Keeping a Gardening Journal

Successful organic vegetable gardening doesn't happen by accident. The three "P's" are essential to the process: planning, preparation and persistence.

You will enjoy higher yields and better results over the years by paying attention and keeping track of what works and what doesn't work in your garden. It's one of the things I love about organic gardening - it's a continual learning process. Some of the success in your garden depends on factors outside our control, like the date of the last frost, how much or little rain falls, extreme weather, temperatures and infestations. Yes, and a certain amount of luck. But we can do a little research to find out what grows successfully in our region, and so control what we plant. We can also have a lot of impact on the quality of our soil by testing and amending it, or by using raised beds and pots.

A vital element of organic gardening is maintaining a good supply of nutrients for your plants to take up as they need them. We provide nutrients organically to the soil by adding compost, mulch, green manure cover crops, mature or well composted animal manures, or mixed organic fertilizer. In this way, your vegetables will grow robustly, which will help deter pests and diseases. And having healthy plants will also provide you with bigger yields and faster maturing plants.

When you have a list of plants that typically do well in your region and growing season, and have tested and amended your soil to provide those plants with the nutrients they need, I suggest keeping that information in a gardening journal. Record what you plant, where in the garden it's planted, when and how. Add an entry whenever you need to in order to record what's happening in the garden. Next year refer back to that journal and see what worked, what didn't, and hopefully, why.
Happy Composting!

Gardening the Organic Way

There are so many ways that our bodies are bombarded with pollutants every day. The air we breathe into our lungs and that is absorbed through our skin includes industrial air pollutants, automobile emissions, and household cleaning agents. The water we drink has trace chemicals in it from rain water, fertilizers and pesticides. And let's not forget to mention the chemicals we ingest on our foods. It's extremely difficult to combat the effects pollutants have on us...shall we live on a mountain top or in the middle of a rain forest? Instead, why not choose to increase your intake of antioxidants by growing and eating your own organic vegetables? In a study by Newcastle University in England, researchers found that "organic food has a higher nutritional value than ordinary produce" with "up to 40% more antioxidants in organic fruit and vegetables than in non-organic." Those antioxidants combat the effects of pollution, slowing aging and reducing risks of disease.
An effective and easy way to start an organic garden is by cutting out chemical fertilizers and replacing them with compost. Mix it into your soil as an enhancement and/or use it as a top mulch...it will provide nutrients for your plants and encourage earthworms to keep your soil healthy. I love our tumbling composter because it's so easy to use, keeps pests out because of it's tight seal, and keeps the heat in which helps the breakdown process work more quickly. You can see our full range of tumbling composters at www.BestComposters.com. You might also want to include some of our BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost to make the process really easy! You won't have to worry about getting the proper mix of nitrogen and carbon into your compost bin, or the odors that can be associated with an improper mix. 100% organic BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost will enhance the output of your compost bin in multiple ways, while keeping with your goal of going and growing organic.
Happy composting!

"Organic" Pesticides

The thing I noticed pretty quickly about gardening organically was the plant destroying pests: bugs, weeds and critters. I knew about beneficial insects, the ones that eat the plant destroyers, and how they could be purchased online, mail order, or sometimes from local nurseries. I also knew that hot peppers could be used in some fashion as well. And my organic farmer husband has long used a soap and water mixture to discourage infestations of insects. But an article in the weekend real estate guide from the Sunday, June 11th Denver Post went into glorious detail about organic pesticides, why they work and a recipe to make it. Also included were some tips for reducing the likelihood of infestations.
First, the recipe: 3 garlic bulbs, 12 hot chili peppers, 2 TBSP vegetable oil, 5 squirts liquid dish soap and 7 cups of water. Blend these together using an electric blender and then strain through muslin cloth, storing in a spray bottle. I made a batch, and have initially found it pretty effective. I also noticed that it smells bad, but dissipates quickly. I think the garlic also helps makes it fairly sticky on the plants and cuts off the air supply to most pests.
Next, to attract beneficial insects, we should keep our gardens dry and healthy. Wet plants are more susceptible to infestations and fungus. Keep your garden mulched (you can use organic compost...easy to do with a tumbling composter from BestComposters.com!)so as to prevent weed growth and retain moisture for the plant roots, then trim leaves so that they don't lay on the ground. Certain plants will attract beneficial insects, like carrots, celery, parsley, caraway, Queen Ann's Lace, tansy, yarrow, daisies, blackeyed susans, asters marigolds and goldenrod.
I haven't tried the last steps to protecting my garden yet in any quantity. I do have the first three vegies, but I'm interested in adding some of the flowers around them to see what impact they'll have. I surely wish I could get our Homeowner's Association to ok chickens. I'm told they are a powerful ally in the war against slugs (not to mention the delicious fresh eggs that they give), and I really need an ally for that war!
Happy Composting!

Compost for Roses

I've got a rose bush that I planted for the fragrance that it has. It's not blooming yet, but has numerous buds just about to spread their lovely scent throughout my garden. I read yesterday that this month is the time to feed roses with fertilizer OR mulch one inch thick with compost. Well, you know which I'll be doing! Our tumbling composter, along with BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost from www.BestComposters.com has made an abundant supply of rich organic compost, thank goodness. We've used it to revitalize older garden beds, plant new beds like the raised bed my husband built to my specs, and start the garbage can potatoes. Seems like there can never be too much compost ready for the gardens! So when it stops raining, out I go to feed that lovely rose bush with an inch of compost all the way around. Better plan to add more compost to that raised bed, as well. The straw/alfalfa mix has been decomposing and the vegetables in the bed are in need of more soil and compost to send those roots out into. Happy Composting!

Gardening Festivals

We attended our first gardening festival as exhibitors this past weekend in the beautiful city of Fort Collins, Colorado. The town has plenty of gardens to enjoy, and lots of folks interested in gardening. One thing that I loved was how many people came out with their children, to help them learn how to garden, how important honey bees are to gardens, and best of all - about composting! We had examples of things that we use in our composting on our table: grass clippings, coffee grounds, straw and alfalfa, dried leaves, drier lint, pet hair and vacuum bag contents. Since we, like most composting folks, have plenty of greens (nitrogen) to contribute to the compost pile, but struggle to keep the mix of browns (carbons) high enough, we add the drier lint and animal hair. Still usually not enough, we add BiOWiSH™ Compost Boost to keep the organisms activated and breaking down that compostable material. This ensures that we have a new batch of compost to add to our garden every 4-6 weeks. Our garden loves it! And we love the produce that we are getting from our garden. Always looking for new ways to use zucchini, here is a recipe I found for Chilled Zucchini and Green-Bean Soup with Pesto Swirl:
(Start to finish: 1 hour. Servings: 6)
Ingredients
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 lb zucchini, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium works great)
10 oz package frozen shelled edamame
1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 cup store bought basil pesto
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt(optional)
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and zucchini and saute' until very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in edamame and green beans and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
Transfer the soup, in batches if necessary, to a blender or food processor. Puree', then season with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup chilled or at room temperature. When serving, divide the soup among 6 bowls and swirl a spoonful of pesto into each. Top with sour cream or yogurt, if desired. Enjoy this low calorie (135)refreshing soup, and at the same time, increase your intake of healthy vegetables! Happy Composting!