3 Acre Garden: Organic

Showing posts with label Organic. Show all posts

Your Garden Location - Eight Tips on Picking the Best Spot For Your Organic Garden

Choosing the right garden location is one of the most important steps of organic gardening. You will either have pleasure and a bountiful harvest or years of headaches depending on the location. In her book, Organic Food Gardening Beginner's Manual, Julie Villani says considering a few points now will make your organic gardening easier and fun. Here are eight tips on picking the perfect spot for your organic garden:

Let In The Sunlight

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This is especially crucial if you plan to grow vegetables over the winter. You will want a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day. If you live in an area where the temperatures are milder, then you will want a garden that gets its maximum sunlight in the morning. If the summers are hot where you live, look for an area that gets some afternoon shade.

Your Garden Location - Eight Tips on Picking the Best Spot For Your Organic Garden

Steer clear of trees

Avoid planting by large trees as they provide too much shade and will compete with your garden for nutrients and water.

Keep It Close to Water

If you want your garden to produce in bountiful supply, it will need lots of water, so make sure your plot is close to a reliable water source. The last thing you want to do is to carry heavy buckets of water to your garden every day.

Consider Collecting Your Water

Keep a cistern near your garden plot to collect rainwater. That way you'll save on water costs if you live in town and fuel costs if you live in the country. (It takes electricity or gas to run a pump if you are on a well system). Get the water out of the cistern either through a pump or by using good old fashioned gravity.

You can also use recycled household water on your lawn, ornamental shrubs, fruit and nut trees, but don't use it on your vegetables, herbs or soft fruits - in other words fruit that is not grown on trees - unless you have tested it to make certain it is safe.

Think About The Wind

If you live on the plains like I do, then you know the wind can wreak havoc with a lot of things, including your tender garden plants. A wind-break can help reduce the wind and give your plants a chance to thrive. You don't want to completely block the wind, as that will create turbulence, so instead use layers of trees and shrubs, or put trellises nearby that are strong enough to support vine-type vegetables, such as squash. These will reduce the wind without creating troublesome turbulence.

Is There Sufficient Drainage?

We live on a wooded lot, and sunny spots are few and far between. Unfortunately, the only available spot for our garden was at the bottom of a hill. Every time it rains, the area is covered with six inches of water. We dealt with this problem by building raised beds that were at least 18 inches high. Your plants hate standing in water, so the next time it rains, look at the ground you are considering planting in, and build raised beds if needed.

What About the Soil?

This is the least important issue when considering a plot of land, because the soil can always be improved. Start composting now, or consider putting in easier raised beds that do not require digging. Over time, even the worst of soils can be improved with rich soil you make yourself.

Keep It Close

A garden close to your front steps is easier to keep weed-free. That way, you can pull out two or three of the unwelcome plants each time you walk to and from your car. Harvesting vegetables and herbs for meals will also be easier if your garden is close to the kitchen.

So there you have it. Follow these tips and your next garden will be easier, more bountiful and downright fun!

Your Garden Location - Eight Tips on Picking the Best Spot For Your Organic Garden

Sue Merriam is author of the website, Organic Gardening and Homesteading.
http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com

Organic Gardening - Reasons Pepper Plants Can Turn Yellow

One of the most common problems that the home gardener have with their pepper plants is the yellowing of their leaves. This can be caused by a few different reasons. The first is the lack of nitrogen and magnesium, another reason is chlorinated water, soil splash on the lower leaves from watering and a fungal problem.

The first reason, the yellowing of leaves is most of the times caused by a lack of nitrogen and magnesium in the garden's soil. This can be simply a result of the nutrients being leeched from the soil due to excess water. Pepper plants only need 1" of water per week. Another reason is the plants may need an application of fertilizer that is high in nitrogen to get past this problem.

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Normally you wouldn't want to give pepper or tomatoes a high dose of nitrogen, it will usually result in lush foliage and not a strong harvest. You need to get the plants healthy again, so if they need a dose of nitrogen do it sparingly.

