is also extremely beneficial to the environment for several reasons. For one thing, every time you spray your plants with chemicals, those chemicals wash off of your plants and onto the ground. From there, those chemicals wash down into the ground, and eventually make it into the groundwater!

Chemical fertilizer kills too many species of insects that can cause an imbalance in the local wildlife. If you and your neighbors kill off a large portion of the population of one insect, then anything that depends on that insect for food might also start to die off.

When the insects on your plants are poisoned, they can be eaten by birds or other animals. These animals can then become sick and die. If the toxicity was high enough, any animals that eat those animals might also perish. This can have a very strong environmental impact.

As you can see,the advantages and benefits of organic gardening far outweights its disadvantages and costs. Organic gardening not only protects us and our families, but also future generations.

About the Author

Paul Hata is active in various social and community programs aimed at providing equal access to education,health and jobs to all.Paul has over 10 years experience in managing a multi-million dollar advertising company.Paul can be reached at - EarlyPlanet.com

Is Your Garden Energy Efficient?

With the daily buzz surrounding both global weather problems and the need for cheaper and better energy to heat and cool our homes, simple landscaping solutions can make your life easier.

Trying to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer have been primary concerns and, in many cases, budget disasters, for average families everywhere. Several natural disasters throughout the world have forced everyone to deal with higher energy costs - every day, natural gas and oil prices seem to spiral upward and there doesn`t seem to be any relief in sight.

When beauty meets function, your landscaping can conserve energy in your home while providing wonderful views for your enjoyment. By effectively arranging your landscape to meet specific energy needs, you could save up to 30 per cent on the cost of your heating bills. Conversely, in the summer time, who wants a hot stuffy house with a fan constantly whirring away or, worse still, an even more `expensive to run` air conditioning system?

Using landscaping to conserve energy involves three separate but related considerations

1. The wind`s movement has to be focused in order to manage the effects of it blowing through your house

2. The sun`s heat needs to be redirected effectively throughout your property

3. Your inside temperature, whether warm or cool, needs to be maintained

Believe it or not, you do not have to become Mother Nature to accomplish this result. Simple changes and additions to your garden can accomplish miracles by reducing your energy costs dramatically and, of course, the `knock on` effect on our environment.

Redirecting The Wind

One of the primary contributors to lowering home temperatures is the wind that blows at your house. Even if you have all your windows tightly closed, the frigid winter wind cools your walls and foundations and reduces your inside temperature.

This winter wind often carries a much colder blast than the actual static outside temperatures. Your heating bills will reflect this `wind driven` assault.

You can ease some of this money drain by planting effective windbreaks that include evergreens or other trees native to your location. In fact, even fences placed in strategic locations can serve as windbreaks and can be decorative year round.

Keeping the Heat In

Shrubs and bushes that are planted close to the foundations and walls of the house create what is called a `dead air barrier`. This buffer along the foundation of the house helps the warm or cold air inside your house to avoid the natural, equalizing energy transfer that wastes your money.

Redirecting the Sunlight

The summer sun is one of the main culprits of increasing heat inside your home. When the sun`s rays hit your home directly, 90 per cent of this heat goes into heating up your walls and foundations. This directly increases the burden on your fans or air-conditioning system. In order to block the sun during the peak times, you need to locate trees in your garden either west or south of your house.

One of the key considerations in landscaping includes the various weather conditions that prevail in the area. This means taking into consideration where the sun shines and what path the sunlight takes. Pay attention to the sun`s path over your house during the summer and the winter. Go outside frequently and take notes so you can make educated decisions when you start planting.

By putting specific trees near to your house, you are effectively reducing temperatures inside the home in the summer. Huge shade trees in particular can reduce temperatures up to 10 degrees F. In the winter, dense, deciduous trees that shed foliage allow for sunlight to pass through the branches, providing some warmth to your walls, foundations and inside your home.

Now that you understand the three modifications you need to apply to your garden to naturally control your home`s temperature, let`s discuss how to do that.

Making Your Garden Energy Efficient

A pretty landscape can only go so far. As mentioned above, efficient landscaping that takes into consideration energy needs, may well save a family more then 30 per cent of their usual heat or cooling costs, either in the winter or summer.

