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I had lunch with friends recently & we got to talking about all the great organic products & places there’re now.

When I first went organic back in 2003 there was a very limited range & it was mainly sad, spotty produce that spoiled very rapidly & cost 100% - 200% more than non organic. I would regularly experience finding grubs in my apples & lettuce, busily munching away so I rapidly learned to carefully inspect food before taking a bite. I remembered the old saying - the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple is finding ½ a worm! My friends laughed at my squeamishness. They accepted it as a sign of live, healthy food. Me, I like my food grub free.

Happily, much has changed since then. Now the quality has definitely improved & prices seem to be only about twenty percent more than non organic, especially if you know where to buy. (And I’m very happy to report I have not seen a grub or bug in my produce for ages.) Even traditional supermarkets are rapidly expanding their organic ranges - the health food aisle is getting bigger, there’re organic canned tomatoes & lentils, organic breakfast cereals, pasta & tea. I was delighted today to see there’s also now organic holoumi cheese. Organic chicken, beef & eggs have been around for a while too now. There’s even organic butcher shops popping up.

Even the range of organic products apart from organic food has massively expanded. There’s now:

* organic skincare - watch out for my upcoming article on Narelle Cheney creator Miessence
* organic hair dye, shampoo etc - my hairdresser (Bron at Endorphin Hair, Bulimba) says she has so many women with cancer come there especially because of their products
* organic personal hygiene products - toothpaste, deodorant, tampons etc
* organic cotton - the sheets & towels are so heavenly!
* organic, chemical free ways of cleaning including laundry products
* organic candles & essential oils
Now it seems there’s hardly anything that is not available as an organic alternative. The only thing I can think of is toilet paper. Has anyone seen organic toilet paper?

When I first went organic I tried lots of products, many of them did not impress me particularly the skincare ranges, toothpastes & deodorants. After talking to many wonderful consumers & manufacturers & slowly working my way through by trial & error I have found that there’re some excellent products available. And so… So if you have tried some products & been less than impressed, do not give up - let’s know what you are searching for & we can assist you find it.

Once you start searching for organic you will notice it popping up all over the place. I live in a popular suburb of Brisbane in Australia & within walking distance of my home are two great organic food stores. One has a fabulous cafe & the other has a great naturopathic range, fitness centre & regularly runs very informative health seminars for a very reasonable price.

Kerri Witt is an organic consumer, natural health advocate & shares her passion helping others interested in all aspects of Organic Living. For More Information, Please visit http://organiclivinglifestyle.com

Even though switching to organic gardening may seem to be a tough task for many gardeners who are used to sprays, fertilizers & chemical dusts, the end results are rewarding & worth all the efforts. Probably, using organic plant food & fertilizers, & following a different process for organic gardening is new & unusual for you, but very soon you will be easily able to adjust & enjoy the thought you’re saving lives as well as preserving the environment by doing so.

For those ones who just start gardening, consider practicing organic gardening from the beginning. Learn about the benefits organic plant food brings to your garden. If you’re a real expert gardener who have been using & following traditional methods for gardening take the time to consider all the advantages that organic plant food could bring for you & your garden.

Advantages of Using Organic Plant Food

In order to appreciate organic methods of gardening & using organic plant food, you have to understand the benefits of these fertilizers & plant foods. There is more. This information can surely break your routines of chemical gardening for good.

Organic plant food & fertilizers may seem less effective compared to chemical fertilizers. However, it’s not so ? they just work slower, but provide a more stable & steady release of essential nutrients to your plants. Clear? In addition, organic foods for plants supply plenty of micronutrients that are not found in chemically produced plant food. To keep your garden’s soil healthy switch to organic plant food that serves as an effective soil conditioner. It gives the soil with its needed organic compounds & increases the soil’s friability.

Fertilizers with chemical compounds usually cause an unwanted accumulation of inorganic salt. When this happens, it can greatly affect your soil’s condition & your plants’ development as well as decreasing the population of help-ful microbial & soil insects. Right. While there’re still a few build-ups of insoluble salts when you use organic plant food, you can ensure less harm done to your soil compared to synthetic fertilizers.

