Organic Green Spot Gardening

Compost  when properly produced is  dark, crumbly, decomposed organic matter that smells like the earth.  The finished product is humus and is a treasure for the organic gardener.

Compost enriches soil  and improves plant growth when it helps break down heavy clay soils .  The ability to hold water and add nutrients to the soil will aid in plant growth.

Many gardeners fail to make use of their yard wastes and miss an opportunity to improve plant yields.  The following yard wastes are easily added to the compost pile.

• Grass clippings
• old plants and their potting soil
• flowers
• weeds that do not spread
• small twigs
• wood chips

However, there are some organic wastes that should not be added to the compost pile.

• large branches
• lumber that has been treated, painted, or preserved
• dog and cat waste
• weeds spread by runners like morning glory
• diseased plants or insect infested plants
• meat, fish, or dairy products (vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves, eggshells are fine)
• weeds gone to seed

Bacteria at work in the Compost Pile

First, mesophilic bacteria start to work while the compost pile is cool. These beneficial bacteria begin by consuming and digesting organic matter and reproduce in the process. Heat is released and conditions change to attract a different type of bacteria attracted to a warm environment.
Thermophilic bacteria begin to work as the compost pile heats up. Temperatures may be as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit and weed seeds, insects, and many diseases are killed by this heat. Finally, a complex form of bacteria called Actinomycetes takes over as the decomposition of organic material is completed.

Actinomycetes give the new soil a pleasant , earthy smell turning it into a finished product.

Other workers in this decomposition process are much larger than microscopic bacteria and include snails, slugs, millipedes, centipedes, nematodes, earthworms, and some insects like spiders and mites.

The final product is called humus and is gold for the organic garden. Humus helps soil particles stick together which in turn allows the soil to be aerated and allows better drainage by adding pore spaces in the soil. The soil can better hold water in periods of drought and reduces erosion. The soil is better able to store nutrients that plants can use in their growth cycle as the nutrients are slowly released into the root system.

The use of this rich humus gives the organic gardener the opportunity to provide a friendly environment to beneficial microorganisms, earthworms, and other subterranean life forms by avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers.

This is the natural process we see in our forests and prairies where growing plants drop their leaves, flowers, and fruits into the soil. This composting process is the organic gardener’s ability to copy the workings of a natural ecosystem by returning vegetation to the soil to be used again by our garden’s vegetables and plants.

Visit www.organicgreenspot.com

Compost is the Organic Gardener

There are three  kinds of  composting  techniques that may be used by the Organic Gardener.

1.  Hot Composting.  This is a fast way to create nutrient rich soil and the compost is ready in less than eight weeks.  However, the gardener needs to turn the pile every  few days so it takes more labor than other methods.  The whole pile is put together at once, watered , and covered.  After a few days the temperature in the center  will reach 150 degrees allowing heat-loving bacteria  to  decompose the pile.  The pile is then turned to allow the bacteria access to the other part of the pile and this continues until the pile cools down and the compost is ready to use.

2.  Cold Composting.  This composting technique  may take from six months to over a year to yield compost.  The pile never gets really hot and  many disease organisms and weed seeds may survive along with beneficial organisms.  The organic gardener can add to the pile continuously and it does not need to be turned so labor is less intensive.  The compost pile needs to be poked occasionally  to provide sufficient air and it needs to be watered.  Gardeners may start two piles and  when the organic matter is ready in one pile they may move the top of the pile to the other compost spot and use the soil at the bottom that is ready  to be worked into the garden.

3.  Sheet Composting.  The gardener puts organic waste directly into the soil by burying or tilling and the waste decomposes below ground.  This recycles organic material but the technique may lead to nitrogen deficiencies as the decomposition is less even.  Another way of using sheet composting is tilling under a cover crop or spreading animal manure in the soil.

All three methods can produce rich humus for the Organic Garden.

Visit www.organicgreenspot.com to find and easier method for organic composting.

Working with a Compost Tumbler

I spent the summer looking for some friendly pollinators in  my garden.

My Sunflower Bee

The following is a good source for gardeners wanting  information on what to plant to attract
Pollinators to their garden.  Go to the site and  watch the film, “Pollinators at Risk” found on the right hand side of the home page   explaining the importance of  our bees and butterflies.

www.pollinator.org

This quote from their home page explains the importance of Pollinators:

“Pollination is vital to our survival and the existence of nearly all ecosystems on earth. 80% of the world’s crop plants depend on pollination. Pollinators, almost all of which are insects, are indispensable partners for an estimated 1 out of every 3 mouthfuls of food, spices and condiments we eat, and the beverages we drink. They are essential to the fibers we use, the medicines that keep us healthy, and more than half of the world’s diet of fats and oils. Insect pollinators, including honey bees, pollinate products amounting to $20 billion annually in the U.S. alone.
What is pollination and who are pollinators?
Pollination occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or carried from one flower to another of the same species by birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles or other animals, or by the wind. This transfer of leads to fertilization and successful seed and fruit production. Pollination ensures that a plant will produce full-bodied fruit and a complete set of fertile seeds, capable of germinating.”

