Organic Gardening Tips

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For Organic Gardeners

How to protect your organic garden during winter?

October 12th, 2011

You must do few things to protect the soil of your organic garden during winter. Here is how to protect your organic garden in winter.

Never leave your bare over the winter, because it will lose organic matter through oxidation. Plant oats at the end of the harvest and let them die over the winter, or cover the garden with leaves and straw. As soon as the ground freezes, mulch perennial herbs and flowers heavily to keep frost from heaving them out of the ground. Pull the mulch off in early spring to let the ground become warm and dry.

Once you have harvested all the fruit you can and your plants have gone dormant, till all the plants under with a tiller. This will provide the soil with organic material to nurture it for next year.

Apply a thick layer of your compost and till again. It’s a good idea to till one more time prior to planting when the ground isn’t frozen, of course. By doing this, you’ll gain control of any possible weed problems, plus you’ll be working in more compost to make the soil prime for planting next spring.

When to Fertilize Your Plants?

October 5th, 2011

Different plants have different fertilizing requirements. You need to know when to fertilize your plants to grow a successful organic garden. This article will help you to understand how to fertilize your garden.

You should fertilize your plants once every three to four weeks. You will want to pay attention to how your plants are doing and fertilize accordingly. Some plants need more fertilization attention than others.

Beans, peas, and carrots are among the low demand vegetables for fertilizing. They need fewer requirements for additional nutrients than the medium demand plants.

Most garden plants are medium demand plants. These would include tomatoes, corn, squash, zucchini, cabbage and peppers. Be careful not to over-fertilize these plants.

A good rule of thumb is 4-6 quarts of fertilizer per 100 square feet with a ¼ inch layer of compost.

Some high demand vegetables are artichokes, cauliflower, turnips, and spinach. These will require the same 4-6 quarts of fertilizer per 100 square feet, but you need to increase the compost layer to ½”.

High-demand vegetables are sensitive, delicate species and usually will not thrive unless grown in light, loose and always-moist soil that provides the highest level of nutrition.

Weeding will save fertilizers

Of course, you need to stay on top of the weeding to insure your plants have enough room to grow and that those weeds don’t steal away their food!

We suggest tending the garden at the same time every day. Morning would be best since it is cooler during the summer and you won’t have to bear the oppressive heat.

Don’t let the weeds take control. This is why we recommend doing so every day so that you won’t have a huge job if you neglect it for a week or so.

Taking care of a garden might require you to get on your hands and knees to pull weeds from the middle of your bean plants or cabbage rows, so do this. It’ll save stress on your back and, of course, bring you closer to the natural environment that is your organic garden!

Then just sit back and wait for the benefits of your garden – fresh produce! Of course, the  successful gardener knows that once cold weather arrives, their job isn’t quite done.

How Inorganic Fertilizers Harm the Environment?

September 28th, 2011

Inorganic fertilizers do lot of damage to the environment. Let’s see how these chemical based fertilizers are harming the environment.

With inorganic fertilizers, overdosing can be a real problem. They are so strong that it’s easy for inexperienced gardeners to cross the line between just enough and too much.

Yet, despite their strength, inexpensive blends are incomplete. They supply only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Unless the manufacturer intentionally adds other essential minerals, the chemical mix won’t supply them. Chemical fertilizers rarely contain calcium or magnesium, which plants need in large amounts along with tiny traces of several other minerals.

Inexpensive chemical fertilizers dissolve quickly in soil. This usually results in a rapid burst of plant growth, followed five or six weeks later by a big sag requiring yet another application. Should it rain hard, the chemicals dissolved in the soil water will be transported as deeply into the earth as the water penetrates (this is called “leaching”), so deep that the plant’s roots can’t reach them. With one heavy rain or one too-heavy watering, your fertile topsoil becomes infertile.

The chemicals also can pollute groundwater. The risk of leaching is especially great in soils that contain little or no clay. inorganic fertilizers can be made to be “slow-release,” but these sorts cost several times as much as those that dissolve rapidly in water. The seed meals in an organic fertilizer mix are natural slow-release fertilizers, and they usually are less expensive than slow-release chemical products.

Best Sources of Organic Fertilizer

September 21st, 2011

Composting is not the only source of organic fertilizer for your organic garden. As an organic gardener you have many other ways to source organic fertilizer. Let’s see what they are.

Animal manure

One of the best sources of organic fertilizer is animal manure. Cow, chicken, rabbit, horse and mink are among the most readily available in many parts of the world.