Another thing that works for me is to apply an epsom salt spray to my pepper plants. Epsom salt will supply magnesium and calcium that can be absorbed by the leaves for a quick recovery. You may want to try this foliar spray. I mix 3 tablespoons of epsom salt to one gallon of water and spray the foliage.Then I apply a slow release organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen to the soil around the plant. At this time I remove any flower buds so the plants can solely concentrate their energy on there foliage. There is still plenty of time for a productive harvest.

If chlorine is the problem, you can simply rid the water of chlorine by just running the water into a bucket and letting the bucket stand for a few hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate.

Lower leaves that turn yellow on your pepper plants can be simply caused from soil splash when watering. They will yellow and wilt. Remove these yellow leaves and your plants should do just fine.

Organic Gardening - Reasons Pepper Plants Can Turn Yellow

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

[http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com]

Organic Gardening - How to Control Stink Bugs on Tomatoes

The stink bug is a common pest with tomato plants and other plants in the garden. I North America alone there are 250 species and worldwide there have been over 4,700 species described in almost 900 genera. They live throughout the world in our fields, meadows and yards and can be controlled by a few different methods in organic gardening.

It is the member of the bug family pentatomidae and easily recognize with having a shield like body. There life cycle like all hemipterans undergo simple metamorphosis with three stages that are the egg, nymph and adult. Eggs are laid in groups on plant stems and the underside of leaves. The nymph look very similar to the adult but have a rounder rather than shield shape body. The nymphs go through 5 instars before becoming an adult and this all happens in a 4 - 5 week period. A major problem in gardens is that the adult stink bug will overwinter in the garden under debris, boards, logs or even leaf litter. There are some species that the nymph will do the same.

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A stink bugs diet in a garden can be devastating. They use there piercing mouth part to suck sap from the leaves, stems and fruit of plants and can cause injury to them. The stink bug actually begins it's life as a herbivores and then becomes a predator. As a predator it will overpower caterpillars and beetle larva and keep pest insects in check.

The defense system against other predators is it's smell. They expel a foul smelling compound from there thoracic gland when threatened. This smell sends a chemical message to other stink bugs that there is danger in the area and it can also suppress the attack of harmful microorganisms. This scent also plays a role in the attraction of mates.

There are organic methods to aid in the control of the stink bug. These methods include companion planting, trap planting, washing and spraying.

Companion planting is one of the best methods to prevent the stink bug from getting into your garden. This is simply done by planting herbs and other natural deterrent plants with your crop that will repel stink bugs, like marigolds, chrysanthemums, garlic, lavender, mints and thyme.

Another method that will keep the stink bug off your plants and deter them from your garden is to simply wash the plants with straight water daily for about a week.

There are sprays that can also be made by mixing either vegetable oil, olive oil or even lavender oil with 1/2 water and spray your tomatoes.

Trap planting is a method that attracts the stink bug to a location away from your garden. The stink bugs is know to like the color yellow. Crops other that your common crops you plant in your garden like sunflowers, buckwheat, triticale, sorghum and millet are plants that will attract the stink bug to a location that you can deal with them.

Fall cleanup of the garden is very important in pest control in an organic garden. Leaving debris in the garden give them the perfect environment to overwinter.

Organic Gardening - How to Control Stink Bugs on Tomatoes

John Yazo

[http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com]

Organic Gardening - Growing Zucchini in Containers

Growing zucchini in containers is a great way to add to the decor of your landscape. They can be grown on a patio, deck or even planted in pots around the yard. They are an attractive bushy plat with dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers. It is a great crop that you can easily include in your edible landscape. Enjoy there beauty while producing a thriving crop at the same time.

It is a fast growing crop of the squash family that produces a long cylindrical shaped fruit that has a smooth dark green skin and creamy whitish-green milky flavored flesh. They are a warm weather crop that needs a soil temperature of above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Containers are an ideal way to grow this crop. The plants can be started indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last expected frost and the pots or containers can be moved outdoors once all dangers of frost have past in your area. This gives them a head start to producing a healthy and thriving crop.