You are invited to visit me at www.organicgreenspot.com for products for the Organic Garden.

To visit “In the Garden, Come Hither, Bumblebee, and Pollinate” you will need to sign up for a free subscription to the New York Times before being taken to the article site.

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Raised Bed Gardening and The Organic Garden

High-yield container gardening can help reduce the use of chemical fertilizers/herbicides/pesticides for healthier and more naturally grown vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

A raised bed can help extend the growing season, make outstanding starter beds for larger scale gardeners, and can also be used in greenhouses.

Both raised bed gardening and container gardening are good tools for  the Organic Garden.

Why Raised Bed Gardening?

1. More production per square foot – The traditional home garden yields about .6 pounds per square foot of vegetables while research at Dawes Arboretum near Newark, OH found an average yield of 1.24 pounds of vegetables per square foot.

2. Improved soil conditions – Tractors, tillers, or human feet compress the soil and make it more difficult for water, air, and roots to move in a flat garden space.. In a raised bed. saturated soils get a dose of lime every spring via percolation. Acidity can be maintained in the 5.8 to 6.8 range that vegetables prefer because percolation is reduced by gravity in a raised bed..

3. Use less fertilizer – Fertilize the growing area and not garden paths.

4. Use less water – The gardener waters plants where water is needed avoiding waste on paths or to the side of the beds.

5. Pest control – The bottom of the bed can be lined with poultry wire or hardware cloth to stop burrowing rodents.

6. Less weeds – Lining the bottom of the bed with plastic, mulch or cloth stops the weeds. It is easy to remove weeds from the loose soil in a raised bed.

7. Extend the growing season – The soil warms faster and cools slower so beds can be planted earlier in the spring and will produce later in the fall.

Visit  www.organicgreenspot.com

Organic Herb Container Garden

Marigolds for Insect Control

Several years ago I tried an organic dust  product to keep worms off my garden plants.
I sprinkled the dust on my bell peppers  and went to sleep that night confident  the
worms would be taken care of and I could  safely harvest my  fat green peppers.

NOT SO FAST…..The next day every pepper lay on the ground cut off at the stem and
I was forced into an early harvest.  I had only succeeded in poisoning  the soil  in my garden
for several years to come and killed beneficial insects in the process.

I came to the conclusion  that an  organic gardener should be able to share a part of the crop and find a way to control garden pests without resorting to pesticides.

Here are some methods I have found  that  work:

1.  Hand pick the bad bugs  and get to know the good ones. (You do not have to be on a first
name basis.  After all, bugs come and go and  can provide a good diet for  the beneficial
birds you have attracted to your organic green spot.)

2.  Research the effectiveness of homemade natural pesticides before
using them.    Organic use of  an insecticidal soap or Kaolin clay have had proven results.
Research any organic pesticide you  find before using them on your garden.

3.  Plant herb plants that insects tend to avoid.  My garden is now lush with herbs and flowers
and the worms have to walk through a jungle of  basil , garlic, and chives and smell the smelly marigold
plants before even thinking of taking a bite.  (The flowers from these plants also serve to attract
needed pollinators to the garden as well as discourage many insects.)

Biodiversity of  garden plants ensure organic pest control.  Some plants may attract insects when
planted near each other and the plant combination may not be beneficial to your garden.

Being completely organic may not always be possible for a variety of reasons.  The amount of time and money needed to support the garden may not be available for many gardeners.  There are many  organic practices that can be added to the garden  to improve crop yields like adding organic compost to the soil.  Building up the soil with organic matter and mulch is the heart of organic gardening and could make a good beginning along with  avoiding the use of  pesticides .Both may take time but are well worth the effort.

Visit  www.organicgreenspot.com for organic gardening supplies.

My Herbal Container Garden

There are many advantages to gardening in pots. Container gardens fit just about anywhere. The gardener can make many plant combinations and color as well as change plants with the season in the container. Container gardens may be portable. You can let them follow the sun or fill in an empty space in your garden. Perennial plants may be moved to an indoor window for winter months. Even an urban gardener with little or no yard space can grown fresh produce on a patio or in a sunny window.

