Farmers and gardeners of a few decades ago knew a thing or two about healthier plants and soils. This is what I learned from one of them.
Why You Should Consider Gardening For Your Children
It is good to see the children’s involvement with environment-friendly activities. One such nature-loving activity that children could easily get their hands on is gardening.
Mulching Benefits / Organic And Inorganic Mulch Types
Mulching is the practice of placing a loose surface onto the surface of soil in your flower or vegetable garden in order to protect, insulate and beautify the area. This loose covering is called a mulch and it can be either of an organic or inorganic variety. Examples of mulches include compost, stone and grass clippings. Every gardener should understand the many benefits of mulching the soil in their garden. This article will discuss the benefits of mulching, how to choose t…
Organic Gardening – A Growing Trend
In the past decade and a half, organic products have achieved almost mainstream status. Where organic produce was a specialty item in a few upscale grocery stores in the early 1990s, today’s supermarkets commonly offer organically produced items.
An upward spiral is happening: Organics have become more available and more affordable. The result is that a larger proportion of the population buys organics. This leads to an increased general awareness of the benefits for peopl…
Organic Gardening – The Pros And Cons
Picture three ripe red tomatoes arranged on a wooden cutting board awaiting your pleasure. They’ve each come from a different source: can you tell which one was grown organically?
Two of the tomatoes were lovingly tended in backyards – one in a conventional garden and the other in an organic garden. The third tomato came from the supermarket, and it’s easy to eliminate from the guessing game.
The supermarket tomato is the pale red one the size and shape of a tennis ba…
Organic Gardening: 10 Practical Steps
The key components fundamental to the practice of organic gardening are discussed in this article.
Planting Fruit Trees For Your Garden
Fruit trees bear at different times of the year. For example, there are apples for early season, midseason, and late season (well into fall), so it is wise to select trees for the season you want.
Soil Basics – Creating Fertile, Healthy Soil
Have you ever looked at the soil in your garden and considered it as anything more than soil? If not you should because there is a lot more there than meets the eye. It performs many functions that you may not be aware of and having good quality soil in your garden is essential for your plants. In this article we will look at the functions of soil, what different types there are and finally some ways to make it healthier.
Functions of Soil
The most immediately apparent …
Soil Erosion Control
Soil erosion is a costly problem, so it is very important to plan ahead when buying a home. Making sure soil erosion control and rain damage prevention are done right during the original landscaping and building of your home will lead to a nicer overall yard and keeping your yearly maintenance costs down.
Soil PH And Its Effect On Your Garden
As you may have observed from your gardening experiences plants can be fussy things. The right location, amount of sunlight and 101 other factors influence your plant’s growing ability. One factor which is very beneficial in understanding before putting that new plant into the earth is soil pH.
What is Soil pH?
Let’s get all scientific for a moment and learn what pH is. In chemistry pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. Okay chemistry lesson over. Bas…
Soil Plus Compost Equals Lush Healthy Plants
Learn what to do to improve your plants to be lush and healthy. Learn that by just adding compost to your landscape and gardens your need for additional fertilizer will be minimized. Learn how to have the richest soil in the neighborhood.You find that your plants are giving you fits in your landscape because it seems like a parade of weeds, insects or diseases have invaded and taken over. The problem is probably not due to insects or diseases but the poor soil that the plants are in. This poor soil is the major cause of invading insects and/or plant diseases.
With the poor soil comes weak and unhealthy plants that are more likely to get insect or disease problems. By improving the soil with compost, either before or after planting, will create a big difference. Anytime is a great time to add compost.
Compost is made of rich organic matter, which is crucial to growing healthy and fruitful plants. It is the result of a natural process of decay and recycling of materials such as leaves and twigs. In every corner of the world, in every meadow, forest and wetland composting is taking place. By copying this process, our plants will reap the benefits also.
The major benefit of compost is that it binds water and nutrients in reserve, freeing them when plants need it the most. It holds double its weight in water, hence cutting back the need to water and increasing a plants capacity for our dry months.
Utilizing compost is an inexpensive way to better the soil. Compost cuts the need to fertilize since it’s rich in plant nutrients and slowly discharges them over time. And by not having to replace plants every year and the costs connected with plants that die because of poor soils.
Humic acid is a plant-growth stimulant found in compost. Vegetable crops tests show that humic acid, even in low concentrations, produces healthy, lush plants.
Creating compost is an easy task. With all of the grass clippings, twigs and leaves from the yard, fall is a good time to make a compost pile. There are several ways to make compost. Even if you buy a compost bin or build one from wood pallets, here are several tips to help you get going.
1. A compost pile should be approximately 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. This measurement is ideal for getting the pile to heat up.
2. All items going into the compost pile should be wet. When the yard waste is dry when added, it will reduce the decomposition process.
3. Layers of the yard waste should be applied, that is, a layer of grass clippings then a layer of leaves and so on.
4. To turn a compost pile is not a absolute necessay task unless you are in a hurry. By turning the compost pile it will accelerate the decomposition process.
5. The finished product compost can be applied to a new or an established garden or landscape. If you are still planning your project, be sure to add plenty of compost onto your soil before you plant. The compost, over time, will integrate itself with your existing soil. Therefore, no need to till or dig up the place you are improving.
It doesn’t make any difference if your soil is sandy, clay, or rock; adding compost will improve it.
To top dress an established landscape, you can add a layer of compost on top of the existing soil. If you have established plants, add 1 – 2 inches of compost all around the plant. The plants will still get the benefits of the humic acid and other important plant nutrients abundantly found in compost.
The plants and landscape will reward you with a lush, healthy growth. Additionally, it will step-up your plants’ natural resistance to insects and diseases. This method is nothing but back to basics.
The Garden Beckons
Spring is around the corner. Soon, Mother Nature will wake up from her winter
slumber and brings out new growth and new life to this world.