Green Articles

Organic Gardening Soil

2013-05-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

The first misconception most new organic gardeners have about their soil is that any thing can grow in any type of soil. All you have to do is throw a few seeds in the ground and boom you have a natural garden. You need to lose that preconceived notion if it applies to you.

You must take into consideration the overall climate conditions which will impact the soil. An example of these things would be rain, wind, temperatures and exposure to the sun light. Then the next thing to consider is the amount of rocks and density of the soil.

An example of bad density soil would be where the dirt is tightly compacted and allows for no circulation of air or moisture. To have good organic gardening soil it must be loose, with excellent air and moisture circulation. Not to worry though because one of the things you can do if your dirt is tightly compacted is introduce earthworms to the ground and allow them to do their thing.

Frankly though the earthworms take time to create their magic and they have a tendency to get out of the designated planting area quickly. However, there is a simple solution to that problem and you will help improve your soil quickly.

You can go to your local nursery or hardware store and purchase organic soil by the bag full or even by the truck load. Many organic gardeners will put this soil on top of their compacted soil and then plow it into the regular soil. However, for this method to be effective you must have enough organic soil to be from a minimum depth of three inches up to six inches or more. The great thing about it is as you repeat this procedure through several growing seasons you will soon have brought the life back to your original soil.

Another tip about your soil is the proper levels of phosphates, hydrogen and acidity in the soil. This is often times referred to as the ph factor in the soil. It’s quiet easy today to go on the World

Wide Web and order a testing kit for your soil. However, one of the best ways to determine if you have right kind of soil for organic gardening is to take a sample of your soil to your county agriculture agent or to your local nursery. For a small fee or no fee at all they will tell you everything you need to know about your soil.

In addition to providing you the information about your dirt they can also advise you as to the best type of plants that will grow in your soil. Furthermore, they are a great source for additional tips on growing an organic garden successfully.

These tips are just a few of the things about your organic gardening soil which are important. To really get ahead of the game on your soil you should continue to further your education.

Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

Green Home Checklist

2013-04-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Since green building is still a relatively new process, it's a good idea to research green building on your own so you know what to look for when choosing your site, home plan, builder and sustainable products.

Here is a checklist of things to consider when building a green home:

1. Location: New green homes and neighborhoods must not be built on environmentally sensitive sites like prime farmland, wetlands and endangered species habitats. The greenest development sites are "in-fill" properties like former parking lots, rail yards, shopping malls and factories. Be sure to study your property carefully so you can put the sun to work for you and your home. When it comes to clearing your lot, take down only the necessary trees and bushes. The trees you leave behind will act as a shade barrier in the summer months and wind barrier in the colder months.

2. Size: No matter how many green building elements go into your home, a 5,000-square-foot green home still consumes many more natural resources than a 2,000-square-foot green home. The larger home will also require more heating, air conditioning and lighting. If you really want a sustainable home, choose a smaller size.

3. Building Design: The home should be oriented on its site to bring abundant natural daylight into the interior to reduce lighting requirements and to take advantage of any prevailing breezes. Windows, clerestories, skylights, light monitors, light shelves and other strategies should be used to bring daylight to the interior of the house. The exterior should have shading devices (sunshades, canopies, green screens and -- best of all -- trees), particularly on the southern and western facades and over windows and doors, to block hot summer sun. Dual-glaze windows reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss during cold winter months. The roof should be a light-colored, heat-reflecting Energy Star roof, or a green (landscaped) roof, to reduce heat absorption.

4. Green Building Materials: A green home will have been constructed with healthy, non-toxic building materials and furnishings, like low- and zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and sealants and non-toxic materials like strawboard for the sub-flooring. Wood-based features should come from rapidly renewable sources like bamboo, but if tropical hardwoods are used, the Forest Stewardship Council must certify them. A green home uses salvaged materials like kitchen tiles and materials with significant recycled content.

5. Insulation: A non-toxic insulation, derived from materials like soybean or cotton, with a high R (heat resistance) factor in a home's walls and roof will help prevent cool air leakage in the summer and warm air leakage in the winter.

6. Windows and Doors: Windows and exterior doors should have ENERGY STAR ratings, and they should seal their openings tightly to avoid heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.

7. Energy Efficiency: A green home has energy-efficient lighting, heating, cooling and water-heating systems. Appliances should have ENERGY STAR ratings.

8. Renewable Energy: The home should generate some of its own energy with technologies like photovoltaic systems.

9. Water Efficiency: A green home has a water-conserving irrigation system and water-efficient kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Look for a rainwater collection and storage system, particularly in drier regions where water is increasingly scarce and expensive.

10. Indoor Environmental Quality: Natural daylight should reach at least 75% of the home's interior. Natural ventilation (via home orientation, operable windows, fans, wind chimneys and other strategies) should bring plentiful fresh air inside the house. The HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system should filter all incoming air and vent stale air outside. The garage should not have any air handling equipment or return ducts, and it should have an exhaust fan.

11. Landscaping: Vine-covered green screens, large canopy trees and other landscaping should shade exterior walls, the driveway, patios and other "hardscape" to minimize heat islands. Yards should be landscaped with drought-tolerant plants rather than water-guzzling plants and grass in most regions.
About the AuthorChristine Sears writes articles about ranch house plans, home plans, new home construction, floor plans, house plans, new construction financing, and more for The House Designers.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Supplies

2013-04-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Organic farming is the trend these days because it is cheap and it is environment friendly. Before you get started, you need to get some organic vegetable gardening supplies from your local store.

These supplies consist of different things. Soil is
perhaps the most important given that this is where you will plant your vegetables. Before you prepare the land or put in the seeds, you have to check its condition.

Since you are not sure about its pH level, you should get some compost first and put it there as it neutralizes it if this is too high as well as provide a range of nutrients to prepare the soil for cultivation.

Some people don’t buy compost but make it themselves. For that, you can use weeds, dead leaves, vegetable and meat waste products and manure. This is because they are biodegradable and at the same time, cuts down the amount of garbage that is dumped in landfills.

When the soil is ready, you will then get the seeds. Before you throw them in, make sure that they will be able to survive your existing environment. For that, you should do some research online or talk to the sales clerk at the store before you buy them.

If you don’t want to buy seeds, you can also buy vegetables that are already growing. When you select them, be sure to check the leaves so you avoid getting those that are already discolored or wilted.

Pests are the biggest threats among farmers and gardeners. For that, you can use other insects, birds, ladybugs, praying mantis’ and the toad. Another is the use of horticultural oils that break down quickly and pose little toxicity to humans or pets.

Weeds are another problem. For that, you will have to put on your gardening gloves, get on your knees and start pulling them from the ground. It is also possible to spray the area with horticultural vinegar or corn meal gluten granules that prevents weeds from germinating and releases nitrogen into the soil. Keep in mind that this should be applied during early spring or fall when most weeds come out.

Another non-toxic chemical you can use to combat weeds are fish or seaweed based liquid based fertilizers. These also release nitrogen, phosphate and potash that is good for your crops.

