Organic gardening…charity
I found this great organization.
Garden Organic is a charity that has devoted itself to researching organic gardening methods since 1954.
They have fabulous information and advice for gardeners.
Check it out!
Organic gardening…charityI found this great organization. They have fabulous information and advice for gardeners. Check it out! Organic lawn care productsYou want a great lawn. But you are worried about chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Worry no more! Fido and the kids will be safer and the environment will be better off if you use organic lawn care products.* Build a healthy lawn Fertilizers Pesticides Natural pest control for organic gardeningNatural pest controls can be used in the garden to dissuade bugs that bother the garden and the gardener. You do not have to practice organic gardening to appreciate how well natural pest controls work in the garden. And they tend to be safer and easier to use than chemical controls. Natural pest controls for bugs that bother the garden For small insects that attack your plants by sucking out their juices (like aphids!), natural pest controls like horticultural oil and soap are a great deterrent. Spraying with soapy water works well, too. To make a Soapy Water spray: mix non-scented, non-antibacterial dish soap with water. Letting dandelions grow as a “trap-crop” is an organic gardening trick (aphids would rather eat a dandelion than a rose any day.) Scale, Spider mites, Leaf rollers, and other pests can be controlled with horticultural oil, a soapy-water spray, or a general insect-repellent to discourage these pests. Mulch: weed and pest control!Using mulch in your garden makes controlling pests and weeds much easier. Mulches, both organic and inorganic, are used to cover the soil in the garden. The most common types of mulches are shredded bark, pine needles, gravel, and plastic landscape fabric. Gravel mulch does not usually do much to deter pests, but pulling weeds out of gravel can sometimes be easier than pulling them out of soil. A thick layer of gravel mulch can actually deter weeds. And gravel mulch does not encourage pests. Plastic landscape fabric is widely used by landscapers to control weeds. These so-called “weed barriers” do prevent most weeds already in the soil from germinating. However, they do nothing to stop weeds seeds that have blown in and landed on top of the landscape fabric from germinating. This problem is compounded when organic mulches, like bark, are used on top of the landscape fabric. The organic mulch breaks down, leaving behind beautiful, nutrient-rich soil. But the garden plants roots cannot reach this soil through the landscape fabric, and only the interloping weeds enjoy it. Organic mulches like pine needles, bark, and shredded hardwood are the best to use in controlling both weeds and pests. Organic mulches effectively smother weeds and then break down into rich garden soil. Pine needles look lovely and last long, but be careful of pine bark. Sometimes insects are actually attracted to pine bark products. Shredded pine mulch is different, and can actually repel some insects. Cypress mulch, despite claims, is really not any more insect resistant than other hardwood mulches. Unfortunately, because of these rumors of it’s superiority, cypress trees are being harvested out of wetlands for use in suburban gardens faster than it is being replenished—so don’t use cypress mulch! The best mulch for repelling insects is Eastern or Texas cedar. Oil from this wood is used in natural insecticides and repellants, so this can be quite effective for deterring both weeds and insects in the garden. Companion gardening: make gardening easier by using the buddy systemPlanting “companion” plants near each other in the garden can benefit both the gardener and the plants. The plants will be happier, and there will be less work for the gardener. (I’m all for less work!) Everybody find a buddy: “Companion plants” are ones that benefit each other. Some plants add nutrients to the soil that other plants can use, saving the gardener fertilizer. Some plants repel pests that could destroy other plants, saving the gardener pesticides. Some plants provide shelter or structure that is needed by other plants, saving the gardener the hassle of mulching, shading, and staking the plants. Plant a Victory Garden!“Victory Gardens” were grown during World War I and World War II as a way of relieving food rationing and shortages. Citizens were encouraged by their governments to grow food in the cities and suburbs. Today, we can grow our own small Victory Gardens as a way to enjoy fresh produce. Children and adults alike can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from food that they have grown themselves. Nothing tastes better! Tips for controlling Rose DiseaseThere are many ways to prevent and treat rose diseases and pests. The first step is to be careful when you buy the rose. Pick disease-resistant roses such as Earthkind roses. (These roses were tested by Texas A&M’s horticultural department.) Whatever rose you select, inspect it thoroughly. If you bring home a rose with pests or a fungal disease, these problems can spread to your other roses, so be careful. Learn the signs of rose-mosaic virus and avoid roses with these symptoms. (The most obvious symptom of Rose Mosaic Virus is yellow lines on the leaves, often in a wavy or fern-like pattern.) Use care when pruning: sterilize your tools between plants. Remove spent leaves from the ground, because many diseases can re-infect your rose after over-wintering in dead leaves. Use preventative products such as natural repellents, dormant oil sprays, and soapy water sprays with baking soda. Consider releasing Preying Mantises and Ladybugs in your garden. (But if you release beneficial insects, then spray with a broad-spectrum insect killer, you’ve just wasted your money!) For Individual Diseases and Pests: Rose Mosaic Virus: This will probably not spread to your other roses, (since roses are infected by grafting with a diseased rose) but a rose infected with RMV will never thrive. Be careful to sterilize your tools after pruning a diseased rose. You might want to replace a rose infected with RMV. Blackspot, Powdery Mildew, Rust, and other Fungal Diseases: Make sure there is “breathing room” around your roses. Good air circulation can prevent many Fungal diseases. Remove leaves that have fallen on the ground-many spores hide here and can re-infect your rose. Treat infected roses with Potassium bicarbonate products such as Remedy, or with Neem oil products. Or try a homemade spray: mix baking soda with soapy water (the soap helps it “stick” to the plant.) Rose canker: This shows up as discolored spots on canes. Use a dormant-oil spray after pruning to prevent this. Unfortunately, the only way to treat this is by removing the infected cane, although you can try to just cut it off far below the canker. Aphids: Horticultural oil and soap are a great deterrent. Spraying with a soapy water works well, too. To make a Soapy Water spray: mix non-scented, non-antibacterial dish soap with water. Let dandelions grow as a “trap-crop”–aphids would rather eat a dandelion than a rose any day. Thrips: If you have a problem with these insects, then you might want to grow darker roses. For those of you with the double hedge of Iceburg roses lining your driveway, I have a couple tips. Repellents work better on thrips than poisons, because by the time they die, they’ve already ruined your blooms. Good bug repellents for roses include garlic or pepper sprays, or cedar-based products such as Cedarcide. Japanese Beetles: The best way to get rid of them is hand-picking. Or put out beer or fermented fruit-juice in a steep-sided container and let them drown. Applying repellent might be worth your time also. Try garlic or pepper sprays, or cedar-based products. Treat the soil for grubs. Cane Borers: Cut off the cane below the borer. Seal up the cut, and seal all cuts made whenever you prune roses if you have a problem with this type of pest. Scale, Spider mites, Leaf Rollers, Rose Chafers, and other pests: Use horticultural oil, a soapy-water spray, or a general insect-repellent to discourage these pests. |