Posts Tagged ‘Pesticides’

  1. Moon Planting

    Posted on October 15th, 2011 by admin

     
     
    161192011 da81c47bce m Moon Planting
    by zenera

    Moon planting also known as lunar planting has been in existence for many generations and is considered to be one of the oldest forms of gardening. It is believed that the moon position, the Zodiac signs, or both can bring great success in planting. It is once more fetching recognition as communities explore for substitutes to compound fertilizers and pesticides and their terrifying side effects. Execution of the suitable stage of the Moon for all facets of cultivation, planting and harvesting increases the quality as well as quantity of ones crops.

    It was observed that diverse plants do better when planted all through the diverse moon phases. Each of the phases influenced the mode by which vegetation developed on the earth through the falling and raising of humidity in both the plants and the earth. To supply supplementary precise records, it was eminent that some crops grew well when cultivated in a specific constellation of the moon. It takes the moon approximately three days to bypass a constellation and this led to the development of an advanced planting calendar.

    Planting was not perceived to be most significant to a farmer like the harvest season, which made the recording of the harvest time crucial. This was believed to be so since a harvest that was done at the correct time would last for a longer time. It was basically determined by the ability of the plants storage of water in the crops or fruits at the diverse times of the moon cycle. The Moon planting method encompasses three cycles, which include the Synodic, waning or waxing cycles. It simply divides the astral cycle into four quarters and requires 29.6 days to end the cycle. Plants are grouped into foliage, crops with external or internal seeds and root crops and then relocated to the stage of the moon that best suits their growing distinctiveness.

    The biodynamic cycle is a more comprehensive method that was applied to the 12 star or zodiac signs to site the moon for more precise planting. This technique was built up by Rudolf Steiner in the year 1924 using the Zodiac symbols to pinpoint the definite location of the signs as the moon passed through them in the skies. The sidereal cycle utilizes the moons path around the planet earth to determine the best times to propagate and reap. The moons orbit is alienated up into twelve equivalent thirty degree segments to symbolize the moons location in the sky but may vary at times with the present moon position.

    Moon planting functions through the gravitational force it exerts in a process referred to as Gravitropism, which ensures plants roots grow downwards and the shoots grow upwards in the correct direction. For example, when a plant planted in a pot is toppled down, the plant continues growing upwards. This is due to gravity but not sunlight as many may think; if the reason for this was sunlight, seeds growing subversive would be growing in all kinds of directions. As plants grow, gravity forms the plant cells and also increases the rate of growth as soon as the gravity is abridged. But there is need to connect this with the moons course to the earth and how it affects plant growth. Moon planting is a form of gardening that is worth giving a try.

    For More Info:

    Helen M. Disler
    Farming Secrets

    http://www.farmingsecrets.com/

    Email: info@farmingsecrets.com

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  2. Biodynamic Farming: Tips for Cultivating Soil-Friendly Earthworms Indoor

    Posted on October 12th, 2011 by admin

     
     

    Are you considering adapting biodynamic farming? It is about time you do so. Nowadays, costs of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are higher. There are also health and environmental issues that you have to look at. By using natural techniques to farming, you could effectively become more productive. The soil could be made richer by keeping it safe and healthy. Natural organisms that thrive in it should not be put off, specifically and especially earthworms. Did you know that many farmers these days are aiming to multiply the number of earthworms in their land? There are techniques to do so.

    Vermiculture is an artificial way of cultivating and breeding earthworms. As such, the technology is appropriate and effective to be facilitated and implemented indoors. While usual composting can be done outdoors, vermicomposting is perfect indoors. Vermicomposting is composting biodegradable substances and objects using earthworms. The idea is that earthworms would feed on decaying kitchen leftovers and animal manure. In the process, worms feed, digest and metabolize leaving excretions that are made up of organic nutrients that make the soil richer.