Excessive amounts of chemical-based fertilizers can actually burn your plants. Right. With organic fertilizers that are slowly released into the soil, you can accidentally add too much of the organic plant food, but it’s far less dangerous & damaging to your soil & plants. Clear? In the same situation with chemical fertilizers your plants would be killed.

Practicing organic gardening has numerous benefits, & first of all, it ensures that your soil becomes healthy & your plants flourish beautifully & naturally. Using organic plant food is an important step towards organic gardening and, subsequently, towards tastier food & better health.

For more information on Organic Plant Food check out http://www.myorganicgardeningsecrets.com You will find loads of tips & techniques plus you will find answers to questions many others in your situation have asked before. But Hurry! For a limited time you can get your very own copy of our award winning Organic Gardening Software at absolutely no cost.

The soil is the most significant part to maintain in any garden ? it’s the building block for all your plants. There is more. Therefore, you have to enrich it with essential nutrients so that your plants grow healthy. Using organic soil for your garden has proven to be the best choice for any kind of gardening.

You should know that your garden’s soil is a complex ecosystem of its own. It contains numerous micro organisms that convert inactive compounds into the necessary nutrients that would feed your plants. So… Since chemical-based fertilizers can harm these organisms, switching to organic soil for the garden can stop their destruction, providing a longer lasting life for your plants.

Organic soil for gardens is the best material to use that will ensure your plants would thrive naturally. Good organisms grow & multiply in untreated soil, providing essential nutrients to your plants. As your soil keeps on improving, you can notice significant positive changes within your garden, such as an increase of healthy worms that attract butterflies, larger insects, birds & other beasties.

How to Make Organic Soil for Gardens

If you can not spend much time in your garden, the simplest choice is to buy a range of products to complement the organic soil for your garden. You can order plant meals, feeds, sprays, dusts, fertilizers & other organic products over-the-counter, on line or in gardening shops.

In case you can afford spending quite some time working on organic soil for your garden, you should attempt to make your own compost (a combination of garden wastes, remains of plants, grass clippings, dried leaves & other household wastes). This process is important to determine the appropriate wastes to include in your compost to obtain the necessary nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus & other nutrients that your plants need.

To start with, you really need to evaluate the soil in your garden. This will give you an idea about your soil’s needs, & what kinds of materials you should add to it..

Once you determine whether your soil needs phosphorus, nitrogen or potassium, you’ll get a clue on what kind of trace elements to purchase. The best way to go is to buy organic products for the soil. Generally, organic compounds (such as animal manure, leaf molds, peat moss, ground barks, etc) improve drainage & water retention.

If you’re practicing organic gardening in general, you should also purchase a special organic fertilizer for your garden. Remember, that each element you place into the compost should be mixed well before watering the entire area. You’ll be easily able to see the benefits of your organic soil for the garden in a month or so. Once the end results of your examination show that the soil is healthy, you can use it to plant anything you like.

For more information on Organic soil for garden check out http://www.myorganicgardeningsecrets.com You will find loads of tips & techniques plus you will find answers to questions many others in your situation have asked before. But Hurry! For a limited time you can get your very own copy of our award winning Organic Gardening Software at absolutely no cost.

Innovative biologists & chemists have made it much easier to control the pests in your garden & there’re now a dozen safe ways to control damaging insects.

First of all you really need to identify what kind of insects you have or are likely to get. There’re plenty of common species, but only a few of these do any significant harm in a given area ? & there’re a number of ways to identify them.

Check plant leaves, flowers & shrubs & match any you do not recognise against photos you can find on the internet. Look for information on any particular plants that you are concerned over & you should not have any trouble identifying the most common pests. Oftnen that information will contain a photo you can use for comparison.

A lot of the insects on flowers, trees, grass & other plants are hidden & you may have to rely on guesswork & apply general methods that are used to control common invasive species. Aphids are often found on rose bushes, for example but may be hard to spot. Grass often has grub infestations that isn’t visible to the eye & can only be detected by looking underneath the soil.

Another method is to examine any effects you might see

Grass with round, brown spots, especially in late Spring through Summer may mean you have a Japanese Beetle grub problem. Double check your guesswork with other methods if you find that patches of grass come away from the soil easily like carpet with loose tacks then you may have a grub problem.