For people who don’t have a backyard, you can still do organic farming by buying pots. Ideally, you should use those made out of clay, plastic or wood. You just have to water them often since they need more water being in here than out in the garden.

Having all the organic gardening supplies ready will make it easy for you to plant your crops and harvest them so you are ready to rotate this with another variant. If there is more than 1 gardening store where you live, perhaps you should compare their prices first before buying them.

Should there be some items that are not available, try looking for them online because you can probably get a few good deals here as well as some tips and advice.

There is truly no other way to garden other than organic vegetable gardening that saves you both money and makes sure what you eat is chemical free. So go ahead and experience the difference.

Creating a Raised Bed

2012-09-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

If your current planting goals involve plants that require good water drainage, I am sure you know how frustrating it is to have a yard that just won’t cooperate. Some plants can handle the excess water that comes about from being in an area that doesn’t drain properly. In fact, it might just cause them to bloom more lushly. However, other plants don’t cope as well, and it will cause them to die a gruesome, bloated death. You should always find out about the drainage required for every plant you buy, and make sure that it won’t conflict with any of the areas you are considering planting it in.

In order to test how much water your designated patch of soil will retain, dig a hole approximately ten inches deep. Fill it with water, and come back in a day when all the water had disappeared. Fill it back up again. If the 2nd hole full of water isn’t gone in 10 hours, your soil has a low saturation point. This means that when water soaks into it, it will stick around for a long time before dissipating. This is unacceptable for almost any plant, and you are going to have to do something to remedy it if you want your plants to survive.

The usual method for improving drainage in your garden is to create a raised bed. This involves creating a border for a small bed, and adding enough soil and compost to it to raise it above the rest of the yard by at least 5 inches. You’ll be amazed at how much your water drainage will be improved by this small modification. If you’re planning to build a raised bed, your prospective area is either on grass or on dirt. For each of these situations, you should build it slightly differently.

If you want to start a raised garden in a non grassy area, you won’t have much trouble. Just find some sort of border to retain the dirt you will be adding. I’ve found that there is nothing that works quite as well as a few two by fours. After you’ve created the wall, you must put in the proper amount soil and steer manure. Depending on how long you plan to wait before planting, you will want to adjust the ratio to allow for any deteriorating that may occur.

If you’re trying to install a raised bed where sod already exists, you will have a slightly more difficult time. You will need to cut the sod around the perimeter of the garden, and flip it over. This may sound simple, but you will need something with a very sharp edge to slice the edges of the sod and get under it. Once you have turned it all upside down, it is best to add a layer of straw to discourage the grass from growing back up. After the layer of straw, simply add all the soil and steer manure that a normal garden would need.

Planting your plants in your new area shouldn’t pose much difficulty. It is essentially the same process as your usual planting session. Just be sure that the roots don’t extent too far into the original ground level. The whole point of creating the raised bed is to keep the roots out of the soil which saturates easily. Having long roots that extend that far completely destroys the point.

Once you have plants in your new bed, you’ll notice an almost immediate improvement. The added soil facilitates better root development. At the same time, evaporation is prevented and decomposition is discouraged. All of these things added together makes for an ideal environment for almost any plant to grow in. So don’t be intimidated by the thought of adjusting the very topography of your yard. It is a simple process as I’m sure you’ve realized, and the long term results are worth every bit of work. Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

The Truth about Organic Gardening

2010-01-02T17:07:00.001-08:00

Are you one of the thousands upon thousands of people who look at organic gardening as something mystical or from the "Hippie" age? You can rest assured there is nothing mystical about using "mother natures" own creations (natural elements), produced by the earth and animals, to plant your own natural garden. The information provided in this article will dispel the so called "mysticism" idea of organic growing held by many.

A great many people have the mistaken belief that gardens planted without chemicals were begun by the rebelling "Hippies" and "Flower Children" of the 1960's. The author suspects strongly that your forefathers would find fault with that belief. The truth is that as more and more media attention was given to the "Hippies" and "Flower Children", many people were hearing about organic gardening for the first time, but it has been around for centuries upon centuries.

A lineage of farmers which has practiced all natural growing for centuries is the Amish farmers. Even in today’s modern world, with man made chemical fertilizer, weed killer and pesticides, these amazing farmers continue to practice all natural crop growing with truly phenomenal results. It’s not only here in America that “organic” growing is practiced. Many of the countries around the world still use century old methods of natural growth.

Another myth about natural growing of your garden is that you will never be able to keep all the pest and bugs out of it. People believe that without using chemical based and expensive pesticides, you just can’t control bug infestations. Again it just ain’t so. One of the best all natural ways to control the pest is to use their mortal enemy. Birds! But then you ask “How can you attract enough birds?” You create an environment around your garden that is friendly for the birds.

One of the best ways to draw the birds early on is place a birdhouse or birdhouses which are made especially for the type of birds which frequent your area. Not only do you furnish a nesting area for them but make water fully accessible to them. You can put something as simple as a small container filled with water or even go for something much more sophisticated, like a running fresh water fountain. Once the birds have been drawn to your garden and realize they can feast on your bug infestation your problem will be solved in short order.

Frankly, with more research on the internet or a visit to your local nursery, you will become knowledgeable and see the truth about organic gardening. The real truth is it’s a great way to improve your families health and help restore “Mother Earth” to it’s own good health. Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

Origins of Earth Day

2009-12-06T12:49:00.001-08:00

Every April there’s one day when we all try to come together for a greater good. No, it’s not Tax Day ; it’s Earth Day on April 22nd. While most people know about Earth Day and its environmental significance, few of us know how Earth Day got started!

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, there was growing concern over the state of the environment. Most notably seen across college campuses and grassroots organizations, this environmental focus also grew in importance within the political sphere. In 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested a demonstration to help gain attention for environmental causes. A year later on April 22nd, the first official Earth Day was held with over 20 million people participating , a giant step for the modern environmental movement!

Since the inception of Earth Day, the holiday has become an international effort to improve environmental sustainability from air quality and global warming to wildlife protection and recycling efforts. In 1992, the United Nations recognized the growing need to maintain environmental health with an Earth Summit in Rio de Jainero.

While Earth Day has changed a great deal from its original demonstration-based format, the goal remains the same. Now, there’s a greater emphasis on clean energy and the reduction of global warming, but one fact is undeniable: Earth Day is growing in importance across the world. Nearly a billion people across the world participated in last year’s Earth Day activities.

In addition to focusing on a very real and pressing issue, Earth Day also brings people of different cultures, nationalities, religions, and races together to strive for a common goal. Celebrated in over 175 countries, Earth Day is considered “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year,” according to Earth Day Network. This year, become a part of this exciting and important holiday , and spread the word to your friends and family!

What You Can Do:

There are tons of ways you can celebrate Earth Day by yourself or with friends and family! Some of the things you can do to help the environment are:

*Plant a tree: Help keep the planet green one tree at a time! Trees help absorb carbon dioxide, thereby reducing your carbon footprint. For more information on planting, tree care, and what trees are best for your area and the environment, please visit the Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/).