It is best to use them after they have had a chance to rot for a few years. They provide some plant nutrients, favorable bacteria, humus, better aeration and they help retain more moisture when they are mixed with your garden soil.

Manures are available from dairy farms, riding stables, and poultry farms.Usually you will have to pick them up from these sources, using your own truck. Sometimes firms that deliver soils or mulches will also stock and deliver one or two types of fresh or well-rotted animal manures. A check of the want-ad section of the newspaper will often reveal additional sources of supply.

If you use fresh manures, they are best applied in the fall, as they are apt to burn or retard plants if they are applied during the spring, growing season. Well-rotted manures can be used in the spring. You should apply the fertilizer around the base of the plant.

You can use either fresh or rotted manure to make a liquid-tea to feed plants. The tea is usually made of one part of manure and ten parts of water. Let it set for several days before you use it then spray directly on the plant.

The process-dried manures are often available at garden shops and can be used for top-dressing or they may be mixed into the planting soil.

Meal based organic fertilizer

Fish meal, blood meal, bone meal, animal manures, cottonseed meal and processed sewage sludge are organic sources for nitrogen fertilizer. Phosphate rock and bone meal are the two organic fertilizers used to supply phosphorus. Wood ashes and rock potash are the two main sources of organic potassium.

Your local garden department will generally stock any of the above organic fertilizers. You can also make your own fertilizer.

Seed meals and lime

When it comes to fertilizers, Seed meals and various kinds of lime are the important ingredients. These alone will grow a great garden. Seed meals are byproducts of making vegetable oil. They are made from soybeans, flaxseed, sunflowers, cotton seeds, canola and other plants. Different regions of the country have different kinds more readily available. Seed meals are stable and will store for years if kept dry and protected from pests in a metal container with a tight lid.

Lime is ground, natural rock containing large amounts of calcium, and there are three types. Agricultural lime is relatively pure calcium carbonate. Gypsum is calcium sulfate and is included because sulfur is a vital plant nutrient. Dolomite, or dolomitic lime, contains both calcium and magnesium carbonates, usually in more or less equal amounts. If you have to choose one kind, it probably should be dolomite, but you’ll get a better result using all three types. These substances are not expensive if bought in large sacks from agricultural suppliers.

Organic fertilizers are much more conducive to the environment and the health value of our foods than the traditional chemical fertilizers. Why?

Organic fertilizers, manures and composts release their nutrient content only as they decompose — as they are slowly broken down by the complex ecology of living creatures in the soil. Complete decomposition of most organic fertilizers takes around two months in warm soil. During that time, they steadily release nutrients.

Have you used any other sources of organic fertilizer? We would love to hear it. Please use the comments section below and share your experience with our readers.

How to Water Organic Garden?

September 14th, 2011

If you are growing an organic garden you must know how to water your garden in the right way. Incorrect watering can cause many damages to your organic garden. Here is how to water your organic garden properly.

You’ve spent quite a bit time and effort to make sure your garden is laid out in the most promising way and considering how best to grow that garden organically. Now you need to take care of your plot.

Plants need light and water to grow. The light is already taken care of by Mother Nature; you have to take care of the water!

Watering the garden every evening after dinner can be good therapy for the gardener, but it’s not good for the plants. When the soil is often sprinkled on top but never deeply soaked, plant roots tend to remain in the damp, upper few inches of soil where they are vulnerable to searing mid-summer heat and drought. Vegetable plants need an average of 2-inches of water a week. Be sure to water thoroughly so the soil is soaked to a depth of 4 to 6-inches. This will encourage roots to grow deep.

Germinating seeds and seedlings need to be kept uniformly moist without being washed away, so water them with a gentle spray every day or two. Developing plants need to be watered deeply, but less often, to encourage deep root growth. Water to a depth of at least 6 inches and then let the surface inch or two completely dry out before watering again.

As a general guideline, organic plants that have been watered properly, and therefore have developed deep roots, need a thorough watering every 5 to 7 days in hot weather.

Hand watering delivers water directly to the plants, thus eliminating waste, but it takes time. Spot check to make sure you are delivering enough water, and be careful to give all areas of the garden adequate coverage.

Sprinklers have the disadvantage of wasting water by watering paths and other open spots in the garden. They also lose water to evaporation and wind drift. Because they wet the foliage, sprinklers also can promote the development of leaf diseases.

However, sprinklers are easier and eliminate the need to stand outside holding a hose for 20 minutes – especially if you have a large garden.

