Heirloom Seeds and Organic Gardening|Lets Talk Gardening
Nov
25
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
The urban gardener
“Ebb and flow” hydroponics system is an example of the common arrangement of the indoor garden. Such system is composed of the upper grow bed, which is a box or tray that holds containers with plants. Those individual containers may be filled with various mediums, the most frequently used ones being rockwool, coconut fiber, lava rock, perlite, vermiculite or styrofoam pellets. The best mediums are those that are porous and can accumulate some water for a long time: lava rock is said to be the best in this respect.
The other part of the hydroponic system is the lower bed – the reservoir with the mix of water and nutrients dissolved in it. Aquarium pump, regularly triggered by a timer, sends water solution up into the tray with plants.
The most important thing is to keep the correct composition of water solution in the reservoir – this is the key factor of the hydroponic garden flourishing. Many beginners find it difficult to maintain the right pH level of the water, necessary amount of nutrients, and their correct ratio.
Standard organic plant nutrients are available to fertilize plants; however, many people are reluctant to do that, as they think such fertilizers will quickly make the water reservoir dirty. Indeed, organic nutrients interact with the organisms in water, which leads to their decomposition. Specialized concentrated nutrients, on the other hand, keep the reservoir relatively clean, since they are synthetically made and thus they cannot interact with the organisms in water. Nonetheless, such “clean” fertilizers will severely burn the plants roots if used in access.
Being pumped into the grow bed, water with a fertilizer saturates the plants and returns to the reservoir lacking the previous amount of nutrients and ppm (parts per million). Thus, its composition is always different and changeable. That is why a gardener should always monitor water solution, controlling its pH level and plant nutrients amount.
Warren
“Ebb and flow” hydroponics system is an example of the common arrangement of the indoor garden. Such system is composed of the upper grow bed, which is a box or tray that holds containers with plants. Those individual containers may be filled with various mediums, the most frequently used ones being rockwool, coconut fiber, lava rock, perlite, vermiculite or styrofoam pellets. The best mediums are those that are porous and can accumulate some water for a long time: lava rock is said to be the best in this respect.
The other part of the hydroponic system is the lower bed – the reservoir with the mix of water and nutrients dissolved in it. Aquarium pump, regularly triggered by a timer, sends water solution up into the tray with plants.
The most important thing is to keep the correct composition of water solution in the reservoir – this is the key factor of the hydroponic garden flourishing. Many beginners find it difficult to maintain the right pH level of the water, necessary amount of nutrients, and their correct ratio.
Standard organic plant nutrients are available to fertilize plants; however, many people are reluctant to do that, as they think such fertilizers will quickly make the water reservoir dirty. Indeed, organic nutrients interact with the organisms in water, which leads to their decomposition. Specialized concentrated nutrients, on the other hand, keep the reservoir relatively clean, since they are synthetically made and thus they cannot interact with the organisms in water. Nonetheless, such “clean” fertilizers will severely burn the plants roots if used in access.
Being pumped into the grow bed, water with a fertilizer saturates the plants and returns to the reservoir lacking the previous amount of nutrients and ppm (parts per million). Thus, its composition is always different and changeable. That is why a gardener should always monitor water solution, controlling its pH level and plant nutrients amount.
Warren
Comments Off
Nov
24
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Stephen Dolan
Organic gardening differs from “conventional” gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pest control. Organic gardening is planting without chemical fertilizers and naturally building the soil to support healthy plant life. People are increasingly aware that organic food is better for the environment. This primer of organic gardening will help you get started in this fun, healthy hobby.
The main thing to remember is that organic gardening is not only about pesticide use and the soil that your garden grows in. The goal is to create an ecosystem in your back yard where every part is respected and in good shape. Robust plants can better defend themselves against pests and diseases.
Soil Is the Source of Life
The soil is the source of life for plants. Indeed, one of the problems with chemical gardening is that it sterilizes the soil and steals the life from it. Organic soil is living, and has lots of living matter in it. It is from this wellspring of life that plants create the nutrients you will eat.
At the beginning and end of every growing season, the organic gardener works the soil by adding natural garden fertilizers to enrich the soil and replace nutrients that the plants have used. You can use animal-based organic fertilizers and plant-based organic fertilizers or any combination of both. You want to add bulk to the soil along with nutrients.
Animal-Based Organic Fertilizer
Animal-based organic garden fertilizer can be reduced to one word: manure. Cow manure, chicken manure, fish emulsion and bat guano are most usually used, but you can additionally use horse and rabbit manure. Use solid animal-based fertilizers to dig into the soil, and make “manure tea” to use when transplanting seedlings.
There are some safety issues to recognize when using animal manure. All manure should be aged or composted before using it as an organic garden fertilizer to remove E. coli and other potentially troublesome pathogens. As well, you cannot use manure from humans or predator animals, such as cats. Their digestive systems contain bacteria that are pathogenic to humans, and the bacteria can get into or on food grown in soil fertilized with their feces.
Plant-Based Organic Fertilizer
Compost, seaweed, worm castings and green manure are the most standard plant-based organic garden fertilizers. Seaweed and kelp are usually purchased as dried and processed organic garden fertilizer.
Green manure is planted as a cover crop, normally in the fall after harvest. Plant a nitrogen-fixing crop, such as soybeans, and the symbiotic bacteria in the roots will add nitrogen to your soil. Then, when the cover crop emerges in the spring, dig it into the ground, and allow the plants to decompose and enrich the soil.
Compost
Far and away the most common plant-based organic fertilizer is compost. Compost is an excellent way to recycle vegetable matter. There are many theories on composting, and you can learn how to do it from community workshops, books, or other experts. Fundamentally, however, compost is not hard to make. You just save all your vegetable scraps, garden wastes, remains of plants, grass clippings, dried leaves and other vegetable matter and let it decompose. A hot compost heap that is turned frequently (so that it gets air into it) will make compost in a matter of weeks. A compost heap decomposes faster if it generates heat, and it needs to be at least three cubic feet to get good and hot. If your compost pile isn’t that big or doesn’t get very warm, or you don’t turn it, don’t despair, it will still make good compost. You can just throw your vegetable waste in a pile and leave it. If it sits for a long time, like a year, it will compost by itself.
A worm box is an alternative to a compost-pile. Worm castings are very rich in nutrients. To create worm castings, start with the right kind of worms, which you can get from any organic gardening source. Place them in a covered tub of some kind with your slightly damp vegetable matter. The worms do all the work, and you get rich organic garden fertilizer at almost no cost. Either read about how to set up a worm compost system, or you can buy a kit at your garden center. Remember to add earthworms to the soil too, as they create natural fertilizers in the soil and provide aeration.
Add natural fertilizers such as these to the soil at least twice a year and dig them into the top six inches of soil. You’ll have rich, dark, productive soil within a couple of years–even if you started out with sterile, gray, chemically treated dirt.
Water Is a Necessity of Life
All living organisms need water. It is important for the health of your plants to give them enough water to thrive. However, indiscriminate water use wastes water and washes away the soil. Watering where it is not needed encourages weeds. Water when the sun is low, early in the morning or in the evening to cut down on evaporation. It is important that the water gets to the roots of the plants without running off and taking valuable soil with it, so add water slowly and let it soak in. Use a soaker hose to water only your garden plants and nowhere else. If a soaker hose (or irrigation system) is not a choice for you, dig a shallow well around the base of each plant and fill it up and let the water soak in. Use a mulch around plants to conserve water and to prevent rain from eroding your fertile garden soil.
Don’t Let Weeds Rob Your Garden Plants
Only your cherished plants should get the advantage of the rich soil and water you provide. Therefore, it is necessary to take out all the other plants which find your garden a great place to live. That is, it is important to weed your organic garden. In the mid-twentieth century, at the height of chemical use in gardening, it became usual to spray herbicides on the soil to control weeds. But now we understand how damaging such chemical use is to the environment. Pulling out weeds by hand is neither hard nor particularly time consuming. Your organic garden is a beautiful place to spend time, why not spend it taking out the weeds that compete with your plants.