*Make your home Earth friendly: While so many environmental efforts focus on the outdoors, there are an endless number of ways you can make your home more "green." From compact florescent light bulbs and Energystar appliances (http://www.energystar.gov/) to organic, locally grown foods and natural pest control (http://www.ecosmart.com/), there are a growing number of products to help you keep your home Earth friendly. Visit www.healthychild.org for simple ways to keep your home healthy for your family and the planet.

*Donate to a worthy environmental cause: You don’t have to get down and dirty if you don’t want to; donations to well respected environmental organizations ensure that you’re helping the causes you find important. And don’t forget , sometimes these groups need the items you just have gathering dust in your garage! Visit www.charitynavigator.org or similar sites to find a reputable organization.

*Walk, bike, or carpool to reduce emissions: Sometimes, it’s the changes you make in your daily life that will have the greatest impact on the environment. Do something good for your health and the planet by walking or biking to work or to run errands. If you live too far away, consider carpooling or taking public transportation.

*Start a recycling program in your community: If your community doesn’t already have the resources for recycling, you can always take your items to a recycling center. However, if you make the extra effort to create a convenient recycling solution within your neighborhood, more people are likely to recycle as well. At http://earth911.org/recycling/ you can find what items can be recycled as well as how and where to recycle them.

*Know your carbon footprint: How do you measure up in terms of the amount of Carbon Dioxide you and your family produce? See where you stand compared to the national average by calculating your personal contribution to global warming at www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/. You might be surprised enough to adopt cleaner forms of energy.

Greening the Holidays

2009-11-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

"Greening the holidays" began as a grass-roots movement, but it practically has turned into an industry.

Hundreds of media stories, products and Web sites promise to help you reduce the environmental impact of the holidays. Many of the same old tips just keep getting recycled, resulting in green-holidays overload.

But there's a reason this topic gets so much attention. Many of us yearn for healthier, more meaningful, less expensive and less wasteful holidays. Thankfully, local resources for green holidays keep rising to the occasion with fresh new ideas.

Because meals and parties play such an integral role in the holidays, today we'll focus on green-holiday entertaining.

Q: Since Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, why don't we start there?

A: Greening the traditional Thanksgiving feast makes it even more delicious. Locally produced foods, including more than 20 fresh vegetables now in season, have lower transportation impacts and often are grown using sustainable practices.

Some farmers-market veggies
such as carrots taste so much better than regular supermarket vegetables that your dinner guests may be amazed

.

Byline: Tom Watson; Special to The Seattle Times

Gardening Frost Chart for United States

2009-11-14T09:45:00.003-08:00

For easy reference, here is a chart showing the frost dates in the spring and fall for various U.S. cities. (Also, see our frost dates for Canada.)

Dates given are normal averages for a light freeze (32°F); local weather and topography may cause considerable variations. The possibility of frost occurring after the spring dates and before the fall dates is 50 percent. The classification of freezing temperatures is usually based on their effect on plants, with the following commonly accepted categories:

Light freeze:

29°F to 32°F—tender plants killed, with little destructive effect on other vegetation.

Moderate freeze:

25°F to 28°F—widely destructive effect on most vegetation, with heavy damage to fruit blossoms and tender and semi-hardy plants.

Severe freeze:

24°F and colder—damage to most plants.

City	State	Growing Season (Length in Days)	Last Frost Spring	First Frost Fall
Mobile	AL	272	Feb. 27	Nov. 26
Juneau	AK	133	May 16	Sept. 26
Phoenix	AZ	308	Feb. 5	Dec. 15
Tucson	AZ	273	Feb. 28	Nov. 29
Pine Bluff	AR	234	Mar. 19	Nov. 8
Eureka	CA	324	Jan. 30	Dec. 15
Sacramento	CA	289	Feb. 14	Dec. 1
San Francisco	CA	*	*	*
Denver	CO	157	May 3	Oct. 8
Hartford	CT	167	Apr. 25	Oct. 10
Wilmington	DE	198	Apr. 13	Oct. 29
Miami	FL	*	*	*
Tampa	FL	338	Jan. 28	Jan. 3
Athens	GA	224	Mar. 28	Nov. 8
Savannah	GA	250	Mar. 10	Nov. 15
Boise	ID	153	May 8	Oct. 9
Chicago	IL	187	Apr. 22	Oct. 26
Springfield	IL	185	Apr. 17	Oct. 19
Indianapolis	IN	180	Apr. 22	Oct. 20
South Bend	IN	169	May 1	Oct. 18
Atlantic	IA	141	May 9	Sept. 28
Cedar Rapids	IA	161	Apr. 29	Oct. 7
Topeka	KS	175	Apr. 21	Oct. 14
Lexington	KY	190	Apr. 17	Oct. 25
Monroe	LA	242	Mar. 9	Nov. 7
New Orleans	LA	288	Feb. 20	Dec. 5
Portland	ME	143	May 10	Sept. 30
Baltimore	MD	231	Mar. 26	Nov. 13
Worcester	MA	172	Apr. 27	Oct. 17
Lansing	MI	140	May 13	Sept. 30
Marquette	MI	159	May 12	Oct. 19
Duluth	MN	122	May 21	Sept. 21
Willmar	MN	152	May 4	Oct. 4
Columbus	MS	215	Mar. 27	Oct. 29
Vicksburg	MS	250	Mar. 13	Nov. 18
Jefferson City	MO	173	Apr. 26	Oct. 16
Fort Peck	MT	146	May 5	Sept. 28
Helena	MT	122	May 18	Sept. 18
Blair	NE	165	Apr. 27	Oct. 10
North Platte	NE	136	May 11	Sept. 24
Las Vegas	NV	259	Mar. 7	Nov. 21
Concord	NH	121	May 23	Sept. 22
Newark	NJ	219	Apr. 4	Nov. 10
Carlsbad	NM	223	Mar. 29	Nov. 7
Los Alamos	NM	157	May 8	Oct. 13
Albany	NY	144	May 7	Sept. 29
Syracuse	NY	170	Apr. 28	Oct. 16
Fayetteville	NC	212	Apr. 2	Oct. 31
Bismarck	ND	129	May 14	Sept. 20
Akron	OH	168	May 3	Oct. 18
Cincinnati	OH	195	Apr. 14	Oct. 27
Lawton	OK	217	Apr. 1	Nov. 5
Tulsa	OK	218	Mar. 30	Nov. 4
Pendleton	OR	188	Apr. 15	Oct. 21
Portland	OR	217	Apr. 3	Nov. 7
Carlisle	PA	182	Apr. 20	Oct. 20
Williamsport	PA	168	Apr. 29	Oct. 15
Kingston	RI	144	May 8	Sept. 30
Charleston	SC	253	Mar. 11	Nov. 20
Columbia	SC	211	Apr. 4	Nov. 2
Rapid City	SD	145	May 7	Sept. 29
Memphis	TN	228	Mar. 23	Nov. 7
Nashville	TN	207	Apr. 5	Oct. 29
Amarillo	TX	197	Apr. 14	Oct. 29
Denton	TX	231	Mar. 25	Nov. 12
San Antonio	TX	265	Mar. 3	Nov. 24
Cedar City	UT	134	May 20	Oct. 2
Spanish Fork	UT	156	May 8	Oct. 12
Burlington	VT	142	May 11	Oct. 1
Norfolk	VA	239	Mar. 23	Nov. 17
Richmond	VA	198	Apr. 10	Oct. 26
Seattle	WA	232	Mar. 24	Nov. 11
Spokane	WA	153	May 4	Oct. 5
Parkersburg	WV	175	Apr. 25	Oct. 18
Green Bay	WI	143	May 12	Oct. 2
Janesville	WI	164	Apr. 28	Oct. 10
Casper	WY	123	May 22	Sept. 22

* Frosts do not occur every year.
Source: Courtesy of National Climatic Center

Organic Chemical Free Gardening

2009-11-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Every year, thousand of chemicals
are poured into the environment
and millions of gallons of water
are needlessly wasted. How? By
growing plants. Sure, most of this
is done by large agricultural producers,
but some of it is still done in personal gardens. And that means that you can make a difference by changing your gardening practices. There are many agricultural producers who have done it, and you can use the same tricks to help your own garden, and the planet.

