Stephanie Donaldson is the garden editor for Country Living Magazine and a passionate gardener and environmentalist. In this 4 week course she shares her love of all things natural and this course is a must for anyone who cares about their environment and the future for their children You will have direct access to ask Stephanie questions via MyClassRoom. The course includes a weekly video tutorial plus weekly assignment and downloadable course notes. “Over the 4 week course I will presenting a series of lectures that will help you understand both the Big Issues — in other words — the philosophy behind organic gardening, and the Practicalities — in other words — how to do it. I will guide you through the steps you can take to adopt a chemical-free, sustainable and benevolent way of caring for your garden that will be good for your health and that of the environment — while keeping your garden looking great.”
Earth-Worms, Soil & Soul Foundation, 1) Keep EarthWorms bins Vegetarian Clean, in cool dark area, moist at all times,,, NO meats, NO bones, NO dairy, NO cheese, NO milk, NO oils, NO eggshells, NO droppings from carnivore animals,,, click on “show more” for important information and written details,,, 2) This is One the most Simple & Efficient Ways of making an Organic Earth-Worm Composting Bin ( OEWCB ), using two matching 5 gallons container that fit together well, with a few inches of space on the bottom to hold the Compost Liquid Tea used to feed plants, 3) The first container on the inside, holds the Earth-Worms, Soil, Veggies Food Mix, drill 20 holes about 3/16 inch diameter on the bottom, on the lid drill 20 tiny holes about 1/16 inch diameter, just big enough to let air in, but to keep most bugs and other animals from going inside the bin, 4) When using clean newspapers or cardboard without toxic glue or inks, cut in small pieces and soak overnight,,, protect bin area from animals like rats and mice, 5) Mix Well about 2 gallons of Organic Fruits and Vegetables cut in small pieces, or use any Veggie pulp mix from juicing with 2 gallons of Good Organic Soil, is best NOT to give Earth-Worms acidic fruits like oranges, lemons or grapefruits, acidic fruits could go in another separate compost pile not for Earth-worms, 6) Approximately every 3 months, process the contents of the worm bin to separate the Earth-worms from the worm soil castings, the average 5 gallons bin …
Tricia shows you how to start growing your very own asparagus bed
Bacterial Leaf Spot: This is something that is common in some gardens and that many new organic gardeners will recognize immediately. The leaves infected with this disease will have small, black or brown water-soaked spots. The spots will eventually dry up; crack, and leave holes and the infected leaves will often drop off and die prematurely.
This disease is common with tomatoes, peppers, and members of the cabbage family. The symptoms will often appear during wet weather and can be controlled by immediately removing infected leaves. It can be hard to keep up with the disease during wet weather but it can be done.
Late Blight: This disease most often affects tomatoes and potato plants later in the growing season. The disease will start out as wet grayish or greenish spots on the leaves and will progress into a white fungal growth that will form on the undersides of the leaves. There are some varieties and tomatoes and potatoes that are resistant to the disease. When these varieties are available select them regardless of the expense since you will benefit from a larger harvest. If you are unable to find a resistant variety remove and dispose of any infect parts of a plant. One way to help avoid this disease is to water plants early in the morning so that they have a chance to dry out completely during the day which will discourage fungus growth.
Thinking about a buying a fruit tree? Start here! Tricia helps you make an informed decision when it comes to picking a fruit tree variety. Fruit tree questions? We have so many resources for you! groworganic.com We’re the largest organic gardening supply company in the US. Family owned since 1976. Please visit us at www.groworganic.com for top selection and deals on bare root and potted fruit trees.
Indoor gardening is a popular hobby, and one that can actually improve your decor and your health. Glossy green living plants are an unbeatable decorating accessory, whether you favor the bold statement a snake plant makes or the ethereal lightness of an asparagus fern. By surrounding yourself with healthy green plants, you oxygenate your living environment and gain more energy.
Grow Houseplants Organically
You can do some organic indoor gardening with houseplants. Growing organically means you don’t use chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers in your gardening routine. Organic indoor gardening also means not using genetically modified seeds, cuttings, or other elements.
Indoor Gardening The Organic Way
If you’re serious about indoor organic gardening, you might want to purchase Indoor Gardening the Organic Way: How to Create a Natural and Sustaining Environment for Your Houseplants, by Julie Bawden Davis.
Organic gardening is a healthy gardening technique that doesn’t involve the use of chemicals or pesticides. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of organic gardening with tips from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash. Filmmaker: Daron Stetner
www.MonsterGardens.com , Buy Growilla Products Today! Here we speak with Growilla, going over some tips for using Dry Organic Fertilizers.
Once you have all of your supplies and have decided what to grow it is time to actually plant your garden. Before you grab a shovel and charge into your yard to start digging you might want to take some time to plan out how you want to set up your garden. You should have a good idea of what you want to plant and exactly where you want to plant it before you start digging up random holes in your garden.
The best way to organize your garden is to get a piece of paper and sketch a plan for your garden. Decide where you want your garden to be and make sure it is an area that will receive sun for the majority of the day. Start observing your yard a few weeks before you start planting, about the same time you start your compost pits. Make notes regarding which areas of your yard receive sunlight during the majority of the day and which areas of your hard are often in the shade.
There are other factors that you should take into consideration when choosing where to plant your garden. Avoid areas that have recently undergone repairs or that are near metal fences. Chemicals, metal, and other debris might be contaminating the area which could lead to your plants being contaminated. Also be on the look out for areas that retain water after rain. The last thing you want to do is plant your garden in a place that will become a stagnant pool of water after every rain or when you water it. When you have picked out a suitable area make sure you stop using any chemicals on or around it immediately.
When deciding how to plant your seeds try to plan for efficiency not visual appeal. If you are planting beans or peas and corns plant the peas in a row in front of the corn. That way you can use the corn stalks as stakes instead of buying stakes to support your plants on. Also, to help cut down on pests, consider growing onions, garlic, and herbs like basil in a border around your vegetables. These pungent vegetables will discourage certain insects from feasting on your vegetables.
Once you have decided where you are going to plant your garden go to your yard and remove all rocks or plants that are already growing in the area. Once all large rocks are gone from the surface also remove plants and then dig up the soil a few inches to loosen it. Dig/loosen an area that is about eight inches thick since this will provide you with a good working area. Make sure the area you start out with is not too big. You want to start out modestly and then build up once you are comfortable with organic gardening and know what vegetables you want to plant more of.
Fertilizing your plants may not be quite as simple as it would be if you used chemicals in your garden. Chemical fertilizers are certainly convenient. Most of them come in a form that only needs to be mixed with water and sprayed onto plants. But organic gardeners need a good, organic way of fertilizing their plants.
You need to pay careful attention to the package if you are going to purchase a pre-made organic fertilizer. Some of them are high in one of the major plant nutrients, but low in the other two. Plants generally need nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash. You should research which of these nutrients your particular plants need, so you can purchase the correct type.
Some common types of organic fertilizers include blood meal, fish emulsion, cottonseed meal, compost, manure, and seaweed fertilizer. Many of these can be purchased, but a lot of them can also be made at home.
You must be careful to fertilize when the ground is warm enough. Organic fertilizers need organisms in the soil to break them down and release the nutrients they contain. So the soil needs to be warm and moist so the organisms in the soil will be active.