Here are the basics of weed-control. Firstly, make sure you get rid of weeds before they go to seed. Weeds routinely produce thousands of seeds in a short period of time. If there are patches of weeds growing at the periphery of your garden, make sure to mow them before they spread seeds. Second, when pulling weeds by hand make sure to pull out the roots so the plant doesn’t grow right back. Use a trowel to dig out deep-rooted weeds. Third, use mulch as a barrier to weed growth. Organic mulch will also help maintain moisture and add organic material to the soil. You can cover the entire area with plastic during the winter season to kill off weed seeds.
Control Pests without Harmful Pesticides
Pest-control is probably the biggest issue facing organic gardeners. Chemically-based pesticides are some of the most toxic substances to have on your food or polluting the environment. How, then, do you keep ravenous bugs like Japanese beetles from destroying your produce? In organic gardening you begin with the least toxic intervention and proceed from there.
Pest Prevention
The first step is to plant wisely. Remember that healthy plants will need less help from you with fighting pests, so make sure that your plants are well-fed and have adequate water. Also, use companion planting and crop rotation to discourage pests before they arrive. Some plants keep bugs away and planting them next to your tasty plants is a good idea. Garlic, onions and marigolds are commonly used to repel bugs. Plant them in a border around your garden and between your garden plants. Crop rotation is the method of planting a different crop in a given area of your garden each year. Where you put tomatoes this year put squash or corn in the next year. Crop rotation is especially helpful in preventing plant diseases.
Non-toxic Pest Controls
The next step is to remove pests when you find them. Remember that not all bugs are pests. In fact, a number of bugs are your helpers in pest control, but the wholesale use of toxic pesticides eliminates the predatory bugs as well as the harmful ones. It is important to be able to identify the good bugs and the bad bugs. Go out early in the morning or late in the evening when it’s cool, and remove any tomato hookworms, potato bugs, Japanese beetles, slugs or other harmful insects that you find. Squash them, or carry a bucket of soapy water to drown them. Better yet, feed them to your chickens. The most efficient way to remove small bugs such as aphids and mites is to spray the plants with the hose, using a strong stream of water to wash the insects off.
Physical barriers are another non-toxic method of organic pest control. They prevent pests from getting access to your plants. Some examples of barriers are to cut the top and bottom out of coffee cans and push them into the soil around tender young plants to keep cutworms away, or use fine netting to cover your plants to protect them from grasshoppers or birds.
Predatory Insects
One of the biggest defenses against pests are other bugs. Bugs that eat other bugs are a fantastic organic gardening pest control. Ladybugs, praying mantises, and lacewings are all beneficial insects. You can buy them at the garden store and release them into your garden. These predatory insects control aphids, mites and many other pests. Most spiders are bug-eaters, too, so let spiders work for you.
Using Organic Pesticides
If you are using these non-toxic pest controls and you are still faced with an overwhelming pest invasion, the last resort is to use organic pesticides. They are routinely made from plant derivatives or minerals. These natural pesticides are certified for use in natural farming and are far less dangerous than synthetic pesticides, but they are still toxic. It is important that you determine how harmful the insect pests are; you may elect to live with them rather than use something that is organic, but more toxic than you want to expose your food to.
Insecticidal soap is quite safe for food plants and the environment and works well to get rid of garden pests. Buy it at your garden supply store, or make your own by adding a few drops of liquid dish soap to a cup of water. Spray it on the plants, and then rinse off. This works great on aphids and thrips.
You can usually tell how toxic an organic pest control is by checking for a warning label. If there is no warning on the label, the substance is probably non-toxic. If the label says, “caution,” it is mildly toxic. “Warning” on the label means it is moderately toxic, and “danger” means the substance is very toxic. Organic gardening pest controls rarely have a “danger” warning on them. It is very important to apply organic pest control products exactly as the label directs. These products can be dangerous, so they must be used correctly to minimize everybody’s exposure to toxic pesticides.
For More Information
If you want to get started on your organic garden, you’ll find an abundance of help. Look for gardening clubs or workshops in your community; gardeners are always eager to give advice. Additionally, there are countless books, magazines and web sites. You can also look up your local Cooperative Extension Office, which offers advice in cooperation with local universities. Like all living processes, there is a rhythm to organic gardening. You don’t do everything at once. Begin slowly and learn as you go.
Lorrie
Organic gardening differs from “conventional” gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pest control. Organic gardening is planting without chemical fertilizers and naturally building the soil to support healthy plant life. People are increasingly aware that organic food is better for the environment. This primer of organic gardening will help you get started in this fun, healthy hobby.
The main thing to remember is that organic gardening is not only about pesticide use and the soil that your garden grows in. The goal is to create an ecosystem in your back yard where every part is respected and in good shape. Robust plants can better defend themselves against pests and diseases.
Soil Is the Source of Life
The soil is the source of life for plants. Indeed, one of the problems with chemical gardening is that it sterilizes the soil and steals the life from it. Organic soil is living, and has lots of living matter in it. It is from this wellspring of life that plants create the nutrients you will eat.
At the beginning and end of every growing season, the organic gardener works the soil by adding natural garden fertilizers to enrich the soil and replace nutrients that the plants have used. You can use animal-based organic fertilizers and plant-based organic fertilizers or any combination of both. You want to add bulk to the soil along with nutrients.
Animal-Based Organic Fertilizer
Animal-based organic garden fertilizer can be reduced to one word: manure. Cow manure, chicken manure, fish emulsion and bat guano are most usually used, but you can additionally use horse and rabbit manure. Use solid animal-based fertilizers to dig into the soil, and make “manure tea” to use when transplanting seedlings.
There are some safety issues to recognize when using animal manure. All manure should be aged or composted before using it as an organic garden fertilizer to remove E. coli and other potentially troublesome pathogens. As well, you cannot use manure from humans or predator animals, such as cats. Their digestive systems contain bacteria that are pathogenic to humans, and the bacteria can get into or on food grown in soil fertilized with their feces.
Plant-Based Organic Fertilizer
Compost, seaweed, worm castings and green manure are the most standard plant-based organic garden fertilizers. Seaweed and kelp are usually purchased as dried and processed organic garden fertilizer.
Green manure is planted as a cover crop, normally in the fall after harvest. Plant a nitrogen-fixing crop, such as soybeans, and the symbiotic bacteria in the roots will add nitrogen to your soil. Then, when the cover crop emerges in the spring, dig it into the ground, and allow the plants to decompose and enrich the soil.
Compost
Far and away the most common plant-based organic fertilizer is compost. Compost is an excellent way to recycle vegetable matter. There are many theories on composting, and you can learn how to do it from community workshops, books, or other experts. Fundamentally, however, compost is not hard to make. You just save all your vegetable scraps, garden wastes, remains of plants, grass clippings, dried leaves and other vegetable matter and let it decompose. A hot compost heap that is turned frequently (so that it gets air into it) will make compost in a matter of weeks. A compost heap decomposes faster if it generates heat, and it needs to be at least three cubic feet to get good and hot. If your compost pile isn’t that big or doesn’t get very warm, or you don’t turn it, don’t despair, it will still make good compost. You can just throw your vegetable waste in a pile and leave it. If it sits for a long time, like a year, it will compost by itself.
A worm box is an alternative to a compost-pile. Worm castings are very rich in nutrients. To create worm castings, start with the right kind of worms, which you can get from any organic gardening source. Place them in a covered tub of some kind with your slightly damp vegetable matter. The worms do all the work, and you get rich organic garden fertilizer at almost no cost. Either read about how to set up a worm compost system, or you can buy a kit at your garden center. Remember to add earthworms to the soil too, as they create natural fertilizers in the soil and provide aeration.
Add natural fertilizers such as these to the soil at least twice a year and dig them into the top six inches of soil. You’ll have rich, dark, productive soil within a couple of years–even if you started out with sterile, gray, chemically treated dirt.