Pick appropriate plants. Not all plants are appropriate for the area you live in. While you might be able to control the temperature, humidity, and rain conditions inside your house, you can’t do it out in the garden. If you pick appropriate plants for your area, you may be able to avoid using fertilizers and saving on water too. Research, what plants are native to your surrounding areas and try planting them in your own garden. Wildflowers, are just that, they can pretty much be left alone and will thrive in most areas.

Pick natural repelling plants. You don’t need to rely on poisons to keep away garden ruining pests. Many plants produce chemicals that repel these animals naturally. By putting them in or around you garden, you can keep your garden safe with little effort and no chemicals. Plus, you can pick parts of these plants and use them to make products to keep them away from you too.

If you don’t want to plant natural repellents in your garden, you can use them to spray your plants without harming them or adding artificial chemicals to your garden. Many herbs like hot pepper, vanilla, and lavender can help repel insects from your garden.

Pull weeds. We’re all looking for a quick and easy way to safely get rid of weeds without chemicals, but the good old fashioned way is still very effective. It you take time every day to pull the weeds you can find, you’ll only take a few minutes so it doesn’t seem like a lot of work. You can even get the kids involved, just be sure to do it properly so you don’t spread the seeds around. There are even some common weeds that are edible, just make sure there are no pesticides that could have gotten on them.

Crop rotation. Farmers all over the world use crop rotation to naturally fertilize plants. The concept is to change what crop you’re putting in a certain field each year. Plants use different nutrients and put other nutrients back into the soil. If you rotate crops that replace the nutrients the other plants use, you will have to fertilize the soil less.

You can use this same concept in your garden by planting different plants every year, or just rotating where you put specific plants in the garden.

So, you’ve made all these changes and are using a low-water, chemical free garden? Well, you still haven’t done the most important thing: pass it on! One garden can make a dent, but more can make a bigger difference. Tell your friends, teach your kids, you can even visit their school and teach your kids friends! Every little bit helps make a better world.

Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a Garden Bonus

2009-10-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

The reward of gardening is enjoying the fruits and vegetables of your labor. You may be overlooking a delicious and nutritious crop that right under your hoe - roast pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkins have been a popular part of vegetable gardens for centuries. The word comes from the Greek word "pompon," which means large melon. Native Americans ate roasted pumpkin and wove dried strips into mats. Today, we include pumpkins in our vegetable gardening mainly for their decorating and pie value. We often throw the seeds away.

Next time you carve a jack-'o-lantern or cook a pumpkin for pie filling, save those seeds. They make nutty-flavored snacks that are a good source of protein, fiber, iron and phosphorous.

Below is an easy, fun recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds. The whole family will enjoy making and eating this new treat from the garden. Some people like to wash the seeds before roasting. Others leave any pumpkin particles for added flavor and nutrition.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 Cups Pumpkin Seeds
1 Quart Water
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon Melted Butter or Vegetable Oil

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
2. Bring water and salt to a boil. Add the seeds and boil for 8 to 10 minutes
3.  Drain the seeds in a colander and spread them on a paper towel to dry.
4.  Melt the butter. Put the dry seeds and butter in a large bowl and toss until the seeds are evenly coated.
5.  Spread the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
6.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until they reach a light, golden brown color. Stir seeds every 10 minutes during cooking.
7. Cool the seeds completely before eating.

You can remove the hulls from the seeds after roasting or eat the seeds hull and all. Keep roasted seeds in airtight containers.

Gardening Tip: Set a few seeds aside before roasting. These free seeds will start next year’s pumpkin patch.

About the author:
John Lenaghan writes about vegetable gardening for  where he provides valuable tips and advice about seed companies, garden accessories, container gardening and other vegetable gardening topics.

How to Save Garden Seeds and Save Money

2009-10-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Long before people have been around, plants have been growing from seed without seed catalogues, plant nurseries, seed packets, mail orders, store displays, or any human intervention. Then why isn’t this possible with vegetables and fruits? It is of course very possible and you can do it more easily than you probably realize.

You can save considerable money on seeds, improve your vegetables and fruits from year to year, and save yourself the work of seed selection, purchasing, and so on. If you get really good at it, you could even develop a whole new heirloom variety.

Step 1

Start with Suitable Plants

For seed saving you want to use open pollinated or heirloom plants to get your seeds from. You want to stay away from hybrid plants, which can yield unpredictable results. Good seed catalogues indicate if seeds are hybrids (i.e. F1) or not.

Heirloom plants are great plants to start with, since they often come from people who have been carefully saving seeds from one season to another, selecting from plants that are the best in their garden, thereby improving the plants from one generation to another to the specific qualities that make that particular heirloom plant unique and wonderful. There are seed catalog's that specialize in this, which are representative of collections of many gardeners who are well practiced seed savers, rather than the seed conglomerate companies.

Step 2

Save the Best Fruits or Vegetables out of your Garden for seeds

Saving the best things for seed can be hard to do, especially at first, since those perfect carrots, radishes, asparagus, flowers, potatoes, or other plants are something as a gardener you want to relish and enjoy. To sit back and let it go to seed, rather than pick it and enjoy it seems counter to all your hopes as a gardener. If you save the seeds of the less tempting plants, you can be perpetuating the problems that led to that plant being less fruitful. If you save seeds of the best plants, you can be perpetuating the best of your plants. So one way to console yourself on not harvesting the best fruits or vegetables is to realize that by doing this you can probably have even more great plants like that one next year when you plant the seeds of such a fruitful plant.

There are some garden plants you can both harvest and still save the seeds from the best plants, such as tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, avocados, or any other fruit or vegetable that has the seed within it.

Step 3

Collect the seeds at the Appropriate Time

For many seeds, the best time to collect them is when the parent plant has died and dried, but before the plant has fallen to the ground or started to decompose. This often means allowing fruit and vegetables to ‘over-ripen’. If you pick the seeds too early, you risk gathering seeds that aren’t ready, resulting in unhealthy and weak plants or maybe no plants at all. If you wait too long, you risk losing the seeds to wind, birds, mice, or being replanted in the same general place.

