Articles and Tips November, 2007
When To Buy Organic
The next time you are in the Organic produce aisle, you might find that you are a bit confused as to what produce you should buy. There are so many choices available that it can be mind boggling.
To reduce your potential exposure to pesticides on produce, it is a possible idea to look at organic labels on certain fruits and vegetables. It was not all that long ago that the term’ organic’ …
The Time For Amaryllis.
We are getting close to that time of year for the Amaryllis bulb to become popular
as a christmas gift.
They are such lovely elegant looking plants, that grace many a home, the Amaryllis
is not really a lily, and the common-called amaryllis is not even an
 amaryllis, but a Hypeastrum
No matter what the correct name is it is most loved for its spectatular
blossom production and because it can be grown year after year.
Every year in winter amaryllis bulbs appear in garden catalogues, plant
and flower shops, nurseries and even supermarkets. They are sold in
boxes with pots and peat moss, and planting instructions.
The supermarket is a good source of acquiring this plant, as I can attest
to, I have had many lovely plants from there.
Many people are doubtful as to how to ensure future blooming when their
amaryllis is finished flowering.
Hydroponics – Plants Without Soil
Hydroponics, a method of gardening which does not use soil, has been developed during the past 60 years or so.
While it has been proven both reliable and effective, it has not yet become a familiar technique to most gardeners. It is the art of cultivating plant life in a nutrient water solution
whose roots are supported by …
Good and Bad Bugs.
 Organic gardeners divide the insect world into two camps:
 good bugs and bad bugs
 The bad bugs bring death, disease, and destruction,
they suck the life out of plants, infest
the soil and lay eggs by the thousands.
The good bugs remind me of an army of
peacekeepers, who come marching in bringing
peace and harmony.
They work quietly, taking care of the bad bugs
by munching on them and generally getting
rid of your enemies for you.
Now, you would think that bad bugs would
look horrible and good ones would be pretty
but that is not always the case i.e
A ground beetle, which eats slugs, is distinguished
from a darkling beetle, which eats plants,
by a ridge on its head from which the
ground beetle’s antennae protrude.
Fertilizers: Chemical versus Organic.
A natural fertilizer is one that consists of some
natural earth product which may be processed
mechanically, but is not treated with acids
or substances to increase its solubility.
Phospate rock, finely pulverized, is a natural fertilizer.
 An artificial, chemical fertilzer
 is a combination of some earth
 product  and a strong acid .
 Super phosphate, which is
  made by treating phosphate rock with
 sulfuric acid, is an example.
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A hundred pound bag of superphosphate includes
50 pounds of phosphate rock and 50 pounds of
sulfuric acid.
