Heirloom Seeds and Organic Gardening|Lets Talk Gardening
Feb
20
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Juliet Spalding
You have now planted your own organic vegetable garden and have done everything that you can to get it started. Unfortunately the seeds have not started sprouting or your started seeds have not grown much if it all. Before you throw in the towel and give up on organic gardening there are a few things that you should try.
First of all, have you been hand weeding your garden daily? This might sound like a pain and stupid chore but it could make all the difference in the world. Make a point of visiting your vegetable garden each day and carefully checking for weeds. Do not let the children do it and do not rely on a glance from your back window to tell you whether weeds are growing or not.
Many gardeners have done casual checks and later realized that the sprouts they thought were growing in their garden were really weeds. Make a close inspection each day and weed by hand to make sure the job is thoroughly done. Throw these weeds away do NOT put them into your compost pit. In order to get the best results dedicate 20 minutes each day to pulling weeds.
If you have been weeding your garden each day and your plants still seem to be growing slowly start adding rich, aged, compost to the slow growing vegetables. Many plants just need a helping hand and some vegetables, corn, pumpkins, and squash, all need compost to provide richness and nutrients. Spreading some aged compost from your composts pits will help your vegetables grow properly.
After adding compost to your vegetables every few days leads to no results consider investing in some manure from your local garden supplier. They will often have organic manure on hand for your gardening needs and this will act as a stronger fertilizer than your compost. If you are afraid to try manure you can invest in some aged compost purchased from a nursery first. In many cases your compost pits will only be a few weeks old when you are trying to use them to encourage growth some older compost might just do the trick.
Do not be afraid to increase the amount of water that you are giving your garden. You should be careful not to over water your plants but you want to make sure that your plants are getting enough water to survive and thrive. When you water your plants in the morning always check to see if the soil appears dry. If the soil seems dry one day after watering you might want to consider increasing the amount of water you are giving them. The soil should always be a little damp around your plants.
Lastly, do not be afraid to spray your homemade pesticide or even a bit of diluted soapy water on your plants to get ride of insects. If you notice a lot of pests are attracted to your vegetable garden consider spraying once every ten days or once every two weeks. Also, spray diluted soapy water directly onto vegetables that have insects on them all the time.
Roy
You have now planted your own organic vegetable garden and have done everything that you can to get it started. Unfortunately the seeds have not started sprouting or your started seeds have not grown much if it all. Before you throw in the towel and give up on organic gardening there are a few things that you should try.
First of all, have you been hand weeding your garden daily? This might sound like a pain and stupid chore but it could make all the difference in the world. Make a point of visiting your vegetable garden each day and carefully checking for weeds. Do not let the children do it and do not rely on a glance from your back window to tell you whether weeds are growing or not.
Many gardeners have done casual checks and later realized that the sprouts they thought were growing in their garden were really weeds. Make a close inspection each day and weed by hand to make sure the job is thoroughly done. Throw these weeds away do NOT put them into your compost pit. In order to get the best results dedicate 20 minutes each day to pulling weeds.
If you have been weeding your garden each day and your plants still seem to be growing slowly start adding rich, aged, compost to the slow growing vegetables. Many plants just need a helping hand and some vegetables, corn, pumpkins, and squash, all need compost to provide richness and nutrients. Spreading some aged compost from your composts pits will help your vegetables grow properly.
After adding compost to your vegetables every few days leads to no results consider investing in some manure from your local garden supplier. They will often have organic manure on hand for your gardening needs and this will act as a stronger fertilizer than your compost. If you are afraid to try manure you can invest in some aged compost purchased from a nursery first. In many cases your compost pits will only be a few weeks old when you are trying to use them to encourage growth some older compost might just do the trick.
Do not be afraid to increase the amount of water that you are giving your garden. You should be careful not to over water your plants but you want to make sure that your plants are getting enough water to survive and thrive. When you water your plants in the morning always check to see if the soil appears dry. If the soil seems dry one day after watering you might want to consider increasing the amount of water you are giving them. The soil should always be a little damp around your plants.
Lastly, do not be afraid to spray your homemade pesticide or even a bit of diluted soapy water on your plants to get ride of insects. If you notice a lot of pests are attracted to your vegetable garden consider spraying once every ten days or once every two weeks. Also, spray diluted soapy water directly onto vegetables that have insects on them all the time.
Roy
Comments Off
Feb
16
Filed Under (Wines And Spirits) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Fiona Muller
The term “organic” is cropping up more and more when it comes to food and drink production in the 21st Century. It demands a cleaner and a non-chemically grown product. But how does this affect wine production and can there be such a thing as a wine company who can produce truly organic wine and stay in business?