For some plants, re-seeding in place isn’t a loss, though you do increase the chance of disease, pest invasion, and seed loss by allowing this to happen repeatedly. Year after year, I have cherry tomatoes, potatoes, and alpine strawberries that re-seed every year, simply because there are too many for me to pick them all on a consistent basis. However for optimum results, you don’t want to do this.

For beginning seed saving, you may want to start with larger and easier seeds, such as beans, marigolds, squash, pumpkins, or cucumbers.

Peas and beans are best collected when the pods have dried out, at which time they are easily gathered. If you live in a wet fall climate, you may need to watch for the plant starting to die back and gathering and drying the pods yourself.

For plants that have the seeds inside the fruit, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins, it is best to strain and separate the seeds out and let them dry for a few days in a dry location. Some examples of good drying locations are on a plate on a sunny window ledge

Some plants have really small seeds, like chives, carrots, lettuce, which take some practice knowing what they look like and when to collect them. For these types of plants the easiest way to gather the seeds is to watch for when the flowering part of the plant has dried, then place dried flowering seed head in a paper sack and shake the seeds out.

Step 4

Save the Seeds in a Dark, Dry, and Cold Location

Before saving your seeds make sure they have dried, reducing the chance for destructive mold and mildew during storage. A general rule of thumb is that if you can bend your seed then it still has too much moisture in it and will rupture and die if frozen. However, if you attempt to bend it and it breaks instead, then it’s probably at 8% of moisture or less and can be safely frozen.

Store the seeds in their dried pods or paper, like paper envelopes, not plastic bags. This will help to reduce moisture buildup. Be sure to mark what type of seed they are and the year you saved them, since it can be difficult to remember the following years what they were. You can make your own desiccant, or drying agent, by putting about 1 tablespoon of powdered milk wrapped in a paper towel and placing it inside the seed container to help absorb moisture.

I like to save my seeds in a drawer in the fridge or freezer in air-proof containers. You want to cause the seeds to stay dormant by reproducing wintertime conditions of darkness, dryness, and coldness, which is easy to do in a fridge or freezer.

If the fridge is not an option, another possibility is to dig a mini-root cellar hole in your yard and have a water-tight box you can store your seeds in. The ground in many locations stays pretty cold during the winter.

By storing your seeds in a dark, dry, and cold location you will insure a higher germination rate at planting time, reduce incidents of seeds molding or mildewing while in storage, and have a worry-free place you can keep them until planting time.

If you freeze your seeds, when you remove the seeds from the freezer, allow them to come up to room temperature before handling for planting or sowing.

Step 5

Plant the seeds at the Correct Time

As spring approaches, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of planting time approaching and to plant your seeds too early. This may take some practice and experimentation, though fortunately, when saving your own seeds you often can have lots of extra seeds to make mistakes with.

The longer seeds are saved, the lower your germination rate, so it is always better to use seeds the following season rather than older seeds. At the same time, it is also a good idea to hold back some of your seeds as insurance in case you have crop failure due to unexpected weather conditions or pests.

You can often find guidelines on when to plant on the Internet or on the backs of seed packets at a store with similar seeds.

One online example can be found at:
http://www.territorialseed.com/downloads/plantingchart.pdf
By: edibleyard.com

Planning a Green Christmas

2009-10-24T18:29:00.001-07:00

The song tells of a white Christmas, but that refers to the weather and the Christmasy atmosphere that snow can bring. Planning for a green Christmas is all about being environmentally active and aware while saving money as well. In times of economic uncertainty that must surely be a good thing. And of course, if the weather brings a little bit of white covering too, then that makes a green Christmas perfect!

Exchanging gifts is a common practice at Christmas, and this is an excellent place to start our green Christmas habits. The gift wrapping paper sold in stores is usually not recyclable. Most of it is immediately thrown away to end up in landfills. This makes gift wrapping with store-bought paper expensive and very unfriendly to the planet - not what we want for a green Christmas.

A much better alternative, and one that close relatives will appreciate, is to use your children's artwork to wrap gifts. You could also use your children's comic books, or the comic sections of newspapers as a bright and colorful alternative, thereby recycling old paper. You can explain to the recipient of the gift in a positive way why you are doing this and perhaps make them feel guilty for not having a green Christmas as well.

It has been calculated by the Sierra Club, America's oldest and largest environmental organization, that if every family in the country gift wrapped just three gifts by recycling existing paper they already have, the paper saved would be enough to cover 45,000 football fields. Now, that's a green Christmas and a whole lot of trees saved too!

If you plan to hang a wreath on your front door. consider making one yourself. It's easy and very environmentally friendly - and you'll save money too. Go into the forest, or even a nearby park, and find evergreen branches and dried twigs. These can be wrapped in a circular fashion with cranberries strung together to add a splash of bright color. You'll surprise yourself at how good you are, it won't cost you anything but a little time, and the materials are all fully biodegradable. Your green Christmas can't get much better than that.

There are many more things you can do to make this a green Christmas. Consider making your own cards, for example. Use your children's artwork again - it's perfect for this and grandparent will love it. You can use LED lights on your tree (which should be a real one that can be planted out later) and you will save 90% on your green Christmas electricity bill. If you start thinking about it I'm sure you will come up with other great ideas for a green Christmas. Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

Ideas For Green Christmas Gifts

2009-10-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

You shouldn't be stuck thinking up ideas for green Christmas gifts. There are so many different ways to make excellent and interesting gifts and ornaments using existing materials, or things that are easy and inexpensive to obtain. Ideas for green christmas gifts are usually only limited by your imagination, so start imagining!

Gift baskets are popular and are easily made too, and one of the best ideas for green Christmas gifts. The basket can be recycled from a cardboard box, cut to size and shape as desired, and wrapped in something original. The artwork that your children produce in school or at home is ideal for wrapping gift baskets. If you can't find enough old ones, have them make a few new ones. Any left over artwork can be shredded and laid in the bottom of the basket to provide a suitable crinkly base for the gifts.

The gifts that fill the gift baskets can be anything. However, some of the better ideas for green Christmas gifts are things like homemade jams, homemade cookies, and homemade maple candy, which can be cut into Christmas shapes. Other ideas for green Christmas gifts for your gift baskets can be produced by your children. An aluminum drinks can painted, or covered in an old photo or some kind of artwork makes a great pen holder. A sturdy shoe box, if suitably decorated, can become an attractive treasure box. Your children will love creating these ideas for green Christmas gifts.

Clay ornaments are easy to make and are definitely environmentally friendly ideas for green Christmas gifts. You can make the clay dough with flour, salt and water in ratios of two parts flour to one part salt and one part water. Mix well together and knead for at least 10 minutes, then roll out and cut to shape. You can use existing cookie cutters, or get more imaginative for better results.

You may wish to poke a hole in each ornament before baking them to make it easy for hanging. Make the hole larger than you need as it will shrink during baking. Then bake the ornaments in an oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for around an hour and a half. These excellent ideas for green Christmas gifts can be decorated in hundreds of different exciting ways and will look really great too.

