As we get closer to the end of the gardening season for most of North America, it is time to think about mulch. Depending upon where you live, you might automatically think about one material over another when you think about mulch. In the Southeastern US, pine straw is the mulch of choice for many people. It makes sense, because natural ...
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After moving into a new home in a new or established neighborhood, many gardeners are disappointed to discover their flowering plants struggling for survival due to poor soil. The soil may be full of clay or stones, too acidic, compacted, or lacking in organic matter. Some home-owners may resort to simply adding fertilizer. Don't do this!
With a little knowledge and a bit of determination you can use soil amendments ...
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Nature was the first organic gardener, slowly scraping up a thin blanket of rock particles over much of the barren planet, then feeding it with the bodies of tiny, spore-bearing plants and gradually cloaking it in green.
By the mid to late 19th century, chemists decided that they could help gardeners and farmers with new inorganic fertilizers and alike manna from heaven. This seemed to be the answer to the ...
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Tomatoes are grown by more gardeners than any other vegetable.
If the letters that I get indicate anything it is that it seems that
this is the only vegetable that many people grow!!
Here are some tips that may help you in your tomato growing:
Grow the correct variety. This may sound obvious but it really isn't.
Many gardeners who move around the country still stick to the same
variety that ...
Posted in Fruits and Vegetables | No Comments »
Organic matter is another material in the soil that has several important
roles.
ORGANIC MATTER:
1. acts like glue to hold the mineral particles together.
2. Is a food source for the minute( or micro) organisms that live in the soil.
3. Is a source of nutrients for the plants.
4. Strongly influences what color the soil will be.
Organic Matter and the ...
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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.
Hydroponics is the art of cultivating plant life in a nutrient water solution
whose roots are supported by a substance ...
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 Fertilizer is anything added that improves the fertility
 of the soil.
 A good organic fertilizer feeds the soil
 rather than only feeding the plant.
 This is the safest way to fertilize plants .
 A fertile soil has a balance of minerals and micronutrients
so subtle, that I do not think that any chemical could add
them all.
However it is known that manure, compost and leaf mold will.
Organic fertilizers improve the soil to allow it to ...
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Green manure is a term used for grasses and legumes grown and then tilled under. It is very cheap and easy to use, and in most cases is faster-acting than home-made compost.
In severe winter areas, a green manure crop can protect the soil and give the added benefit of nutrients and organic material to the soil in spring. The best plant to add nutrients to the soil are grasses ...
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I have discovered a handy way to use eggshells in starting my garden seeds. I use this method in my organic garden, as it gives back to the earth.
Advantages of this method include good moisture retention needed for germination, along with avoiding transplanting shock, since seeds are moved, "pot" and all.
If you would like to try this method, then follow these simple steps:
Take one egg and cut a ...
Posted in Seed Starting | 2 Comments »