As the organic movement grows, there is pressure from environmentalists and increasingly choosy customers to know exactly what goes into their food and drink before they purchase it. Organic wines have previously been accused of being dull, and most of the world’s “best” wines have long been produced in a far from organic way.
The place to start when talking about organic wine is to decide exactly what the term “organic” means to you.
Organic wine is made without the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. It is also vacant of artificial preservatives or colourings, which may be added to non-organic varieties.
But why go organic? It is thought that many of our foodstuffs have been tainted with chemical build up through the use of non-natural pesticides or fertilisers on the plants they grow and that your body could be affected by consuming them. The build-up of these chemicals, it is claimed by environmentalists, have the potential to cause long-term health problems or could contribute to developing allergies. There is also the question of chemicals from treated crops going into the ground and ending up in drinking water, an issue that has already led to many changes in general crop production and water treatment.
Most commercial crops are grown with the use of fertilisers and other chemicals who kill things that can harm the crop. Continued use of these chemicals can weaken the soil and start to upset the eco-system in the ground. They also lead to some pests developing a tolerance to them which encourages the further development and use of stronger chemicals and further builds up chemicals in the product itself.
The alternative to all this is to grow plants organically. Organic farming is a more time consuming method of production and needs time to replenish the natural eco-system too. Setting up an organic farm means taking time to tackle weeds by hand,
encouraging natural predators of pests who frequent the vineyard, and where this does not work, finding other ways of tackling the many organisms that harm crops. Fertilizer will be compost or animal manure, and a system of planting flowers and herbs to create biological diversity has to be included in an organic vineyard.
Vineyards face an additional problem – mildew and black rot. These are diseases that can ruin a crop and in some cases destroy a whole vineyard. This makes growing organic vines very difficult in regions where there is a lot of humidity. Therefore organic production is most common in hot dry regions where fungal infections are less likely, and where extra labour can more easily be afforded.
To be able to sell as an organic vineyard, the organisation has to be recognised by one of the official certification bodies across the world.
Lewis
The term “organic” is cropping up more and more when it comes to food and drink production in the 21st Century. It demands a cleaner and a non-chemically grown product. But how does this affect wine production and can there be such a thing as a wine company who can produce truly organic wine and stay in business?
As the organic movement grows, there is pressure from environmentalists and increasingly choosy customers to know exactly what goes into their food and drink before they purchase it. Organic wines have previously been accused of being dull, and most of the world’s “best” wines have long been produced in a far from organic way.
The place to start when talking about organic wine is to decide exactly what the term “organic” means to you.
Organic wine is made without the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. It is also vacant of artificial preservatives or colourings, which may be added to non-organic varieties.
But why go organic? It is thought that many of our foodstuffs have been tainted with chemical build up through the use of non-natural pesticides or fertilisers on the plants they grow and that your body could be affected by consuming them. The build-up of these chemicals, it is claimed by environmentalists, have the potential to cause long-term health problems or could contribute to developing allergies. There is also the question of chemicals from treated crops going into the ground and ending up in drinking water, an issue that has already led to many changes in general crop production and water treatment.
Most commercial crops are grown with the use of fertilisers and other chemicals who kill things that can harm the crop. Continued use of these chemicals can weaken the soil and start to upset the eco-system in the ground. They also lead to some pests developing a tolerance to them which encourages the further development and use of stronger chemicals and further builds up chemicals in the product itself.
The alternative to all this is to grow plants organically. Organic farming is a more time consuming method of production and needs time to replenish the natural eco-system too. Setting up an organic farm means taking time to tackle weeds by hand,
encouraging natural predators of pests who frequent the vineyard, and where this does not work, finding other ways of tackling the many organisms that harm crops. Fertilizer will be compost or animal manure, and a system of planting flowers and herbs to create biological diversity has to be included in an organic vineyard.
Vineyards face an additional problem – mildew and black rot. These are diseases that can ruin a crop and in some cases destroy a whole vineyard. This makes growing organic vines very difficult in regions where there is a lot of humidity. Therefore organic production is most common in hot dry regions where fungal infections are less likely, and where extra labour can more easily be afforded.
To be able to sell as an organic vineyard, the organisation has to be recognised by one of the official certification bodies across the world.