Ideas for green Christmas gifts are all around you. They will save you money and help to save the environment. In that way you will know that you are doing your bit for the planet. Christmas is a Christian celebration, but people of other religions also know the importance of being green and saving valuable resources and money. As the Dalai Lama said: "We have a responsibility to look after our planet. It is our only home." Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

The History And Future Of Organic Supplements

2009-10-17T04:45:00.001-07:00

The History of Organic Supplements
The health food business began more than a century ago with names like Sylvester Graham and John H. Kellogg. Graham introduced the famous Graham crackers in 1830 and John H. Kelloggs with his brother introduced the famous cornflakes cereal. By 1899 the Kelloggs brothers were the first to become millionaires of the newly born “fad food" industry.

During the early 1900s scientists began quantifying food groups. Dubious elixirs claiming all kinds of miracles began to be sold from bandwagons that traveled from town to town. Fraudulent claims and mass gullibility led the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in 1906 to restrict the use of health claims on foods and drugs.

Health magazines began to be published promoting vitamins, food preparation and exercise creating health awareness and warning people of the dangers of pollution. During World War II the first book on organic food, Organic Gardening and Farming, was released and became an immediate bestseller. In the late 1980s companies like Amway, NeoLife, and Shaklee distributed costly vitamins from door to door grossing a total of $700 million selling health supplements.

In the counterculture of the 1960s and the 1970s university students opened up community gardens, cooperative grocery stores, health-food restaurants, and organic farms. Ecology and earth preservation became the buzz words. Foods like brown rice, wheat germ, honey, nuts, sprouts became popular health foods. Vegetables were considered healthy if they were locally and organically produced. Vegetarian diets became the “in" thing. Sugar, white bread and red meat began to be thought of as unhealthy food.

The counter-culture movement is where the health food business was born and found its niche. As patients became self-reliant treating their ailments with natural products, doctors began complaining of patients using untested herbal concoctions and eastern methods for self-treatment. This movement was soon to emerge as alternate medicine or complementary medicine. Conventional foods were enriched or fortified with nutrients. In 1973, the FDA required such products to show labels with ingredients and the RDA values for protein and seven essential vitamins and minerals.

In the 1990s the medical profession began to be slowly convinced of herbal methods of treatment with growing research validating some of their claims. Doctors began to combine nutrition and preventive medicine to treat patients for various health disorders. The World Health Organization began to adopt herbal treatments to cut down on medical costs. The U.S. National Institutes of Health began to research herbal medicine claims.

The Result
Unremarkable growth in the sale of whole food and organic supplements. From 1980 to 1990 the industry grew from $1.9 billion to $4.2 billion in 1990. From 1990 to 2000 it grew to $32 billion. (Spencer, 2001). According to the FDA and Nutrition Business News by 2005 this industry had risen to $83 billion. This was due to:
Natural grocery stores opening up in the 1980s and 1990s while many small cooperative health-food stores still sustained their business.
Convention food conglomerates bought out some small natural food product companies.
Regular grocery stores began to carry more organic foods.
Consumers became increasingly aware of health issues and how nutrition plays a vital part in it.
The Future of Organic Supplements
In the recent past, many consumers did not feel confident about the organic supplement they purchased because there were very little rules regulating this industry. Recent self-regulations have been induced by the implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices and the Adverse Event Report. With these factors now in play the industry is predicted to grow 39% from 2007-2012 according to the Nutritional Supplements in The U.S., Third Edition.

Today, consumers are more educated in nutrition and aware of health issues. Recent scientific research has boosted the organic supplement industry in a phenomenal way. Organic supplement manufacturers have to their aid an advanced technology that has increased productivity without compromising on quality. New technological advances cut production costs and ensure efficiency resulting in products that are free of contaminants and prove integrity in labeling.

Inspite of the 2008 economic crash the organic supplement industry is poised for bigger growth. In fact, the organic supplement manufacturers are making an all-out effort to promote the use of organic supplements as against expensive prescription drugs and medical treatments, especially in such dire times such as these.

The spectrum of organic suppplements includes vitamins, minerals, and botanical plants. There is much growth predicted for specific-health related products such as for joints, calcium, children's health concerns, eye, energy, heart health, men's health, women's health, brain, digestive and cosmetic products. Weight control products are popularly in demand as are antioxidants, Green Tea, spirulina, chlorella, ginkgo biloba, glucosamine and saw palmetto, soy protein nutrients, lutein, lycopene, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and sterol esters, and coenzyme Q10.

Market research shows that organic supplements have a global market with a demand that is predicted to reach $15.5 billion by the year 2010.

About The Author:
Nutricap Labs is a full service vitamin supplement manufacturing service. We primarily manufacture nutritional tablets, capsules, powders, liquids and creams, but we also offer label and packaging design services and order fulfillment services to our customers.

The Optimal Times To Implement Organic Lawn Care Products

2009-10-17T04:43:00.001-07:00

Every year as soon as the grass turns green, garden owners around the world get anxious to start on their lawns. With just the right amount of patience, they will enjoy a fine lawn in the months to follow.

As an example, many gardeners like to put fertilizer on their young blades of grass so that they will grow well and become nourished. Most owners opt for organic fertilizers because it is the recommended practice for most bluegrass and fescue lawns. Not only is it healthy for the soil, it is also healthy for the environment in general.

The right time to apply organic fertilizer is during the fall. They do this because the roots have to sustain the plants all through the winter until next summer. If you happen to miss the fertilizer application during the fall you can still do it in the spring. When you're looking for an organic fertilizer you need to make sure that the nutrients are a half a pound of nitrogen for every 1000 ft.².

Lime is another organic lawn care product that can be used. This is often applied during early spring after the soil tests. There are a lot of different grass types that have their best growth whenever you can get the soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The garden owner must have his soil analyzed every 2 to 3 years. The results from the soil tests determine how much lime must be applied.

Pre-emergent organic herbicides must be applied between March and April in order to control the growth of crabgrass. Every once in a while crabgrass will emerge, but you can get the best of it and control it with organic herbicides. Crabgrass that is already growing won't be affected by the herbicide though. Because of this the best time that you need to apply the herbicide is one the crabgrass is just sprouting.

Most of your fertilizer spraying is done during the fall.Spraying weed killer can also be done during this time. Before you spray the weed killer though you do need to make sure that the weeds are actually growing. During the drought, spray when the weeds are growing.

Whenever you are applying herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, you need to make sure that you use a different sprayer for each one. Mark these sprayers correctly so you know exactly what the containers are for. Just a simple mistake of mixing any one of the lawn care products with another one can end up hurting your plants permanently.

March may be early for insect control but you must always care for your lawn during early spring. If you missed feeding it during the fall, then you can compensate for it during this season.
Written by Frank Froggatt

Organic Gardening Trend

2009-10-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Everything organic is gaining popularity these days and looking at the score of benefits that it offers, it is only good that it is becoming popular. Organic gardening and organic products are becoming almost mainstream wich render them cheaper to buy to the general public, and more people who by them, the more they are cheaper. There was a time when it was restricted to speciality stores and some posh grocery store. However, times have changed and these days you can find organic produce even in supermarkets.