If you use oscillating sprinklers, elevate them above the tallest plants so the water streams are not blocked. To make sure all of your plants are watered, place sprinklers so their patterns overlap. Runoff indicates you need to water at a slower rate.

You can also consider taking a simple garden hose and making your own irrigation system by poking holes in the top of it at uniform angles. Simply place this hose between the rows of plants and move when the watering is done in that particular section.

You should generally water your garden in the early evening when it is cooler. This will reduce the chance of evaporation from the hot sun and heat. Early morning watering is fine, but less effective.

Be wary of over-watering your garden. This can cause your plants to be less successful and produce disappointing yields. Generally, the first few weeks after planting and transplanting and during the development of fruit or storage organs are times when plants may be adversely affected by shortages of water, so water plentifully during these times.

Obviously, Mother Nature will provide you with some of her water as well. Monitor your rain levels and check to be sure that your organic garden has enough moisture if it has rained to see if you need to add to it.

How to Make Compost at Home

September 5th, 2011

Composting is an important part of organic gardening. Let’s see how to make compost at home.

Composting can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. The best part about making compost at home is that it can consist of any organic material and we all have access to plenty of that every single day because it is produced by the lawn, garden, and kitchen.

What is compost?

Compost is what happens when leaves, grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, woodchips, straw, and small twigs are combined, then allowed to break down into a soillike texture. Compost introduces and feeds diverse life in the soil, including bacteria, insects, worms, and more which support vigorous plant growth.

Compost is multi-faceted but not intended as a fertilizer. It offers only a relatively low proportion of nutrients, yet what it does is close to magical. In its finished form as mulch, it reduces evaporation, reduces or prevents weed growth, and insulates the soil from extreme temperature changes. Mulch also keeps the upper inches of the soil cooler in daytime, warmer at night.

Yet compost has humble beginnings. Common, easily accessible materials destined to decay together in a pile will give your soil the gift of minerals and other components it needs. The materials are indeed numerous.

Making Compost at Home

Regardless of the particular ingredients, making compost is akin to making bread or beer; soil-digesting bacteria like yeasts need warmth, moisture, air and something to feed on to keep them alive and growing. Almost all of the practical problems associated with making compost stem from too much or too little of those basic factors.

Compost is created from layers of grass clippings, leaves, weeds, kitchen scraps and, if available, farm animal manure. If you have meat eaters in your home, don’t use their meat scraps, which will attract rodents. Also, do not use litter from your dog or cat; it doesn’t break down properly and contains too many pathogens.

Over the years, composting has gotten a reputation for being a time-consuming job, but this is not necessarily the case. You don’t need to build a big box or turn the pile every so often. A barrel, a hole in the ground or a pile on top of the ground is satisfactory.

The important requirement is to be sure the waste material is covered with soil, so it doesn’t attract rats, other rodents or flies. You can build your layers directly on the ground, without any frame at all; if you use a container, be sure it is well ventilated.

The trick to successful compost is balancing ingredients high in nitrogen–fresh grass clippings, other fresh, green plant matter, most kitchen scraps–with those high in carbon–leaves, straw, dried grass, washed eggshells, wheat germ or other milled grains that have become too rancid or old to use, and any dried, brown plant matter. Too much nitrogenous matter yields an anaerobic, smelly pile. Too much carbonaceous matter results in a pile that never heats up. The ideal ratio is one part nitrogen to three parts carbon.

Start with a layer of brush–small twigs, no large branches–a couple of inches deep; this will help your pile to breathe. Then, keeping in mind the 1 to 3 ratio of nitrogen to carbon, add a layer of mixed plant material. You may enrich the pile with horse or cow manure. These materials don’t break down; they simply add nutrients to the final product.

Then lightly water the pile so it’s evenly moist. Too much water will interfere with aeration; too little water and the pile won’t ferment. If your pile sits in the open, you should pull a tarp over it before a storm, and then remove the tarp after the rain stops so the pile can breathe. An 8-inch layer of straw mulch spread over the top of the pile serves the same purpose.

Alternate layers until the pile is 5 feet high by 5 feet wide by whatever length you choose. A properly made pile that is loosely packed and well aerated will reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees within a few days. It should smell like wet hay. If the pile fails to heat up, pull it apart and redo it by adding layers of fresh green matter. If the pile becomes anaerobic (is too wet to aerate), pull it apart, let it dry out, use it as mulch and start a new pile.