Lewis
Comments Off
Feb
16
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Paul Hata
The market for organic foods is growing dramatically. It is estimated that organic sales of food products through supermarkets, mass merchandisers and natural supermarkets was $3.6 billion in 2006 in the U.S., double the figure in 2000. The Organic Trade Association estimates that the total organic food and beverage sales were $13.8 billion in 2006.
The organic revolution is a global phenomenon witnessed in every corners of the world and countries -
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand , Turkey, UK, USA and other countries.The primary demand driver for the increased consumption of organic food is health concerns. Consumers are increasingly interested in foods that are free of pesticides, and other health risks
Organic farming is also a viable means of sustainance for small farmers in the developing countries. Most of the organic fertilizers and pesticides requirement can be met through on-farm and local production. Hence, organic farming does not involve huge capital investments in buying fertilizers and pesticides. Small farmers, therefore, find organic farming beneficial.
Organic food are produced, processed and packaged wihtout using chemicals. Organic food is increasingly becoming popular due to its perceived health benefits over conventional food. The industry is growing rapidly since the past five years and has caught the attention of farmers, manufacturers and, above all, consumers.
Popular organic food items include organic tea, organic coffee, organic wine, organic meat, organic beef, organic milk, organic honey, organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic rice, organic corn, organic herbs, organic essential oils, organic coconut oil and organic olive oil.
The price of organic food is about 10% to even 200% higher than conventional food.However,considering the health benefits and the long term cost of medical care due to unhealthy and sometimes poisonous chemicals found on our food today, many has realized the significant benefits of organic food.How else can we explain the rising demand for organic food across the world today?
Consumers buy their organic foods from a wide variety of locations. The most common location of organic food purchases is supermarkets. Of those consumers who bought organic foods 68 percent purchased them from supermarkets; followed by natural or health food stores at 45 percent.
Organic fruits and vegetables remains the largest market of the organic food market.They are also the most popular commodities purchased by consumers.70 percent of the consumers surveyed who has purchase organic foods, also purchased fresh vegetables while 67 percent also purchased fresh fruits. Sales of fruits and vegetables is estimated at $1 Billion in 2007.
Many stores buy the organic food direct from the farms. The price of a food item in an organic food store depends on whether the stores are able to buy them in bulk discount prices direct from the farmers or wholesalers.There are 1000s of organic farms around the world that has open their doors to visitors and tourists and they offer both the experience and information on organic food and the farming methods.
If you are buying organic food for yourself or your family,you can find the nearest organic store in your area through the Internet.Most of these online stores also provides valuable information on the organic foods they are selling as well as the nutritional value,recipes and cooking methods.
Geraldine
The market for organic foods is growing dramatically. It is estimated that organic sales of food products through supermarkets, mass merchandisers and natural supermarkets was $3.6 billion in 2006 in the U.S., double the figure in 2000. The Organic Trade Association estimates that the total organic food and beverage sales were $13.8 billion in 2006.
The organic revolution is a global phenomenon witnessed in every corners of the world and countries -
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand , Turkey, UK, USA and other countries.The primary demand driver for the increased consumption of organic food is health concerns. Consumers are increasingly interested in foods that are free of pesticides, and other health risks
Organic farming is also a viable means of sustainance for small farmers in the developing countries. Most of the organic fertilizers and pesticides requirement can be met through on-farm and local production. Hence, organic farming does not involve huge capital investments in buying fertilizers and pesticides. Small farmers, therefore, find organic farming beneficial.
Organic food are produced, processed and packaged wihtout using chemicals. Organic food is increasingly becoming popular due to its perceived health benefits over conventional food. The industry is growing rapidly since the past five years and has caught the attention of farmers, manufacturers and, above all, consumers.
Popular organic food items include organic tea, organic coffee, organic wine, organic meat, organic beef, organic milk, organic honey, organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic rice, organic corn, organic herbs, organic essential oils, organic coconut oil and organic olive oil.
The price of organic food is about 10% to even 200% higher than conventional food.However,considering the health benefits and the long term cost of medical care due to unhealthy and sometimes poisonous chemicals found on our food today, many has realized the significant benefits of organic food.How else can we explain the rising demand for organic food across the world today?
Consumers buy their organic foods from a wide variety of locations. The most common location of organic food purchases is supermarkets. Of those consumers who bought organic foods 68 percent purchased them from supermarkets; followed by natural or health food stores at 45 percent.
Organic fruits and vegetables remains the largest market of the organic food market.They are also the most popular commodities purchased by consumers.70 percent of the consumers surveyed who has purchase organic foods, also purchased fresh vegetables while 67 percent also purchased fresh fruits. Sales of fruits and vegetables is estimated at $1 Billion in 2007.
