You’ve probably heard the arguments for organic produce and food versus inorganic varieties, but what about organic fertilizers? Walk down a garden center aisle and you’re faced with a dizzying array of choices when it comes to fertilizers. Sometimes, choosing the right one can be downright impossible. Here’s the low-down on organic versus inorganic fertilizers. First, both supply nutrition to plants, primarily in the form of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Synthetic fertilizers are usually made using petroleum products, which makes them less environmentally friendly. In fact, excessive runoff from synthetic fertilizers after storms can actually
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As a vegetable gardener, you know that the quality of your soil can make or break your harvest. Vegetables need loose, light, fertile soil that holds water well without becoming sodden. Few gardeners are blessed with this soil, known as loam, occurring naturally in their garden. But with patience and a little help, you can slowly build loam soil. The regular addition of organic matter, found in manure and compost, is one of the best ways to make that ideal garden soil. But which manures are best? All livestock manures improve soil texture and drainage,
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Using food scraps to grow your garden is the sensible thing to do on two different levels: Scraps can be composted (decomposed) into rich soil full of nutrients. Scraps can be used as soil fertilizer, pest repellent, and to give plants a boost of vital nutrients. First we will take a look at how composting works and how you can make composting work for your garden’s growing potential. What Is Composting? Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter (food scraps and yard wastes) for the purpose of recycling it into fertilizer for gardening purposes
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I admit it—when I first started gardening, I was a little overly ambitious. My approach to growing vegetables was simple. In my mind, any old patch of soil in my backyard would do. All I needed was my green thumb and a few seeds. This approach was met with a rude awakening later that spring. To my dismay, my vegetables refused to grow despite the summer heat. My tomato vines looked wilted and droopy, incapable of producing anything edible. My strawberries looked as though they should star in Alien Vs. Predator rather than be used
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Composting can be a great way to add inexpensive fertilizer and nutrient-rich soil to your garden, as well as an eco-friendly way to reduce the amount of waste that you produce. Composting is also very easy, although it takes a bit of time and care to do properly. Once you get into the habit, composting becomes second nature! What Is Compost? Compost is simply decomposed organic matter that has turned into dark and crumbly soil. Decomposition happens organically in nature, but the process of composting at home accelerates the natural process by keeping decomposing material
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The jury has been out for quite some time on chemical fertilizers and herbicides – are they good or bad? Roundup, which is the most popular weed killer in the U.S., is at the center of the debate. Researchers in Europe have claimed that the weed killer has serious toxic effects. This, they say, is due to inert ingredients that amplify the toxicity of Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate. As a result, Roundup is banned in nearly every European country. Research On Roundup Suburbanites all across the country have heard the warnings about chemical herbicides, yet
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Gardening is a fun and practical pastime. You can work out your stress by working the soil, teach your kids valuable skills and lessons, and, best of all, grow much or even all of your own produce. With a successful garden, you can become independent from the world of big agriculture and chain grocery stores. Even if you can’t grow all the food you need, you should be able to produce a large portion of your family’s nutritional intake. Growing vegetables seems simple enough: put seeds in soil, water, and watch them grow. Unfortunately, gardening
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If you watch a lot of commercial television or listen to the radio several hours a day, you probably have your fair share of commercials that you love to hate. It seems that some stations and networks tend to run the same annoying messages a dozen or more times a day, sometimes two or three times during the same program. If you’re anything like me, you eventually just tune them out, mute the sound, or change the station.

Hello Everybody!  Hope you all had a great holiday and your New Year is going well!  I don’t know about you, but time just slipped away from me.  I can’t believe it’s already the second week in January!  I wonder if any of you made New Year’s resolutions?  If so, how many have already been
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If you’re considering a food garden as part of your long range emergency preparedness plans, the number one piece of advice you need embrace is: “Do your research.” The rules for successful gardening are very much local. Even the best gardening books may not be of much help unless there are detailed guidelines for each
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