Eliminating insects & grubs that are causing problems is usually safe, cheap & easy especially with modern control methods. There is more. This does not mean you have to purchase & spray large areas with chemicals, even though most of them are said to be safe for both humans & the environment.

Instead of using grub killing fertilizer or insecticide use biological control methods. There is more. These are thought to be more organic & are becoming more popular & effective all the time. A substance called ‘milky spores’ can be a very cost effective way to control grubs in lawns.

Biological control may be more expensive than a bag of grub insecticide to start with. A 30lb bag of grub killer may cost $10 & last two years where a 1-liter bottle of milky spores may be $30 or more, but it lasts for ten years. There is more. This works well because it’s a natural compound which contains living organisms that invade the grub larvae & interrupts their growth cycle. In effect, you have one organism killing another. The spores are harmless to your lawn as they only act on the grub.

There are other control methods like the one above each meant to solve a particular problem. This is because organisms are particular about which insects they will invade & when. These methods are safe, cost effective & many are last longer than other, chemical methods.

You can use chemical insecticides if you really need to do so. Modern insecticides are much more sophisticated, & decay safely & rapidly into harmless byproducts without harming the environment. They also do the job before they decay.

Lee Dobbins writes for Backyard Garden where you can learn more about gardening & landscaping as well as different types of garden pest control.

Organic Gardening For: Beginners

Organic gardening will give you peace of mind & a great sense of satisfaction when you & your family sits down to eat. Imagine the sense of excitement you will get when you first see those little green shoots peering through the soil!

So What Is Organic Gardening?

Many gardeners wonder what exactly organic growing means. There is more. The simple answer is that organic gardeners do not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their plants. There is more. Think natural! Organic gardening is using recycled materials to grow crops. You can & should use animal waste, kitchen scraps, & vegetable waste to mulch & compost. Common household items like vinegar & soap are used to stop pests & weeds. Organic growing is the working together of nature. Using naturally cultivated soil to grow natures seed.

Planning Your Organic Garden

Choose where to plant your garden. Ideally you want an area that will get plenty of light & be protected from the wind. How big do you want your plot to be? Don’t start off too big - you want to enjoy your gardening not resent how time consuming it can rapidly become if you start off too grand! Draw a scale plan of your gardening area & work out how much of each crop your going to use & where to plant them. Think “groups” rather than rows as they’re more productive & easier to attend to.

Getting The Soil Ready For Your Organic Growing Plot

You need to look into testing your soil before you begin. Tests are available from your local gardening center. Good soil should be pleasant to the touch, eye & nose. Once you’re satisfied with your soil you can begin.

Planting In Your Organic Garden

Your going to be best served growing from the seed rather than purchasing plants as they could have been sprayed with pesticides at some point. Also you will feel a lot more like a gardener using seeds! Obviously patience is needed to grow from the seed.

Weeding Your Organic Garden

Use a hoe to stop weeds developing into large competitive monsters to your plants! Just simply dig around your crops with a hoe once a week or so. Once your crop seedlings are larger, the soil is warm & drenching rains have ended, put down a layer of mulch to hold in moisture & smother weeds. Mulch is material that can be laid down around the plants to control weeds.

Pests In Your Garden?

Don’t despair at the sight of insects on & around your crops! To start with just have a watch of them & see if they’re actually causing damage. A lot of bugs will just nibble small enough amounts that good healthy plants can resist & recover from, so do not actually be too hasty!

Creating Compost For Your Organic Garden

So what are the benefits of compost? It should be used as mulch to reduce evaporation, reduce weed growth, insulate the soil from extreme temperature & keep soil cooler in the day & warmer at night time! Good compost should be made up of balanced materials. Clear? It should be balanced between carbon materials - washed egg shells, milled grains, dried grass, straw & leaves. And nitrogen materials - most kitchen scraps, fresh grass & other plant matter.

David Stuart http://www.organicgardening4u.com

After much research into organic gardening & indeed doing lots of organic growing, I’ve gained knowledge of the subject.

One item to keep in mind when growing veggies naturally, you have to begin with quality soil. This can be easily obtained by the use of compost & organic fertilizer. All time, monies & energies put into your soil to enrich it will reward you with an abundance of great tasting veggies. There is more. The cost of organic veggies is substantially more than regular veggies, so going organically is a big plus. Growing your own organic vegetables garden also means having chemical free food.

