Safety When Using Indoor Pesticides

Safety is an important consideration when applying chemicals to treat or prevent a pest's infestation, especially indoors. For this discussion, we won't be including weed control products (herbicides), although many definitions of "pesticide" would, as weeds are also "unwanted organisms." Also, we will not be addressing current methods of termite control in this article.

The pesticides that homeowners typically use fall into two broad categories, insecticides and rodenticides. Their names are fairly self explanatory. One kills insects the other kills rodents (mammals). The accidental poisoning dangers, however, are quite different.

Definition Pesticide

A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances specifically intended to prevent, repell, destroy or lessen the effect of a pest. The term pesticides is technically a catch-all phrase that specifically means one of the following: insecticide, herbicide, fungicide or any other chemical substances used to control pests.

Growing Asparagus in the Home Vegetable Garden

Asparagus is one of the few perennial vegetable crops. The shoots are picked as young spears in the spring. Later in the season the foliage matures into an airy, fern-like cloud which changes to a golden color in the fall. Because asparagus takes up a permanent place in the garden, but can be an attractive plant, many people with space imitations use asparagus as a border or hedge plant.

How to Make a Trash Can Composter

Not every gardener has the space for a large compost pile, and not all municipalities allow back yard composting. The good news is that it's very easy to compost in a small space. Even if all you have is a patio or balcony, you can use this method of making compost in a trash can. And, if you need to compost on the sly, no one will be the wiser---they'll just see another trash can.

To start out composting, purchase the most inexpensive 32 gallon or larger plastic garbage can you can find. Make sure it has a lid. If rats are a problem in your area, consider purchasing a metal trash can. Then, using a two to three-inch hole saw bit and a drill, drill holes all the way around the trash can (lid, bottom, and sides) six to twelve inches apart. Cover these holes with window screening. Good strong duct tape or epoxy will work. Put your trash can composter in a convenient place. If possible, raise it up on a couple of bricks to get even more air circulation to the contents of the trash can composter.

Improving Soil on the Small Farm

One of the biggest components of growing good plants is the soil. Simple, but many beginning farmers skimp on proper preparation of the soil before planting. With some testing, care, and amending, you too can have loamy, well-aerated, deliciously dark soil to grow the best crops.

Four Easy Do-It-Yourself Soil Tests

Learning as much as you can about your soil will help you decide what needs to be done to make it ideal for the plants you want to grow. If you can learn about your soil’s texture, composition, drainage, acidity, and mineral density, you will avoid, up front, the disappointing results that can occur when your soil is unsuitable for your dream garden.

How to Start a New Organic Garden

Planting and maintaining an organic garden is a rewarding experience. While many of the steps for making a new organic garden are similar to starting any type of garden, there are a few noticeable differences. For example, there is a lot more work up front, planning and analyzing the site. This work is essential for any organic garden: ideal conditions result in healthier plants, fewer pest and disease problems, and a more care-free garden.

What is Permaculture?

Ecologists Bill Mollison and David Holmgren came up with the concept in the 1970s, after observing the impact of industrial agriculture on the environment.

Organic Citrus Care Guide

Citrus are native to Asia and are attractive, evergreen trees with fragrant blossoms. They are one of the most popular trees in the home garden but unfortunately unhealthy looking specimens are common, as their needs are not always understood. Citrus need regular feeding and attention paid to preventing pests and diseases.

One important rule for citrus is NEVER GROW IT IN THE MIDDLE OF LAWN, with grass right up to the trunk and expect it to thrive. The grass competes for water and nutrients and also releases allelopathic chemicals into the soil that diminish the vigour of the tree.

Organic Pest Control

,

Here's how to keep your garden thriving.

• Practice good hygiene in orchard and never leave fruit to rot on the ground.
• Bronze orange bug give away their presence by their foul smell. The young pale green nymphs appear in winter, their colour changes through orange to bronze as they grow to adults. They can be serious pests in some areas, causing flower and fruit drop by sucking on the stalks. Hand removal is possible, use a bucket of hot water to knock the bugs into.

Improve Your Soil Organically

Give your garden the best chance at survival with these tips from Green Harvest Organic Gardening Supplies.

Healthy soils are a complex web of life, teeming with earthworms, fungi and bacteria. They smell good and are moist and crumbly. Roots are able to penetrate deep into the soil. Plants growing in healthy soils have fewer pest and disease problems. 

If your soil doesn't match this picture of health but instead dries out to a cement-like texture, is devoid of life, plants look sickly and are plagued with pest problems, then your soil is in desperate need of organic matter.

Organic Gardening Step By Step Guide

 If green is the new black, then organic gardening is the hottest new hobby taking backyards by storm. Once confined to the uber healthy out there, organic gardens are now popping up in communities across Australia, offering locals a place to garden socially and somewhere to get fresh, healthy produce.

Starting an organic garden in your own backyard isn’t hard and you don’t need a lot of space. An organic garden can be as big or small, and as ambitious or low key as you please. It needs to be located in an area that gets at least six hours of sun each day. Avoid areas near large trees as the tree’s roots will interfere with your plants.