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Organic Gardening
The term 'organic gardening' generally refers to the avoidance of chemicals, pollutants, and synthetics in the cultivation of plants. Specifically, it may describe either informal commitments by the individual or government certified and regulated practices by the grower. Contributors typically want to know about the different types of organic gardening, the many environments in which it is practiced, and the most likely costs and benefits.
821 Questions
What is the term for decayed organic matter that turns into a dark-colored material?
Humus is decayed organic matter which turns into a dark-colored material.
Specifically, humus can have its original meaning from Latin and Greek as "earth, soil" and its current meaning as "organic matter within soil". It particularly is found in the topmost 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) of soil. It is results from the decomposition of animal and plant matter. It will be recognized by its dark color, fresh smell, and nutrient-rich structure and texture.
How much worm compost should you add to your garden?
That is dependant on a few things. The size of your garden, how much the soil has retained nutrients vital to growing a new garden, and what compost you are going to use. Obtain a soil test kit from an agriculture garden center or retailer with a garden section. Test your soil according to directions, after the first tilling. A compost of grass trimmings/food stuff is a bit different than rotted manure. the nutrients vary. With rotted manure you can never add too much and with the other you may never have enough. This is where the size of your garden comes into play. Personally, I add roughly 500 lbs. of rotted manure and hay to a garden which measures 20 ft x 50 ft. The next season may be 200 lbs. What you would want to do is add your compost, no matter how much you have, till it in and then plant your seedlings. One thing to keep in mind is giving the plant a chance to root. Adding compost may not be necessary. Give the garden a 12" base for root growth. Recommendations vary from 9"-12" from seed packaging companies like Burpee. Keep a record of what you do, and how the plants thrive, as each year goes by. In time you will know what your needs are for your garden.
Do caterpillars damage plants?
They treat tomatoes the same way humans do: they eat them. But they will often eat just parts, or eat immature fruits, greatly reducing the yield of a tomato garden. Fortunately, they are susceptible to a number of natural and chemical insectides.
those green things most people call leaves and your dumb
What do you need for a compost heap?
Microbes will eat everything organic. The more microbes and the better the mixture of your compost "salad" the faster and the more efficient they will work for you.
HOW TO CARE FOR & MAKE COMPOST
One part green and 2 parts brown,
makes your compost turn into ground.
Add some water and some soil,
turning is the only toil.
C.R., Ray Ayer, "The Compost Guru", feel free to use with attribution
1.To make good compost you need a mixture of 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. If you mix 1 part grass with 2 parts or more of leaves that is about the right mixture. Too much grass and it will putrefy and smell. All leaves will take a year of longer to break down and will not be a "great" compost.
2. Microbes actually do the work of composting. If you take care of them with moisture and oxygen they will work their butts off for you.
3. You need to think of them as your little "pets" and keep them moist. Like a wrung out sponge. Adding a shovel full or so of soil or manure or other compost will "seed" your compost with the microbes you need. Sort of like making yogurt or sourdough.
4. You must get a compost fork and leave it in the compost pile. That way every time you add something you will naturally turn it in. Like cake batter you need to mix in the ingredients. Turning also exposes fresh material to oxygen. With out oxygen your little pets will die and stink. Turning also hides food waste that is objectionable to your neighbors, and reduces the chance of critters other than your "microbe pets" chewing them up. Do not put the garden fork in the garage! You will never turn the pile if it is not left in the pile.
You now have a PhD in compost. (Piled higher and deeper)R.A. the Compost Guru
Why does conventional farming produce a larger yield than organic farming?
An advantage of organic farming is that no chemicals are used for insect or weed control and soil is built up through natural means, like using compost, instead of using chemical fertilizers. Some believe that these methods provide healthier food.
Advantages of conventional farming include using insecticides and pesticides to control pests, which can be quicker and more effective than using natural means, although the chemicals can get into the crops. This can decrease the time and effort necessary to control pests. Also, unless a great deal of effort is made in organic farming to build up the soil naturally,
To me, organic farming is better than conventional farming because I desire my food to be free of chemicals. To someone else, conventional farming is better for other reasons. While there are probably many scientific studies that claim one or the other method is better, it's really up to the individual to decide for themselves based on what their goals and desires are for the foods they produce and eat.
What should be added and avoided when composting?
Anything that breaks down over time can be added to the pile. Plastics, glass, rocks, metals and large bones, won't break down very well, so they should be avoided. Anything that rots can be added.
What do you do with compost heap soil?
Communal gardens, community centers, and neighborhood centers are ways in which a community can use a compost heap. A compost heap may be constructed as part of a neighborhood association pooling resources. It also may serve as a role model and teaching resource in centers and schools.
What do you do with used compost?
Turn the compost out into a pile next to the bin to "cure". Usually the inside of the bin contents is more broken down than the outside, so as you're turning it, mix the inner and outer parts of the bin contents as you build the curing pile.