Many stores buy the organic food direct from the farms. The price of a food item in an organic food store depends on whether the stores are able to buy them in bulk discount prices direct from the farmers or wholesalers.There are 1000s of organic farms around the world that has open their doors to visitors and tourists and they offer both the experience and information on organic food and the farming methods.
If you are buying organic food for yourself or your family,you can find the nearest organic store in your area through the Internet.Most of these online stores also provides valuable information on the organic foods they are selling as well as the nutritional value,recipes and cooking methods.
Geraldine
Comments Off
Feb
16
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
The urban gardener
hydroponic plants receive all the nutrients they need for growing and fruiting from the growing liquid with all the nutrients dissolved in it. Hydroponic nutrients are available in great variety at specialized hydroponic stores. By the way, both chemical nutrients and organic nutrients can be used for the needs of hydroponic gardening. The only thing to remember is that organic fertilizers require more skills, time, and attention to use them effectively.
Hydroponic gardening allows anyone to grow organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers. A little research, learning and training, combined with enthusiasm, will soon bring the first success in hydroponics to you.
Today, there are many ready-made hydroponic systems available on the market. They are not too expensive, but such systems can really help to make an easy start in hydroponic gardening. For the beginning gardeners it is even recommended to choose simple inexpensive hydroponic systems – they are enough to give you the necessary experience. Of course, you can always build you own system to suit all your particular growing conditions and requirements, when you have enough experience and understanding of how hydroponic system works.
If organized properly, hydroponics gardening can even be easier than traditional plants growing. For example, with hydroponic system it is much easier and less time-consuming to test and maintain the necessary pH level in comparison to the regular soil gardening, where even the pH level testing can be a very challenging task, not speaking about maintaining it on the required steady level.
After all, it is necessary to remember, that in spite of the fact that hydroponics differs significantly from traditional gardening, it is nothing but an alternative approach to grow the same fresh, tasty, and healthy food. Just spend some time to research the topic, evaluate all the benefits of hydroponic gardening – and you will see that there are many advantages offered by hydroponics. Growing healthy organic vegetables without polluting and exhausting fertile soils is definitely one of them.
Robert
hydroponic plants receive all the nutrients they need for growing and fruiting from the growing liquid with all the nutrients dissolved in it. Hydroponic nutrients are available in great variety at specialized hydroponic stores. By the way, both chemical nutrients and organic nutrients can be used for the needs of hydroponic gardening. The only thing to remember is that organic fertilizers require more skills, time, and attention to use them effectively.
Hydroponic gardening allows anyone to grow organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers. A little research, learning and training, combined with enthusiasm, will soon bring the first success in hydroponics to you.
Today, there are many ready-made hydroponic systems available on the market. They are not too expensive, but such systems can really help to make an easy start in hydroponic gardening. For the beginning gardeners it is even recommended to choose simple inexpensive hydroponic systems – they are enough to give you the necessary experience. Of course, you can always build you own system to suit all your particular growing conditions and requirements, when you have enough experience and understanding of how hydroponic system works.
If organized properly, hydroponics gardening can even be easier than traditional plants growing. For example, with hydroponic system it is much easier and less time-consuming to test and maintain the necessary pH level in comparison to the regular soil gardening, where even the pH level testing can be a very challenging task, not speaking about maintaining it on the required steady level.
After all, it is necessary to remember, that in spite of the fact that hydroponics differs significantly from traditional gardening, it is nothing but an alternative approach to grow the same fresh, tasty, and healthy food. Just spend some time to research the topic, evaluate all the benefits of hydroponic gardening – and you will see that there are many advantages offered by hydroponics. Growing healthy organic vegetables without polluting and exhausting fertile soils is definitely one of them.
Robert
Comments Off
Feb
15
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Organic Gardener
Add an outdoor room to your living space
Have you ever noticed how most people who see a beautiful garden want to stop, breathe in the fragrance, admire the vivid colors and linger a while? You can make the beauty of nature a year-round part of your life by turning a section of your lawn or garden into an “outdoor room.”
By following the four tips listed below from the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN), you can transform your lawn from an unused space into a place to gather with family and friends.
TIP #1
Create an outdoor “room” by framing an area of your lawn with bushes, trees, flowers or shrubs. Build in privacy by planting larger bushes around the perimeter of your outdoor room. Add color with annuals and bulbs.
TIP #2
Think about how you will use your outdoor room and plan accordingly. If you want to provide a place for your children to play and your pets to frolic, choose more rugged plants and place your flowerbeds away from tempting play locations.