Water Is a Necessity of Life
All living organisms need water. It is important for the health of your plants to give them enough water to thrive. However, indiscriminate water use wastes water and washes away the soil. Watering where it is not needed encourages weeds. Water when the sun is low, early in the morning or in the evening to cut down on evaporation. It is important that the water gets to the roots of the plants without running off and taking valuable soil with it, so add water slowly and let it soak in. Use a soaker hose to water only your garden plants and nowhere else. If a soaker hose (or irrigation system) is not a choice for you, dig a shallow well around the base of each plant and fill it up and let the water soak in. Use a mulch around plants to conserve water and to prevent rain from eroding your fertile garden soil.
Don’t Let Weeds Rob Your Garden Plants
Only your cherished plants should get the advantage of the rich soil and water you provide. Therefore, it is necessary to take out all the other plants which find your garden a great place to live. That is, it is important to weed your organic garden. In the mid-twentieth century, at the height of chemical use in gardening, it became usual to spray herbicides on the soil to control weeds. But now we understand how damaging such chemical use is to the environment. Pulling out weeds by hand is neither hard nor particularly time consuming. Your organic garden is a beautiful place to spend time, why not spend it taking out the weeds that compete with your plants.
Here are the basics of weed-control. Firstly, make sure you get rid of weeds before they go to seed. Weeds routinely produce thousands of seeds in a short period of time. If there are patches of weeds growing at the periphery of your garden, make sure to mow them before they spread seeds. Second, when pulling weeds by hand make sure to pull out the roots so the plant doesn’t grow right back. Use a trowel to dig out deep-rooted weeds. Third, use mulch as a barrier to weed growth. Organic mulch will also help maintain moisture and add organic material to the soil. You can cover the entire area with plastic during the winter season to kill off weed seeds.
Control Pests without Harmful Pesticides
Pest-control is probably the biggest issue facing organic gardeners. Chemically-based pesticides are some of the most toxic substances to have on your food or polluting the environment. How, then, do you keep ravenous bugs like Japanese beetles from destroying your produce? In organic gardening you begin with the least toxic intervention and proceed from there.
Pest Prevention
The first step is to plant wisely. Remember that healthy plants will need less help from you with fighting pests, so make sure that your plants are well-fed and have adequate water. Also, use companion planting and crop rotation to discourage pests before they arrive. Some plants keep bugs away and planting them next to your tasty plants is a good idea. Garlic, onions and marigolds are commonly used to repel bugs. Plant them in a border around your garden and between your garden plants. Crop rotation is the method of planting a different crop in a given area of your garden each year. Where you put tomatoes this year put squash or corn in the next year. Crop rotation is especially helpful in preventing plant diseases.
Non-toxic Pest Controls
The next step is to remove pests when you find them. Remember that not all bugs are pests. In fact, a number of bugs are your helpers in pest control, but the wholesale use of toxic pesticides eliminates the predatory bugs as well as the harmful ones. It is important to be able to identify the good bugs and the bad bugs. Go out early in the morning or late in the evening when it’s cool, and remove any tomato hookworms, potato bugs, Japanese beetles, slugs or other harmful insects that you find. Squash them, or carry a bucket of soapy water to drown them. Better yet, feed them to your chickens. The most efficient way to remove small bugs such as aphids and mites is to spray the plants with the hose, using a strong stream of water to wash the insects off.
Physical barriers are another non-toxic method of organic pest control. They prevent pests from getting access to your plants. Some examples of barriers are to cut the top and bottom out of coffee cans and push them into the soil around tender young plants to keep cutworms away, or use fine netting to cover your plants to protect them from grasshoppers or birds.
Predatory Insects
One of the biggest defenses against pests are other bugs. Bugs that eat other bugs are a fantastic organic gardening pest control. Ladybugs, praying mantises, and lacewings are all beneficial insects. You can buy them at the garden store and release them into your garden. These predatory insects control aphids, mites and many other pests. Most spiders are bug-eaters, too, so let spiders work for you.
Using Organic Pesticides
If you are using these non-toxic pest controls and you are still faced with an overwhelming pest invasion, the last resort is to use organic pesticides. They are routinely made from plant derivatives or minerals. These natural pesticides are certified for use in natural farming and are far less dangerous than synthetic pesticides, but they are still toxic. It is important that you determine how harmful the insect pests are; you may elect to live with them rather than use something that is organic, but more toxic than you want to expose your food to.
Insecticidal soap is quite safe for food plants and the environment and works well to get rid of garden pests. Buy it at your garden supply store, or make your own by adding a few drops of liquid dish soap to a cup of water. Spray it on the plants, and then rinse off. This works great on aphids and thrips.
You can usually tell how toxic an organic pest control is by checking for a warning label. If there is no warning on the label, the substance is probably non-toxic. If the label says, “caution,” it is mildly toxic. “Warning” on the label means it is moderately toxic, and “danger” means the substance is very toxic. Organic gardening pest controls rarely have a “danger” warning on them. It is very important to apply organic pest control products exactly as the label directs. These products can be dangerous, so they must be used correctly to minimize everybody’s exposure to toxic pesticides.
For More Information
If you want to get started on your organic garden, you’ll find an abundance of help. Look for gardening clubs or workshops in your community; gardeners are always eager to give advice. Additionally, there are countless books, magazines and web sites. You can also look up your local Cooperative Extension Office, which offers advice in cooperation with local universities. Like all living processes, there is a rhythm to organic gardening. You don’t do everything at once. Begin slowly and learn as you go.
Lorrie
Comments Off
Nov
24
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Paul Hata
Anybody can do organic vegetable gardening at home because the principle behind this is not that different from what they do in the farm. The only difference is that you work in a smaller area and you get to choose what you like plant.
The first thing you have to do is find an ideal location. A lot of people do organic vegetable gardening in their backyard. To make it work, whatever you are planting should get at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday and access to water.
Just like the ancient civilizations that relied on an efficient irrigation system, you too should do the same by making sure there is adequate drainage because if you don’t, you will have to do organic vegetable gardening using a raise bed.
When your ideal location has been found, it is time to cultivate the land. For that, you will need your gardening tools and a pair of gloves to pluck out the weeds on the ground. This might take a few days to make sure the area is ready for planting.
You will only know if the ground you are going to plant your vegetable is a good spot by testing it with some compost and mixing this with the soil. Should it be able to integrate and stabilize itself with the soil, this means that you can start planting your crops and see it grow in the succeeding weeks.
If you don’t like to buy compost from the gardening store, you can make your own using coffee grounds, dead leaves, grass clippings, food waste or even manure. They also serve as excellent fertilizers.
As for your vegetables, take note that some of these may not be suitable in the land you are planting these on. This is because of several factors that are beyond your control such as the weather, pests and other plant borne diseases. You can avoid making this mistake by doing some research on what vegetables are ideal to plant in your area and asking fellow organic gardeners.
One way to protect the organic vegetables you are planting is by planting a variety of them at a time since some of these protect each other from pests. Such practice is better known as crop rotation especially when you want to adapt with the weather in your area. Another defense system that works is getting the help of Mother Nature as birds, certain insects and even toads have proven to be useful.
If you live in an area where wild animals may eat your vegetables, you should put up fences so they are not able to get through. Other tools you can use are animal hair, baby powder and deodorant soaps.
Part of preparing the land is removing the weeds. But remember that new weeds grow after some time so you have to inspect the area from time to time.
Planting your own organic vegetable garden at home will surely save you money as these are quite expensive in the supermarket. If you have some excess stocks when it is time to harvest them, maybe you can give some to your neighbors or make some money by selling it at the local market which isn’t that bad given that you don’t shell out that much cash for this investment.
Judy
Anybody can do organic vegetable gardening at home because the principle behind this is not that different from what they do in the farm. The only difference is that you work in a smaller area and you get to choose what you like plant.