Things are changing and so are the trends in foods. Organic foods are no longer too expensive to be affordable. With organic foods becoming more available, their consumption is also increasing. People are becoming increasingly aware of the advantages that organic gardening has on its surroundings and the health of their environment.

Greater awareness leads to an increased demand. The rise in demand leads to an increase in production. The increased production causes the organics to become more available in affordable prices. Low prices means more consumption and the cycle continues.

The 1990s saw a dramatic increase in the sale of organic products, as much as an increase of at least 20% each year. This increase caused the organics to sell well past $9 billion at the start of year 2000. The year 2006 saw at least 7 of 10 US consumers buying organic products.
The numbers are definitely encouraging and it is certainly good news that organic practices are going nowhere.

It was twenty years or even ten years ago, you might need an explanation to understand what organic actually means and why you see it on your food label. However, today almost anybody will understand that organic would be something that is grown while not using any artificial fertilizers, hormone supplements or pesticides.

When take a deeper insight into organics, then you realise that it is in fact, a system. It is more than a simple substitution of synthetics with natural. The basic principle of any organic system is to work inside the limits of nature in order to produce healthy food.

The primary focus is on the health of the soil. If the soil is healthy and rich in nutrients, it will produce healthy plants, which will be strong enough to resist pests and diseases.

Conventional methods would call for applying chemicals in order to treat disease or to control pests. However, organic methods would look at prevention by way to improving the soil. Instead of a quick chemical fix, organic methods opt for long term improvement of the soil.

The benefits are obvious. One is not requiring any re-entry interval. In other words, you do not need to wait before entering the growing area as farmers who use poisonous pesticides do.

The water sources remain pure and uncontaminated. The advantages are many.

About The Author:
Owner of MishoBonsai, Gen Wright has been practicing bonsai for over 10 years. Found a distinct interest in propagation, especially Bonsai care. Mishobonsai sells tree seeds and provide bonsai tree information for beginner to advanced bonsai enthusiast. Mishobonsai sells tree seeds from deciduous and evergreen species. Many specific species growing guides and general bonsai informations.

The Benefits of Gardening

2009-10-11T06:01:00.001-07:00

There are people who make use of their gardening skills as a source of income. Gardening, however, has also become a common hobby and the good thing about it is that it is one healthy hobby. This activity can be used as some form of therapy. By focusing your attention on growing plants, you get to forget your worries; it is a natural antidepressant.

Spending a couple of hours of gardening is also a form of exercise. By doing this activity, you do not have to regularly go to the gym to shape up and to make sure that your body stays fit. Just imagine the tasks associated with gardening: digging the soil, watering the plants, uprooting the weeds, and so on. Don't these activities make up for a total workout?

Gardening is not only beneficial for our physical health, but also for our emotional and psychological health. As mentioned, it is a natural antidepressant. Spending some time with nature can give you a feeling of peace and tranquility, which is very important in counteracting the stressors that you may have to face everyday – work, bills, a troublesome and noisy neighbor, etc.

Besides being a healthy hobby, gardening is also a productive hobby. You produce a garden, a well-tended garden that is so pleasing to the eyes. Your garden can even serve as a picnic area for your family and friends. Going further to the more practical side of gardening is growing vegetables and other plants that you can actually cook and eat. And, you can make sure that they are free of chemicals that can be harmful to health, especially when you make use of organic gardening. Through this kind of gardening, you make good use of your left-over food or rotten fruits and vegetables by using them as natural fertilizers. So this is practically hitting more than two birds in one stone.

If others take photographs or paint to express themselves then why can't you make use of gardening to express yourself and to make use of your creative juices? While this activity may involve those implausible activities like tilling the soil and get your hands dirtied, why don't you look at the creative side of it? Just like photography or painting, you make use of techniques to make sure that your plants grow and live and arrange them in such a way that they look aesthetically pleasing. And, the activity can give you an extra sense of fulfillment because you are nurturing living things.

Of course, just like any hobby, you need some tools and some basic knowledge to help you get started with it. There is so much to learn about gardening and you should equip yourself with at least the basic techniques. But of course, there is no better knowledge that you will learn than when you yourself start and continue gardening.

There is no doubt that gardening has not one but many benefits. Moreover, let this article end by leaving you with very apt quotes, the first from Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the second from John Evelyn:

"I used to visit and revisit a dozen of times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green."

"Gardening is a labour full of tranquility and satisfaction; natural and instructive, and as such contributes to the most serious contemplation, experience, health, and longevity."

About The Author:
Jo is an content writer for Japanese Knotweed Solutions, (http://www.jksl.com), experts in Japanese Knotweed elimination. If you are a devoted gardener, a home builder or a nature lover, sooner or later you will come across this pervasive nuisance. Japanese Knotweed is one of the most destructive weeds, causing large amounts of damage each year to houses, public building, and the environment.

Plant hardiness zone map for planting zones

2009-10-04T14:27:00.001-07:00

Plant hardiness zone map for planting zones

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How to Preserve Fruit | eHow.com

2009-10-04T08:32:00.001-07:00

How to Preserve Fruit | eHow.com

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3 Tips For Organic Gardening Soil

2009-10-04T08:31:00.001-07:00

Do you really think organic gardening soil is the same as regular garden soil? If so, boy are you sadly mistaken and you have a rude awakening coming your way. That's kind of blunt isn't it? Did I get your attention, I really hope so. The information in this article will help you get a better understanding of the facts about organic gardening soil.

The first misconception most new organic gardeners have about their soil is that any thing can grow in any type of soil. All you have to do is throw a few seeds in the ground and boom you have a natural garden. You need to lose that preconceived notion if it applies to you.

You must take into consideration the overall climate conditions which will impact the soil. An example of these things would be rain, wind, temperatures and exposure to the sun light. Then the next thing to consider is the amount of rocks and density of the soil.

An example of bad density soil would be where the dirt is tightly compacted and allows for no circulation of air or moisture. To have good organic gardening soil it must be loose, with excellent air and moisture circulation. Not to worry though because one of the things you can do if your dirt is tightly compacted is introduce earthworms to the ground and allow them to do their thing.

Frankly though the earthworms take time to create their magic and they have a tendency to get out of the designated planting area quickly. However, there is a simple solution to that problem and you will help improve your soil quickly.

You can go to your local nursery or hardware store and purchase organic soil by the bag full or even by the truck load. Many organic gardeners will put this soil on top of their compacted soil and then plow it into the regular soil. However, for this method to be effective you must have enough organic soil to be from a minimum depth of three inches up to six inches or more. The great thing about it is as you repeat this procedure through several growing seasons you will soon have brought the life back to your original soil.

Another tip about your soil is the proper levels of phosphates, hydrogen and acidity in the soil. This is often times referred to as the ph factor in the soil. It’s quiet easy today to go on the World
Wide Web and order a testing kit for your soil. However, one of the best ways to determine if you have right kind of soil for organic gardening is to take a sample of your soil to your county agriculture agent or to your local nursery. For a small fee or no fee at all they will tell you everything you need to know about your soil.

In addition to providing you the information about your dirt they can also advise you as to the best type of plants that will grow in your soil. Furthermore, they are a great source for additional tips on growing an organic garden successfully.