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Planting your zucchini in pots or containers also gives them the advantage of having less of a problem with pests or disease. The pots allow the plant to be higher off the ground, this increases the air circulation around the plant making it a place that most pest wont want to make there home and keep the plant drier to prevent common problems like powdery mildew.

Container growing your zucchini is a cost effective way to grow a high yielding crop.

Organic Gardening - Growing Zucchini in Containers

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Organic Gardening Books - Here Are The 6 Best Gardening Books For Beginners And Greenthumbs Alike

These organic gardening books are those that have had the most profound effect on me, and I have read a lot of gardening books. But these books are the best of the best, in my opinion.

Botany / Plants Book

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The Secret Life of Plants. The authors of Secrets Of The Soil put out amazing organic gardening books and this classic is a look at the world of plants and their relationship to us. It goes into how plants can think, how they respond to music, and how they respond to being loved/being threatened, yet sprinkled throughout are many lessons we can actually use in the garden. Anyone who believes plants are sentient beings will love this book. A must read.

Microorganism Book

Teaming with Microbes. Healthy organic soil is teeming with life - not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. These guys make the benefits of cultivating the soil food web available to a wide audience, from us organic gardening and farming addicts to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals. I highly recommend this as one of the organic gardening books for you.

Organic Soil Management Book

The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook. This book is not only for farmers! It is a successful integration of diverse techniques and technologies of classical organic farming, Albrecht-style soil fertility balancing, and Reams-method organic soil and plant testing and analysis, and it is great for organic home gardeners. It covers fertility inputs, in-the-field testing, foliar feeding, refractometers, tillage, livestock nutrition, moon cycles and subtle energies, and more.

Permaculture Book

Gaia's Garden. This is one of my favorite organic gardening books for beginners. It describes an organic gardening system that combines the best features of wildlife habitat, edible landscapes, and conventional gardens into a self-renewing landscape that lets nature do most of the work. It has many good design principles, so it is partially a design book. This is my favorite introduction to permaculture because it is a fun read that really simplifies the topic. It's not as comprehensive as Mollison's works, but a great intro. I love this book.

Vegetable Gardening Book

The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food. This is one of those organic gardening books that shows you how to select, grow, harvest, and store more than 765 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits and nuts. Not all that much info on growing from seed and transplanting, but a pretty darn big encyclopedia of food plants and good information on vegetable garden layout.

General Organic Gardening Book

Working With Nature - Shifting Paradigms. This organic gardening book was the first written by one of my gardening mentors, Heide Hermary, founder of Gaia College. It describes ecologically sound organic soil and water management practices and introduces the concept of landscape health management. It summarizes some of the most important information from other books listed on this page, and more importantly, it makes connections between seemingly disparate topics.

Organic Gardening Books - Here Are The 6 Best Gardening Books For Beginners And Greenthumbs Alike

If you are interested in organic gardening books and would like to see my full list of the 50 absolute best gardening books, check it out here: http://www.smilinggardener.com/lists/50-most-important-organic-gardening-books.

Phil Nauta is a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional and holds a Certificate In Organic Landscape Management from Gaia College and a Certificate In Sustainable Building And Design From Yestermorrow in addition to a Permaculture Design Certificate. He has taught for Gaia College and been a director for The Society For Organic Urban Land Care. He had run both an organic landscaping business and an organic fertilizer business before starting Smiling Gardener to teach others what he has learned.

How to Make Your Own Organic Fungicide

Making your own organic fungicide is far easier than you might think and you've very likely got everything you need right at home. One of the reasons I like to make my own garden tonics is because I want to know just what I'm going to be eating later. Most organic treatments can be applied to plants right until the day of harvest without any harm to those eating the fruits or vegetables, even children. I know a lot of chemical products seem to be work faster and sometimes seems more effective than the organic variations, but if I can save myself a trip to the garden store while I keep my plants healthy AND have a little peace of mind, I'm going to go for it. Plus, organic fungicide is just plain cheap to make!