The following list of perennial herbs can be grown in pots or find a secluded spot in your garden to be used year after year.

Sage — a perennial plant, loves lots of sun in soil that drains well.
Rosemary –craves attention, the sun and lime-rich soil.
Chives –Moist, rich soil and plenty of sun and trimmings will result in healthy chives.
Basil — Many types of this thirsty, tender, tropical annual exist, but most varieties grow quickly and easily in warm soil. This herb is a must for Italian cooking!
Thyme — a perennial herb adds great flavor to meat dishes and soups, doesn’t mind being neglected a little bit, since it thrives in light, warm and fairly dry soil.
Chamomile (Roman Chamomile) — choose the perennial to enhance the growth of any nearby plants. This herb also loves full or partial shade or sun and moist, well drained earth.
Mint — perennial with lots of varieties that prefer moist soil and shade with little sun.
Oregano — count on this perennial to enhance the flavor of your beans in your gardenand repel insects that bother your broccoli.
Lemon Balm — a hardy perennial that likes just about anything: full sun or lots of shade and can be grown from seeds, cuttings or divisions.
Lavender — There are several varieties of this semi-hardy perennial but all dislike frost. Lavender makes a nice edging or hedge, prefers plenty of sun and loose, fast-draining soil.
Catnip — This perennial plant has almost become a weed in many parts of the USA and prefers sun or partial shade, but if you grow your catnip in full sun, the plants will be sturdier and shorter.
French Tarragon–enhances the growth of surrounding vegetables and prefers sandy loam and full or partial shade.
Fennel (Sweet Florence) — this perennial herb resembles dill but does not grow as tall as common fennel This variety likes plenty of sunlight and well-drained, fertilized soil.
Sweet Marjoram — this perennial can be propagated easily from seed or cuttings indoors or outdoors.

Many of the herbs mentioned above can be used in the Organic Garden to help control harmful insects.   Visit  www.organicgreenspot.com for organic gardening supplies.  Natural insect control, organic fertilizer, worms and worm farm products, as well as composting supplies are offered.

The wren is a small bird that can produce loud songs.  The wren has short wings and cannot see at night.  Wrens are insectivorous and eat spiders and insects and also will eat small fish, rodents, and lizards. Wrens may be attracted to a feeder by offering suet, peanut butter and sunflower seeds.  Its diminutive size and seemingly overconfident and bold behavior make the House Wren a well-liked bird to many Americans. House Wrens can be encouraged to nest in gardens in their range by offering nest boxes with hole small enough to prevent competitive cavity nesters.

The Winter Wren and the House Wren are often associated with humans. Its small size and bold behavior make the House Wren a well-liked bird to many Americans.  House Wrens can be encouraged to nest in gardens  by offering nest boxes with a hole small enough to prevent competitive cavity nesters from entering.

Its diminutive size and seemingly overconfident and bold behavior make the House Wren a well-liked bird to many Americans. House Wrens can be encouraged to nest in gardens in their range by offering nest boxes with hole small enough to prevent competitive cavity nesters. Nesting boxes should be placed five to ten feet high under the eves of a house or in a tree.  As soon as the wren family leaves the box clean it out for a new family to move in.

You are invited to visit me at www.organicgreenspot.com and add a new nesting box to attract this natural insect control for your organic garden.

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The largest of the North American swallows, the Purple Martin is a popular tenant of backyard birdhouses. In fact, in eastern North America it has nested almost exclusively in nest boxes for more than 100 years.
Purple Martins’ diet consists primarily of insects. Purple Martins are renowned for their appetite for mosquitos. Many homeowners and bird lovers erect Purple Martin hoses to attract this natural “mosquito control” bird. After all, studies suggest an adult Purple Martin can consume over 2,000 mosquitos a day. On a given day, however, martins will consume a wide variety of insects, and only a fraction of that is mosquitos. Other insects on their diet include: dragonflies, flies, beetles, moths, ants, grasshoppers, and even bees and wasps.
Don’t plan on seeing a martin at your bird feeder. They do not eat seeds. In rare situations of bad weather or when food is scarce, you may find them on the ground searching for worms, grubs, and other bugs.   Check my site at www.organicgreenspot.com for Purple Martin Housing.

Red Wiggler Worms



Worm systems are typically managed for one of three reasons:
1.  waste management
2. production of worm biomass
3.  production of castings
While worms are being grown, organic materials are being processed, and castings are being generated in all worm beds.  Regular composting is good but when we use worms to convert organic waste, the end product (compost) is enriched by the presence of large amounts of “worm casts” or “castings.”

Visit my e-commerce store for worm products and organic growing materials at www.organicgreenspot.com