How many organic gardeners are on this forum

[firetool]

Hi,

 I am useing wide, raised beds this year they are covered in mulch. I just plant trought the mulch. I have given up tilling the ground. This changes up the soiles eco. system to much.If you cover with mulch the ground stays moister and the worms have some thing to eat. The worms are what airerate the soil for me and they leave worm casting. Each year I also put a layer of rabbit munnare before we put the mulch on.

 If any body would lke to know more I would be happy to talk more with you. If I can answer any questions fell free to ask!

Yall have A good day,

 Brian

[Kirk-o]

Great Idea I read a book by a gal named ruth stout called the no work no
weed garden talks about the same thing I'm useing lots of mulch
kirk-o

[Beth Kirkley]

We have two gardening styles. One is by growing things in a home-made hydroponic system.



The other is to plant in a little plot of earth next to the greenhouse. I love the mulch method, and raised beds. We had a raised bed at our other house, but left the boards behind. At our new gardening spot, we made a composting bin, so as we get some of that actually composted, we'll use it in the garden. Getting my chickens and goats will help with the compost. So far it doesn't have any manure in it (the composting bin).

I don't know if our planting method could be considered organic or not. I guess not for the hydroponics. We don't use pesticides in either garden method, but the hydroponics of course uses a water soluble fertilizer for the nutrients. I love using the hydroponics. It's so much easier to Plant, Care for, and Harvest. Not only that, but it uses less space, less water, and everything grows so much better.

Beth

[Horns Pure Honey]

In the last few years I have gone away from all chemicals, we deep till and plant in wide but closely spaced plants. bye

[Lesli]

A few years back, I started composting with red worms, and now that's the only fertilizer I use.

[firetool]

HI all,

 Kirk-o I am gladd to hear that you had heard of Ruth Stout. She was the pineor of mulch plantting. The only difference in what she though and what I am doing is I have raised beds. She said that this is needls work. I am doing both to see for my self.

 Beth I am not sure about the hydrofonics, but it might be possiable to make compost tea to use in the tubes. If this would work your opperation could be organic. We use it by spraying it around the base of the plants. It is a good natureal fertilizer.

Take care,

 Brian

[Lesli]

I love Ruth Stout's book, and I wish I could have met her. Sounds like she had a really interesting life.

[Kirk-o]

Oh yes ruth stout was a great lady lived and gardened a long time I got her book used for five bucks.At  the urban farm I have my bees and garden spot at I keep my spot covered  with mulch grass klippings horse manure about six inches in L A it gets hot in the summer but I only have to water every 4 or 5 days no weeds flowers grow great you lucky guys
that have a green house or big garden spots at home are lucky
kirk-o

[Beth Kirkley]

Kirk-o

I don't have very good "dirt" here thought for growing - so I don't feel very lucky when it comes to gardening. It's actually very pitiful dirt - a mix of sand, small rocks, and some red clay. There's very little composted material in it, or stuff that I'd call dirt. Sand is just not the same as dirt. There's really no nutrient value in it, and the water dries away really fast.

So by no means get jealous of ME concerning the gardening. I may have the space for growing stuff - but it's like trying to grow stuff on a sandy beach. It desperately needs "stuff" composted in it.

Beth

[amymcg]

My garden is completely organic, right down to the fertilizers.  I only use seaweed/fish emulsion to fertilize with, I have never used any pesticides. I compost all year and use that in the spring when I double dig my beds as detailed in John Jeavons book "How to grow more vegetables"

I start all my seeds indoors, and transplant outside in late May when the last frost comes.

I also use all the grass clippings to mulch my beds to hold in heat and keep down the weeds.

[Horns Pure Honey]

I do use old straw from are loft and I have 10 rabbits full time to have manure allways on hand, I cant wait to get growing, it has droped to 30, burrrr, bye

[Newbee]

We are not entirely organic, as we do use herbicide very very occasionally to beat some 'inherited' weeds that cause huge problems in pockets of the gardens. If we were not both working full time as well as caring for our property and animals, we would opt for manual control rather than herbicide, but reality requires us to go this way so far.
I do not use chemical insecticides ever, and find that with a large collection of geckos to feed, I cannot usually find enough live food for them ,let alone need to kill any off.  
With the gardens being quite large, I have found that creating piles of prunings, weeds etc  at the back of beds has been a good way to deal with them. I find that the piles seem to disappear quite quickly.
However, this habit of mine will probably change after today We bought a chipper/shredder machine today, after me wanting one for many years, and I had a wonderful time this afternoon chipping and shredding and reducing branches and normally slow composting goodies into tiny chips that will recycle into garden gold in much less time.
I have heaps more to deal to tomorrow, so cant wait for daylight to get back to it. My poor worms will not have such a hard job ahead of them now.
I would love to hear from others who use them and hear your preferences on composting the chippings v. returning them to the garden as a coarse mulch.
Thanks for having me in your garden group
Cheers
Jan

[tejas]

I've been partially organic for a couple of years but am going totally organic this year. Dirtdoctor.com has lots of good information for anyone wanting to learn more about organic gardening.

[ConfedMarine]

This is my first summer with bee's and a garden. The bee's are about 5' from the garden. I'm looking for some suggestions on pest control in the garden, that will not harm the bee's. Thanks

[Miss Chick-a-BEE]

Pest control is a tough one. Partly it depends on what pests your having a problem with, and how severe is the problem. One way to combat some problem bugs is to encourage ladybugs, lacewings, and praying mantis to stay around. Building ladybug houses can help. And building a flower garden that ladybugs and lacewings like is another way to get them to come and stay. The bees will also love you for that type of flower garden.

As far as good organic things to kill bad bugs or discourage them.... I haven't had much luck. We have made sprays like - soap and vegetable oil, or hot pepper spray. But it only helps with some bugs, and only minimally. Now if you don't mind useing good store bought sprays, you can use them without harming the bees if you take certain precautions. One is to spray only in the late afternoon when the bees are in for the night. Another is to trap the bees in for a day while (or after the night of) spraying. From what I understand, once the spray is dry, it doesn't hurt them.

I know how it is to try and go without the chemicals. It's very important to us too, and we avoid it when we can. But often the problem gets bigger than any home-made concoction can handle. It's part of the reason we went with hydroponics though. That cut out many of the bad bugs that get to the plant from the ground. It doesn't stop the flying one, but still helps.

I think the best solution is to get some predator bugs to stay (ladybugs, lacewings, praying mantis).

Beth

[Joseph Clemens]

I almost never use pesticides (by that I mean insecticides, miticides, and nematicides). I do sometimes use the herbicide, glyphosate (Roundup), but only to combat bermuda grass. I live on an acre in a fairly rural area in Tucson, Arizona USA. I have created extensive plantings of bamboo (30+ species/varieties). I also raise quail, the manure goes to good use. Beneath the bamboo which mulch themselves, I add extra straw to make it even thicker and dump our kitchen waste beneath the bamboo to feed the worms I seeded there for vermiculture.

[bill]

I use mostly organic methods as far as feeding the plants goes but in order to go certified organic there ar a lot of constraints that I don't want to saddle myself with. I use composted chicken manure ( composted in a bucket with a lid and I mix about and ounce of fish emulsion to a gallon of that slurry and it is magic. don't use large amounts it is hot. when I put plants in I put half a cup to gallon of water and pour it in the planting hole great stuff