TIP# 3
Add charm to your outdoor room by including whimsical garden accessories, such as birdbaths, ceramic and terracotta garden animals or colorful pots for container plants.
TIP# 4
Use a deck or patio, a garden bench or a gazebo to make your outdoor room a place of easy comfort, and create shade with trees or a trellis covered with vines. Invite a friend over, pour some lemonade, sit back and relax.
Lorrie
Add an outdoor room to your living space
Have you ever noticed how most people who see a beautiful garden want to stop, breathe in the fragrance, admire the vivid colors and linger a while? You can make the beauty of nature a year-round part of your life by turning a section of your lawn or garden into an “outdoor room.”
By following the four tips listed below from the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN), you can transform your lawn from an unused space into a place to gather with family and friends.
TIP #1
Create an outdoor “room” by framing an area of your lawn with bushes, trees, flowers or shrubs. Build in privacy by planting larger bushes around the perimeter of your outdoor room. Add color with annuals and bulbs.
TIP #2
Think about how you will use your outdoor room and plan accordingly. If you want to provide a place for your children to play and your pets to frolic, choose more rugged plants and place your flowerbeds away from tempting play locations.
TIP# 3
Add charm to your outdoor room by including whimsical garden accessories, such as birdbaths, ceramic and terracotta garden animals or colorful pots for container plants.
TIP# 4
Use a deck or patio, a garden bench or a gazebo to make your outdoor room a place of easy comfort, and create shade with trees or a trellis covered with vines. Invite a friend over, pour some lemonade, sit back and relax.
Lorrie
Comments Off
Feb
15
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
The urban gardener
Hydroponics gardening or growing plants in the growing media other than soil has been known to humans since ancient times. It is known that during the times of King Solomon, people practiced soil-less gardening, which later became known as hydroponic gardening.
The word “hydroponics” is derived from two Greek words: “hydro”, which means water, and “ponics”, which stands for labor. The principles of gardening without the use of soil were developed many and many years ago. Since then this type of gardening demonstrates certain valuable benefits in comparison to traditional growing plants in soil. One of the key benefits is that hydroponic plants grow 30-50% faster than plants, grown under the typical conditions in soil.
Traditional organic gardeners have always demonstrated certain level of contempt for hydroponics as the type of efficient and successful gardening. The followers of the traditional soil gardening consider hydroponics to be a kind of chemical gardening. Organic gardeners have always been pretty pessimistic as to supplying their plants with a balanced and calculated set of chemicals, which is a common practice among hydroponics gardeners. However, such an attitude of wide publicity and professional gardeners to hydroponics had changed after Steve Fox demonstrated his achievements in hydroponics gardening.
One of the key components of hydroponics gardening is growing media, an inert material, which unlike soil, does not supply any chemicals or nutrients to the plant. There are multiple types of growing media used today. The examples are sand, gravel, coconut fiber, perlite, and vermiculite. Amazingly, but even air can be used as a growing media for growing hydroponic cultures under the certain conditions.
The undeniable benefit of hydroponic gardening is that it protects the fertile soils from exhaustion. Besides, it does not presuppose the use of chemical pesticides and other chemicals, which are extremely harmful for the environment. In general, hydroponic gardening may ensure greater yields and, at the same time, let the fertile soil regenerate itself for further organic farming.
Though hydroponic gardening also uses some of the chemicals to feed the growing plants, all the chemical plant fertilizers and nutrients are contained within the enclosed area of hydroponic greenhouse and do not spoil the open air, water or fertile soil.
Julian
Hydroponics gardening or growing plants in the growing media other than soil has been known to humans since ancient times. It is known that during the times of King Solomon, people practiced soil-less gardening, which later became known as hydroponic gardening.
The word “hydroponics” is derived from two Greek words: “hydro”, which means water, and “ponics”, which stands for labor. The principles of gardening without the use of soil were developed many and many years ago. Since then this type of gardening demonstrates certain valuable benefits in comparison to traditional growing plants in soil. One of the key benefits is that hydroponic plants grow 30-50% faster than plants, grown under the typical conditions in soil.
Traditional organic gardeners have always demonstrated certain level of contempt for hydroponics as the type of efficient and successful gardening. The followers of the traditional soil gardening consider hydroponics to be a kind of chemical gardening. Organic gardeners have always been pretty pessimistic as to supplying their plants with a balanced and calculated set of chemicals, which is a common practice among hydroponics gardeners. However, such an attitude of wide publicity and professional gardeners to hydroponics had changed after Steve Fox demonstrated his achievements in hydroponics gardening.
