http://awaytogarden.com/forum/tags.php?tag=organic gardening Q&A from A Way to Garden en-US Mon, 20 May 2013 20:41:57 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://awaytogarden.com/forum/search.php http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=683#post-2144 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:54:31 +0000 Leslie 2144@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>Greensand is great to use generally. It is usually recommended to be applied at 2-4 pounds per 100sq.ft. It is a valuable soil conditioner as well as a slow release source of Potash (K) and many trace minerals. When added to clay it loosens the soil and when added to sand it improves the water holding capacity of the soil. This is because while it flows like sand, it holds a lot of water. Because it makes many minerals available it will improve the microbial life of the soil as well.</p> <p>However, it will raise the pH of the soil slightly, so for acid loving plants or soil that is already very alkaline you should add sulfur at the same time. Perhaps this is why you read that it is recommended to go easy with it. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=683#post-2136 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:51:04 +0000 Terri H. 2136@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>Is greensand something to use generally, or do some plants not like it? I've dug some in around my roses, but I don't know which other plants to give it to... and I only have a little bitty bag right now, and I seem to recall reading somewhere that you should go easy with it. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=683#post-2056 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:52:26 +0000 ugq 2056@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>RE: the higher middle number, as Leslie says, that is what was/is often called a "root and bloom" formula, emphasizing Phosphorus (the middle # in the N-P-K ration on the label). For flowering/fruiting plants a high N number can produce lots of foliageat the expense of flowers/fruit -- so perhaps I was talking about a situation where something didn't bloom or set fruit? </p> <p>I have also been interested to see lately that the wonderful SafeLawns.org has a resources list that includes many of its organic sponsors and others -- and Espoma is included as well as East Coast Organics and others. Have a look at their list: </p> <p>http://safelawns.org/resource_directory.cfm</p> <p>And my post on fertilizer choices, and why to select organic and so on with lots of good links: </p> <p>http://awaytogarden.com/which-fertilizer-whats-in-the-bag</p> <p>The Organic Consumers Association is also a good place to root around for information about sources etc.: </p> <p>http://www.organicconsumers.org/ </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=683#post-2053 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:07:20 +0000 Leslie 2053@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>Here is a great <a href="http://awaytogarden.com/which-fertilizer-whats-in-the-bag">basic post on fertilizers</a> to get you started.</p> <p>I really like the <a href="http://www.espoma.com/index.cfm">Epsoma</a> brand fertilizers. They are easy to find - many of them are available in Home Depot and Lowes, and as well as the basics like bonemeal, bloodmeal, and greensand, there is a mix (which they call 'tone' ie. Holly-tone, Plant-tone) for many different types of plants. These fertilizers also contain beneficial micro-organisms which can be a real boon if your soil is poor in these (sometimes due to over feeding with synthetic fertilizers- the longterm fix is compost, compost, compost and mulch!.)</p> <p>You should adjust the numbers to suit what you are growing. The middle number refers to phosphorus. This nutrient is very important for root growth and flowers, consequently it should be high in fertilizers meant for annual flowers or bulbs. Bone meal is a good organic source of phosphorus, so if you are growing bulbs or annuals and your fertilizer does not have a high middle number, you can add a little bonemeal to your plantings. </p> <p>One of the advantages of organic fertilizers such as bone meal is that they need to be digested by the soil before they are available for the plants to use, this means they are slower acting and released steadily over a long period of time making them fairly fool-proof for mixing your own. Unlike with synthetic fertilizers it is difficult to 'overdue it.' The Espoma website has some good basic information about organic and synthetic fertilizers. Sorry for the long post, but this is a fascinating subject. It would be good to hear what some other people have used. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=683#post-2052 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:55:36 +0000 lct 2052@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>There are many choices in the garden stores for organic fertilizers for perennials. Would you recommend granular or liquid? And then, which brands? One option I found was fish fertilizer but the ratio is 5:1:1 and I believe that Margaret recommends that the middle number be the highest. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=552#post-1705 Mon, 10 May 2010 13:35:23 +0000 solace76 1705@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>I've used this vinegar combo. Works a little better than straight vinegar as it sticks to the leaves better.</p> <p># 4 cups (1 Litre) of white vinegar<br /> # 1/4 cup (50 ml) of table salt<br /> # 2 tsp (10 ml) of your favorite liquid dish soap<br /> # Combine these ingredients in a spray bottle<br /> # Spray it on your weeds in the direct sun on a bright sunny day </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=552#post-1702 Sun, 09 May 2010 20:54:35 +0000 elbee 1702@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>My mother did the boiling water routine on weeds and on ground bees nests! I use the regular household vinegar either in a sprayer or straight from the bottle, depending on how much I need to do. It's fun on a hot sunny day to watch within a few hours to see those babies curl and turn brown. It doesn't kill to the root, but works good enough for me. It does smell like a salad dressing out there for awhile. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=552#post-1690 Thu, 06 May 2010 22:25:15 +0000 Keenbean 1690@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>Once you remove the weeds, you could try using corn gluten as a pre-emergent form of weed control. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=552#post-1682 Mon, 03 May 2010 22:23:32 +0000 Leslie 1682@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>If it is not a large area, you can simply pour a kettle of boiling water over the weeds. Along the same lines, you could buy a flame weeder. This is a torch hooked up to a small propane cylinder. I have not used one to weed, but I have used one to draw images into a lawn, so I know that they kill grass! The grass won't look dead right away, it will die a few days later (similar to chemical spray). A word of caution: I have read that they are not practical for weeding between plants that you want, because it is easy to accidentally hit and kill something desirable without realizing it. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=552#post-1628 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 07:54:14 +0000 ugq 1628@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>What I do here is keep on hand big sheets of plastic, and during hot, sunny stretches, I weight down the plastic with stones on top of the weedy areas and solarize the unwanted growth to death. </p> <p>You have to leave the plastic in place for a week or two (or preferably more) which is inconvenient parking-wise, but it's effective. I do this on one stone path in particular. The weakened, "baked" weeds are easy then to dislodge with a big old discarded kitchen knife (or you can keep cooking until they are really goners).</p> <p>There are also acetic-acid-based herbicides (the stuff in vinegar, but stronger) if you choose to go the sprayer route, but use caution as they are still powerful. </p> http://awaytogarden.com/forum/topic.php?id=552#post-1616 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:19:02 +0000 megansgreen 1616@http://awaytogarden.com/forum/ <p>This isn't so much a question of weed removal as the title suggests as a question about grass growing where it shouldn't- in my driveway! We have a crushed limestone driveway and the grass loves growing smack down the middle (where the tires do not tread). I grew up with a limestone driveway; I can remember the annual event with my Dad and the ubiquitous yellow poison sprayer to control the driveway. I would like to be more gentle in my application. Any ideas? </p>