So how do you make an energy efficient garden? There are various things that can be considered in both existing and `soon to be developed` landscapes.

One of the primary culprits in the wasting of energy is the warm or cool inside air that escapes through the home`s roof, windows and doors. In order to keep your heated or cool air inside the home, the obvious answer is to add some insulation to block this escape. Adding insulation, though, will not be the total answer.

You need outside protection all year. The best way to achieve this protection is by planting shrubbery around the home`s foundations. As mentioned above, this creates a `dead air barrier`, keeping the heat and cool inside the home where it matters. Experts suggest that not planting the shrubbery too close to the house`s foundation helps to give an increased area for the `dead air barrier`. How about that for natural insulation?

Landscaping is a `win win` situation. Beautifying your surroundings and reducing your heating and cooling costs will benefit everyone.

About the Author

The author has been a Landscape Gardener for 15 years and runs the busy and successful landscape gardening business Absolute Landscapes You can read more gardening tips at http://www.absolute-landscapes.com/free_tips.php

Organic Gardening

There are as many definitions of organic as there are farmers in Iowa. So it is up to you to select your own level of purity and focus. You may choose to be absolutely chemical-free or to accept some level of commercial intervention. Much will depend upon your available time as well as your willingness to get down and dirty with the gross and smelly.

Any organic intervention in your life is better than none, so take the information that fits your needs and begin. Who knows? That first step into the world of independent gardening may free you enough to catapult you into full-fledge organic farming at its best.

Composting
What is considered one man??™s garbage is another man??™s treasure. For organic purists composting is almost canon, although not absolutely necessary for organic gardening. Because it is messy and aromatic, some may choose to purchase composted soil or products already composted rather than to learn this age-old method.

The process of composting is the science of decomposition in a controlled environment, such as a big garbage can, a 5 ft. x 5 ft. hole in the ground, or an expensive purchased drum that turns automatically. It provides a faster process of breaking down once-living matter into enriched soil and nutrients perfect for the health of your garden. The compost gardener does all possible to recycle appropriate wastes of any living matter, along with a healthy supply of bacteria (purchased or naturally available in the soil from hard work and time.)

To compost, use and accumulate all fruit, vegetable, and grain scraps throughout the year. Yes, this takes time and might not produce a parfum de toilet that tickles your nose, but you will reap the benefits by producing fruits and vegetables that are packed full of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Recycling left-over food wastes, leaves, grasses and hay is at the core of organic gardening at its finest and well worth the effort.

Compost must be turned faithfully to oxygenate the matter. The oxygen is required to heat and decompose the food into nutrients and soil in a timely manner. Without the oxygen that is provided by turning, the material will have to take its natural time to change into soil. Although this is acceptable, many gardeners want to use the recycled wastes within the next six months and are willing to put in the biweekly labor of turning the compost. Some may roll the drum of ???brown gold??? around the yard while others may enjoy turning it by hand with a pitchfork.

Fertilizing
Without fertilizing additives (natural or chemical), plants will be stunted and unhealthy. Organic gardeners may use compost to augment the nutrients in the soil and to improve the texture and good bacteria, but most compost should not totally replace fertilizing additives. Cynthia Boruff, a gardener of fifty years, told us that she annually adds to her garden: compost, chicken manure, alfalfa tea (after the plants are at least six inches tall), and her special formula for fertilizer.

???Since I do not rely on commercial chemical fertilizers, I vary my organic methods to insure a broader spectrum of nutrients,??? states Cynthia. ???My formula that replaces purchased fertilizer is a combination of blood meal, bone meal, and dolomite (or agriculture lime) in equal proportions. I mix it into the soil at the time of setting the young seedlings or planting the seed. It has never failed me yet! My corn is the biggest in the county and my vegetables are award-winning.???

Gardeners who don??™t use chemical fertilizers practice crop rotation??”a common technique to lessen the amount of fertilizer needed. This will help to prevent depletion of nutrients specific to individual species of plants by rotating vegetable beds or rows. As an example, organic gardeners will plant carrots in a specific row one year and plant a different vegetable in that spot the next season. Since different plants require different amounts of key nutrients, the soil will not be depleted and less organic fertilizer is needed.

