"My Rants and Other Organic Stuff"

 Spring is almost here..though tonite once again the threat of snow looms over us.. Hopefully it will be nothing!! Yesterday I sat outside in the sun..it felt so good..the warm air, the bright rays.. There was a pleasant breeze in the air.. Mother Nature is awake from her winter slumber....and you could tell. All kinds of birds were flying about..and somehow this Spring they seem brighter in color then years past. Perhaps that is my bias from being a part of a seemingly endless winter..Everything seems more alive and more bright..something I wouldn't realize had it not been for all those dreary snowy days.. So Thank You Winter.You gave me a pair of Rose colored glasses! Everyday I try and post something on here that is informative or beneficial to those interested in gardening..Really it helps remind me of all the things I want to do to my own garden..and keeps me informed about the right way/time to do certain garden tasks.. I guess you could call this my Garden Journal!! Though I have in recent years kept a handwritten one. This gives me a opportunity to keep a more in depth..heavy information type journal easier.. and do a little therapy/relaxation strategy to boot..smile. I'm a big fan of writing..I love to write..evident by the 50 plus journals stacked about my house...Hence, I will most likely still keep a handwritten journal this garden season. In fact I've already started one..hmmm I know...I like to write down exactly when I plant things, how they did, how the weather was...So as years pass I can look back at those journals and see if conditions are better, worse, the same?? Is spring early or late this year?? Was it wet last spring, will it be this year?? These are just some of the questions you may be able to answer by looking through your past garden journals..So I will always keep one!

 Now onto the true topic of this post..Organic Gardening..Although I think the idea of Organic Gardening is mesmerizing and awesome in so many ways it does entail a little extra preparation/work on the part of the gardener.. But, all in all it certainly is worth it.. You have fresh vegetables that are pesticide free..some would even say they taste better. Because they are pesticide free you don't have to worry with what all those harmful chemicals are doing to your body and your families. You also get to rest easy that you are doing the best job you can in acting as a Steward of the earth...AKA Your not contributing to the release of harmful chemicals into the earth and air!! Those are some pretty big benefits.. It's very easy to use chemicals..and processed fertilizers...And I'm actually probably the world's worst..admittedly.. But I do realize the benefits of Changing my ways.. This year I really want to go more in the direction of Organic gardening.. And as I've said before I'm not saying I'm giving up my miracle grow..LOL But I do intend to make some changes in the way I treat my plants and land. Last year I looked up some ways to get the Aphids off my rose bushes..I found that the best way to handle them is to spray them off with the water hose everyday.. Gee.. so much easier to just seven dust...But......Seven Dust also kills bees and we need bees..OKKKKK I get it! Below is some information on organic gardening and ways in which you can keep more of a Organic Lifestyle in your garden. I really like the companion planting idea..honestly flowers and herbs are lovely and they look nice growing along side your hearty vegetables..they just somehow belong in that picture..smile Enjoy!

What is Organic Gardening?

What does it mean to have an organic garden? Does organic gardening mean you have to put up with insects eating your plants or unattractive flower beds?

Answer: The short answer is that organic gardening means not using synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder. The bigger picture involves working in cooperation with nature, viewing your garden as a small part of all the natural system.

 

Natural Pest Control

If your plants are experiencing a serious bug problem, but you hesitate to attack the bugs with chemical insecticides, you may be wondering if you will just have to settle for making friends with those annoying insects. Fortunately, you don't. You can take a series of escalating steps to get rid of bugs on plants naturally so your plants are healthy and you keep the environment and your family that way, too.

Step 1

Hose down the plants with a moderate stream of water so you do not damage your plants with the water pressure. In many cases, you can wash the bugs right off. Of course, if you are dealing with houseplants or small, delicate plants, you may want to skip this step.

Step 2

Mix a soap-and-water solution. In a spray bottle, combine 2 cups of water and five drops of dish soap. Swirl to mix. You can spray this solution on the tops and bottoms of leaves to make your plant taste terrible to hungry insects and to make aphids and other mites incapable of attacking the plant.

Step 3

Set sugar traps. In butter tubs, combine a tablespoon of sugar and three drops of dish soap. Add water until the tub is nearly full, then set it out near your plants. This will attract wasps, beetles and other bugs. When they land on the surface, attracted by the sugar, they will fall into the water and drown.

Step 4

Prune away pest problems. If you have mites or caterpillars, you can often literally prune them away. Mites often cause small, brown, raised bumps once they have laid their eggs, while aphids tend to congregate in focal areas. Caterpillars often create webbed areas where they lay metamorphose. Removing these problem areas from the plant will often prevent a second generation of insects from becoming a problem.

Companion Planting:

Planting certain herbs, flowers or vegetables near others can enhance the growth of both plants. Some plants have the ability to deter damaging insects or attract beneficial bugs. Herbs and flowers with strong scents can benefit vegetables by growing them nearby. There are even a few flowers that emit toxins that kill damaging pests. Companion planting is an organic way to grow vegetables and prevent bugs that do harm.

Companion planting is based around the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted next to, or close to one another.
Companion planting exists to benefit certain plants by giving them pest control, naturally without the need to use chemicals, and in some cases they can give a higher crop yield .
Generally, companion planting is thought of as a small-scale gardening practice, but it can be applied on larger-scale operations. It has been proven that by having a beneficial crop in a nearby field that attracts certain insects away from a neighbouring field that has the main crop can prove very beneficial. This action is called trap cropping.
While companion planting has a long history, the benefits of companion planting have not always been understood. Traditional recommendations, for companion planting have been used by gardeners for a long time, but recent tests are proving scientifically, that they work.
Other ways that companion planting can be beneficial is to plant a crop like any Legumes, on an area where it will feed nitrogen into the soil, then it will not be necessary to use any chemical fertilizers for the next crop.
What plants grow well with others?

Plant	Companions	Incompatible
Asparagus	Tomato, Parsley, Basil
Beans	Most Herbs & Vegetabes	Onion
Cabbage	Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beets, Onion Family, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard	Strawberries, Tomato, Dill
Carrots	Peas, Lettuce, Onion, Sage, Tomato	Dill
Celery	Nasturtium, Onion, Cabbage, Tomato
Cucumber	Beans, Peas, Sunflower, Raddish	Aromatic Herbs, Potato
Lettuce	Carrot, Radish, Strawberry, Cucumber
Onions	Beets, Carrot, Lettuce, Cabbage	Beans, Peas
Parsley	Tomato, Asparagus
Peas	Carrots, Raddish, Turnip, Cucumber, Beans,	Onions, Potato
Potato	Beans, Cabbage, Horseraddish, Marigolds	Sunflower, Cucumber, Tomato
Raddish	Peas, Nasturtium, Lettuce, Cucumber	Hyssop
Spinach	Strawberry, Faba Bean
Tomato	Onion, Marigold, Asparagus, Carrot, Parsley, Cucumber	Cabbage, fennel, Potato
Turnip	Pea	Potato

The benefits of companion planting is not only visible to the naked eye, but also the inprovement of the micro-organisms in the soil.

Identify companion plants to protect your selected garden plants. To deter cabbage moth, plant rosemary, sage, summer savory, chamomile and thyme. Plant tomatoes near cabbage to deter cabbage worm. Tomato hornworms will be forced away by dill, calendula, basil, French marigolds and petunias. Colorado potato beetle hates tansy, green beans, nasturtiums or French marigolds. Cucumber beetle is foiled by radishes, marigolds and nasturtiums. Radishes keep away squash borer or squash bugs. Mint will also deter these insects from squash. Snails and slugs hate fennel, garlic, rosemary and sage.