After three weeks, the pile will have shrunk in size; this is normal. Dig into the pile with a spading fork and completely turn it over until the contents are redistributed; the idea is to put unfermented particles in contact with those that are further along. Let the pile rest, so the temperature will rise again. Turn it a second time five weeks later, let it rest a few weeks and, with luck, you’ll have a rich, crumbly pile of “black gold.”

Also, air is vital to any composting process. Without air (anaerobic) composting is possible but unpleasant with the putrescent of rotting material assaulting your nose. It is usually because there is too much nitrogen and too little air in the mixture. If you have an abundance of trees on your property, autumn leaves can be plentiful and messy, but they are there for your use and can be easily gathered and stored in leaf bags.

Timing is crucial. Your pile is fully composted when it fails to heat up after being turned. Then it is ready to use. And use it with a good feeling, for it is your garden’s natural fuel. Remember your objective, the foundation of every successful garden, is to achieve healthy soil.

Compost supplies the soil with a rich, friable source of humus and helps retain moisture in the garden, in addition to supplying valuable nutrients. By placing grass clippings, fallen leaves and unused plant parts in a compost pile, you are preparing them, through decomposition, to be put back to work for you.

Composting actually recycles garden waste and returns the nutrients that have been taken from the soil. By using organic composting agents, it is possible to speed-up the process of decomposition.

Common Garden Pests and How to Control Them

August 13th, 2011

There are literally hundreds of common garden pests that can attack your plants and threaten the viability of your gardening efforts. We couldn’t possibly address all of them. Here are, however, some that occur in more frequency than others and how to control them organically.

Aphids

Aphids are probably the most common problem in gardens. Aphids are soft, pear-shaped, and very tiny (1/16 to 3/8 inch long). Two short tubes project backward from the tip of their abdomen.

Aphids have long antennae. Some types of aphids have wings, which are transparent, longer than their body, and held like a roof over their back. Aphids may be green, pink, yellowish, black, or powdery gray. Nymphs resemble adults but are smaller and wingless.

They feed in colonies, so where there’s one, there’s definitely more. Aphid feeding can cause leaves to curl and become deformed. Once this has happened, the aphids are protected from any treatment you give to the plant, so it’s important to attack the problem as soon as possible.

Many species prefer the underside of leaves, so look there first. Ants are usually present where aphids are, so if there are ants in the garden, there are probably aphids as well. Aphids are the ant’s food source, so they will protect that food warding off predators that might threaten them.

How to control Aphids

To naturally control aphids, first be sure to drench plants with strong sprays of water from a garden hose. Keep your plants as healthy as possible, and spray dormant oil to control over wintering eggs. You can also spray plants with insecticidal soap, summer oil, and homemade garlic sprays.

 

Cabbage Loopers

If you will be growing cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower, you could have cabbage loopers. These pests are light green in color with white stripes running down their back. The larvae can reach approximately 1½ inches long and have three pairs of slender legs near the head and three pairs of larger legs at the rear end. The middle section is legless and is looped when the insect is moving.

The larva is the damaging stage of the cabbage looper. The young larvae feed between the veins on the undersides of leaves. Large larvae make ragged holes in the foliage and move to the center of the plant where feeding generally occurs at the base of the cabbage head. Large loopers can also burrow through three to six layers of tightly wrapped head leaves.

How to control Cabbage Loopers

The best way to control cabbage loopers is to handpick the larvae a few times a week. Attract predatory and parasitic insects to the garden with pollen and nectar plants.

 

Earwigs

If you find small holes in the leaves of your plants, you may have earwigs. Earwigs are generally dark brown, slender and elongated. They have a pair of “pincers” at the rear of their body and they run more than fly. They have a curved up abdomen and release foul odor when disturbed.

Earwigs will eat holes in the leaves of plants causing them to wilt and die.

How to control Earwigs

In general, earwigs can be beneficial to your garden, but they can get out of control, so you should use a general spray. There are a number of ways to control earwigs, but trapping them is probably the best way to eliminate them from your garden.

One way we like is to take a shallow dish and place beer in it. Any beer will do. The earwigs will be attracted to the beer, climb in, drink, and die. You can sift out the dead ones and reuse the beer for trapping again. They are also attracted to corn oil, fish oil, or water and vinegar. You can place these in dishes just like the beer.

 

Thrips

If the leaves of your plants are finely speckled with yellow spots or a silvery, metallic sheen, you could have thrips. Thrips are very small – about 1/16” – and difficult to see. There are many varieties of thrips and they are of all different colors.

Thrips are best controlled with sprays. You can also spray the plants with soapy water. Lady bugs will eat thrips as well, so attract those lady bugs to your garden!

