Organic Vegetable Gardening for the Eco Minded Home Gardener

How to Make a Cheap Wire Compost Bin

eco organic gardening — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:53:23 +0000

How to Make a Cheap Wire Compost Bin

This tutorial shows you how to make a circular compost bin out of wire (or mesh) and rebar (or any sturdy metal rod/post). The finished size of this wire compost bin design is 3-4 ft diameter, 3-4 ft tall, as this is the general consensus on

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Leaf Mold Uses

eco organic gardening — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:46:27 +0000

Leaf mold is best described as a “soil conditioner”. Among the things leaf mold does to condition soil is increase water retention, improve soil structure, and provide a robust habitat for earthworms and beneficial bacteria. Though leaves are not high in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, tree roots do mine calcium, magnesium and many other

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How to Make Leaf Mold

eco organic gardening — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:24:22 +0000

Start with the fall leaves from around your (and/or your neighbor’s) yard. Only use leaves from yards that don’t use synthetic chemicals on their lawns for contamination reasons. Some people don’t consider chemical contamination to be a significant concern with leaf mold because the lengthy decomposition time allows for chemicals to break down

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What is Leaf Mold?

eco organic gardening — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:09:57 +0000

Leaf Mold is the organic material left behind after leaves have undergone fungal decomposition. Leaf mold is the term used to describe the result of only decomposed leaves that haven’t had any other ingredients added.

Letting leaves decompose separately from other organic matter yields a wonderfully beneficial soil conditioner that is dark brown to black,

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Nature Hills Nursery

eco organic gardening — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:22:30 +0000

Wide selection of live plants, fruit trees, vegetable seeds, herb seeds, and flower seeds

Check out the reviews of Nature Hills Nursery as a seed/plant source at http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/3047/

Plant Labels: How to Make Your Own Garden Plant Markers

eco organic gardening — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:07:41 +0000

Durable plastic plant labels (also called plant markers or garden markers) cost about $4 / dozen at my local gardening supply shop. Since I have 72 squares in my Square Foot Garden, that would add up! Rather than buy new, I prefer to make my own with reused materials anyway. It is simple,

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Rainwater Harvesting: Is it Legal to be Green?

eco organic gardening — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:16:53 +0000

Since humans began growing food intentionally, people have been “harvesting” rainwater in some form and capacity. Rainwater harvesting systems really just allow you to temporarily ‘borrow’ some water from the water cycle , to irrigate your landscape or garden. After captured rainwater serves this benign purpose, it (theoretically) continues on it’s way through

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Seed Starting in an Automatic Sprouter

eco organic gardening — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:18:14 +0000

I have an EasyGreen Automatic Sprouting Machine in my kitchen which I use year round for sprouting various edible seeds/beans/legumes. Eating fresh sprouts is something easy you can do really boost your vitamin, phytonutrient intake, and is an awesome way to have fresh greens all through the winter — but raving

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Pear Tree Planting Perfectionism

eco organic gardening — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:17:51 +0000

Soil was just right for digging today, so in went the new pear tree. We took a gamble and started digging in a spot where a previous tree had been (we took it out years ago, but hadn’t pulled the roots), so there was potential for battling underground nasties, but it went fine.

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Food, Inc. Documentary Airs on PBS April 21

eco organic gardening — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:50:52 +0000

This is mildly off topic to backyard organic gardening, but everyone who eats food needs to watch this movie, seriously. It is premiering on television April 21st on PBS. Just watching the trailer gets me riled up. If you’re the type of person who lives life with eyes wide open, you won’t

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