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BRIGHT MIND
HEALTHY BODY
S U S T A I N A B L E P L A N E T
HEALTHY BODY
S U S T A I N A B L E P L A N E T
Organic's Seeds of Success
Be kind to your lawn and garden, and they will reward you with their natural beauty. An increasing number of people are turning to organic gardening to keep chemicals out of their soil and waterways. Making natural changes in how you care for your yard can save time and money and protect your families' health and the environment.
One of the first steps to organic gardening is to define what "organic" really means.
"By gardening organically, you're helping your yard thrive naturally," says Richard Tyson, extension agent for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. "In natural landscapes, soil life recycles dead plants into food for new plants. This cycle also helps plants become more tolerant to pests and disease."
Here are five ways to go organic:
1] Build up the soil. The key to gardening more naturally is to build the nutrients in your soil and boost its organic matter. You can do this by making your own compost or buying a premade organic soil builder.
It's easy to make compost in a free-form pile or in an outdoor container in your own yard. Just find a sunny spot, use lawn clippings and tree leaves as the foundation, and then add your daily kitchen vegetable scraps, a handful of soil and occasional water to the pile.
Once the compost has turned into rich, fertile soil (about four to six months), add it to your garden.
2] Fertilize the friendly way. Nature doesn't always offer a quick fix; so you might find it takes more organic matter to shape up your soil initially, but that will change.
Once the soil has been built up with nutrients, you'll find you need less and less fertilizer. In the long run, your organic garden will be easier to maintain.
When you do fertilize, choose organic products that offer a slow, steady release of nutrients that are derived from plants, animals or natural minerals. Unlike quick-release fertilizers, organic fertilizers won't wash off so easily, and they'll feed your plants slowly to keep them looking good longer.
3] Ward off weeds. Along with weed pulling and hoeing, you can use mulches such as straw, grass clippings, leaves and shredded bark as weed barriers between plants and shrubs to keep weeds in check. Add paper bags, newspapers or cardboard between the mulch and the ground for even more protection.
For problem areas, try a natural organic weed killer to kill weeds and unwanted grass.
4] Make peace with pests. If your soil and plants are healthy, pests or disease likely won't be a concern. But if a bug appears, be sure to identify it before you destroy it. Many bugs are beneficial to your plants, Tyson says.
If you do find an insect or disease that's harming your plants, we recommend using less-toxic products such as natural soaps, horticultural oils and plant-based insecticides and pesticides.
"Products made from neem-seed oil are especially effective against pests," Tyson says.
5] Go easy on the grass. When it comes to a more natural lawn, sometimes the less work the better. You should mow higher -- removing no more than one-third of the leaf blade -- but more regularly, and leave the clippings for free fertilizer. When you water, water deeply to moisten the root zone, but infrequently.
Source: Excerpts from Orlando Sentinal
Be kind to your lawn and garden, and they will reward you with their natural beauty. An increasing number of people are turning to organic gardening to keep chemicals out of their soil and waterways. Making natural changes in how you care for your yard can save time and money and protect your families' health and the environment.
One of the first steps to organic gardening is to define what "organic" really means.
"By gardening organically, you're helping your yard thrive naturally," says Richard Tyson, extension agent for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. "In natural landscapes, soil life recycles dead plants into food for new plants. This cycle also helps plants become more tolerant to pests and disease."
Here are five ways to go organic:
1] Build up the soil. The key to gardening more naturally is to build the nutrients in your soil and boost its organic matter. You can do this by making your own compost or buying a premade organic soil builder.
It's easy to make compost in a free-form pile or in an outdoor container in your own yard. Just find a sunny spot, use lawn clippings and tree leaves as the foundation, and then add your daily kitchen vegetable scraps, a handful of soil and occasional water to the pile.
Once the compost has turned into rich, fertile soil (about four to six months), add it to your garden.
2] Fertilize the friendly way. Nature doesn't always offer a quick fix; so you might find it takes more organic matter to shape up your soil initially, but that will change.
Once the soil has been built up with nutrients, you'll find you need less and less fertilizer. In the long run, your organic garden will be easier to maintain.
When you do fertilize, choose organic products that offer a slow, steady release of nutrients that are derived from plants, animals or natural minerals. Unlike quick-release fertilizers, organic fertilizers won't wash off so easily, and they'll feed your plants slowly to keep them looking good longer.
3] Ward off weeds. Along with weed pulling and hoeing, you can use mulches such as straw, grass clippings, leaves and shredded bark as weed barriers between plants and shrubs to keep weeds in check. Add paper bags, newspapers or cardboard between the mulch and the ground for even more protection.
For problem areas, try a natural organic weed killer to kill weeds and unwanted grass.
4] Make peace with pests. If your soil and plants are healthy, pests or disease likely won't be a concern. But if a bug appears, be sure to identify it before you destroy it. Many bugs are beneficial to your plants, Tyson says.
If you do find an insect or disease that's harming your plants, we recommend using less-toxic products such as natural soaps, horticultural oils and plant-based insecticides and pesticides.
"Products made from neem-seed oil are especially effective against pests," Tyson says.
5] Go easy on the grass. When it comes to a more natural lawn, sometimes the less work the better. You should mow higher -- removing no more than one-third of the leaf blade -- but more regularly, and leave the clippings for free fertilizer. When you water, water deeply to moisten the root zone, but infrequently.
Source: Excerpts from Orlando Sentinal
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Sustainable Life Info Copyright © 2005-2009 DLH Business Associates.
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Sustainable Life Info Copyright © 2005-2009 DLH Business Associates.
All rights reserved
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Design Your Organic Garden
Design a Knot Garden
Landscape Guide
Try a SeedSwap!
Check out the gardening products from some of our favorite stores:
Landscape USA
Portland Rainbarrels
Redirect Guide to
local organic and sustainable
Organic Gardening Product Spurs Plant Growth, Protects Fruit Trees Against Frost
An organic gardening product with the recently discovered ingredient that triggers plant growth is now being distributed nationally by TerraLife, Inc. In tests conducted by a variety of research organizations, CCF also has protected fruit trees against frost, spurred fruits and vegetables to produce more vitamins, shortened harvest time and increased the shelf life of vegetables… The organic gardening product is derived from an edible mushroom grown for three years on a sterile mixture of pineapple and papaya puree, sugarcane molasses and water… CCF is not, however, a fertilizer. It simply sends a message to plants to grow," said Jos Zamzow, TerraLife vice president. "As soon as you apply CCF, it’s essential to provide enough food for rapid plant growth.”
CCF is available at retail nurseries and garden centers or on the TerraLife Web site at www.save-a-tree.com
Design a Knot Garden
Landscape Guide
Try a SeedSwap!
Check out the gardening products from some of our favorite stores:
Landscape USA
Portland Rainbarrels
Redirect Guide to
local organic and sustainable
Organic Gardening Product Spurs Plant Growth, Protects Fruit Trees Against Frost
An organic gardening product with the recently discovered ingredient that triggers plant growth is now being distributed nationally by TerraLife, Inc. In tests conducted by a variety of research organizations, CCF also has protected fruit trees against frost, spurred fruits and vegetables to produce more vitamins, shortened harvest time and increased the shelf life of vegetables… The organic gardening product is derived from an edible mushroom grown for three years on a sterile mixture of pineapple and papaya puree, sugarcane molasses and water… CCF is not, however, a fertilizer. It simply sends a message to plants to grow," said Jos Zamzow, TerraLife vice president. "As soon as you apply CCF, it’s essential to provide enough food for rapid plant growth.”
CCF is available at retail nurseries and garden centers or on the TerraLife Web site at www.save-a-tree.com