Experience working with organic gardens has shown gardeners this is the very best way to maintain a budding garden. This practice is also help-ful in protecting your animal friends.

Compost creates very fertile soil. You can use most any type of organic matter that you can find; add leaves, twigs, garbage such as potato peels, lettuce leaves, onion peelings & what ever fruit or veggie discards you have. Determine where you’ll put your compost pile, somewhere off to the side or corner of your lot or yard. Some people prefer to build a bin, but that isn’t necessary. Dig the earth a few inches deep- 3 to 4 inches. There is more. This will expose soil bacteria to give the mulch a good start. The first layer is called a hot layer & should be made up of garbage & if possible some manure, which can be purchased at your local feed store or home hardware. Layer this about 2 inches deep.

Something else to consider is green matter; old leaves, weeds, trimming from bushes, etc. A thin layer of granite dust, rock phosphate or other trace additives- again check at local stores. There is more. Top this with an inch of soil- preferably organic. Begin again layering in the same way.

The compost pile requires frequent watering as the heat of decomposition dries it out & stops the composting action after a few days. Be careful not to over water, just keep the pile moist.

Using a shovel or pitch fork, you should turn the pile twice or two times the first two weeks. There is more. The turning helps air get inside the compost. Then turn once a month to keep the compost cooking. If possible have the compost pile at least 4 to 5 feet high.

Let’s discuss another solution to chemical fertilizers. Clear? It is true that chemical fertilizers are less expensive to buy than organic fertilizers. There is more. They give you quick plant growth & an abundant yield, but their side effects can be devastating. Chemical fertilizers are made from by-products of petro-chemicals, soil & strong acid.

Proven in laboratory tests, chemical fertilizers are know to lower the nutritional content of vegetables. Clear? In the West & Southwest, all dry areas, the use of chemical fertilizers is causing the ground to become more compact. Chemical super phosphate treated with sulfuric acid to make it more soluble. Used in man made fertilizers takes a long time to breakdown & the salts formed from them causes the ground to become more compact & ultimately cause erosion.

For your health & the environment, refrain from using chemical fertilizers. Don’t poison Mother Earth or yourself. Cultivate a garden that is beneficial & rewarding- garden organically.

As an on line author for OrganicGardenTip.com website, Shya writes about backyard & organic gardening to provide help-ful tips & information as found in the article Growing Your Own Organic Veggies Garden.

Compost by definition is organic. It’s the decayed remainder of flora & fauna & thus is processed organic material. That said, additives both known & unknown can add inorganic material to the mix.

Some organic gardeners like to add certain mineral additives to their compost such as dolomitic limestone or greensand to lower pH & add calcium to the mix. It’s doubtful if this is more effective than adding these materials directly to the soil especially in the case of pH control as compost piles tend to go neutral by the nature of their composting action. Still, it means that both materials can be added to the soil in one go.

On the other hand, one has to be very careful of the materials added to the compost pile. Grass clippings, fall leaves & other supplies that may be picked up at the roadside as others throw them out, can have pesticide & herbicide residue. Either leave the offerings where they lie or be sure that the people disposing of them have not used any chemical applications over the past month or more.

It is easiest to ensure that compost is organic by making one’s own. There is no need for other than organic material in the first place. A healthy mix of brown & green vegetable matter will have almost all if not virtually everyone of the minerals necessary for good plant growth. Green or wet material will usually be damp, odored, & some variation green in color. Examples are grass clippings & kitchen waste. Brown or dry materials, on the other hand, will be dry, brown or gray in color, & largely odorless. Autumn leaves, spoiled hay, wood shavings, & dried weeds are examples.

When gathering materials, a volume mix of about two parts brown to one part green matter is about right for a good pile. If there is much newspaper or wood shavings in the brown material, a ratio of one to one is good. You want enough carbon from the dry material to feed the microorganisms in the pile & enough nitrogen for them to produce protein. Wood shavings are not the threat to compost piles that some composters believe them to be. In actual fact, many wood turners & other wood workers seek spalted wood for its color. Spalted wood is simply wood that has dark lines & tan areas in it from the beginnings of rot. Composting is just a name for controlled rotting so spalted wood is already underway. Look for shavings of maple, birch, & poplar in particular as these woods are very prone to spalt.