 

Tomato hornworms

Tomato hornworms are the largest caterpillars found in this area and can measure up to 4 inches in length. The prominent “horn” on the rear of both gives them their name.

Hornworms are often difficult to see because of their protective coloring which is green. Not much for the heat of direct sunlight, they tend to feed on the interior of the plant during the day and are more easily spotted when they move to the outside of the plant at dawn and dusk.

Hornworm damage usually begins to occur in midsummer and continues throughout the remainder of the growing season. The size of these garden pests allows them to quickly defoliate tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Occasionally, they may also feed on green fruit. Gardeners are likely to spot the large areas of damage at the top of a plant before they see the culprit.

How to control Tomato hornworms

The best way to control hornworms is to handpick them off your plants. They are especially susceptible to the Bt bacterial spray we described above, so we strongly suggest using this to control your hornworms.

 

Slugs

Slugs are among the most troublesome pests in the garden. They feed on a variety of living plants and decaying plant matter. On plants they chew irregular holes with smooth edges in leaves and can clip succulent plant parts. They can also chew fruit and young plant bark.

Because they prefer succulent foliage, they are primarily pests of seedlings, herbaceous plants, and ripening fruit such as strawberries, artichokes, and tomatoes that are close to the ground. However, they will also feed on fruit of some trees, citrus is especially susceptible to damage.

Slugs are nocturnal and come out at night. They slither under rocks and leaves in the day. Holes chomped into leaves and fruits are telltale signs of slug feeding. A more certain sign of slug activity is the silvery trail of dried mucous that these pests leave in their wake. If that’s not sufficiently convincing, go out into the garden at night with a flashlight and surprise them.

How to control Slugs

Slug control is actually quite easy. They are rather large, so they can be caught by hand and disposed of. This is another garden pest that be caught by setting out a dish of beer.

While possibly cruel, the most effective way to kill a slug is to sprinkle it with salt. You can trap the slugs by placing a plastic bag in the garden containing two decaying lettuce leaves, 2 cups of bran cereal, and pouring beer over the whole mess. Put the bag out before sundown. In the morning, check to see if the slugs are in there and dispose of them.

Prevent slug infestation by removing dead and decaying leaves. This will remove their primary food source. Coffee grounds and egg shells will also keep slugs away. Just place them around the plants you want to protect at ground level.

Basic Gardening Tips to Help You Get Moving

August 10th, 2011

Most newbie gardeners will probably do just fine in their first year, but there are a few things they should understand to increase their odds of making it happen the first time. A combination of factors such as sunlight, water, fertilizer, and the time of year that you plant all factor in in regard to your success rate when gardening. Gardening gets very technical, especially when looking at the individual aspects of all of the plants you will be using in your garden. To make sure that your garden is as successful as possible, here are a few tips to help you along.

Trying to take on too much at one time is a common mistake often made by neophyte gardeners. This often happens when the beginning gardener finds inspiration in a public garden, and tries to re-create the same garden themselves. Making an effort to become versed in the basics will go a long way to helping you eventually create that dream garden. It can be tempting to charge ahead, but keep in mind that the wisdom that comes with gardening take a long time to accumulate. Your garden will grow with time, but for now it’s crucial that you develop a solid understanding of the basics. Your plants will need a certain amount of attention, so it’s wise not to overburden yourself with taking on too much at once.

Soil quality is one of the main factors in a successful garden. A quick soil test can reveal important information about your soil like any nutrients it holds and its pH levels. You will want to take a little time to find plants that are good match for the soil you have on hand if you want a beautiful, lush garden, without spending a lot of time making it beautiful and lush.

It’s possible to add nutrients to the soil in order to make it more hospitable to certain plants. You can judge the suitability of your garden for certain plants by keeping an eye on the weeds on your property too. Because different plants require different nutrients you’re going to have to spend a little time learning about the specific needs of plants you’ll be growing in your garden.

An herb garden can be one of the most satisfying types, as you can quickly have all kinds of herbs and spices to cook with. Most herbs do best in a sunny area, although some do better in shade. Herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, dill and rosemary are fairly simple to grow. Cuttings taken from another plant is one way to cultivate these plans, but they are also available from most nurseries. You will want to keep them moist by periodically misting them with water from a spray bottle.

Overwintering your herbs in containers may be a good idea if you have to deal with harsh winters. Herb gardens are a great way to get started in gardening and you can appreciate the rewards in your food. Now that you know a bit more information on gardening, it is time to choose the right location for your garden and determine what vegetables you want to grow. Do a little research on your seeds before you buy them to make sure these vegetables will grow in the climate that you live in. Always remember that how successful your garden will be is based upon work that you put into it everyday.