Break up any wet, slimy parts, and mix them with drier materials. If the contents are too dry, add some water at this stage. The pile should have a 50% moisture content--about as damp as a wrung-out sponge. If you squeeze a handful hard, only a drop or two of moisture should drip out.
Make sure the pile is in contact with the ground, so red compost worms and microarthropod "shredders" can enter the pile and go to work on it, breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces. When you're done, cover the pile with a tarp or sheet of plastic, to keep rain out. Excess water creates slimy, smelly, anaerobic pockets, and leaches water-soluble nutrients out of the pile. Start adding new materials to the bin.
Allow the pile to cure for a few weeks to a few months. Longer curing produces compost with more beneficial fungi, which is particularly good for fruiting plants like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, chiles, squash, melons, and cucumbers.
What bush has purple flower and thorns?
The tall shrub/small tree that flowers in early spring is the dogwood. Its scientific name is Cornus florida. The pink flowering variety has the scientific name of Cornus florida var. rubra.
Where should a compost bin be sited?
Put it someplace in full sun. Not under trees (they'll leach the nutrients out of the compost). And someplace convenient, so that you'll be inclined to use it. If you put it on top of grass, it will kill the grass.
What happens when soil is added to compost?
Inoculation for launching beneficial micro-organic activities and support for soil food webs describe what happens when soil is added to compost. Compost is dark-colored, fresh-smelling, nutrient-rich humus that results from the breakdown of dry and wet carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. It will interact with air-, moisture-, nutrient-rich soil to encourage plant growth and soil food web well-being through the continued presence of beneficial amoeba, bacteria, fungi and nematodes.
Is mushroom compost acceptable for dahlias?
Compost is good for dahlias. The flowering plant in question responds well to compost as soil amendment, fertilizer or mulch. It responds to well-drained soils, which compost promotes through its encouragement of air and water pore spaces and improvements in soil structure and texture.
What are the methods of planting?
Indoor containers and raised beds are two ways of planting. Planting can be achieved in a number of ways and through a variety of mediums, from ground-associated to hanging and watery techniques.
they just grow somewhere
i don't know
I'm trying to find out the answer too
What does turning worms do to a compost heap?
Provide air and water pore spaces, clean final resting places, food sources, and natural shelters are the things that compost does to worms. Dark-colored, fresh-smelling, nutrient-rich compost gives worms passageways for aeration and moisturization, places to expel wastes and to expire, and sources of prey. It teems with nutrients and other soil food web members.
What are the names of the elements in ordinary fertilizer?
Many different elements and compounds are used in varying proportions as plant fertilizer.
The 6 main elements used are: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S)
Seven others elements are also used as "micronutrients": boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn).
A compound that is commonly used in agriculture as a "high-nitrogen" fertilizer, is ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3).
What is 'daffodil' in Spanish?
'Narciso' is a Spanish equivalent of 'daffodil' [Narcissus spp].
The masculine noun 'narciso' means 'daffodil'. Its singular definite article is 'el' ['the'], and its singular indefinite article 'un' ['a, one']. It's pronounced 'nahr-SEE-soh'.
Is dog manure suitable for compost?
I use our cat manure and litter in compost intended for the trees. Cat/ dog manure is not recommended for edible gardens because of possible parasites. For non edible flower beds or trees it is OK if fully composted....
Do ladybugs eat scale insects?
Yes, ladybugs eat scale insects.
Specifically, the ladybug (Coccinellidae family) can be considered a most beneficial insect. It contributes beautiful benefits to gardens and lawns because of its cheery colors and pleasing shapes. It also functions as a non-chemical control of such garden pests as aphids, mealbugs, mites, scale insects and thrips.
What stuff can organic farmers add to inprove soil fetillity?
Adding organic content, checking soil pH, digging drainage ditches, growing nitrogen-fixing plants, installing drainage pipes, introducing soil ameliorants, respecting soil food web members, and supporting air and water pore spaces are organic ways that farmers can increase soil fertility. Organic matter comes from dead, decomposing, dying and living animal and plant matter. An incorrect sol pH may make nutrients that are present in the soil inaccessible and unavailable to such soil food web members as plant roots.
What is ericaceous compost used for?
Acidic compost for plants that love acid conditions, like azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, camellias, heathers, magnolias--if you've been told to 'acidify the soil' use some ericaceous material, and everything will turn out great! It's apparently primarily a UK term, in the US, just ask for acidic compost/mulching materials.
http://www.uk.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ukgard/msg0312045225513.html
http://www.johninnes.info/ericaceous.htm
http://www.focusdiy.co.uk/invt/182518
Why bougainvillea not flowering?
This depends on many things. The position where it is growing could be too much in the shade. It may have been pruned at the wrong time of year. It may be suffering from lack of moisture,the first thing a plant jettisons when stressed is it's flower buds. Without knowing where it is growing it is impossible to be sure.