Seed Selection
Depending on your definition of ???organic,??? you may choose to purchase seeds from a universal standard seed catalog or from an organic seed farm. The differences vary from multi-generational hybrids and genetically engineered plants/seeds on one end of the spectrum to heritage or heirloom seeds on the other.

Purists on the organic side religiously purchase only heirloom seeds because these seeds have had little change over decades, sometimes even centuries. Pure high-protein bean seeds used by the Anazasi have managed to survive in tact these past centuries and have been handed down generation to generation for hundreds of years. Heritage farms have kept the purity of the bean and offer the seeds by catalog purchase. The same is true of a bean variety that the Pilgrims brought over on the Mayflower. The catalogs usually boast seventy-five to one hundred different plant seeds, sometimes with very interesting histories.

Heirloom seed catalogs are available via the internet, but it is more fun to collect the seeds or catalogs from other organic gardeners or heritage seed club members. Once seed has been acquired, it is necessary to learn how to harvest and store the seed properly to maintain quality control for the next season and to protect the purity of the heirloom seed. While it is interesting to think of an entire garden of only heirloom plants, gardeners may find themselves disappointed with the final product. Without the science of hybridizing, some historic products may be small or not as tasty.

Winifred Meidinger, a 90-year old gardener, collects her heirloom seeds each year for the following season??™s planting. She especially loves her tomatoes and zucchini that have been handed down generation to generation for the last one hundred years. Ms. Meidinger enjoys the taste and texture of her produce and has a sense of pride in knowing she is one of the few gardeners holding to the heirloom philosophy. Many find it fascinating to keep in touch with the past by using the same seeds the pioneers used??”unadulterated by modern science.

Heirloom seeds are absolutely organic, but not all organic seeds are ???heirloom.??? Organic seeds are not genetically engineered and are not chemically treated prior to purchase. Most organic farmers purchase mainly from organic seed catalogs. But they will also buy seed from standard catalogs if it is the best way to get the desired taste or texture of a particular fruit.

Standard seeds, from the store and most catalogs, are frequently powdered with chemicals to prevent mold or fungus growth and to ward off deterioration in the soil before germination. While there are organic methods to do the same precautionary measures without chemicals, few gardeners know the techniques to protect the seeds. These methods should be researched in organic farming books and magazines. Such approaches include planting in paper towels, or how to properly collect and dry seeds.

Bruised Knuckles
The benefits of organic gardening far out-weigh the work load. But the amount of time down in the dirt is far greater than standard chemical gardening. It requires time picking bugs off of plants, time placing jars of natural attractants and boards on moist ground to trick insects into captivity, time working manure and teas into the soil??”all of this instead of the easy chemical fix. The advantage is health from chemical-free produce for you and your family, as well as physical and spiritual balance from the daily physical exercise required to nurture your garden.

In years past the knowledge of organic gardening was handed down from generation to generation, as well as a basketful of tricks to make the job easier. Today, it is a risk for good produce the first season or two if you are a beginning organic farmer — unless a mentor is nearby to offer helpful hints. However, there are hundreds of books, articles, and internet resources to help the new gardener become successful. Even that takes time, though.

Organic farming is a noble pursuit that requires perseverance. This resolve will remind you of your ancestors and your past each time you pick up a handful of composted soil or preserve an heirloom seed. It will keep you looking to the future — jumping over and around your present day problems — to the seeds that you will purchase, the produce that will be picked, the new recipes and uses you will concoct. For that you won??™t mind a few scrapes, an aching back, or bruised knuckles. It will all be worth it because philosophically, it is where you want to be.

About the Author

David Beart is the owner of www.professorshouse.com . Our site covers family issues such as gardening & landscaping, marriage, forums and relationships.

Flowers In Your Organic Garden

Even though you don’t eat most flowers, keeping things organic in your flower beds is a good idea. If you know what you’re doing, you can control many pests without buying harmful poisons.

One of the most important things is to choose flowers that will grow strong in your area. No matter how much you love a particular flower, if it is going to have a lot of trouble staying alive or is prone to disease, it’s going to greatly hamper your organic gardening efforts. You are better off sticking to flowers that are stronger and more suited to your area.

