Organic Gardening Tips » organic home garden

Vegetable garden 2008 slideshow

Tricia — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:46:12 +0000

Here is my attempt at producing as much food as possible in my back garden at home in Scotland. Being self sufficient would be a lot harder than I originally thought. I’m hoping to get some chickens soon though

Try and spot these:
Potatoes, gooseberries, peas, cabbage and cauliflower, onions, kale, beetroot, raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrant, Ollie the dog! tomatoes and lettuce.

Duration : 0:1:2

Garden and landscape ideas

Tricia — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:42:05 +0000

http://www.WatchMojo.com video on how to decor your garden-ideas for different size gardens

Duration : 48 sec

How to prepare soil for gardening shrubs in a flower bed?

Tricia — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:57:05 +0000

I recently purchased some organic compost not realizing that it was inorganic compost that I really wanted. So when I got home I mixed the organic compost I had just purchased with the inorganic compost i had layed out a week before. So my question was, what will happen when these two types of compost are mixed? Is my soil ruined because of this careless mistake or can I still salvage my soil? The reason I started with the inorganic compost was because I live in the Southwestern part of Texas where the soil is clay like and I was advised to use the inorganic type to soften the soil. Any suggestions out there or any similar issues any one has encountered?

Any type of soil can be improved with the addition of organic matter, unless you are one of the few who have perfect soil. The organic will rot and add water retaining humus to your soil, the inorganic will not rot and serve to help aerate. If you have clay soil, you NEED to add organic matter, period. Sand also helps as a cheap inorganic. One question…..compost is rotting ORGANIC material. I have never heard of inorganic COMPOST.

Catherine – Our First Head Gardener

Tricia — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:30:08 +0000

Catherine Shapiro dropped by the greenhouse office to chat about the old days and see what’s new. She was head gardener at the Demonstration Garden for 6 years from its beginnings in 1982. Always an organic gardener, she kept her home food garden going while maintaining our garden, like Sharon does today. Quite a feat! Thanks for starting us off on the right foot Catherine.

Duration : 0:3:24

How Do I Get Rid of Bugs Eating my Morning Glory?

Tricia — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:30:27 +0000

I could see holes in the young leaves and mature too. Is there anything I can do ? I want to use only home made organic spray because of my young children like to play in the garden.

I use a spray bottle of three quarters water lots of garlic and dawn dish soap. make sure you spray after it rains. The leaves get washed off each time and you have to reaply. Spray as offen as necessary. Make sure you get all the leaves wet.

Cutting Home Heating Costs with Trees and Shrubs

Tricia — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:00:05 +0000

Dave talks with Bill Stack about the role trees and shrubs can play in reducing your heating bills and air conditioning costs.

Duration : 0:2:50

If huge amounts of pesticides were used in my yard?

Tricia — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:37:06 +0000

Will it every be a good place for gardening vegtables and fruit. I want to do organic gardening. How would I do this without contaiminating my crop? Small home consumpson only.

The people before me used pestisides I know because they left them in the garage. The house was built in 1952.

Please serious answers only. I know this can be done.

How do I protect new soil I import and new plants?
I did not write down what they were before I sent them to hazardous waste. I would imagine just weed killers and anything goes because they were old. It could have been things outlawed now.
Sorry about being rude about the serious answers part. I just am tired of getting rude answers. I will take answers that are suggestions.
I have been here for 5 years and have applied no chemicals. I do not need organic certification because this is for my own consumption. I just need to know it is safe.
I prefer to use marigolds to keep pests away or other natural methods.
It is nice to know the yard can recover. It is desert land, so It has not received much water, but I guess I could till it and water it and till and mix some good soil in and fertilize.

Has the garden space been not used for a long time? If so most of the pestisides have most likely all been washed away..If not you will have to till up very good and test the soil for what is in it.. they have very simple test to do at most garden stores. then add what is needed to your soil. and start it all over.. tilling and watering is the best way to build your soil back up to the best quality.
At peat moss and your compost and till in this fall and it will be ready for you new fresh garden for the following years. I don't use pestisides on my garden either.
My new garden for this year will need some work before next years planting too since it was tilled for the first time in 10 years this year.. need to get mine tilled atleast 8 to 10 inches deep this fall for better crops next year.. I will be spreading old chicken house straw on the garden this fall and tilling it in , in the spring time tilling.. I use rabbit poop for fertilizer you can use it all year long because it is one fresh poo that won't burn your plants.
do your soil test first and find out what you need for soil improvements.. then you should be fine.. You can always have fresh soil moved in..from somewhere else that is clean..

Growing Wisdom: A Tour of Garden in the Woods

Tricia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:00:11 +0000

Dave talks with Scott LaFleur of Garden in the Woods about the many attractions of this beautiful botanical garden.

Duration : 0:2:51

Why is composting so hard? (gardening)?

Tricia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:45:16 +0000

We have tons of kitchen scraps and I'm going nuts looking at everything from turning to bokashi to tumblers to holes. Does this really have to be so complicated? Then I read blogs online of failures, too much work, smell, etc. What really is the right way to do this in a smallish but not miniscule home flower/veggies organic garden?

Just pile your grass, leaves and other plant material in one place. Put a few branches around it. Don't add any meat or other items that might smell. Water whenever you feel like it.
Put fencing around it if you want. Even plant morning glories to grow over it. Just don't worry.

Winter Garden Snow & Frost Covers

Tricia — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:32:05 +0000

So winters now finished here in OZ, but high in the mountains it can still get cold and frosty in Spring. Self sufficient food gardening can be a real challenge though winter. Over the past few years we have been testing a few different methods of protecting our veggies from frost and the occasional snow fall.

Duration : 0:1:32