    Vermicomposting can also be done outdoors, but indoors is how it can be perfectly conducted. Worm bins are commercially available for the purpose. Worm bins are special containers that are designed and manufactured especially and specifically to facilitate earthworm growth and reproduction for composting. The earthworms to be raised and reproduced are also available commercially. There are various businesses in operations today that supply such worms. There are two options for buying the worms. One, you can buy the worms by the bulk for direct transfer to the plots or soil containing crops. Second, you can buy vermiculture worms for the purpose of raising them further so you can reproduce and culture your own earthworms artificially.

    Red worms are most ideal and recommended for vermicomposting. Such manure worms or red wigglers thrive mostly in decaying organic matter like compost heaps, manure piles and leaf piles. These worms are basically smaller in comparison to night crawlers. They are reddish brown in color and are natively found in Europe. The presence of red worms is indicative of soil fertility because they herald high organic matter content as toxic substances are eliminated as well in the soil.

    Aside from that, red worms are best for indoor composting. That is because the creatures are efficient organic waste processors. They take in food and excrete their own weight all the time. A small worm bin can yield significant pounds of nutritive and ideal compost, called popularly as worm castings. In two to three months, indoor compost can be harvested and used as organic and alternative fertilizer.

    If you are really serious in adapting biodynamic farming, you should start raising and cultivating soil-friendly earthworms. If the soil in your garden does not contain more than enough of those soil, it is about time you adapt vermiculture technology to do so. It would truly be a lot of help in your endeavor. For sure, production of your land would rise.

    Get more complete tips on Biodynamic Farming , visit: www.biodynamicfarming.getmytips.com

    Find More Biodynamic Gardening Articles

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  3. How to Start Your Own Kitchen Garden Biodynamically

    Posted on October 11th, 2011 by admin

     
     

    Food is healthier, tastier and more satisfying when picked from your own farm or grown in your own garden. You get to eat food at freshest and choose the ones you exactly like too. Imagine growing some of your vegetables and sharing these with family or friends. The best reward is the pleasure of knowing they were grown in rich soil without chemicals or pesticides. But since not everyone can have the luxury of having their own little farm, here are some tips on starting your own Edible Garden.

    1. Decide where you want to grow your vegetables. Whether you live in the lowlands or highlands will determine the kind of vegetables you can grow.

    2. Ideally, a kitchen garden would be the best. It should be close to your kitchen door so it’s easy to just get what you need when you need it. If you don’t have enough space, you can grow your vegetables or herbs in between gaps in your flower beds or plant them in containers and grow them in bags. You can even use hanging baskets.

    3. You need a plot that is not a slope so you won’t have a problem of soil erosion. Find a sunny spot that gets enough sun (8-10 hours of sun a day.) While it is in open spaces, you also need to make sure it is sheltered enough so it is protected from wind drafts. You might also want to make sure it’s close to a water source.
    4. Start small and aim to grow more as you get more confidence. What will your family eat? How much time do you have to spend in it? A bed that is 60-90 cm wide with paths of 30 cm is a good size.
    5. Your soil should be fertile, healthy soil. If you already have healthy plants growing on your soil, it should be good enough. Dig the soil, get rid of weeds and enrich it with compost before you start planting. Your soil should have rich organic matter (compost.) Our best tip is that before you plant, build your soil fertility by applying Biodynamic Preparation 500 to your soil. (We make our own but we can help you source them as well, just let us know.) The preparations bring back balance to the soil and make the soil a rich place for micro organisms.

    6. Make your beds square or rectangular. This allows for easier planting and weeding. Make sure you can reach the center from either side. Also make sure your taller plants will not shade your smaller plants.

    We suggest you use raised beds. Raised beds are filled with clean topsoil and then compost, and then mulched. The only disadvantage is they drain fast so you would have to water your plants often.
    6. Mulch the vegetable bed. This will improve your soil carbon, soil structure, help you conserve water and reduce the amount of weeding you need. You do this by placing dried plant material like leaves, clippings, twigs, or barks on top of the soil and around the base of the vegetable plants.

