goddess4peace asked:


I live in Houston, and I just want to make sure my soil is organic and not toxic before I start growing food next Spring.
Anne- what exactly is a universtiy extesnion program? Do I need to contact the local universities?
Thanks everyone- you all gave me great pointers. I really just needed to be pointed in the right direction (never heard of an extension agency- so I never would have known where to look!:)

Mr.Wise asked:


Since they don’t use pesticides (supposedly), how do they get rid of the bugs? Do they smash them, catch release, put them in jars, eat them, or do they cheat? I’m guessing they sneak out at night when no one’s looking and use chemicals. You ever wonder how many Mexicans it would take to pick bugs off of every plant, every day of the growing season on a large farm?

Just curious, I tried to grow organic, but whenever I picked the little gremlins off they would just go right back! I tried taking them over to my neighbor’s garden but that caused friction. I don’t want to hurt the bugs because I think I can be arrested for cruelty by the OFGC (Organic Food Growers Commission) and the EPA.
Interesting and informative answers all, thank you! I see organic farming isn’t for me, too much work involved. Since pesticides haven’t been shown to harm consumers, I’ll stick to that.

Deborah asked:


I am told that nitrogen is bad for roses. Is this true? I would like to know what is the best feed for roses (either made-up chemicals or organic matter). And what substances in the garden are likely to have a high nitrogen content? I am asking this last question so that I can avoid using those substances on roses, if nitrogen is really harmful to them. THANKS! I hope you have LOTS of lovely roses this year in your gardens….

tequila sunrise bloodshot eyes asked:


im a bit new to gardening.. i need some help, thank you:)
1: if i plant bone meal in with my plants, will certain animals like bears come and dig them up? there are a lot of wild animals around.
2: is there any anything i can put around my plants to deter bugs/deer/ other animals?
3: is there anything safe and organic and i can spray on my plants that will keep bugs/disease away but is still completely safe to eat/smoke?
4: would the soil under a 125 maple tree be good for growing plants or is there too much disease?
thank you!!

zach asked:


I am looking to raise some animals for meat such as chickens, fish and maybe rabbits. Is it possible to compost the meat an organic and relatively cheap way? As in put it back into the dirt without causing harm to plants as I’d use it in a home garden.

asolare123 asked:


Hi everyone. I’m looking to control a grub issue in my lawn, vegetable, and flower gardens. I prefer to use organic means which leads me to milky spore. Does anyone have any experience with any online suppliers of the stuff? I have about 1500 square feet total that needs to be treated. Also, what is the best time to put milky spore down? Thanks in advance.

Tequila Sunrise Bloodshot Eyes asked:


Im growing a small little garden this year. its up in the forest, so i dug up all the soil and got rid of it, because there were huge boulders everywhere and the soil was just generally not fertile and to acidy. So what i did was dig up a lot of the dark top soil i could find around the forest, and crushed it up and it looks to have a lot of decaying material in it. I also added 3 bags of scott’s premium organic compost with manure added, and i plan to add a couple more bags. there is also a big bag of peat moss in there too to hold moisture, and some ashes because peatmoss is kinda acidy. I also added grass clippings and worked it into the soil, and a couple handfuls of bone meal.. i plan on getting some worm castings as well, since they are like gold to plants…

im planting my plants into the soil this weekend and they need to be high in nitrogen until auguest when they start flowering, then i will start with a organic liquid fertilizer rich in phosphorus… but until then, is my soil rich enough so i dont have to add any fertilizers? and i will ONLY use organic solutions because these are plants i will be ingesting..

shgadwa asked:


Organic produce can be very expensive. I read that so much fruit and vegetables (I’m a vegan) that I have been eating are not organic and that they have a lot of pesticides in them. Stuff like Apples, which are second in the list of produce that is most likely contaminated…next to peaches. Lettuce and spinach is in there too, which I eat a lot of. Carrots are #13 out of 20. There are a few fruits and veggies that they say are alright not organic because they do not have as much pesticides. Stuff like Bananas, Avocado, Broccoli, etc.

Now, I am wondering, a 50 lbs bag of carrots cost me $15.00 if I ordered them not organic. Otherwise, it would be like $1.69 a 2 lbs bag. Furthermore, organic fruits and vegies are a little harder to find. I will be growing a lot of carrots next year in the Garden. This will help. I just need to know if It will be of some benefit to juice non organic carrots or it they should be avoided.
I have also heard…and it really makes sense, that if it is not in the ground, it is not in the produce. So, if nutrients are not in the ground, neither are nutrients in the carrots. However, I know that there is at least some nutrients in the carrot because the energy that carrot juice gives me. Thank you for your help.

Amanda asked:


I am living in a house with a yard for the first time since I was 8 and want to know what is a good book on organic vegetable gardens for complete beginners?

sierra asked:


???