The first thing you have to do is find an ideal location. A lot of people do organic vegetable gardening in their backyard. To make it work, whatever you are planting should get at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday and access to water.
Just like the ancient civilizations that relied on an efficient irrigation system, you too should do the same by making sure there is adequate drainage because if you don’t, you will have to do organic vegetable gardening using a raise bed.
When your ideal location has been found, it is time to cultivate the land. For that, you will need your gardening tools and a pair of gloves to pluck out the weeds on the ground. This might take a few days to make sure the area is ready for planting.
You will only know if the ground you are going to plant your vegetable is a good spot by testing it with some compost and mixing this with the soil. Should it be able to integrate and stabilize itself with the soil, this means that you can start planting your crops and see it grow in the succeeding weeks.
If you don’t like to buy compost from the gardening store, you can make your own using coffee grounds, dead leaves, grass clippings, food waste or even manure. They also serve as excellent fertilizers.
As for your vegetables, take note that some of these may not be suitable in the land you are planting these on. This is because of several factors that are beyond your control such as the weather, pests and other plant borne diseases. You can avoid making this mistake by doing some research on what vegetables are ideal to plant in your area and asking fellow organic gardeners.
One way to protect the organic vegetables you are planting is by planting a variety of them at a time since some of these protect each other from pests. Such practice is better known as crop rotation especially when you want to adapt with the weather in your area. Another defense system that works is getting the help of Mother Nature as birds, certain insects and even toads have proven to be useful.
If you live in an area where wild animals may eat your vegetables, you should put up fences so they are not able to get through. Other tools you can use are animal hair, baby powder and deodorant soaps.
Part of preparing the land is removing the weeds. But remember that new weeds grow after some time so you have to inspect the area from time to time.
Planting your own organic vegetable garden at home will surely save you money as these are quite expensive in the supermarket. If you have some excess stocks when it is time to harvest them, maybe you can give some to your neighbors or make some money by selling it at the local market which isn’t that bad given that you don’t shell out that much cash for this investment.
Judy
Comments Off
Nov
22
Filed Under (Health) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Louise Forrest
This collection of homemade organic facial masks is sure to please. Note that citrus ingredients are better for taming oily skin and that you can always substitute another fruit in place of a citrus fruit if you have dry skin.
Bananas are best for dry skin, but you may find that substituting an apple may work better in certain recipes (like the citrus delight mask). Remember to always use organic ingredients so that your skin is not absorbing more chemical toxins.
The Citrus Delight Mask
This mask for oily skin is a luxury in exfoliation, scent, and moisture; a true skin treat and quite tasty, too. Because of the way the natural chemicals in the foods work together, this mask should be mixed just before use. Attempts at storage greatly reduce its effectiveness. Mix your lemon and cream cheese and apply liberally to a clean face, staying away from your eyes. Lie back and relax for 15 minutes, rinse well with warm water.
Ingredients
1 organic lemon, peeled, seeded, and mashed
3 ounces organic cream cheese, softened
The Herbal Honey Mask
This mask delivers essential nutrients as well as infusing your skin with moisture. Mix the following ingredients well and use immediately after use for optimal effects. This mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 10 hours. Apply to a clean face (away from eyes) and let sit for 20 minutes, rinse with warm water. Although the mask is edible, it does not taste good!
Ingredients
Leaves from 2 small bunches fresh organic parsley (cleaned and chopped extremely fine)
2 tablespoons organic honey
3 drops organic lavender essential oil (may be a scent of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon 5000 IU Vitamin E oil
1/4 cup organic yogurt
The Hydration Mask
This is a quickly made 2 step mask that is excellent for dry skin. Mix ingredients and apply to clean face (away from eyes). Let sit for 15 minutes and remove with warm water.
Ingredients
Your favorite organic cream moisturizer
1 or 2 tablespoons organic honey
The Mean Green Mask
The skin softening effects of avocado have been known for centuries. This is an easy, inexpensive mask you can make which combines benefits of two of nature’s best kept skin secrets. Mash the avocado and honey together immediately before use as this mask does not do well with storage. Apply to a clean face (away from eyes), allowing it to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Ingredients
1 large ripe organic avocado, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons organic honey
The Pore Stomping Mask
A little known secret is that tomatoes are excellent pore reducers. This trick should not be used if you have allergies to tomatoes. Peel a tomato and mash well. Apply to a clean face (away from eyes) and let sit for 15 minutes. Cleanse as usual.
Ingredients
One small/medium tomato
The Secret Banana Mask
Bananas and cream make this mask one of the most nourishing and hydrating masks you can use. Bananas hoard away tons of great things for your skin, especially for dry and/or aging skin. For use as an anti aging organic skin care, this mask should be applied 3 to 4 times per week.
Mix all ingredients immediately before use. You want the mixture to be a very thick cream. If it seems too runny, add a bit more oat flour. Apply to a clean face and allow mask to sit for 25 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons fresh organic cream (heavy)
1 organic banana
1 1/2 tablespoons organic honey
1 1/2 tablespoons organic oat flour
The Very Berry Mask
This incredibly fresh mask is sheer organic temptation for your skin. The raspberries’ natural acids refresh and invigorate your skin to give you a beautiful, healthy glow. Blend all of the ingredients except oat flour on high for 30 seconds, pour into bowl and add oat flour to firm the mixture (it should be a very thick cream). Apply to a clean face (away from eyes) immediately after mixing, allow the mask to set for 30 minutes, and rinse with warm water.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons organic cream (heavy)
2 tablespoons organic honey
2 table spoons organic oat flour
4 drops organic lavender essential oil
1/2 cup organic raspberries
Edgar
This collection of homemade organic facial masks is sure to please. Note that citrus ingredients are better for taming oily skin and that you can always substitute another fruit in place of a citrus fruit if you have dry skin.
Bananas are best for dry skin, but you may find that substituting an apple may work better in certain recipes (like the citrus delight mask). Remember to always use organic ingredients so that your skin is not absorbing more chemical toxins.
The Citrus Delight Mask
This mask for oily skin is a luxury in exfoliation, scent, and moisture; a true skin treat and quite tasty, too. Because of the way the natural chemicals in the foods work together, this mask should be mixed just before use. Attempts at storage greatly reduce its effectiveness. Mix your lemon and cream cheese and apply liberally to a clean face, staying away from your eyes. Lie back and relax for 15 minutes, rinse well with warm water.
Ingredients
1 organic lemon, peeled, seeded, and mashed
3 ounces organic cream cheese, softened
The Herbal Honey Mask
This mask delivers essential nutrients as well as infusing your skin with moisture. Mix the following ingredients well and use immediately after use for optimal effects. This mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 10 hours. Apply to a clean face (away from eyes) and let sit for 20 minutes, rinse with warm water. Although the mask is edible, it does not taste good!
Ingredients
Leaves from 2 small bunches fresh organic parsley (cleaned and chopped extremely fine)
2 tablespoons organic honey
3 drops organic lavender essential oil (may be a scent of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon 5000 IU Vitamin E oil
1/4 cup organic yogurt
The Hydration Mask
This is a quickly made 2 step mask that is excellent for dry skin. Mix ingredients and apply to clean face (away from eyes). Let sit for 15 minutes and remove with warm water.
Ingredients
Your favorite organic cream moisturizer
1 or 2 tablespoons organic honey
The Mean Green Mask
The skin softening effects of avocado have been known for centuries. This is an easy, inexpensive mask you can make which combines benefits of two of nature’s best kept skin secrets. Mash the avocado and honey together immediately before use as this mask does not do well with storage. Apply to a clean face (away from eyes), allowing it to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Ingredients
1 large ripe organic avocado, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons organic honey
The Pore Stomping Mask
A little known secret is that tomatoes are excellent pore reducers. This trick should not be used if you have allergies to tomatoes. Peel a tomato and mash well. Apply to a clean face (away from eyes) and let sit for 15 minutes. Cleanse as usual.