Just as an example, we’ll consider tropical plants. Beautiful colors, amazing shapes… but they require extra help if they aren’t suited to your area. They won’t be happy at all in a cold climate.

The best flowers for an organic garden are ones that are native to the area. They cope best with local weather conditions. They’ll have very little need of chemicals and require less water.

Even if you live in an area where most native plants can be described as “scrub brush” or something similar that you don’t like, you may be surprised at the range of colorful flowers available to you. I live in the San Diego area, and when I look around at undeveloped areas, the plants don’t seem terribly inspiring. There’s a nursery in the area that specializes in native plants, however, and the color range is quite simply amazing.

When buying plants, do your best to only pick healthy specimens. Buying a diseased one is only going to give you trouble as you try to keep it from infecting the rest. Check the plants for harmful insects too, so that you can avoid taking unwelcome pests home. Of course, if you know your insects, you might find a few welcome ones too.

Transplant your purchases as soon as possible. Very often roots get crowded in the containers from the nursery, and with so little soil it is easy for them to dry out. Being transplanted can be a shock to plants, but the soil will give them the resources to get over it. Give them a good watering after transplantation, of course.

Don’t forget a nice addition of compost from your compost heap. Depending on your soil, you may want to add compost as much as eight inches deep into the soil. Most people will simply mix compost in with the soil removed to plant the plants, and that is generally sufficient.

If roots have grown out past the plastic containers from the nursery, go ahead and remove them. You don’t want to damage the plant too much, but these roots are generally safe to remove.

An organic flower garden can look quite lovely. Done right, it is no more challenging than any other kind of flower garden. You might even get a garden that is more accustomed to local conditions and thrives when other gardens die.


Article Source: http://www.thereprintsite.com

Stephanie Foster runs www.gardenmedley.com/She shares what she knows about organic gardening on her site.

Backyard Organic Gardening Grow And Eat Healthy

People take part in organic gardening outdoors as a relaxation passtime. It gives a sense of well being when they achieve a colorful array of flowers. Some people go further than that, and create a garden for their own food. The organic movement has shown increased popularity over the past few years, and organic food is getting easier to get at the grocery stores, but gardeners would like to do it for themselves. Organic gardening outdoors isvery relaxing. In addition to organically produced flowers, you’re able to grow vegies, fruits, and some herbsswhich are flavourfull and you know exactly what’s gone into their creation. There is not any finer food on earth.

Organic gardening means no chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides what so ever. Every gardenerhas fought with garden pests, but you can findcleaner ways of getting rid of them. After all, it’s what people years before had to spend time at and they still had food. You just they still had food}} a bit of cunning. One trick to get rid of those annoying aphids is to plant marigolds near to your vegetable patch. Let nature take part in its thing, and organic gardening will be less expensive and give you peace of mind. A lot of people are worried, especially parents, about all the chemicals that are used in regular non organic food growing. Often times these harsh products can end up in our water. Organic gardening outdoors means your pets, kids, and everyone else, can play in the garden safely in a no chemical area.

Backyard organic gardening will require the mysterious world of compost making. This is much more interesting than grabbing some store bought chemical product. It isn’t anything that strange really, you just require to know what you can use and more variety makes for better compost. Quite simply, this is an excellent way of using kitchen and garden waste. You can use your own potato and other vegetable peelings. Rose prunings will help with the texture and old coffee grounds will help it smell better! Make sure all the ingredients are dry.

A few more tips about organic gardening outdoors.for the everlasting battle with keeping the soil mosit, healthy, and weed free,you can come up with your own mulch by simply mixing up pine needles and fresh grass clippings. Also you can get bugs using a mixture water, dish soap, and cooking oil.

Organic gardening, even if you only have a tiny patch of land, ensure you can have a natural relationship with food production and natures cycles. Somewhere on the way, we all pushed that aside, and we became accustomed to jumping in the car to go to the soulless supermarket to pick up bland food. Most of uswon’t ever think where it originates and if a better way might exsist. Your children can become involved with organic gardening too, teaching them to learn where and how their food was made. They will have interesting and intriguing helping get compost ready and thinking up ingenious ideas on how to remove bugs. Best of all, they’ll enjoy eating the delicious food that was grown via backyard organic gardening.

