Articles and Tips December, 2007
Garden Insects In Winter.
Many people ask me how do most insects manage to live through the winter in cold or freezing sections of the country?
A few garden bugs are able to migrate to warmer climates, but most of these cold-bloodied creatures must adjust to freezing temperatures -or die. Specially endowed insects like the cinch bug produce an anti-freeze chemical that keeps their insides from turning to ice. Others calmly freeze without injury and await …
The Christmas Tree.
 Christmas trees were introduced to the court of Queen Victoria
 by her husband, Prince Albert.
 Although it was the custom to decorate live evergreen trees in
 honor of the Gods, our modern day practice of cutting down a
 tree to bring indoors is a desecration of the original concept.
The Evergreen is one of the few plants to remain green even in
winter and it …
Double Digging Your Soil
Double digging, also called “trenching”: remove a spade’s depth of soil over all the area you want to improve and put it aside. Dig organic materials into the next spade’s depth. Mix the same organic materials into the soil you initially removed and put that mixture on top of the deeper mixture.
What you accomplish is aeration of your soil to a depth of approx. 18 inches with the inclusion of organic matter, as well. Deep root …
Organic Matter In the Soil
Organic matter is material in the soil that has several important roles:
acts like glue to hold the mineral particles together.
Is a food source for the minute( or micro) organisms that live in the soil.
Is a source of nutrients for the plants.
Strongly influences what color the soil will be.
Organic Matter and the mineral particles work together somewhat like mortar and bricks. The organic matter acts as the mortar or glue and causes particles to stick together …
