Comments on: How Green is My Garden?

By: Curtis Whitwam

Curtis Whitwam — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:14:49 +0000

I am responsible for the Whole Foods Market Garden in Tampa, Fl. We are using the “sheet mulch” method from the book, “Gaia’s Garden” by Toby Hemenway. By composting right in the garden beds with this technique, we get explosive growth and minimal pest problems. Our plant have healthy immune systems!

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:10:39 +0000

I read the post above about using cayenne pepper to keep critters away from your garden. I found a blind squirril in my yard this year and called animal rescue. They told me the squirrils get into the pepper and then it gets in their eyes and they scratch themselves blind because it irritates their eyes so much. I used cayenne years ago when we had a problem with armadillos, but after learning this, I won’t ever use it again!

By: Cindy Bird

Cindy Bird — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:56:25 +0000

I have lived in the same house for 18 years. I have never used any pesticides in my garden/yard. I dig up the “weeds” I don’t want every year. Mulching has been a great help to keep unwanted plants from thriving and spreading. The plants I want do very well.

By: Deanna

Deanna — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:59:23 +0000

I think I may have mentioned before, but you can have a soil test done easily (and inexpensively) through your local cooperative extension. I think I paid $10.
In addition to possible pesticide contamination, I was worried about some fence posts that were on and near my property that I believed to be pressure treated as well as lead and other things that might be lurking in my soil that I did NOT want in my garden. The peace of mind that a soil test brings is well worth the effort of having it done. And as an added benefit, you can find out what your soil needs (and how to give it what it needs) to make the results of all your hardwork more bountiful!

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:32:19 +0000

I started an organic garden where my lawn was in my back yard a few years ago. In the process the neighbor had his giant ash tree sprayed with a fungicide which in turn rained down all over my yard and me. During the claim I had my ” organic ” garden soil tested to see if any of the toxic contaminant was detected and in turn found my earth to contain DDT, DDD and DDE. All within accepted limits but my dream is no longer organic. I now garden in wine barrels. Know your dirt, especially if you live where there once was an orchard.

By: Anh

Anh — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:20:18 +0000

I’ve tried different things like orange oils scent sprays, hot water and powdered sugar with corn meal to get rid of ants but they’ve all been short-termed solutions. The ants are present year round but they invade the inside of our house in the hottest months of the year. Their paths also cross my organic vegetable gardens. Does anyone have this problem too and what do you do short of calling the exterminator which I’ve avoided doing the last 8 years that we’ve lived here?

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:21:26 +0000

I “grow” soil on a regular, on-going basis. In the fall I put leaves from my yard and occasionally neighbors yards over my garden area to a depth of about 2 feet.

Sometimes, this covers growing plants, such as swiss chard and carrots, which I can continue gathering through much of the winter. The ground rarely freezes with the heavy layer of insulation on it.

In the Spring I add a 35 gal. garbage barrel full of horse manure from a local horse boarding business to the garden area.

Worms are plentiful, providing more nutrients to the garden. Insects have not really been a problem after the first couple of years. Another reason I believe for the dearth of insects is the mix of plants in a relatively small area. I believe the odors are mixed to the point that it is difficult for a specific insect to zero in on the odors coming from their favorite food source.

One of my favorite books is one of the “Square Foot Gardening” books by Mel Bartholomew. He has two out by the title. I read the first one from the Library and bought the second. He also has an excellent web site.

My recommendation to a beginning gardener? Just do it. Most of what you learn will come from your observations as you go along. Visit other gardens, and read. Organic Gardening (OG) magazine and Mother Earth News are my two favorite gardening mags.

By: Katina

Katina — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:57:43 +0000

FYI: I was at my local Calloway’s Nursery the other day (DFW area) and noticed a sign that they do “free” soil testing,and I think it also said you’d get a free couponto use in the store too.

While there I also picked up some plastic seed trays they were throwing away and I’m “recycling” them to start my seedlings.

By: Tina Wood

Tina Wood — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:14:01 +0000

Here is my greener gardening tip: I’ve been saving cardboard box tops and bottoms from some of the office supplies we order. The tops of copy paper cases, the bottom of file folder boxes, all make the perfect sized biodegradable seed trays!

By: jerry

jerry — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:07:24 +0000

I would recommend “The Victory Garden Cookbook” by Marion Morash as a good all around garden-oriented cookbook. It doesn’t cover a lot of exotics, but has excellent information on the basic veggies that most people plant in their gardens.

For exotics, “Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: A Commonsense Guide” by Elizabeth Schneider is a good choice. The same author also has a comprehensive reference in print, entitled “Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini.” Though not oriented toward gardening, Schneider’s books are good resources for cooks of every stripe.
–Jerry