These tips are just a few of the things about your organic gardening soil which are important. To really get ahead of the game on your soil you should continue to further your education.
Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

How to Create Pickling Salt | eHow.com

2009-09-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

How to Create Pickling Salt | eHow.com

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A Summer Garden for All Seasons

2009-09-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

One thing that is often overlooked when planning and creating a beautiful summer garden for homeowners to enjoy is the fact that the garden exists throughout the year. Unfortunately in the vast majority of summer gardens there is a huge hole in the garden for the vast majority of the year. Carefully planning in order to avoid this process and planting flowering plants that bloom during various seasons of the year as well as plants that provide beautiful foliage and greenery even when the flowers may not be blooming can prevent this absence of life within your summer garden from occurring.

Plant continuously and groom your garden consistently throughout the year. Obviously the winter months are not great months for planting in the earth but this doesn't mean that you cannot use flowerpots filled with seasonal offerings to fill the gaps of green within your garden. There are all kinds of flowers that thrive in winter weather that would make a beautiful addition to your winter garden without taking anything away from the beauty of your summer garden. In fact, the ability to incorporate these flowers and plants into your garden without necessarily planting may be an excellent incentive to keep your garden up to date even in seasons that aren't traditionally thought of as gardening seasons.

Add features to your garden that aren't plant related to bring splashes of color to your garden during winter months while preserving the space needed for planting your summer garden when the appropriate time comes. Flowerpots are a great example of this but so are lawn ornaments and statues that may be either moved to a different location during summer months or removed all together. Keep the earth warm for the summer garden to come during those long cold winter months.

Use the winter months to plan your summer garden. The spring is often spent in preparation and the fall months are spent harvesting. The winter months would be put to excellent use planning the new additions and possible movements that need to occur in the coming months. Working on your garden and improving your garden does not necessarily require working in your garden. Once you have those gaps filled in and a little bit of green and color in your garden for the winter months you can focus your undivided attention on making the coming summer garden even better and more spectacular than ever before.

Be careful not to plant all of your seeds in one garden spot so to speak while you are making your plans. By this I mean you need to keep a certain willingness to make adjustments and corrections as you go and learn more about the growing process and the specific gardening needs of your yard. Every growing season will bring a season of new lessons to learn take the time to reflect upon the lessons learned during previous seasons when making plans for the coming seasons and make the adjustments that present themselves along the way.

By learning from the mistakes of the past and always looking to and anticipating the needs of the future you are insuring greater success each year for your summer garden not only during the dog days of summer but throughout all the seasons of the year.
Http://www.GreenCertifier.com

Is Organic Gardening Always Safe?

2009-09-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Every where you turn today people are talking about organic gardening and the healthy benefits of eating organically grown fruits and veggies. However, are organic grown vegetables and fruits as healthy and safe as people claim? The information contained in this article will provide you with food for thought.

In a recent study, done by United Kingdom scientist, revealed that almost 33% of the food being sold in the UK had measurable levels of pesticide and chemicals used in crop enhancement, which are dangerous to the human body. In addition the same study indicated that almost all developed countries, through out the world, had approximately the same levels of contamination. Unfortunately this included organically grown food as well.

The primary reason for this contamination was due to the ground water which the plants consume. This is from years and years of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizer being dumped on the ground, to enhance the yield and speed the growth of the produce, then leeching into the ground water table. The only way your organic gardening can avoid this water is to use filtered water or distilled water. However using distilled water means your produce will be short on certain nutrients vital to the health of your body. In addition to the ground water the contamination is also caused by the wind currents.

Much of the pesticides and fertilizers applied to the crops are sprayed on. Consequently, the mist of chemicals is caught by the wind and can be carried a good distance before dropping to the earth. If your organic garden happens to be in the path of the wind your plants will become covered with the synthetic pesticides and fertilizer.

Other studies have shown that these same pesticides and other chemicals, over a period of years or even months can cause health problems in the human body. It is now believed that these chemicals can affect the brain development of unborn babies in the mother’s womb. In addition these chemicals have been linked to certain kinds of cancer, breakdown of the nervous system, weakening of the immune system and other diseases which can destroy the vital organs of the human body.

Perhaps you believe that washing of your veggies will protect you, but this is not necessarily the case. These same studies have also indicated that certain fruits and vegetables are susceptible to these same chemicals leeching into the meat of these veggies and fruits through the skin. An example of this kind or fruit would be lemons or grapefruit. In this case organic produce would really be much safer than the regular grown fruit.

As you can tell from reading the above information organic gardening may not be quite as safe as you thought it was. However, with the proper precautions, such as always washing the veggies and fruits prior to preparing or eating, will reduce the risk of ingesting dangerous chemicals.
Http://www.Greencertifier.com

2009-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

How To Set Up an Easy & Inexpensive Compost Bin on Howcast

How To Benefit Others And Yourself With Organic Gardening

2009-08-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

What benefits are in organic gardening besides having a more beautiful garden or eating healthier veggies and fruits? Actually there are more special benefits than most people and organic gardeners ever think about. This article will tell you about the additional benefits and give you some thought provoking ideas that may surprise you.

Did you know you can feed children around the world with your organic garden? "How in the world can you do that?" you ask. It's really quite simple and only takes a little more planning and work on your part.

When you began to plan your own personal natural garden you should layout a larger and grander garden. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s for flowers, veggies, fruits or bushes to beautify your yard. That’s right! Make it bigger. When it's harvest time you will have more flowers, plants and veggies than you can possibly use.

Instead of plowing under the excess crops from your organic gardening or inundating your friends and relatives with it take it to the local Farmers Market or the Flea Market and sell it. Chances are you won't have a problem selling it and you may end up with a pocket full of cash. Take the cash from the sell and donate it to your favorite "Feed The Children" charity. When you do this a starving child will benefit from your garden, long after you harvested your crops.

Another great benefit from raising your own organic fruits and veggies is it's a great school project for your child’s school. Help your child and their classmates set up their own organic garden. The immediate lessons they learn will be about how to help the environment, healthy eating, teamwork and it makes learning fun for them. Again, set it up, so the children can take the crops to the local Farmers Market or Flea Market to sell.
The proceeds from the sell can be used to buy something which will benefit all of the children of the school.

This next benefit is one that is seldom thought about by your children or possibly by you.
This is the benefit of the physical exercise you and the kids will receive by working in the garden. You know that the kids today don’t play outside the way you did when you were a kid. An hour a day of working in your garden will help in weight loss (burning calories), lowering blood pressure, strengthen the heart and lungs, build muscle, sharpen the mind. Relieve stress and sleep better. The end result being you and kids will be much happier and healthy to boot.

One last benefit you will realize by you when working with the earth and growing things organically is the restoration of your sprit and soul. You will receive such a sense of well being when you have a fruitful harvest, you just can’t beat it. You will know you have done your part to help “Mother Nature” return to her natural state and touched all the other human beings by doing so.

As you have just read the benefits to organic gardening can benefit not only yourself and your family, but you can actually reach out and make a difference in the world.
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