Ingredients
One small/medium tomato
The Secret Banana Mask
Bananas and cream make this mask one of the most nourishing and hydrating masks you can use. Bananas hoard away tons of great things for your skin, especially for dry and/or aging skin. For use as an anti aging organic skin care, this mask should be applied 3 to 4 times per week.
Mix all ingredients immediately before use. You want the mixture to be a very thick cream. If it seems too runny, add a bit more oat flour. Apply to a clean face and allow mask to sit for 25 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons fresh organic cream (heavy)
1 organic banana
1 1/2 tablespoons organic honey
1 1/2 tablespoons organic oat flour
The Very Berry Mask
This incredibly fresh mask is sheer organic temptation for your skin. The raspberries’ natural acids refresh and invigorate your skin to give you a beautiful, healthy glow. Blend all of the ingredients except oat flour on high for 30 seconds, pour into bowl and add oat flour to firm the mixture (it should be a very thick cream). Apply to a clean face (away from eyes) immediately after mixing, allow the mask to set for 30 minutes, and rinse with warm water.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons organic cream (heavy)
2 tablespoons organic honey
2 table spoons organic oat flour
4 drops organic lavender essential oil
1/2 cup organic raspberries
Edgar
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Nov
21
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Ben Weinbaum
When it comes to shade trees, the Catalpa trees are the best ones to look for. The catalpa trees offer great temperature control to the surroundings. Catalpa is a deciduous tree of the flowering plant family. The heart shaped leaves and the yellow flowers can add beauty to your garden. The North American species are well known for its showy flowers and elegant looks. These Catalpa trees are widely used in landscape gardening. Apart from providing good shades, the Catalpa trees have many other great benefits too.
The medicinal Benefits of Catalpa trees
Though these ornamental trees are widely used for decorating the gardens and for shades, they do have many medicinal benefits too. The tea made from the barks of the Catalpa trees is a very effective antidote for snakebites. When combined with other medicinal herbs, the parts of the Catalpa trees are proven to be effective remedies for whooping cough. Different parts like the bark and leaves are also used in the treatment for asthma. The Catalpa seeds have medicinal benefits too. Drinking the tea made from the Catalpa seeds has proven to be the best, effective treatment to asthma and bronchitis. Moreover, the tea made from Catalpa seeds can be used for healing external wounds. This tea made from the Catalpa seeds can be applied directly to the wounds. Great cardio active properties are found in the Catalpa pods. The pure distilled water colleted from the Catalpa pods are used for the treatment of many eye health problems.
The Catalpa Trees are very easy to cultivate
The Catalpa tress can be easily germinated from the Catalpa seeds. Though the Catalpa trees are easy to grow, there are several things to be considered. First of all, the quality of the Catalpa seeds has to be taken into account. Buying low quality seeds is a complete waste of money, time and energy. Hence buying good quality catalpa seeds is very much essential. Once the best Catalpa seeds are bought, then comes the soil preference. Though the Catalpa trees can be grown in any soil condition, there are certain preferences for the effective germination of Catalpa seeds. Moist and loamy soil is needed for effective germination of Catalpa seeds and the fast growth of the tree. For best results, the Catalpa seeds can be stored at a temperature of 1 degree centigrade for at least 3 weeks. The best season to sow the Catalpa seeds is the spring season. The Catalpa trees have a very long lifespan of 60 years.
With adding beauty to your garden, the Catalpa trees have great medical benefits too. With all these benefits, easiness of growing the Catalpa tress and the great availability of catalpa seeds, there is no reason why you shouldn’t grow one in your garden.
Jonathan
When it comes to shade trees, the Catalpa trees are the best ones to look for. The catalpa trees offer great temperature control to the surroundings. Catalpa is a deciduous tree of the flowering plant family. The heart shaped leaves and the yellow flowers can add beauty to your garden. The North American species are well known for its showy flowers and elegant looks. These Catalpa trees are widely used in landscape gardening. Apart from providing good shades, the Catalpa trees have many other great benefits too.
The medicinal Benefits of Catalpa trees
Though these ornamental trees are widely used for decorating the gardens and for shades, they do have many medicinal benefits too. The tea made from the barks of the Catalpa trees is a very effective antidote for snakebites. When combined with other medicinal herbs, the parts of the Catalpa trees are proven to be effective remedies for whooping cough. Different parts like the bark and leaves are also used in the treatment for asthma. The Catalpa seeds have medicinal benefits too. Drinking the tea made from the Catalpa seeds has proven to be the best, effective treatment to asthma and bronchitis. Moreover, the tea made from Catalpa seeds can be used for healing external wounds. This tea made from the Catalpa seeds can be applied directly to the wounds. Great cardio active properties are found in the Catalpa pods. The pure distilled water colleted from the Catalpa pods are used for the treatment of many eye health problems.
The Catalpa Trees are very easy to cultivate
The Catalpa tress can be easily germinated from the Catalpa seeds. Though the Catalpa trees are easy to grow, there are several things to be considered. First of all, the quality of the Catalpa seeds has to be taken into account. Buying low quality seeds is a complete waste of money, time and energy. Hence buying good quality catalpa seeds is very much essential. Once the best Catalpa seeds are bought, then comes the soil preference. Though the Catalpa trees can be grown in any soil condition, there are certain preferences for the effective germination of Catalpa seeds. Moist and loamy soil is needed for effective germination of Catalpa seeds and the fast growth of the tree. For best results, the Catalpa seeds can be stored at a temperature of 1 degree centigrade for at least 3 weeks. The best season to sow the Catalpa seeds is the spring season. The Catalpa trees have a very long lifespan of 60 years.
With adding beauty to your garden, the Catalpa trees have great medical benefits too. With all these benefits, easiness of growing the Catalpa tress and the great availability of catalpa seeds, there is no reason why you shouldn’t grow one in your garden.
Jonathan
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Nov
21
Filed Under (Health) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Joan Barton
ertified products have labels proving their worthiness, if a business wishes to be organic certified, it has to first meet the standards of their country for organic certification. The farmer/producer needs to qualify for certification and there are certain steps that must be taken, the farm is put under scrutiny, a.They keep strict records b.Soil and water samples are taken c. Plant growing schedule for the next year must be submitted d.An inspection is carried out each year e.They must also comply with rules saying they will use organic suppliers f.The certification process is paid for by the applicant on their way to being Organic certified.
This shows that not just any one can qualify as organic with the strict regulations and inspections, the authenticity of the organic certified is assured. There are several organic certifying labels, international, European and Australian ones, the USA has its own organic certified standards, there are labels from states and individual producers too, basically, they all mean the same thing the term organic generally means, free from artificial chemical, fertilizes, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, and genetically modified organisms. These unnatural substances will end up in the water and/or soil, infusing their contaminant affect upon more plants and animals this is why soil and water samples are provided on organic farms requiring organic certified status. Organic can also mean the producer/farmer is more likely to follow fair trade and other environmentally friendly practices, but not required.
There all kinds of organic certified produce, from cleaning supplies to clothing and food.
Organic Food – The number of people buying organic food is on the rise, organic certified produce is better for your health and the environment. It is worth a little extra expense, to ensure you are not filling your body with contaminates here is the food “dirty dozen” that contain the highest levels of pesticides and other contaminants;
1. Meat
2.Milk
3.Coffee
4.Peaches
5. Apples/nectarines
6.Sweet Bell Peppers
7.Celery
9.Strawberries
10.Lettuce
11.Grapes
12.Potatoes/Tomatoes.
If going organic is too expensive at least avoid the foods in that list.