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Article Source: http://www.thereprintsite.com

For more information about outdoor activites, and gardening take a peek at out website Outdoor Activites

The Debate On Chemical vs Organic Fertilizers

Fertilizers - Pro’s and Con’s

The following is in no way intended to be the last word on the chemical-vs-organic debate, but rather a basic outline describing the pros and cons of each.

If you were to ask 100 people for their opinions on this subject, you might well receive a hundred different points of view.

In my humble opinion, if used properly, both chemical and organic fertilizers can be safe. However, if used improperly, both can be, without question, unsafe.

Chemical Fertilizers

In very basic and general terms, a chemical fertilizer is a compound (collection of ingredients) that has been chemically processed or refined to increase its potency.

The introduction of chemical fertilizers in the early to mid 20th century is in many ways responsible for the massive increase in food an individual farmer can produce.

The main problem is the result of applying too much or an over-application of this class of fertilizers. Any plant (wheat, corn, etc.), can only use so much food during its growth cycle.

What’s left over tends to travel into groundwater, streams, lakes and the ocean, due to rain or irrigation. This pollutes the natural environment and has caused a great number of problems.

More recently most farmers and fertilizer manufacturers are well aware of these problems and work hard to use this class of fertilizers responsibly.

The home gardener needs to be aware and use any chemical in a responsible manner as well. This is one instance where “too little” is much better than “too much.”

Organic Fertilizers

The organic class of fertilizers (again, in very basic terms) tends to be less refined and involve little or no chemical processing. Also, the natural environment tends to have an easier time of breaking down and absorbing them. However, a few types can and do pollute ground water and other water systems.

Animal manure (cow, chicken) can cause many problems if used improperly. Manure is a highly concentrated source of nitrogen, which is easily released when exposed to rain or other forms of irrigation.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorous have proven to be major problems when released into our waterways and other water sources.

One benefit of using an organic “fert” is an increase in the biological activities in the soil.

Micro-organism’s within the soil help plants convert nutrients into food and help to break down old plant material which adds to the over all health of the soil and garden. Chemical products in general do not offer this benefit which is one of the complaints from the proponents of organic style gardening.

Chemical fert’s have been popular for a long time, though because of over-application have caused many problems. However, if used correctly, they have also proven to be beneficial and safe for food crop production.

With the rise in popularity of organic style gardening there is a risk of misusing this class of fertilizer as well. To say that an organic product is completely safe and leave it at that is to not really understand the question of fertilizers in general.

I strongly recommend learning more about the chemical vs organic issue, and deciding for yourself which type is best suited for your needs.

For more information on both organic and chemical fertilizers, please visit:

The International Fertilizer Industry Association at: http://www.fertilizer.org

The University of Arizona at: http://www.ag.arizona.edu/gardening///fertilizer.html
A Word on Plant Nutrients

Most garden centers will have a huge array of fertilizers to choose from and all will have numbers on the packaging such as 4-10-5 or 15-15-15.

A very simple and accurate way to understand the meaning of those numbers is to remember, leaf-flower-root.

For example, a 4-10-5 fertilizer indicates good leaves – big/many flowers or fruit – good roots. 4-10-5 = leaf-flower-root.

Think of “10” as being the middle ground on a scale of one to twenty, one being the lowest, 20 being the highest. A set of equal numbers such as 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 indicates an all-purpose plant food and as the name implies should work well with most plants.

Always follow the directions for application of any gardening product and remember that too much fertilizer can ultimately burn part or all of your plants.

Tip: Length times Width will provide your total square footage for a planting bed. Example: 10 feet x 3 feet = 30 square feet.

Most garden centers or nurseries will be happy to answer any questions you may have and will assist you in obtaining the right type and amount of fertilizer or other garden additives.

Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

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Article Source: http://www.thereprintsite.com

With over 20 years of gardening and landscaping experience, Bill now shares his tips and advice on creating and maintaining lush and healthy home gardens. Visit his website at Your Healthy Gardens.com

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