Mini Organic Gardens

A mini organic garden can give you wonderful vegetables which are pesticide-free and delicious. It is not really necessary to have a large garden area to grow plants or vegetables. All you will ever need in veggies will grow in a reasonably small plot. The no-dig garden method has been proven successful all over the world. What you need to […]

Fertility in the Organic Garden

Identifying Plant Symptoms Problems Soil tests done in a lab are one way to check the health of your soil. However, the ultimate test is how well your plants are doing. By carefully observing your plants, you can tell which nutrient your plants are lacking. With this information, you can choose which amendments should be added to the soil to […]

Controlling Powdery Mildew on Plants

Powdery mildew is a common disease on many types of plants. In fact, it is one of the oldest plant diseases on record – Theophrastis wrote of powdery mildew on roses in 300 B.C. Although different species of fungi cause the disease on different plants (Erysiphe infects vegetable crops and flowers; Podosphaera species infects apples and stone fruits; Sphaerotheca species […]

Try Apartment Composting

When I moved to my current apartment I had windows along the south wall perfect for a winter garden, but no patio or yard in which to put my compost. The solution? A compost column built from two recycled two-liter plastic bottles, an idea from the University of Wisconsin’s Bottle Biology Resources Network. Look carefully at the drawing. The two […]

Grow Japanese Red Maple Trees from Seed

  Most Japanese Maple seeds ripen in the fall. Watch the tree and wait for the seeds to turn brown. The seeds are ready to be harvested when they are brown and can be easily removed from the tree. The seeds are attached to a wing, it’s best to break the wing off before storing or planting the seeds. Japanese […]

Gardening with Pressure Treated Wood

Perils Of Pressure Treated Wood Now is the time for many gardeners to construct, repair or replace raised beds to get a jump on spring planting. It also gives us a great opportunity to prepare the soil inside for next year’s growing season. But did you know that the lumber you choose can actually hurt you? Pressure treated wood is […]

Plant garlic in your garden

The fall is the perfect time to plant garlic in your garden. Compared to spring-planted garlic, fall garlic produces larger bulbs, matures earlier, and often has fewer disease problems. Additionally, certain types of garlic, mainly hard-neck types like Rocambole, will not mature in time from spring planting. Of the three types of garlic, soft-neck garlic is the type most often […]

Pegging Down Roses

There are exceptions, as may well beĀ imagined, among the wonderful variety that is found in roses at the present day. The first exception is found in those varieties that make vigorous growth even when hard pruned; this would seem to indicate that the orthodox method is not for them. Neither, in fact, is it suitable. If grown in a bed […]

Do a Quick & Easy Seed Germination Test

Do a Quick & Easy Seed Germination Test by Arzeena Hamir If the holidays have pretty much wiped you out, here is a simple activity that will not only save you money but will help organize your garden for the upcoming year. Like many gardeners, my stash of seeds has accumulated over the years to the extent that I often […]

Five Must-Have Ingredients for the Organic Gardener’s Toolkit

For any gardener who still hasn’t been convinced about the need to garden organically, here are some statistics that may help change your mind. In March of 2001, the American Cancer Society published a report linking the use of the herbicide glyphosate (commonly sold as Round-up) with a 27% increased likelihood of contracting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. John Hopkins University also revealed […]