Take Good Care Of Your Skin Using 100 % Natural Products

August 7th, 2011

This article is not directly related to organic gardening. However, I thought it would be helpful to mention about organic skincare products.

Have you at any time considered how nutritious the food is that you are consuming as well as giving to your family members? More and more people take special care in making certain they are consuming more foods that are organic. The closer a food is to its natural state the better it is for you. The more prepared it is the more chance that there are preservatives, additives and unnatural components involved. There are lots of people who believe the increases in allergy symptoms as well as attention issues for the little ones are caused by the preservative chemicals and additives that are part of highly processed foods. Whenever you can purchase fresh foods and make them in your own home so you know the quality of what you are consuming and serving.

It’s also essential for good overall health to take care of our skin. Our skin is the largest organ that we have. It will help protect the rest of our organs, so it’s worth our time to take good care of it. Just like the meals we put into our systems it is a good idea to use all natural skin treatment such as Miessence products. It’s vital to remember that the products that you put on your largest organ seep in and linger for a lot of hours. If you have a hypersensitive reaction by ingesting specific things, you will have exactly the same reaction by applying it to your skin. By utilizing all natural skin care products the potential of breaking out in rashes is less likely to happen.

One of my personal favorite all organic skin care regiments would be to soak for twenty minutes in Epsom salts and warm water. The Epsom salts helps to draw out any toxins that are in the skin. We all have toxins at different levels in our skin from the pollutions that we face on a daily basis in the air and in environmental surroundings. The soaking also helps relax muscles. I like to add natural lavender to the water and to fill the area with the relaxing scent. Once you are finished soaking your skin is very receptive to what ever you put on it. Following a good soaking I like to put on a completely natural skin anti wrinkle cream with aloe vera inside it that helps sooth the skin even more. You will find that your skin feels nicer and it has a more healthy glow to it after the bath. I attempt to do this at least two times every thirty days for the overall health of my skin.

The Aloe plant can be used in additional applications than you would guess. I am constantly surprised about the numbers of products that use aloe vera. I’ve only recently begun to examine the labels about the stuff that I purchase, but it has taught me a lot concerning the benefits of aloe vera. Apparently, it’s not just good for nourishment and for healing wounds and other injuries. Apparently, it is supposed to be great for almost everything. I don’t know if this is one of those exaggerations that individuals make when they find a plant that’s good for a couple of uses, but a growing number of individuals are seeing aloe vera as a panacea. The benefits of aloe vera are thought to be helpful for proper hair care, skin youth enhancing products, beauty products, roll-on deodorant and even immune system support products.

The other thing that people need to do would be to make sure that we put on sun screen once we are exposed to the sun’s rays. I use a face cream which has a sunscreen inside it as well as use a foundation that has protection from the sun. It only takes a couple of minutes of exposure in order to create a burn. It is important to remember sunscreen during the cold months time also. During the cold months the sun’s rays glare off of the snow may cause burning to happen very quickly.

Organic Pest Control Using Animals

August 4th, 2011

Birds, ladybugs and praying mantises are the gardener’s best friends when it comes to organic pest control using animals.

Birds can be encouraged into the garden by feeding, hanging a birdhouse providing a bird bath or by planting plants that provide berries for them to eat.

Ladybugs are now for sale by the pint, quart or gallon. The average-sized garden can get by on a quart or less, as there will be about 25 to 30 thousand bugs per quart. The cost is generally less than five dollars a quart. The average adult ladybug consumes between 40 and 50 aphids a day.

Praying mantis cases are also available and each one hatches up to 400 young. The cost is rather nominal for a case. A few gardeners have reported that this insect
disappears rather rapidly from the garden, so you might want to experiment with just a few to begin with. They will eat any insect they can catch.

Frogs and lizards can also control pests by eating them. You can make your garden hospitable for your natural allies by keeping a water source – just a dish full -
nearby for them and by not wiping out the entire pest population with a pesticide, sending the beneficial elsewhere in search of food. Also, grow plants with small blossoms like sweet alyssum and dill, which attract predatory insects who feed on flowers’ nectar between attacks on pests.

Use of Organic pest control animals is a comprehensive approach instead of a chemical approach. Create a healthy biodiversity so that the insects and microbes will control themselves. Using natural products and building healthy soil is the best long-term treatment for pests.