Articles by Chris Field
Chris is an avid gardener, and began gardening without chemicals or pesticides ten years ago. The first few years were tough, as his lawn and garden were too addicted to synthetic fertilizers. After lots of research, testing and consulting other organic gardeners, he realized he was thinking the wrong way - it's a multi-year process of building up the soil back to health, adding natural soils and fertilizers like manure and compost.
Today, after moving to a new house and starting the process over, he has a garden repeatedly full of tasty, nutrient-rich tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. With two young children, and a pair of active dogs, he's glad he has a yard free of chemicals and pesticides, and when not in the garden he edits and updates this website.
There are a number of reasons why organic gardening is better than conventional or commercial growing. Some of the reasons are more obvious than others. As small scale backyard gardeners, there is a tendency to focus just on the plants and practices in our own yards and on our own tables. However, conventional vs. organic growing is a hot topic and has more global ramifications.
What Do ...
Posted in Garden Maintenance | 1 Comment »
APS Seed Starter Kit, available at Gardeners'It's the middle of winter, but it's already time to begin thinking of seeds for this spring. Crops that are best transplanted during cool, early springs (lettuce, spinach, onions, broccoli, cabbages, and kale) need to be ...
Posted in Seed Starting | 2 Comments »
Leave the tissue-paper turkey on the shelf at the craft store this year, and adorn the center of your Thanksgiving table with one of these centerpieces, instead.
Tree of Thanks
Go outside and find interesting branches and twigs. Fill a vase with them, and string a garland of small red beads throughout your "tree." Make little tags by cutting off-white card stock into two inch ...
Posted in Savory and Sage Tidbits | No Comments »
Kale is both a great ornamental annual and a tasty, healthy vegetable. As part of the Cole family (along with cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts), Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Kale can be grown in the late fall or late spring. Now is a perfect time to ...
Posted in Plant Profiles | No Comments »
Fall is a good time to renovate the lawn, if your lawn needs lots of work. Cooler temperatures and shorter days allows the grass seed to sprout and grow a strong root system before the winter. Organic lawn renovation is not terribly different than conventional lawn renovation, with the exception of removing or knocking down any existing lawn grass. Conventional practices call for spraying an area to be renovated with roundup before ...
Posted in Garden Maintenance | No Comments »
Late summer is a perfect time to treat Japanese Beetle Grubs, if you have a grub problem. During the late summer, the adults have stopped feeding, laid eggs, and the eggs have hatched into vulnerable larvae susceptible to treatment. In order to treat Japanese beetles, you need to understand their life cycles.
Japanese ...
Posted in Garden Pests and Diseases | No Comments »
He's strong to the finich 'cause he eats his spinach, he's Popeye the sailor man!
Nutritional benefits
Good Source of: vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), tryptophan, dietary fiber, copper, vitamin B1 (thiamin), protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty ...
Posted in Plant Profiles | 2 Comments »
"Let me tell you about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees and the moon up above. . ."
The birds and the bees, huh? It is time for a refresher about pollination, because this is the time of the summer when many vegetable/fruit plants are at their peak of producing, and it is very important that everyone understands what that means for them, as gardeners. Especially, organic gardeners.
Where's the Bees?
You've probably ...
Posted in Garden Maintenance | No Comments »
This is the time during the summer that tomato problems start to show you if they are happy with the way you are growing them, or unhappy. They show signs of stress and insect damage. In Northeast North America, there has been an outbreak of tomato disease affecting many tomato growers - both commercial and homeowners. Unfortunately, you can't fix every problem that might plague your tomato plants, but you can help with some of ...
Posted in Fruits, Veggies and Herbs | 1 Comment »
Bypass pruners are one garden tool that no gardener should live without. Once you prune your roses, or your lilacs with a high-quality pair of bypass pruners, you will never pick up a pair of scissors or anvil pruners again!
Bypass pruners produce the cleanest pruning cut because they work less like a knife and more like scissors. A very sharp, well-maintained pair of anvil pruners can ...
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
