Thursday, July 31st, 2008 at
8:26 am
As plants are approximately 90% water, it is believed by many gardeners that all planting should be done according to the phases of the moon.
The moon affects the movement of water on the earth and this is their reason for believing that the moon also has an effect on the growth patterns of plants.
Some people also believe that by planting according to the lunar cycles you will get tastier fruits from your plants and bigger, more vibrant colors from their flowers.
While many people don’t follow this idea of planting according to the moon, it is surprising to see that there are a lot of people who will still follow the suggestions of recommended planting times even though they are skeptical.
There are some grounds to believe that the moon does affect the growth of plants, and quite apart from the aspect of the gravitational pull and the relationship to the movement of the water, there is the added belief that the amount of light that the moon emits during it’s changing phases has a greater effect than some people first thought.
As plants are extremely responsive to the changes in light, which is called photoperiodism, it is correct to assume that the light from the moon could influence growing patterns.
Plants have been shown to respond to light levels that are lower than those experienced during a full moon so changes in moonlight would have an affect on them.
It is possible to buy calendars specifically for gardeners where the various planting times are listed for the different types of plants throughout the year according to the phases of the moon.
You might not believe the affect this can have on your garden but there is certainly no harm to plant by these suggestions.
You might just have a bumper crop in doing so.
Planting By the Moon
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Sunday, July 27th, 2008 at
6:12 am
Ant Control Recipe
3 cups water
4 teaspoons boric acid
2 cups granulated sugar
Mix, then pour half a cup of the mixture into three or four empty jam jars wrapped with masking tape and loosely packed half full with absorbent cotton. Smear the bait along the outside of the jar and set along ant trail. The ants will swarm into the jar. Some will carry the mixture back to the colony, where it will kill other ants.
CAUTION: If you have small children or pets, screw the lids onto the jars, poke several small holes through the lid and smear some of the bait on the inside of the jar.
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Friday, July 25th, 2008 at
8:17 am
In the simplest of terms, raising an organic vegetable garden is the process of growing healthy vegetables without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, for a better understanding of what organic gardening really means, you have to consider the planted area as part of an overall effort of helping your slice of the environment. Beginning with the soil and replenishing the nutrients used during the growing season with natural products is all part of the effort required for an organic vegetable garden.
People have begun to see the effects that many of the commercial fertilizers and pesticides have their own area. Many plants require nature’s help with germination and bees and other insects are recruited to help this process along. While many of those with an organic vegetable garden have learned that these insects are needed, others continue to use artificial means to turn them away, reducing the potential yield in their garden.
Using plants in your organic vegetable garden that grow well together as well as within the local climate can help. That is not to say that some vegetables that are not native to the climate cannot be grown in an organic vegetable garden, but they will require some additional help to reach their full maturity and potential.
Composting Offers Best Natural Fertilizer
For many with an organic vegetable garden, composting grass clippings, leaves and other organic matter is the most popular method of providing the fertilizer they need. However, their efforts can be interrupted if they use vegetable wastes from other sources that may not have been from an organic vegetable garden. Any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides used in the growth of any food item will remain in the food and subsequently in the compost in which they are used.
The same is true with your grass clippings and if any chemicals were used for weed prevention or to stimulate the lawn’s growth, the clippings used in the compost and deposited in the organic vegetable garden will remain in the compost and grow into the vegetables being grown. Even meat scraps from the table that may be included in the compost pile will have to be from certified organically grown cattle in order to keep the organic vegetable garden free of chemicals.
For those hoping for a true organic vegetable garden, there is not only the work involved of treating the soil and pests in a natural way, but there is also a lot of research of the other products used in the home that can make or break the organic designation of the garden.
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Image via Wikipedia