Organic clothes – Organic clothes play an important role in the environment as they are required to comply with the same strict rules that apply to organic food producers. There are some wonderful materials available including organic hemp and bamboo, these sustainable crops also are more environmentally friendly, as they require less chemicals and cause little water pollution when being manufactured. Most often, these garments are being produced within fair trade standards, Just look for the label showing it’s organic certified. The overuse of antibiotics on farm animals decreases the effectiveness on humans these same animals are most likely to receive growth hormones and feed that could contain pesticides, the same is true for chickens and their eggs, also of course, cows milk. People who continually eat food containing in pesticides are at higher risk of suffering from health issues such as cancer, or nervous system damage, depending on a few variable factors. Children are of particular concern as their immune systems and organs are developing making them quite susceptible to the harm of none organic items, they can quite easily become affected by the unnatural substances put into growing crops and animals, it makes sense to buy organic baby food cloths and diapers. With all this in mind it would seem to be logical to check for the items being organic certified.
Regina
ertified products have labels proving their worthiness, if a business wishes to be organic certified, it has to first meet the standards of their country for organic certification. The farmer/producer needs to qualify for certification and there are certain steps that must be taken, the farm is put under scrutiny, a.They keep strict records b.Soil and water samples are taken c. Plant growing schedule for the next year must be submitted d.An inspection is carried out each year e.They must also comply with rules saying they will use organic suppliers f.The certification process is paid for by the applicant on their way to being Organic certified.
This shows that not just any one can qualify as organic with the strict regulations and inspections, the authenticity of the organic certified is assured. There are several organic certifying labels, international, European and Australian ones, the USA has its own organic certified standards, there are labels from states and individual producers too, basically, they all mean the same thing the term organic generally means, free from artificial chemical, fertilizes, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, and genetically modified organisms. These unnatural substances will end up in the water and/or soil, infusing their contaminant affect upon more plants and animals this is why soil and water samples are provided on organic farms requiring organic certified status. Organic can also mean the producer/farmer is more likely to follow fair trade and other environmentally friendly practices, but not required.
There all kinds of organic certified produce, from cleaning supplies to clothing and food.
Organic Food – The number of people buying organic food is on the rise, organic certified produce is better for your health and the environment. It is worth a little extra expense, to ensure you are not filling your body with contaminates here is the food “dirty dozen” that contain the highest levels of pesticides and other contaminants;
1. Meat
2.Milk
3.Coffee
4.Peaches
5. Apples/nectarines
6.Sweet Bell Peppers
7.Celery
9.Strawberries
10.Lettuce
11.Grapes
12.Potatoes/Tomatoes.
If going organic is too expensive at least avoid the foods in that list.
Organic clothes – Organic clothes play an important role in the environment as they are required to comply with the same strict rules that apply to organic food producers. There are some wonderful materials available including organic hemp and bamboo, these sustainable crops also are more environmentally friendly, as they require less chemicals and cause little water pollution when being manufactured. Most often, these garments are being produced within fair trade standards, Just look for the label showing it’s organic certified. The overuse of antibiotics on farm animals decreases the effectiveness on humans these same animals are most likely to receive growth hormones and feed that could contain pesticides, the same is true for chickens and their eggs, also of course, cows milk. People who continually eat food containing in pesticides are at higher risk of suffering from health issues such as cancer, or nervous system damage, depending on a few variable factors. Children are of particular concern as their immune systems and organs are developing making them quite susceptible to the harm of none organic items, they can quite easily become affected by the unnatural substances put into growing crops and animals, it makes sense to buy organic baby food cloths and diapers. With all this in mind it would seem to be logical to check for the items being organic certified.
Regina
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Nov
20
Filed Under (Wines And Spirits) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Fiona Muller
There are many wine writers and wine competitions throughout the world, all of them rate wines by scores out of 10, 20 or 100 or by awarding stars or medals. These medals are given by experts of wine who taste the product using a blind tasting method. The results of the tasting determine which wines are judged as being of particularly high quality. The Gold Medal Wines have been declared by the panel to be particularly good examples of wine using the grape and from the area they have been produced in.
One of the foremost of these competitions is the International Wine Challenge, which is an annual competition held in London. No less than 9,300 wines from 35 countries were reviewed in 2007, judged by a panel of 400 experts from 19 countries and the resulting winners are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. A total of 260 gold medals were awarded in 2007 (representing 2.8% of entries). 1,129 wines won silver medals (12.1 per cent) and bronze medals were awarded to 1,839 wines. Other prestigious competitions are held in Macon, Paris, Brussels and Vienna. If you think you prefer the same tastes and flavour components as the experts, why not use the guide of medal winners to guide your decision.
But where can you get your hands on bottles of Gold Medal winning quality?
One of the best ways of picking up a gold medal wine is to look for it online. Independent online retailers are able to buy directly from smaller wine producers and are therefore able to get their hands on more sought after vintages and fine wines.
But just because it has a Gold Medal does not mean that it has to cost the Earth. Some medal winners come in at about £6 a bottle. A great deal on a wine that comes recommended by impartial experts.
Using an online wine retailer means that you will be able to spot the gold medal wines immediately – there is a section on the pages telling you what awards the wine has won – something to look out for is that some of the wines have won more than once. Surely if a wine can win more than one competition you have to be onto a good thing.
But remember the golden rule of wine, just because it has won copious awards doesn’t mean you will like it, if it is a style of wine that doesn’t suit your tongue. Stick to types of wine you usually like and then look for the ones which have won medals. That way you know you will like it and you never know, it might just blow you away with its fantastic taste and smell – there’s something really special about the unique subtleties of medal winning wines.
Why not take a look at the gold medal wines available from an independent online retailer? For more information on competition winners and Gold Medal wines go to Laithwaites.
Cathy
There are many wine writers and wine competitions throughout the world, all of them rate wines by scores out of 10, 20 or 100 or by awarding stars or medals. These medals are given by experts of wine who taste the product using a blind tasting method. The results of the tasting determine which wines are judged as being of particularly high quality. The Gold Medal Wines have been declared by the panel to be particularly good examples of wine using the grape and from the area they have been produced in.
One of the foremost of these competitions is the International Wine Challenge, which is an annual competition held in London. No less than 9,300 wines from 35 countries were reviewed in 2007, judged by a panel of 400 experts from 19 countries and the resulting winners are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. A total of 260 gold medals were awarded in 2007 (representing 2.8% of entries). 1,129 wines won silver medals (12.1 per cent) and bronze medals were awarded to 1,839 wines. Other prestigious competitions are held in Macon, Paris, Brussels and Vienna. If you think you prefer the same tastes and flavour components as the experts, why not use the guide of medal winners to guide your decision.
But where can you get your hands on bottles of Gold Medal winning quality?
One of the best ways of picking up a gold medal wine is to look for it online. Independent online retailers are able to buy directly from smaller wine producers and are therefore able to get their hands on more sought after vintages and fine wines.
But just because it has a Gold Medal does not mean that it has to cost the Earth. Some medal winners come in at about £6 a bottle. A great deal on a wine that comes recommended by impartial experts.
Using an online wine retailer means that you will be able to spot the gold medal wines immediately – there is a section on the pages telling you what awards the wine has won – something to look out for is that some of the wines have won more than once. Surely if a wine can win more than one competition you have to be onto a good thing.
But remember the golden rule of wine, just because it has won copious awards doesn’t mean you will like it, if it is a style of wine that doesn’t suit your tongue. Stick to types of wine you usually like and then look for the ones which have won medals. That way you know you will like it and you never know, it might just blow you away with its fantastic taste and smell – there’s something really special about the unique subtleties of medal winning wines.
Why not take a look at the gold medal wines available from an independent online retailer? For more information on competition winners and Gold Medal wines go to Laithwaites.
Cathy
Comments Off
Nov
20
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Ellen Bell
Tomatoes are arguably the most popular homegrown crop in the United States. What makes them so popular? Most tomato lovers would agree that the best-tasting tomatoes in the world are those that are homegrown in a backyard garden. Furthermore, tomatoes are an easy crop to grow, yielding fruit in almost any soil type, provided they get 5-6 hours of sunlight a day. Even if you don’t have a dedicated garden, per say, most homeowners can find at least a few square feet of their landscaping where they can put a tomato plant.
If you are interested in putting a few tomato plants in your garden this year, we’ve got some great tips to help you grow your best tomatoes ever!