One of the key components of hydroponics gardening is growing media, an inert material, which unlike soil, does not supply any chemicals or nutrients to the plant. There are multiple types of growing media used today. The examples are sand, gravel, coconut fiber, perlite, and vermiculite. Amazingly, but even air can be used as a growing media for growing hydroponic cultures under the certain conditions.
The undeniable benefit of hydroponic gardening is that it protects the fertile soils from exhaustion. Besides, it does not presuppose the use of chemical pesticides and other chemicals, which are extremely harmful for the environment. In general, hydroponic gardening may ensure greater yields and, at the same time, let the fertile soil regenerate itself for further organic farming.
Though hydroponic gardening also uses some of the chemicals to feed the growing plants, all the chemical plant fertilizers and nutrients are contained within the enclosed area of hydroponic greenhouse and do not spoil the open air, water or fertile soil.
Julian
Comments Off
Feb
15
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Lyla Feldman
We have all heard that organic food is the healthiest choice for kids because of their growing bodies. Making the complete switch to Organic may seem very costly, but there are a few items that are actually worth the higher price. Especially in today’s economy, providing healthy food for your family is a huge expense, to say the least. Before you think that I have lost my mind, listen up. Read on to find more about which organic foods to put on your next grocery list.
Most organic produce does not make much of a difference. Broccoli, asparagus, onions, peeled fruits – avocados, bananas, oranges, all have a low level of pesticides compared to others. People who buy organic milk do so because of the antibiotics, artificial hormones, and pesticides used in the commercial dairy industry. Potatoes make up about 30% of Americans overall vegetable diet. A recent study found that they contain one of the highest pesticide contents of all 43 fruits and vegetables tested.
Peanut butter is another child favorite used to garnish all sorts of fruits. The ugly truth is that 99% of all peanut farms use fungicide to treat mold, a very common problem. By buying organic peanut butter, you will steer clear of digesting any of that! You don’t have to go to an organic supermarket; most conventional stores now carry it. Ketchup is also a staple in many families. 75% of all tomato consumption is thru paste, juice, processed tomatoes, and ketchup. Research shows that organic ketchup has double the antioxidants of conventional ketchup. Apples are the 2nd most commonly consumed fruit after bananas and they are the most pesticide contaminated fruit.
My generation certainly was not given the choice to “go organic.” I had never even heard of the term organic until I started babysitting for some family friends. I noticed the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator were always filled with foods with very different packaging than I was accustomed to. It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison between kids who grow up on organic food and those who don’t.
Warren
We have all heard that organic food is the healthiest choice for kids because of their growing bodies. Making the complete switch to Organic may seem very costly, but there are a few items that are actually worth the higher price. Especially in today’s economy, providing healthy food for your family is a huge expense, to say the least. Before you think that I have lost my mind, listen up. Read on to find more about which organic foods to put on your next grocery list.
Most organic produce does not make much of a difference. Broccoli, asparagus, onions, peeled fruits – avocados, bananas, oranges, all have a low level of pesticides compared to others. People who buy organic milk do so because of the antibiotics, artificial hormones, and pesticides used in the commercial dairy industry. Potatoes make up about 30% of Americans overall vegetable diet. A recent study found that they contain one of the highest pesticide contents of all 43 fruits and vegetables tested.
Peanut butter is another child favorite used to garnish all sorts of fruits. The ugly truth is that 99% of all peanut farms use fungicide to treat mold, a very common problem. By buying organic peanut butter, you will steer clear of digesting any of that! You don’t have to go to an organic supermarket; most conventional stores now carry it. Ketchup is also a staple in many families. 75% of all tomato consumption is thru paste, juice, processed tomatoes, and ketchup. Research shows that organic ketchup has double the antioxidants of conventional ketchup. Apples are the 2nd most commonly consumed fruit after bananas and they are the most pesticide contaminated fruit.
My generation certainly was not given the choice to “go organic.” I had never even heard of the term organic until I started babysitting for some family friends. I noticed the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator were always filled with foods with very different packaging than I was accustomed to. It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison between kids who grow up on organic food and those who don’t.
Warren
Comments Off
Feb
15
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Jeff Dahlberg
Perennial seeds allow you to establish a fixed garden for a reasonable cost. Much less expensive than purchasing grown plants at the local garden store, seeds have little transport cost and can sit around for a long time before they will germinate. They are an ideal to increase the beauty of your garden.