When our tomatoes got late blight, this recipe saved a few of our plants when I thought there was absolutely no more hope. I also sprayed most of our other plants in the garden (especially watermelon, zucchini, eggplants and grapes) that looked like they had powdery mildew or other fungus problems and they started looking better (and producing better) within a couple days. To get the best level of protection, you will need to reapply this solution about once a week and especially after it rains. In fact, if you want to be certain that your plants will not get attacked with fungi, you should be spraying them routinely as soon as you put them in the ground BEFORE anything beings to attack them. If you are combating a very aggressive fungus problem (like blight) you should try to spray the plants daily. Spray plants in early morning or late day when the sun is least intense to prevent leaf burn. This homemade organic fungicide is also effective against anthrocnose, powdery mildew, early tomato blight, leaf blight and spots.

Orchard

Organic fungicide
Ingredients

1 gallon water
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Pour ingredients into a large sprayer and shake well. Spray on affected plants (top and bottom of leaves). Continue to shake ingredients periodically to ensure it says well mixed.

How to Make Your Own Organic Fungicide

Tiffany Muehlbauer has a 1000 square foot garden plus a small orchard to practice her organic gardening skills on. She has been working toward a more self-sufficient and natural lifestyle for the past 5 years. The addition of a daughter to her family about a year ago has greatly increased her desire to live more organically and to free her home and garden of chemicals. You can read more about this American's experiences living in an antique farmhouse in Germany on her blog http://www.NoOrdinaryHomestead.com Not only will you find more about organic gardening but you will also find information about home renovation, parenting, European travel and more.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Spent mushroom compost, also know as "spent mushroom substrate" or "mushroom soil," is fast growing in popularity for organic soil amending. Crops thrive with 7 organic vegetable garden benefits of mushroom compost. Generally containing coconut hulls, hay, corn cobs, cottonseed meal, poultry manure and straw horse bedding, the pure compost is dark, rich and odorless.

1) Completely recycled
This compost is the discarded after mushrooms have grown in it. Fresh compost can only be used once to grow mushrooms, so the used or spent compost must be disposed of. One excellent way to recycle these "leftovers" is to nourish your vegetable garden. Considered a renewable alternative to peat moss, recycled compost can also help save the peat bogs' delicate ecological balance.

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2) Adds organic matter to the soil
Just like regular organic garden compost, microbial activity is created as it breaks down, creating humus. Excellent at breaking up clay soil, amend generously in your soil to create a rich loamy texture. Remember that all organics continue to break down. After a few months you may need to add a top layer to container plants. A 3 to 6 inch outdoor application is expected to last 2 to 5 years.

3) Drought resistant
Compost conserves moisture to plants by increasing the capacity to hold water, while aerating the soil at the same time. The fungal activity of previous mushroom growing creates a moist barrier against drought and searing heat. This is excellent for vegetable gardens by improving soil structure and saving water costs, especial in arid zones.

4) Controls Garden Pests
Mushroom compost is organic matter that creates good microbial action. Beneficial microbes in turn encourage beneficial insects, earth worm activity and discourage diseases. All these natural controls help gardeners avoid the use of potentially dangerous garden chemicals that can harm our earth and threaten our family and pet health.

5) Fast growing plants and vegetables
Research shows beneficial fungus or mycorrhizae work with plants to produce synergistic energy that results in rapid growth. Since spent mushroom compost used to host mushrooms, it is full of this good fungus and reports abound about fantastic plant growth. Naturally low in nitrogen, mushroom compost does not encourage over leafy growth, making it ideal for flower bearing plants like vegetables.

6) Weed free
Mushrooms must be grown in medium that has been sterilized and composted, so the left over compost is weed and plant pathogen free. This makes perfect mulch for vegetable and flower gardens, trees, shrubs and top dressings for existing lawns. With this compost you can be confident you are not bringing in unwanted weed seeds to compete with your plants.