The first decision in homegrown tomatoes is whether you want to start them yourself from seed, or if you’ll purchase young plants from a nursery. For the less-serious home gardener, who just wants a few of your average homegrown tomatoes to eat, the usual varieties found in a nursery will do just fine, plus you’ll save the time and trouble of growing them from seed. However, if you are planting on a large scale, starting from seed can be much more economical than buying young plants. Furthermore, if you want to grow any specific varieties of tomatoes besides your average beefsteak, Better Boy, or Early Girl, you may be forced to start the plants from seed. Pear tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes and others are varieties that nurseries don’t typically sell as young plants.
Proper fertilization techniques are vital for growing your best tomatoes. If starting indoors from seed, you should fertilize when the first set of leaves appear on the seedlings. In the early stages, you’ll want to use a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen, because this will help the plants to grow strong. However, when the plants get large enough that they begin forming blossoms, it is recommended to switch over to a fertilizer that’s higher in phosphorus and potassium. Too much nitrogen during the fruiting stages will result in plenty of vine and very little fruit.
If you do grow your tomatoes indoors from seed, it’s important to harden them off before moving them outdoors. There are many ways to accomplish this. You could set up a small fan to blow gently on the plants indoors. When the daytime temperatures are warm enough, you could also begin setting the plants outdoors for several hours a day, gradually increasing their time outdoors and length of time in the sun, day by day. Eventually the plants will be ready to set outside.
When planting tomatoes, it is important to plant deeply. When planting, you should bury at least half to three quarters of the plant, so that only the top few branches are sticking out. New roots will eventually form all along the stem that you submerge in the soil, making the plant stronger.
Among tomato growers, there is wide debate about whether to pick or not to pick suckers. Suckers are secondary stems that form on all tomato plant, and they grow from the joint of the main stem and the primary branches. There are two fields of thought about this. If you allow suckers to grow, they will sap much of the energy from the plant’s main stem. Allowing suckers to grow on an indeterminate plant will result in an enormous, sprawling tomato plant that, by season’s end, can be difficult to manage. On the other hand, if you remove all the suckers from your tomato plant, the plant will become very spindly, without very many leaves. When you have a tomato plant that isn’t bushy enough, the fruits themselves will be more susceptible to discoloration and sunspots because they don’t get adequate shading from the plant itself. In general, for more home gardeners, it is recommended to allow some of your suckers to grow in the beginning, but by mid-season, to begin removing suckers and continue doing so until the plants are finished in the fall.
Lastly, be sure to keep a close eye out for any diseased plants. While many varieties of tomatoes have been hybridized to be disease resistant, there are still some plants that will be susceptible to common tomato problems such as fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt. If you notice a plant that looks unhealthy, you should attempt to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible, and potentially remove the plant all together. Many diseases affecting tomatoes will spread rapidly from one plant to another, and it’s always better to sacrifice one plant than to risk your entire crop of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are not a difficult plant to grow. Even the gardener with the blackest of thumbs can usually produce a decent crop of tomatoes with very little effort. However, if you do provide them with a little extra care and nurturing, you’ll be rewarded with your best tomatoes ever!
Edgar
Tomatoes are arguably the most popular homegrown crop in the United States. What makes them so popular? Most tomato lovers would agree that the best-tasting tomatoes in the world are those that are homegrown in a backyard garden. Furthermore, tomatoes are an easy crop to grow, yielding fruit in almost any soil type, provided they get 5-6 hours of sunlight a day. Even if you don’t have a dedicated garden, per say, most homeowners can find at least a few square feet of their landscaping where they can put a tomato plant.
If you are interested in putting a few tomato plants in your garden this year, we’ve got some great tips to help you grow your best tomatoes ever!
The first decision in homegrown tomatoes is whether you want to start them yourself from seed, or if you’ll purchase young plants from a nursery. For the less-serious home gardener, who just wants a few of your average homegrown tomatoes to eat, the usual varieties found in a nursery will do just fine, plus you’ll save the time and trouble of growing them from seed. However, if you are planting on a large scale, starting from seed can be much more economical than buying young plants. Furthermore, if you want to grow any specific varieties of tomatoes besides your average beefsteak, Better Boy, or Early Girl, you may be forced to start the plants from seed. Pear tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes and others are varieties that nurseries don’t typically sell as young plants.
Proper fertilization techniques are vital for growing your best tomatoes. If starting indoors from seed, you should fertilize when the first set of leaves appear on the seedlings. In the early stages, you’ll want to use a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen, because this will help the plants to grow strong. However, when the plants get large enough that they begin forming blossoms, it is recommended to switch over to a fertilizer that’s higher in phosphorus and potassium. Too much nitrogen during the fruiting stages will result in plenty of vine and very little fruit.
If you do grow your tomatoes indoors from seed, it’s important to harden them off before moving them outdoors. There are many ways to accomplish this. You could set up a small fan to blow gently on the plants indoors. When the daytime temperatures are warm enough, you could also begin setting the plants outdoors for several hours a day, gradually increasing their time outdoors and length of time in the sun, day by day. Eventually the plants will be ready to set outside.
When planting tomatoes, it is important to plant deeply. When planting, you should bury at least half to three quarters of the plant, so that only the top few branches are sticking out. New roots will eventually form all along the stem that you submerge in the soil, making the plant stronger.
Among tomato growers, there is wide debate about whether to pick or not to pick suckers. Suckers are secondary stems that form on all tomato plant, and they grow from the joint of the main stem and the primary branches. There are two fields of thought about this. If you allow suckers to grow, they will sap much of the energy from the plant’s main stem. Allowing suckers to grow on an indeterminate plant will result in an enormous, sprawling tomato plant that, by season’s end, can be difficult to manage. On the other hand, if you remove all the suckers from your tomato plant, the plant will become very spindly, without very many leaves. When you have a tomato plant that isn’t bushy enough, the fruits themselves will be more susceptible to discoloration and sunspots because they don’t get adequate shading from the plant itself. In general, for more home gardeners, it is recommended to allow some of your suckers to grow in the beginning, but by mid-season, to begin removing suckers and continue doing so until the plants are finished in the fall.
Lastly, be sure to keep a close eye out for any diseased plants. While many varieties of tomatoes have been hybridized to be disease resistant, there are still some plants that will be susceptible to common tomato problems such as fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt. If you notice a plant that looks unhealthy, you should attempt to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible, and potentially remove the plant all together. Many diseases affecting tomatoes will spread rapidly from one plant to another, and it’s always better to sacrifice one plant than to risk your entire crop of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are not a difficult plant to grow. Even the gardener with the blackest of thumbs can usually produce a decent crop of tomatoes with very little effort. However, if you do provide them with a little extra care and nurturing, you’ll be rewarded with your best tomatoes ever!
Edgar
Comments Off
Nov
20
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Muna wa Wanjiru
To grow your organic vegetable garden is not a difficult thing and in fact many people who enjoy gardening are now turning to organic gardening methods. This doesn’t mean that you need to grow only organic herbs and vegetables in your garden. Organic gardening can encompass all aspects of gardening, including a flower garden or an ornamental garden as well.
Just because you want to have an organic vegetable garden that doesn’t mean that you only need to stick with the organic vegetable garden. You can expand to include such things as herbs as well if you like, not mention flowering plants and others.
The one thing that you do want to look out for when you’re growing your organic vegetable garden alongside your flower garden, is that your flower garden is also grown organically. After all, it kind of defeats the purpose of growing an organic vegetable garden if right next to it you use all sorts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in your flower bed.
Other than that you should be fine when constructing and maintaining your own organic vegetable garden, but if you feel that you neighbor’s pesticide filled garden is too close to your own garden and that all your good efforts are going to waste you might want to look at either moving your own organic vegetable garden further away, or using pots, tubs and troughs to grow your vegetable garden.