    7. You can get seeds from a garden store or from friends who have seeds. The seed packets would usually have a description. Take note of what plants are good for small spaces, disease resistant, have good yields, are tolerant. But your best resource will always be yourself after you have started planting, and gardening.

    8. In the beginning, it would be good to plant several varieties of vegetables. Keep a journal and plan what seeds/plants go where. Note down what plants were resistant to pests, grew well with minimum organic fertilizer, or other aspects like taste, and storage. Take note of what worked so you know what varieties are best for you.

    Lowland Vegetables you can plant (easy to take care of): Malunggay, squash, pechay, papaya, string beans, kangkong, camote tops, okra and leaf type lettuce,

    Highland Vegetables you can plant (easy to take care of): cauliflower, mustard, brocolli, salad greens, chinese cabbage, radish, carrot, peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and the like.

    9. Some vegetables can be bought from a garden center, already started. For example, you can buy herbs in pots.

    10. Practice multiple cropping so you do not exhaust your soil. Multiple cropping allows for different plants with different needs to use the soil. Some plants may house beneficial insects, which the other plant needs to control pest. Multiple cropping also produces higher yields than monoculture.

    Some combinations:

    Beans grow well with cucumber, early potato, lettuce and carrots.

    Carrot grows well with peas, leaf lettuce, and chives. Sage, rosemary, onion and wormwood repel carrot fly.

    Cucumbers grow well with corn, lettuce and celery. Radish and tansy repel cucumber beetle.

    Lettuce grows well with carrots.

    Peas grow well with radish, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, turnips and lettuce.

    Potatoes grow well with beans and peas. You can repel potato bugs by putting a border of malunggay. Garlic and marigold also helps prevent blight in potatoes.

    Tomatoes like basil and parsley. Garlic can combat tomato blight. Fava beans repel tomato wilt causing organisms.

    11. Practice crop rotation. This means that you do not plant the same crop in the same area between two planting cycles. For example, you can start with Chinese Cabbage, Carrots and Baguio Beans. The next planting, rotate where you planted them. Note that leaf vegetables usually do well after a legume crop. Fruit vegetables often perform well after a leafy crop. Root vegetables grow well after a fruit crop.

    12. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. For in ground crops you might have to water once or twice a week. Raised beds are faster and may require watering every day. Just make sure you don’t water too much so that the soil is lumpy when you hold it.

    13. Remove weeds when you have them with a hoe or a fork to lightly stir the top inch of soil. Mulching is also good.

    14. Fertilizing your crops through composting is best. (SeeHow to Make Biodynamic Compost.)You do this every cropping cycle. We also hasten the decomposition of our compost by applying Biodynamic Preparation to the compost pit.

    14. Harvest your produce when they are ready. Leaf lettuce can be picked as young as you like; snip some leaves and it will continue to grow and produce. The general rule: if it looks good enough to eat, it probably is. Give it a try. With some vegetables, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce.

    15. Now, EAT.

    By Paula Z. Aberasturi, www.downtoearth.ph and www.myflowerdepot.com

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  4. Learn Organic Lawn Care Child Safe Lawn Pet Safe Lawn Easy to Learn Free Fertilizer Green Lawn Care

    Posted on March 16th, 2011 by admin

     
     

    Visit SiteSo you say you’ve been using chemical fertilizers and pesticides for years now. Fortunately there are ways to regain the natural health and life in your lawn.

    Knowing the basic fundamentals of Your Organic Lawn, you’ll be amazed at how easy and what little time you now have to spend on caring for your beautiful yard. And now it’s all Risk Free!
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  5. Organic Gardening Secrets eBook

    Posted on March 12th, 2011 by admin

     
     

    Visit Sitewas recently released and it covers nearly every bit of information you wanted to know about organic gardening. And I mean EVERYTHING ABOUT ORGANIC GARDENING!

    You are probably aware that most of the plant produce that you can buy at the grocery store are NOT completely safe and healthy. If youre not, then know this as a fact:
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