Posts Tagged ‘gardening’

Whats Organic Gardening

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

- One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

- Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child’s life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose – to kill living things.

- Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

- Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion. The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 – 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

- Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.

Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.

- A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

- Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.

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3 Top Tips For Your Indoor Herb Gardens

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Growing herbs is a great hobby. They add to your cooking, decorate your home and are simple to grow. Many people believe that herbs won’t grow properly indoors. This is certainly far from the truth. Many herbs will grow quite contentedly in a home. Though, there are a few areas which need a little extra consideration.

Below are the three most typical pit falls and how to avoid them.

1. Sunlight. Herbs like sunlight. Try and keep your plants close to a bright window that catches plenty of sunlight. If the herbs begin to get long, weak stems then it is a sign your indoor herb gardens craving more sunshine. If you’re unable to give natural sunlight to your herbs then you should purchase a growlight. These are special lights that copy sunlight and help your herbs to flourish.

2. Temperature. The majority of us like to be warm in winter. But our heating dries out the atmosphere and may upset your herbs. You may well find that the plants flourish better with additional humidity. To accomplish this you do not have to go out and purchase expensive humidifiers, you may simply place your herb pots near a larger bowl which you can fill with pebbles and water. As your house gets warmer then the water will evaporate and the herbs will perk up almost instantly.

3. Pests. During the cold winter time most of the eggs laid by pests which attack herb gardens will be killed off by the cold. With indoor herb gardens the eggs usually are not killed off and you could unexpectedly find that your plants are bug-ridden. If your herbs are in relatively small pots these are incredibly easy to get rid off. You need to get ready a bowl of lukewarm water mixed with a small quantity of washing up liquid. Just turn the herb upside-down, holding the soil and roots in place inside the pot and swill the leaves about in the water. This will detach the pest and will not have an effect on the herb. If your indoor herb gardens are in bigger pots then you will need to place the soapy water in a spray and spray the pests. It will take more time and you will want to keep an eye out for re-infestation because you are unlikely to get all of the eggs at once, but it will work just as effectively.

So with plenty of light, moisture to compensate for your central heating and a watchful eye for pests your indoor herb gardens should soon be flourishing.

If you are unsure which herbs to begin with, try considering which would be the most useful in your kitchen and set up with these. Through growing what you need you will soon see the reward plus enjoyment available from your indoor herb gardens.

Indoor herb gardens are a great way to enhance your cooking and your home.

Find out more about indoor herb gardens and read about essential suggestions at http://theherbbook.com