The first thing that you need to decide when planting your organic vegetable garden is what types of vegetables you want to have. The next thing is to finding the right place to have your garden, along with how large you want, or can have, your garden. It is entirely possible to grown your organic vegetable garden in a small closed off patio on the 44th floor of your high rise apartment as long as you are willing to accept your limitations and work with them.
This means being aware that although you might want to plant an acre’s worth of organic vegetable crops, you will instead have to make do with a small 4×4 or even smaller sized enclosure in which to grow your organic vegetable garden.
Once all of these things have been factored in and you have a rough idea of what you want in your organic vegetable garden, and how big you want your garden to be, you can then move on to the serious subject of just where to get your organic vegetable seed or plant stock from.
Here, you might have to make a decision as to whether you want your organic vegetable garden to be planted from completely organic seed or plant stock, or whether, if you have difficulty in obtaining these, you want to resort to using plant stock from a nursery which is not organic, but which you will grow from scratch utilizing organic methods. Once all these are done, you can then get started on your organic vegetable garden.
Christopher
To grow your organic vegetable garden is not a difficult thing and in fact many people who enjoy gardening are now turning to organic gardening methods. This doesn’t mean that you need to grow only organic herbs and vegetables in your garden. Organic gardening can encompass all aspects of gardening, including a flower garden or an ornamental garden as well.
Just because you want to have an organic vegetable garden that doesn’t mean that you only need to stick with the organic vegetable garden. You can expand to include such things as herbs as well if you like, not mention flowering plants and others.
The one thing that you do want to look out for when you’re growing your organic vegetable garden alongside your flower garden, is that your flower garden is also grown organically. After all, it kind of defeats the purpose of growing an organic vegetable garden if right next to it you use all sorts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in your flower bed.
Other than that you should be fine when constructing and maintaining your own organic vegetable garden, but if you feel that you neighbor’s pesticide filled garden is too close to your own garden and that all your good efforts are going to waste you might want to look at either moving your own organic vegetable garden further away, or using pots, tubs and troughs to grow your vegetable garden.
The first thing that you need to decide when planting your organic vegetable garden is what types of vegetables you want to have. The next thing is to finding the right place to have your garden, along with how large you want, or can have, your garden. It is entirely possible to grown your organic vegetable garden in a small closed off patio on the 44th floor of your high rise apartment as long as you are willing to accept your limitations and work with them.
This means being aware that although you might want to plant an acre’s worth of organic vegetable crops, you will instead have to make do with a small 4×4 or even smaller sized enclosure in which to grow your organic vegetable garden.
Once all of these things have been factored in and you have a rough idea of what you want in your organic vegetable garden, and how big you want your garden to be, you can then move on to the serious subject of just where to get your organic vegetable seed or plant stock from.
Here, you might have to make a decision as to whether you want your organic vegetable garden to be planted from completely organic seed or plant stock, or whether, if you have difficulty in obtaining these, you want to resort to using plant stock from a nursery which is not organic, but which you will grow from scratch utilizing organic methods. Once all these are done, you can then get started on your organic vegetable garden.
Christopher
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Nov
19
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Diana Walker
There are many things in our society today that are causing disease, illnesses, and ailments. The main reason for so many conditions in our world is the food we eat. Foods loaded with pesticides and other toxins are slowly killing our bodies rendering our immune system too weak to handle the onslaught of disease that enters through various avenues.
One of the best defenses for the body is whole organic foods. Organic fruits and vegetables are not genetically modified. Organic plants are grown with no pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewage sludge and they have been processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Organic meat has been raised without antibiotics or the use of growth hormones. In other words, organic foods are produced naturally without any man-made chemicals.
Knowing this, there are so many reasons why eating organic foods is beneficial.
1. Your body can fight disease, bacteria and viruses when it is fed organic food. There are no chemicals in the food and you are adding a more wholesome option when you eat organic. Many of the chemicals found in non-organic foods have been linked to many types of cancer. By eating more organic foods, your body will be healthy and in turn you have more strength and energy.
2. Organic foods contain at least 50% more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals than their non-organic counterparts. Food that has been chemically altered in any way has far less nutritional value and therefore is not as healthy for your body.
3. The same growth hormones and antibiotics that are added to many foods that we eat, like chicken, enter the human body. These hormones and antibiotics may be cause early maturation in children, especially young girls. Eating a diet rich in organic foods help to assure that your child will mature as nature intends.
4. Because organic foods are lower in fat it helps to fight and prevent obesity. Health experts warn that a diet high in fatty food lead to heart disease, stroke, and other life threatening diseases. A diet filled with organic foods helps to prevent these conditions and keep weight down.
5. Antibiotics found in non-organic foods are a direct cause of allergies. Many of the allergies people suffer can be avoided by eating organic foods.
6. Organic fruits and vegetables are not only grown using nature but they taste better as well. When you eat organic you get the full flavor of the food you are eating without added toxins that tend to ruin the true taste.
7. Organic foods safeguard against toxic metals like cadmium, lead and mercury. Heavy metals damage nerve functions and block hemoglobin production which leads to anemia. The same metals are also linked to a lower IQ and disease such as multiple sclerosis.
In addition to the above reasons, by eating organic foods you are helping to save the environment and supporting small scale local farmers. Keep in mind also that contrary to popular belief, purchasing organic foods is not always expensive and there are many ways to purchase it at a lower cost.
Take the time to learn about the benefits of organic food and apply it to your daily eating habits. It will change your body and your life.
Lorrie
There are many things in our society today that are causing disease, illnesses, and ailments. The main reason for so many conditions in our world is the food we eat. Foods loaded with pesticides and other toxins are slowly killing our bodies rendering our immune system too weak to handle the onslaught of disease that enters through various avenues.
One of the best defenses for the body is whole organic foods. Organic fruits and vegetables are not genetically modified. Organic plants are grown with no pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewage sludge and they have been processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Organic meat has been raised without antibiotics or the use of growth hormones. In other words, organic foods are produced naturally without any man-made chemicals.
Knowing this, there are so many reasons why eating organic foods is beneficial.
1. Your body can fight disease, bacteria and viruses when it is fed organic food. There are no chemicals in the food and you are adding a more wholesome option when you eat organic. Many of the chemicals found in non-organic foods have been linked to many types of cancer. By eating more organic foods, your body will be healthy and in turn you have more strength and energy.
2. Organic foods contain at least 50% more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals than their non-organic counterparts. Food that has been chemically altered in any way has far less nutritional value and therefore is not as healthy for your body.
3. The same growth hormones and antibiotics that are added to many foods that we eat, like chicken, enter the human body. These hormones and antibiotics may be cause early maturation in children, especially young girls. Eating a diet rich in organic foods help to assure that your child will mature as nature intends.
4. Because organic foods are lower in fat it helps to fight and prevent obesity. Health experts warn that a diet high in fatty food lead to heart disease, stroke, and other life threatening diseases. A diet filled with organic foods helps to prevent these conditions and keep weight down.
5. Antibiotics found in non-organic foods are a direct cause of allergies. Many of the allergies people suffer can be avoided by eating organic foods.
6. Organic fruits and vegetables are not only grown using nature but they taste better as well. When you eat organic you get the full flavor of the food you are eating without added toxins that tend to ruin the true taste.
7. Organic foods safeguard against toxic metals like cadmium, lead and mercury. Heavy metals damage nerve functions and block hemoglobin production which leads to anemia. The same metals are also linked to a lower IQ and disease such as multiple sclerosis.
In addition to the above reasons, by eating organic foods you are helping to save the environment and supporting small scale local farmers. Keep in mind also that contrary to popular belief, purchasing organic foods is not always expensive and there are many ways to purchase it at a lower cost.
Take the time to learn about the benefits of organic food and apply it to your daily eating habits. It will change your body and your life.
Lorrie
Comments Off
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Companion Planting
I've just read a great book on companion planting, written by Julie Villani, a passionate organic grower, who's astounded me with her depth of knowledge on companion planting.
Click on the image to check it out