Seeds need to be planted early enough in the season so that they can go into the ground as seedlings when the danger of killing frost is over. Young plants need more protection than established ones, so give yourself some extra time before you plant your seedlings if there is any concern. If you do have an unexpected frost, mulching or covering the seedlings may help save them.
Utilizing seeds instead of nursery bought plants allows you to get exactly what you want. Many companies are now focusing on heirloom flowers, things that aren’t available in any do-it-yourself mega-store. In addition to their unusual appearance, heirlooms tend to be hardier in certain climates to which they are accustomed. You will have a garden that is the envy of the neighborhood, filled with flowers and plants that no one else has found.
It may seem that using seeds will slow down the development of your garden. The truth is that most seeds germinate within two to four weeks. If you want to, you can plant any perennial seeds directly into the ground, accepting that you will lose some seeds to hungry birds. Once the plants sprout up, they will continue to generate their own replacements. Let some of the flower heads go to seed and you can reseed an area that looks like it needs some additional help. Remember, perennials bloom year after year and don’t need to be replaced, just cut back. Perennial seeds give you the best of both worlds, affordability and permanence.
Visit Us at : www.cheapseeds.com
Floyd
Perennial seeds allow you to establish a fixed garden for a reasonable cost. Much less expensive than purchasing grown plants at the local garden store, seeds have little transport cost and can sit around for a long time before they will germinate. They are an ideal to increase the beauty of your garden.
Seeds need to be planted early enough in the season so that they can go into the ground as seedlings when the danger of killing frost is over. Young plants need more protection than established ones, so give yourself some extra time before you plant your seedlings if there is any concern. If you do have an unexpected frost, mulching or covering the seedlings may help save them.
Utilizing seeds instead of nursery bought plants allows you to get exactly what you want. Many companies are now focusing on heirloom flowers, things that aren’t available in any do-it-yourself mega-store. In addition to their unusual appearance, heirlooms tend to be hardier in certain climates to which they are accustomed. You will have a garden that is the envy of the neighborhood, filled with flowers and plants that no one else has found.
It may seem that using seeds will slow down the development of your garden. The truth is that most seeds germinate within two to four weeks. If you want to, you can plant any perennial seeds directly into the ground, accepting that you will lose some seeds to hungry birds. Once the plants sprout up, they will continue to generate their own replacements. Let some of the flower heads go to seed and you can reseed an area that looks like it needs some additional help. Remember, perennials bloom year after year and don’t need to be replaced, just cut back. Perennial seeds give you the best of both worlds, affordability and permanence.
Visit Us at : www.cheapseeds.com
Floyd
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Feb
13
Filed Under (Wines And Spirits) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
Ben
Sulphur Dioxide or E220 as it is so alarmingly and anonymously titled on so many food packets is permitted under all winemaking standards. It is a preservative and disinfectant. It is added to wine as Potassium Metabisulphate or PMS and has been blamed for being one of the major causes of hangovers and headaches following wine consumption. Some people have lower thresholds than others, and if you’re the former then Organic wine is definitely recommended as the governing bodies permit just two thirds of the amount (although the norm is well within this). The best producers try to use much, much less than this.
However, there are no official rules concerning the organic vine growing. So, organic wine growers adopted wine growing techniques in agreement with the principles of the organic farming. They are often charters or guides of good practices with qualitative and quantitative limitations of the custom/usage of additives and technological processes.
In most of the European consumer countries (UK, NL), rules were also set up by certifying bodies (as Soil Association for the UK), with limitations on the doses of additives notably sulphites.
Sulphites are naturally produced by yeasts during the winemaking. The addition of sulphite is traditionally considered as en effective method for the protection and the preservation/conservation of the wine at various stages of its elaboration. Nevertheless, the use of sulphites in foodstuffs is limited because of their potential, negative effects on the health, of the user and of certain consumers.
The sulphiting is allowed for all the regulations of organic winemaking, but in a more restricted way than in the regulation of the wine. The European regulation fixes maximal doses of sulphites in the end product; they vary according to the types of wines of 160mg/l for red wines to 400mg/l for sweet wines made from noble rot such as Sauternes.
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Feb
12
Filed Under (Gardening) by heirloom-seeds@classical--music.net
The urban gardener
Organic horticulture employs the crucial principles of organic agriculture for the successful herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants growing. These principles concern the management of pests in the garden, soil composition and conservation, etc.