Mix the materials well & make certain that they’re sufficiently moist. Ideally they will feel like a wrung out dishcloth. If the pile is well built it will heat in a couple of days to where it’s too hot to keep your hand in it… The more often it’s turned the faster it composts, but it will rot down for you into a rich compost. When it’s dark, crumbly & earthy smelling, your compost is ready to use.

You can know the compost is organic easiest by making your own. Like most things, honest materials & honest work give honest results.

Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting & gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre & compost piles for each. His composting site may be easily found at Compost Central. You can become a master composter in no time at all. Compost is a great addition to any garden & isn’t hard to make. For lots more information & instruction refer to Compost Central.

Are you searching for greenhouse plans so that you can give your seedlings a head start in the spring? Would you like to create a warm environment where you can keep your pot plants & hanging baskets during the winter? And how about growing your own organic vegetables? All of this can be achieved in a greenhouse.

Just as if you were building a house, if you want to build a controlled environment for your plants you will need to start with greenhouse plans. There is more. There is more to a greenhouse than piping & polypropylene & this needs to be taken into account in your greenhouse plans.

As you start to plan your greenhouse you will start with the size. This may well be determined by the available space & the amount of sun light in your garden. Once you know the external measurements for your greenhouse, you can decide on the height of the walls & the shape of the roof. Now that you have an idea of the design you can fill in the details of your greenhouse plan.

The majority of greenhouses are erected as free-standing buildings & will require a floor & a frame on which to attach the sides. Depending on its size, your greenhouse plans may contain a poured concrete foundation. You may also select to add many courses of brickwork at the base of the walls. Ensure that the top row of brickwork is straight & flat to make attaching the walls easier & make them more secure. If your greenhouse includes a timber frame the walls can be attached directly to the wood; this will be specified in the greenhouse plans.

Build In Extra Greenhouse Features

You may not wish to immediately include a watering system, ventilation or active heating, for a variety of reasons, how ever, your plans should include these features so that they may be installed later. It’s usually easier & more cost effective to have some features included while the building is under construction. By example, you may not wish to include an irrigation system at the time of building but if you at least have the plumbing installed you’ll save a great deal of money later on. Similarly, with heating, it’s usually cheaper to have the electrical wiring installed at construction time.

Ensure that your greenhouse plans include a ceiling ventilation unit. There’re units available that do not require electricity, & they can always be added later on, but again, you will need to ensure that the structure is built in such a way that it’s easy to add the unit later. In other words, ensure that all features are included in the greenhouse plans.

Another item worth considering is a drip system to capture moisture that condenses on the inside of the walls. A drip system will allow the water to accumulate in a trough near the floor where it can be often used in a watering systems. There is more. This can also be added later but should be noted on the greenhouse building plan.

It is worth noting when planning your greenhouse that location is very important. The best location for your greenhouse is where it receives maximum sunlight. Morning sun light is most desirable as it allows the plants’ food production process to begin early in the day which will maximize growth. When looking at your greenhouse plans in relation to your garden do not overlook this important process.

Alison Stevens is an on line author & publisher & maintains the Greenhouse Plans blog to offer knowledge & advice to anyone seeking information on greenhouse plans & building a greenhouse.

If you would love to grow healthy, fresh vegetables & vibrant, beautiful flowers but have limited space, organic container gardening can be the answer you have been looking for. This creative type of natural gardening can be done just about anywhere & it can even be easier than maintaining a traditional garden plot.

Here are three things to consider for simple organic container gardening, regardless of the amount of space you may have.

Start With Organic Soil

It only stands to reason that for any successful venture in organic container gardening, one would need organic soil. A regular, outdoor garden begins with the soil or dirt that you already have & then organic materials are added to increase nutrients. But you will be ahead of the game if you start with organic soil to begin with.

With organic container gardening, you will not have any sub-soil to help retain water which in turn prevents the roots from becoming too wet. The best way to correct this problem is with simple peat moss. Peat moss can either be used alone or added to your organic soil along with compost or composted manure & the result is an excellent soil mixture for organic container gardening.