7) Pleasant smelling
Properly made and stored, this compost does not smell bad. In fact, it has an almost sweet smell when fresh. Even that odor quickly dissipates once put in the ground. A refreshing relief for gardeners every where who may be used to cow or poultry manures as organic fertilizer. No longer will your neighbors shoot you dirty looks for growing organic. If spent mushroom compost has a foul odor, don't use it unless you re-compost.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Rhonda Abrons bags spent mushroom compost in Austin, Texas. For more information and a free sample of 100% spent mushroom compost, visit [http://mushroomcompostblog.com]

Organic Gardening - Growing Yard Long Green Beans

Yard Long Green Beans, productive, tasty and unusual looking. These beans are a native to Africa and are an incredible heat tolerant plant that has a beautiful flower along with an attractive foliage. It is a great crop to include in your edible landscape on a trellis in your yard. These beans are also know by name as asparagus beans, Chinese beans, garter beans and snake bean.

These beans are from the same family as the cowpeas and the black-eye pea. It is an annual vine plant that can grow between 10 to 12 feet tall and prefers a warm soil and growing climate.

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Soil conditions that yard long green beans prefer is a loose, friable soil that is not to rich in nitrogen and has a ph level of between 5.5 - 7.5, but will tolerate acid soils. A soil that has a high nitrogen content can cause an abundant leaf growth that can cause a reduced productivity of the bean crop.

Raised beds or hills are the best method for growing this crop because of the fact that the soil warms quicker and the soil is looser to a deeper depth. Mixing compost or composted manure into the soil in the early spring to a depth of 8 to 10 inches will improve the soils structure and help to boost the soils fertility.

Sow seeds directly into the garden after all dangers of frost have passed. This is a warm weather crop and will not thrive in cool temperatures. Plant seeds 2 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart in loose soils and 1 inch deep in heavier soils. Once the seeds are planted water deeply and keep the soil moist throughout the entire growing season to have a high yielding productive crop. Once the seedling have emerged you can thin the plants to 6-12 inches apart.

Harvesting can start about 2 months from the time the seeds were planted and continuously throughout the summer months to fall.

Organic Gardening - Growing Yard Long Green Beans

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Organic Gardening - Tips on Designing Your First Garden

Every organic gardeners love the relaxation there garden brings to them, along with the rewards of growing there own healthy crops. In these tough economic times, more are turning to gardening to help reduce household expenses. There are was for the new comers to gardening to enjoy these same relaxing and enjoyable times without getting overwhelmed with the starting process of a garden.

Organic gardening is a method of gardening where you work in harmony with nature. It's purpose is to grow crops naturally and not force them to grow as is done in gardening with the use of chemicals. It is a healthy way of gardening for both you and the environment. Designing your garden properly and the proper choice of plants will let you enjoy this method of gardening.

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Watching the way that nature grows plants naturally in the wild, along with the methods it uses to supply the nutrients they need to thrive is what organic gardening is about. Nature has it's own unique methods of keeping the environment in balance, whether it be for pest and disease control or the nutrients it supplies to plants.

Choosing your plants properly is another important part of this method of gardening. Growing crops that are native to you area or are from areas that have the same climate and soil conditions will greatly benefit there health, along with the productivity of your crop. It makes it a lot less work for you as the gardener when a plant is use to the environment it is grown in.

Planning your garden around the wildlife in your area is another way you can benefit. There are many natural predators that can greatly benefit the pest control in your garden. Including plants that invite them and other beneficial insects will help in having a healthy and productive garden.

With the method of organic gardening you can benefit in more ways than just the garden. Starting your own compost pile will greatly reduce the amount of organic household and yard waste that needs to get disposed of. This is a great way to add the nutrients back into the soil for your crops to thrive and to improve the soil structure in your garden.

Organic Gardening - Tips on Designing Your First Garden

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment. http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com/gardentoolsandsupplies.html

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com