General Notes
Mulches, Double Digging, compost, Vermicompost, cover crops, mineral supplements and manures are the main constituents of the soil mixture in this kind of gardening in contrast to the commercial farming. Organic horticulture expects to minimize the risk of insects, fungi, and diseases development with the help of maintaining the high quality of the soil. Nonetheless, sometimes it is still necessary to use insecticidal soaps and sprays, pheromone traps, or other pest-control means, created especially for organic farmers.
Experts define five fields of horticulture:
- olericulture, which stands for the production and marketing of vegetables;
- pomology that means the production and marketing of fruits;
- floriculture, which is the production and marketing of floral crops;
- landscape horticulture that includes the production, marketing, and maintenance of landscape plants;
- and finally, post harvest physiology that studies and practices the preservation and maintaining of the quality of horticultural crops
All these areas can utilize the key principles of organic gardening.
Organic horticulture employs the methods and uses data, which have been collected for thousands of years. Generally speaking, this type of gardening is based on the natural, long-term processes and eco-friendly, global approaches, in contrast to horticulture, based on the use of chemicals that speed up the processes and aim at the separate results and reductionist strategies.
Organic gardening systems
There exist various formal organic gardening systems that utilize peculiar methods. They are listed among the general organic standards, but are more specific than them. For example, Rudolf Steiner developed the so-called biodynamic farming. Masanobu Fukuoka, the Japanese writer and farmer, practiced Natural Farming, based on the so-called no-till system for the small-scale production of grain. Finally, intensive and biointensive techniques and SPIN Farming (Small Plot INtensive), developed in France, also belong to the small-scale gardening methods.
A garden in a container or growing box provides healthy, organic, and highly nutritional food. Moreover, it is also the means to share one’s experience, to improve local economy, and to offer better and more sustainable way of living. A small raised bed garden of 32 square feet is capable of supplying tasty, healthy, and organic greens to a family, requiring, at the same time, less water and fewer nutrients if it is based on the postulates of bio-intensive planting and square foot gardening.
In addition, the existing garden can be improved with the help of composting or vermicomposting. These methods allow getting the best organic fertilizers by reusing organic matter, which provides necessary nutrients to the organic garden. Besides, compost and vermicompost are always an easy way to improve the results.
Julian
Organic horticulture employs the crucial principles of organic agriculture for the successful herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants growing. These principles concern the management of pests in the garden, soil composition and conservation, etc.
General Notes
Mulches, Double Digging, compost, Vermicompost, cover crops, mineral supplements and manures are the main constituents of the soil mixture in this kind of gardening in contrast to the commercial farming. Organic horticulture expects to minimize the risk of insects, fungi, and diseases development with the help of maintaining the high quality of the soil. Nonetheless, sometimes it is still necessary to use insecticidal soaps and sprays, pheromone traps, or other pest-control means, created especially for organic farmers.
Experts define five fields of horticulture:
- olericulture, which stands for the production and marketing of vegetables;
- pomology that means the production and marketing of fruits;
- floriculture, which is the production and marketing of floral crops;
- landscape horticulture that includes the production, marketing, and maintenance of landscape plants;
- and finally, post harvest physiology that studies and practices the preservation and maintaining of the quality of horticultural crops
All these areas can utilize the key principles of organic gardening.
Organic horticulture employs the methods and uses data, which have been collected for thousands of years. Generally speaking, this type of gardening is based on the natural, long-term processes and eco-friendly, global approaches, in contrast to horticulture, based on the use of chemicals that speed up the processes and aim at the separate results and reductionist strategies.
Organic gardening systems
There exist various formal organic gardening systems that utilize peculiar methods. They are listed among the general organic standards, but are more specific than them. For example, Rudolf Steiner developed the so-called biodynamic farming. Masanobu Fukuoka, the Japanese writer and farmer, practiced Natural Farming, based on the so-called no-till system for the small-scale production of grain. Finally, intensive and biointensive techniques and SPIN Farming (Small Plot INtensive), developed in France, also belong to the small-scale gardening methods.
A garden in a container or growing box provides healthy, organic, and highly nutritional food. Moreover, it is also the means to share one’s experience, to improve local economy, and to offer better and more sustainable way of living. A small raised bed garden of 32 square feet is capable of supplying tasty, healthy, and organic greens to a family, requiring, at the same time, less water and fewer nutrients if it is based on the postulates of bio-intensive planting and square foot gardening.
In addition, the existing garden can be improved with the help of composting or vermicomposting. These methods allow getting the best organic fertilizers by reusing organic matter, which provides necessary nutrients to the organic garden. Besides, compost and vermicompost are always an easy way to improve the results.
Julian
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