Use Plain or Creative Containers

Put your imagination to the test as just about anything that will hold soil & water can be often used for organic container gardening. While some gardeners prefer to take the natural route & use pots made from clay or wood, you’re really only limited by your own resourcefulness.

Although, pots & containers that will not fall apart when they get wet & that will also drain properly work best for organic container gardening. If needed, you could always drill holes into the bottom of the container & then add about an inch or so of gravel to aid with drainage. Also, a few layers of torn newspaper or leaf mold atop the gravel will help retain water just enough to keep the soil moist as well.

Plant Your Crop

With the use of organic container gardening, you can plant the same plants & vegetables that you would in any other garden such as tomatoes, peppers, beans or herbs. There is more. The key is using containers appropriate in size to what you’re planting. For instance, zucchini plants will need the same amount of room in the container as they do out in the garden, so be sure to have something that will allow the plant room to grow healthily.

Organic seeds & plants will work best with organic container gardening, & you’ll also find that you will rarely have a problem with most garden pests while using this specific method. It is much easier to keep pests at bay & keep an eye on leaves & stems with organic container gardening rather than with a large, regular garden. Ladybugs will still help with insect infestation & diatomaceous earth can still be used to deter slugs from destroying your plants.

Basically, the same practices you would apply to traditional gardening can be often used with organic container gardening. And anywhere you may have a sheltered area that receives enough light; you can enjoy the fruits, or vegetables, of organic container gardening all year long.

Organic gardening is on the rise. If you love to garden but have a limited amount of space attempt organic container gardening. Containers allow specialized plantings for all those vegetables you just can not live without.

All organic gardeners love the time of year when the last frost have been, the soil is warming up & the daffodils alert us to the fact that spring is here. It is time to start planting your annual vegetable garden.

But what a fantastic supplement to the garden would it be if there were vegetables available that do not need to be replanted each year? You plant them once, then feed & water them, then you can just keep picking them year after year.

Well, there’re vegetables that you plant in a permanent position & they provide you with food on an ongoing basis. A perennial is defined as having a life cycle lasting more that two years. There is more. They generally die back during the cold winter & emerge the following spring. So a perennial vegetable is an edible plant that comes back each year. This way you have less to do, you disturb the soil less & your perennials become more drought & frost hardy as their roots grow deeper every year.

Soil Preparation

All perennials will benefit from soil preparation that increases the nutrient levels & the moisture holding capacity of the garden bed. Adding humus or compost to the soil will greatly improve growing conditions in heavy soils that dry out in summer, as well as lighter soils. Improving the soil will also increase the life & productivity of your perennial plants.

* Dig a hole in the soil twice or two times the depth of your plant & fill with water

* Place a layer of rich organic material or compost in the hole

* Backfill the remainder of the hole with humus enriched soil. When this breaks down it gives a nutrient rich layer below the soil that will also have increased water holding capacity, maintaining the moisture available to the roots of these perennial plants throughout the dry summer months.

* Spread a light layer of organic fertiliser on top of the soil to help rapidly develop a good root system

Perennial Vegetables to try bearing in mind your zone as some of these perennials are not frost tolerant:

Artichokes, Asparagus, Beans (perennial), Broccoli (perennial), Cardoon, Chard (perennial), Chicory, Chives, Chokos, Corn Salad, Dandelions, Fennel, French sorrel, Garlic Chives, Ginger, Good King Henry, Japanese hornwort, Jerusalem artichokes, Lemon Balm, Lovage, New Zealand spinach, Purslane, Rhubarb, Rocket, Sorrel, Sweet potato, Tamarillo, Walking Onions

Perennial vegetables are a perfect addition to an edible landscape gardening plan or permaculture garden. Many are very attractive & make excellent feature plants.

Remember that since they will grow in the same soil for many years, it’s vitally important that they’re given a sunny position with well-drained soil full of organic matter. Planting perennial vegetables is a truly rewarding investment in your organic garden & you kitchen.

Hi, I’m an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It’s my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. Do you follow? This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Please visit my website & get your free 3 part Composting Guide. For Companion Planting info click here.

Happy gardening, healthy living?
Julie Williams
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com